Trump’s first month the rockiest in modern history

SINGApOrE: United States President Donald Trump’s first month in office, marked by a mix of radical policy change and inexperience, has been the rockiest of any president in modern history.

There has been no honeymoon. Trump’s unorthodox, seemingly improvisational style has shaken up Washington and unsettled US trade partners and allies.

In a country already sharply polarised, his challenging the status quo across a broad front has not only inspired his supporters, but also energised opponents, possibly further solidifying opposition.

The courts and the bureaucracy have pushed back. More contention lies ahead as Trump makes fresh moves to curtail immigration, sus- tains his attacks on the media and criticises the intelligence community for leaking information.

His criticism of judges, for “political” decisions that stalled a controversial executive order on immigration, may have created difficulties for his pick of Neil Gorsuch for a Supreme Court seat. Gorsuch faces his first Senate confirmation hearing on March 20.

But Trump remains in campaign mode – a strategy that bypasses convention and takes his message directly to his power base.

Prior to a rally in Florida at the start of the weekend, he told reporters on board Air Force One: “Life is a campaign. Making our country great again is a campaign.”

He told 9,000 people at the rally: “I want to speak to you without the filter of the fake news.”

But much of what Trump has done is “political theatre” specialising in “confusion, diversion and distraction”, cautioned Professor Inderjeet Parmar from the Department of International Politics at the City, University of London.

“Under all the theatrics about Russia, about Muslim bans and Mexican walls, there are far bigger things going on,” he said, mentioning the rollback of regulations on the environment and big banks. Trump has had setbacks, though. The Democratic Party’s foot-dragging on the confirmation of his Cabinet appointees means he has not had a meeting of his full Cabinet yet. His nominee for Labour secre- tary, Andy Puzder, had to withdraw following embarrassing revelations, including that about his hiring of an undocumented migrant worker.

On the bright side, Trump had a successful meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and a cordial phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

But foreign and national security policies are “a work in progress”, said Emeritus Professor Carlyle Thayer of the University of New South Wales at the Australian Defence Force Academy.

At home, Trump seems to thrive on the impression that he is under siege from a hostile media and stubborn Democrats.

But while the combativeness was expected, “even a combative admin- istration needs to choose its fights carefully and selectively”, Cornell University professor Glenn Altschuler said.

“When you attack members of the intelligence community ... going after them for leaks, you should expect more leaks. We can expect the media to redouble its efforts to investigate him,” he added.

Analysts say that the Republicans are so far choosing accommodation because they are getting what they want – business-friendly deregulation and a conservative agenda.

But Frankel said: “The Republican leadership has the power to put on the brakes or put on the screws. Vice-President Mike Pence is their insurance policy.”