Sunday, March 19, 2017

President Trump in the Midst of Crises


 March 19, 2017

By Saeed Qureshi



President Donlad Trump’s advent in the political arena from an entirely non-political and business background and winning the presidency of the United States is a unique phenomenon. Lately he has owed this brilliant achievement to his Tweeting obsession.  Yet strangely he is engulfed in a massive tsunami and colossal plethora of crises, scandals and controversies. Following the oath taking on February 2 this year, he has already stashed away 59 days out of the first 100 day in office. He is left with 49 days from today onwards to set the things rights. Thus, far president Trump has signed 17 executive orders and 12 memoranda some of which are either challenged or repudiated both by the people and the government agencies. 

The cardinal truth is that Donald Trump is a sincere person but his temperament is not. He is an economic wizard and mostly he has not been politically correct or earnest. Compromise, conciliations or bending backwards are not part of his political strategy or mindset. He excels and relishes in rebukes, retaliations and spurring non-issues as big issues. Once he takes a stand whether right or wrong, he sticks to it no matter what could be the ground realities and consequences.

Even a novice and nincompoop politician would not antagonize the press and judiciary. Yet he went aggressively in denouncing both the media and the judiciary because they differed with his executive orders and projections. United States is truly a democratic state where press, judiciary and other institutions play their roles honestly and truthfully although in Media there are always pro and anti-establishment views. But that is what is required of the media in any country.

Some of these executive orders have become highly controversial and subject to the scrutiny of the senate and the house. The replacement of Obamacare (known as Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act), is already being opposed on countrywide scale through long marches and even otherwise. Of late there is some compromise demonstrated by president himself and his advisors to retain some provisions of the Obamacare in the original draft of their healthcare plan. The Trump administration is deliberating on replacement of Obamacare with the "World's Greatest Healthcare Plan of 2017". This plan has been sponsored by Pete Sessions; the current chairman of the House Rules Committee.  According to Reuter’s report, “Republicans remain deeply divided over their U.S. healthcare overhaul, which is Trump's first major legislative initiative and aims to fulfill his campaign pledge to repeal and replace the healthcare program (known as Obamacare) of his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama.”

The cabinet appointments have become controversial. Trump’s National Security Advisor Retired Army Lieutenant General, Michael T. Flynn had to resign for misleading key government’s top officials, media and the people about the nature of his telecommunication contacts with the Russian diplomats. Flynn remained as the National Security Advisor just for 24 days which is the shortest in the history of the office.

President Trump’s appointed Attorney General Jeff Sessions had to step aside from any existing or future investigations of any matters related in any way to the campaigns for president of the United States. Attorney General Jeff Sessions came under intense scrutiny after reports surfaced that he had contacts with Russian government officials during the 2016 Presidential election. Neil Gorsuch the newly appointed judge on the supreme court panel will have to go through a grueling session tomorrow (at the Capitol Hill for his confirmation hearings)

Trump’s tweeted allegation of wiretapping of the Trump Tower against his predecessor Barack Obama should have been a non-issue and could even be baseless as being commonly believed. This allegation has put Trump in a tight corner because it is not a small allegation. It is a manifestation of distrust about his successor president Obama. Apparently, nothing could be far-fetched that this allegation which has already been refuted by FBI and other concerned agencies as hollow of truth. It is being conjectured that president Trump hurled this charge to deflect the public attention from other controversial issues

The downslide of president Trump’s package of reforms started with the Immigration Executive Order banning immigrants from 7 Islamic countries which later was reduced to six countries. That put the judiciary and the president face to face with each. Judiciary came to the rescue of the crowds of stranded immigrants on the American airports. Mercifully A federal judge in Seattle James Robart moved to rescue thousands of stranded individuals and families by placing a nationwide block on Trump’s week-old executive order. Despite that, president trump intends to fight back in favor of his immigration ban though by making some minor changes.

The other controversial issues that have surfaced are president Trump’s personal business relations with Russians especially president Putin. His family’s business and the involvement of -president Trump in that is yet another sticking point that might come to fore in due course of time.

Despite transferring his business to his sons and even wife, the questions would be raised if he is still influencing the business in favor of their family and partners. The sex scandals related to president Trump are still on the back burner. But if the affected women pursue such cases there might be another judicial fight to rescue himself from these true or untrue accusations

The most outstanding issue is the hacking of 2016 presidential elections. God forbid if behind the door links of cohorts of the president and even himself are proved then one could imagine the serious consequences emanating from such an outcome. The hacking of the 2016 elections mostly blamed on Russian hackers in favor president Trump is the trickiest issue that could tilt either way.

While wishing president Trump well and his continuation in the prestigious office of the president of United States, one would doubt that all the cases or allegations against him would prove to be false and he can continue with his road map of strengthening America in all respects. In the meantime, let us watch as to what happens to this legal and constitutional battling that might continue for quite some time.  Finally, he should not depend too much on tweeting. This is mostly the pastime of the young generation and should not be overly used to convey political matters and decisions, all the more for the president of a mighty country.  






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