Trump’s empty promises

Observers placed their hopes in a once proud Republican Party, controlling both houses in the US, to rein in an unruly newcomer to the White House. Their hopes were not in vain.

Donald Trump’s more controversial campaign promises were reduced to rubble by his cabinet nominees during the Senate hearings. It is to the credit of the US that the nominees had the experience, patriotism and integrity to take positions in direct contrast to the most controversial campaign promises and utterances of the next commander in chief.

The catching promises he used to stir up emotions as he rode the populist wave were criticised and some rejected outright, ranging from tearing up the Iran deal and a ban on Muslims to his doubt about Nato, and his support for illegal interrogation methods, the building of a wall along the Mexican border and the establishment of a deportation force.

[On] the collateral damage to the image of the incoming president … the obvious question now is where this leaves Trump’s standing, credibility and authority, with his main campaign promises basically reduced to nothing before his inauguration. It is ironic that his cabinet nominees in essence rewrote his campaign promises and laid down the guidelines for the Trump administration’s policies on key issues.

To his credit, he tweeted support of their rejection of the campaign promises that ushered him into the White House.

Trump will assume his presidency under a cloud — at least his cabinet nominees let through a few rays of light. What happens in the US does not stay in the US: it affects the world. We may have to fasten our seatbelts for the next four years.