Donald Trump Change The World

New world tweeting

Donald Trump ran a campaign focused on America. The weeks since he won the election have been all about how he will change American foreign policy.

Trump's campaign of harsh protectionism and a domestic focus with little interest in foreign affairs has given way to a tweeter-in-chief who can't stop talking about the United States' relationship with the world. The day after Trump added an anti-Chinese professor to his administration, the president-elect signaled that he will increase America's nuclear arsenal and maintain a policy of vetoing all United Nations Security Council resolutions critical of Israel — something the Obama administration was waffling on. Reports also surfaced that Trump is considering a 10% tax on goods imported into the U.S. that could roil trade relations with the world.

These are significant shifts in how the White House views the world. For years, the U.S. has led international efforts to cut back on the development of nuclear weapons. Barack Obama and George W. Bush looked for ways to broker peace between the Israelis and Palestinians — something Trump, given his pick for ambassador to the Jewish state, seems unlikely to do. And presidential administrations of both parties have pushed free trade for decades.

Impacts of these policy shifts on the lives of Americans are difficult to predict. For example, it has been decades since the U.S. was actively aiming to increase its nuclear weapons stock. (Note that Trump's call to "strengthen and expand" America's nuclear weapons came after Russian President Vladimir Putin's similar statement about his country.) But we do know that since Trump's election, his diplomatic overtures and foreign policy statements have consistently attracted the most attention. On Friday, Putin said Trump's comment was "nothing new" — suggesting the Russian president wants to normalize a push for increased nuclear weaponry. (Mic) While Congress, especially Democrats, may delay or kill major parts of Trump's agenda, foreign policy is one of the few areas where the president can act largely unilaterally.

Further, the consequences of rhetoric in the U.S. and globally are different. When Trump, as president, makes a comment he does not follow through on, the consequences reverberate through politics and the media before whimpering out. A statement about nuclear weapons, even if empty, can send world leaders scrambling to respond to the president-elect — potentially doubling down on nuclear development.

Trump's Thursday moves guarantee a devout following of his Twitter account for the next four years. But more importantly, this forebodes major shifts in how the leader of the free world views his friends and allies — and how to respond to both.

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Conflict of hypocrisy

Trump also took to Twitter this morning to push back against more conflicts of interest — this time involving his family. Trump's son Eric announced in an email yesterday that he'd be suspending charitable activities because of possible conflicts with his father's presidency, and Trump was not pleased.
"My wonderful son, Eric, will no longer be allowed to raise money for children with cancer," Trump wrote in a pair of tweets, "because of a possible conflict of interest with my presidency. Isn't this a ridiculous shame? He loves these kids, has raised millions of dollars for them, and now must stop. Wrong answer!"
But Trump's objections miss a couple points. Eric Trump was accused of doing the same things his father falsely accused Hillary Clinton of doing — namely, using her charity as a front for paid access to power. (Mic) And is it just us, or is this seeming denial that anything should be done about conflicts of interest a bad sign for Trump's willingness to do anything about his own conflicts — something he had promised to explain but kicked down the road?

More evidence Trump will be a game-changer

Trump has already nominated a spate of potential cabinet members with ideological opposition to the departments they will lead. The president-elect has also released a video announcing what he will change on day one, including a renewed focus on slashing government regulations. But a new report shows Trump's team is extremely eager to gather the right information necessary to quickly roll back change wrought by Obama.
A Washington Post story found Trump transition officials seeking information from the State department about all "gender-related staffing, programming and funding." The Post wrote this request set "off alarm bells among those who fear [Trump] is going to purge programs that promote women's equality along with the people who work on them." This came a week after Trump's team distanced itself from an effort to seek information about staffers at the Department of Energy who worked on climate change research.
Together, these moves show Trump and his team are eager to move quickly. Contrary to early transition coverage that portrayed a fledgling administration in disarray, Trump's team seems bent on gathering unusual and personally specific data to move the government in a new direction on Jan. 20. A key question: How will that direction affect civil servants who did jobs under Obama that Trump disagrees with?

News and insight you cannot miss:

— Will "drain the swamp" be Trump's first broken promise? That's the Politico headline to a story that makes the case Trump has failed to keep his word by appointing an extremely wealthy and politically connected cabinet. (Politico)
— The contenders for chair of the Democratic National Committee share a common theme in their campaigns to run the party: Quietly arguing that Obama was part of the reason Democrats have been so decimated. (Wall Street Journal)
— Another notable Trump tweet: The president-elect pitted two major aerospace companies against each other on Thursday, saying on Twitter that he has asked Boeing to propose an alternative fighter jet to the one being created by Lockheed Martin. The tweet is the latest example of Trump using his vast public platform to pressure a federal government contractor, a highly uncommon move for a top American politician. (New York Times)
— In an attempt to preempt the president-elect, Obama will dismantle a program instituted by the Bush administration that tracks Muslim and Arab immigrants to the U.S. The program was suspended in 2011. But before Trump takes office, the government will scrap it entirely — making it more difficult for Trump to institute his so-called "Muslim registry." (Mic)
— Many supporters of federal funding for Planned Parenthood voted for Trump, showing social issues played less of a role in 2016 for many voters. (Slate)

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This newsletter is produced by Will Drabold at Mic.

Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential contest could change America's relationship with the rest of the world in some important ways. Here are six of them.

Nato faces a shake-up

Image copyright EPA

Image caption Nato defence ministers meet - could the US flag disappear next time?

Mr Trump has been hugely critical of Nato (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization), a cornerstone of American foreign policy for more than 60 years.
He has attacked the organisation as obsolete and characterised its members as ungrateful allies who benefit from US largesse. He says America can no longer afford to protect countries in Europe - and in Asia - without adequate compensation, suggesting he would withdraw American forces unless they pay up.
In one sense, he is simply voicing longstanding US concerns about most Nato members not meeting their goal of spending at least 2% of GDP on defence, while US defence spending is the largest in the world. He also stressed in a presidential debate he was "all for Nato".
But his stance has sparked alarm, particularly in eastern Europe which sees the alliance as a bulwark against Russia.

New cosier ties with Russia?

Image copyright AP

Image caption Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised the incoming US president and the feeling is mutual

As for Russia itself, Mr Trump has said he believes he can ease tensions with President Vladimir Putin, and has praised him as a strong leader with whom he would love to have a good relationship.
Barack Obama began his presidency calling for a "reset" with one of the US' long-term rivals. Since then Russia-US ties have been strained, no more so than over the two countries backing rival sides in Syria's civil war.
Mr Trump has said little about what better relations might involve beyond a desire for a joint fight against the militants of so-called Islamic State.
But he intends to find out if the Russians would be "reasonable", confident that he could better command Mr Putin's respect than Hillary Clinton or President Obama.

Free trade deals may be canned

Image copyright Reuters

Image caption There has been strong public opposition to free trade deals

Donald Trump's trade policies would amount to the single biggest change to the way America does business with the rest of the world in decades.
He has threatened to scrap a number of existing free trade agreements, including the North American Free Trade Agreement between the US, Canada and Mexico, which he blames for job losses. He has even suggested withdrawing the US from the World Trade Organization.
He is also in favour of taxing imports, and has talked about imposing tariffs of 45% on China and 35% on goods shipped from Mexico, in an effort to prevent companies moving jobs south of the border.

Iran nuclear accord could be rethought

Image copyright AP

Image caption The Iranian nuclear accord was the "worst deal I think I've ever seen negotiated", said Mr Trump

For President Obama, the deal that saw sanctions against Iran lifted in exchange for guarantees it would not pursue nuclear weapons was a "historic understanding".
But for Donald Trump, echoing Republican concerns, it was "the worst deal I think I've ever seen negotiated". He has said dismantling it would be his "number one priority".
Doing so would potentially have a huge impact on the Middle East, with Iran a key player in the Syrian conflict and a rival of Saudi Arabia and Israel, for instance.
Already Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has urged Trump to stay committed to the nuclear deal. He suggested the US would have to respect the accord given that it was thrashed out with several world powers.

More nuclear weapons in Asia?

Image copyright AFP

Image caption How will Donald Trump handle this man - Kim Jong-un?

A Donald Trump presidency raises major security questions in Asia. China is largely thought to welcome a Donald Trump presidency, perhaps anticipating a more isolationist US foreign policy.
Japan and South Korea have both been singled out by Mr Trump for relying too much on the US. He has even said they would benefit from having their own nuclear arsenals.
Then there is the region's renegade state, North Korea, which is currently developing its own nuclear weapons.
Mr Trump faces the task of curbing those ambitions, something that has eluded successive US leaders.
How he might do this is unclear - in the past year Mr Trump has both called North Korean leader Kim Jong-un a "bad dude" but also said he would directly negotiate with him.
Either way, US politics' most unpredictable presidential candidate tackling the world's most unpredictable state makes North Korea a likely flashpoint in the coming years.

Climate change revamp

President-elect Trump has said that he will "cancel" the Paris Climate Agreement within 100 days of taking office and will do everything in his power to reverse climate change regulations introduced by President Obama.

Image copyright Science Photo Library

Image caption Mr Trump has promised a renewed push to use coal across the US

He has pledged to stop all government funding of clean energy projects and climate change initiatives.
Mr Trump has repeatedly denied the science of human-caused climate change, describing it as "fictional' and arguing that it is a hoax created by the Chinese to make US manufacturing less competitive.
Climate change: Nations will push ahead with plans despite Trump
But while there are "legal and procedural roadblocks" which would inhibit Mr Trump from a complete overhaul of US climate policy, The New York Times says, the US remains legally bound to the Paris plan for four years.
But, the paper says, Mr Trump "could significantly weaken or slow them down".
Critics say his stance could cause other reluctant governments sceptical about the issue to reduce their efforts to cut planet-warming emissions.
The president-elect's plans to renege on the Paris Agreement, his disdain for President Obama's Clean Power Plan and his determination to push forward with coal have been condemned by green groups globally.
But fossil fuel supporters say Mr Trump's plans prioritise the needs of American families by delivering them affordable energy in addition to invigorating the economy and creating more opportunities for future generations.