The Trump effect

Chuck Roberts
Posted 1/16/25

It is unusual for a president-elect to have many world leaders and industry leaders posture intensely, trying to get on his good side before he becomes president.

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The Trump effect

Posted

It is unusual for a president-elect to have many world leaders and industry leaders posture intensely, trying to get on his good side before he becomes president. It is unprecedented how many have shifted their policies to a track nearly parallel that of the president-elect. Billionaire Masayoshi Son from the Japanese Softbank Group met with the president-elect and announced a $100 billion investment in the U.S. Hussain Sajani of the U.A.E. met with the president-elect, was happy to see the U.S. transitioning to a more business-oriented administration, and pledged $20 billion to build data centers. Mark Zuckerberg of Meta (Facebook) met with the president-elect and announced that he would no longer censor conservatives. Many CEOs have traveled to Mar-a-Lago and have cut checks for $1 million, resulting in a total tally of over $170 million committed for the inaugural to cover expenses for parades, inaugural balls, and other activities.

The president-elect suggested that Canada should be the 51st state and that Canadians would be much better off. After a recent meeting with the president-elect, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, often considered a devout leftist, announced his intent to step down, which leaves the door open for a more conservative government that will control illegal immigration.

Thule Air Base (now called Pituffik) has been operated by the U.S. at the northern end of Greenland since World War II. Greenland has been considered a vital security interest in defense against attacks from the Russians and others. The president-elect has signaled interest in the purchase of Greenland, which is owned by Denmark, to become a territory of the U.S. Denmark has not paid the five percent of the GNP obligation to support NATO. This has set off a firestorm among liberal foreign allies in Europe who also have not paid the required five percent GNP to support NATO. This could be an encouragement to our allies to pay up.

The fact that the Chinese are buying up control of the Panama Canal came into focus when the president-elect indicated that these purchases violate the initial treaty agreement between the US and Panama. Chinese control of both ends of the canal could have serious implications for U.S. commerce and security.

The president-elect is the most popular politician in Israel. He said that if the hostages are not released, “by the time I get in office, all hell will break out in the Middle East,” suggesting that the shackles will be taken off the Israeli military’s efforts to eliminate Hamas. This has resulted in renewed negotiations between Hamas and the Israelis.

The news media, which has been afflicted with “Trump derangement syndrome,” has been making some overtures to the president-elect. The outgoing administration has promised a smooth transition. However, everything is not rosy. Sections of border wall materials are being quickly sold for pennies on the dollar, a ban on offshore oil drilling was instated, an intent to ban gas water heaters was proposed, and significant last-minute spending has occurred to counter the president-elect’s stated policy plans - so much for a smooth transition.

Some say the Democrats hate the president-elect more than they love the country. The president-elect has a tough road to hoe because of the significant damage inflicted on the country over the past four years that the new administration may be unable to rectify during his term. Having a GOP House and Senate is helpful, but his policies are not guaranteed to prevail, just as some were not enacted during his first term. As evidenced by the outcome of the 2024 election, many believe the Trump effect will prevail, and the country will be better off. Pundits say that the Democrats are softening their opposition to the president-elect and are starting to work across the aisle on specific issues. For those who play bridge, watch your back if you bid no-Trump.