The US President Donald Trump began his second term with several ambitious goals, the most important of which are:
1. Denmark should cede Greenland to the United States.
2. Canada should become the 51st state of the United States.
3. Panama should relinquish control of its canal to the United States.
4. Saudi Arabia should invest one trillion US dollars in the United States.
5. Jordan and Egypt should take in and manage the people of Gaza.
6. Israel should expand its territory.
7. NATO members should increase their military budgets by two percent of their national income.
8. OPEC should increase oil production to weaken Russia.
9. Germany and Japan should pay billions of US dollars to support US military presence on their soil.
10. China should boost its imports from the United States.
It is true that this is a common approach for any US president, or even any leader or monarch, upon assuming power. However, there is a political rule that suggests if a new president or government is able to implement 25 percent of its proposed agenda, it is considered successful, provided the circumstances are in their favor. In the case of the United States, there are many challenges facing the president returning to the White House. President Trump understands that this will be his final term. International conditions have shifted to a great extent, and as a result, the United States is no longer in the position to impose its will as it once did. This is why the calculations are completely different, which makes Trump’s ambitions incredibly difficult to achieve.
At the start of his first term, President Trump overturned many of the decisions of Barack Obama, particularly those related to Iran. He also greatly disrupted the internal political situation in the US and burdened the country’s economy with new debts which further exacerbated the economic crisis. As a result, the White House’s plans appear more like a midsummer night’s dream, as Washington no longer holds the authority to impose its will on others, at least not in the same way it once did.
On the other hand, speaking from over half a century of experience in following international affairs, whenever any head of state, no matter how powerful or influential his country is globally, demands the expulsion of a group of people from their land, it is like dipping a bare hand into a hornet’s nest. The situation becomes even more complicated if Trump’s goals involve pursuing a corrupt or misguided theory like the so-called “Greater Israel”, and directing Jordan and Egypt to take in the residents of Gaza and the West Bank. By pursuing this path, President Trump is causing major harm to the longstanding relationships between the US and its natural allies in the Middle East. This would be a fatal error for the United States.
No American president has ever pursued their dreams to such an extent. While it is true that US presidents have laid out their plans, some of which have been achieved, while others have failed, many have passed away before carrying out their programs, and the successors then overturned their predecessors’ policies. So, the question remains - How can Trump possibly achieve all of these goals within four years, particularly when it comes to his attempts to extract funds from certain countries? There is something peculiar about what this president is saying. He knows well that investments follow a clear path, and they cannot be made overnight. These investments require careful planning and agreements that must be concluded before implementation.
President Trump understands that not all of the deals he secured with Gulf countries during his first term came to fruition. Of the roughly $13 billion in deals, only a portion were realized, with many others delayed due to shifting global circumstances. First, the decisions signed by Trump represented a coup against the policies enacted by the administration of his predecessor Joe Biden, much like how Trump overturned many of the decisions made by former President Barack Obama’s administration. So, the question arises: How can Trump guarantee that all the new orders he issued will be carried out, regardless of whether they are right or wrong? Isn’t it likely that his successor, four years down the line, will come in and reverse those decisions?
