Trump as president spells global danger
F Donald Trump does one thing well, it’s spread fear. Fear is his stock in trade. The only message he has for Americans is: Be afraid. That much was evident in his speech in Cleveland where he accepted the Republican presidential nomination. Instilling a sense of fear is crucial to Mr Trump’s campaign. For having created widespread trepidation within the psyche of the American people, he can then make the case for being the saviour who has come to protect and make them safer.
Thirteen times in his convention acceptance speech Mr Trump made the point his presidency would “protect” Americans or some aspect of American life.
Perhaps one of the most insidious things about the narrative was his subtle but unequivocal weaving together of violence against the US police and terrorism.
The implication being America’s external enemies are evil and internal enemies are somehow their allies, making whatever course of action that might be taken justified.
Polarisation, division and provocation, these are the bywords of Mr Trump’s campaign. His preferred role as fire raiser not fireman would doubtless also be a hallmark of his presidency.
At home this is a man who cannot even bring harmony to his own party convention. Ted Cruz refused to endorse him. Mitt Romney gave the GOP gathering a wide berth, as did the Bush family who gave the Republican Party their last two presidents.
As Mr Trump sets out his policy stall it is hard to see how anything would be more stable or much safer.
On trade, he is all for ripping up various global agreements and imposing tariffs on imports, because “globalisation is a job killer,” even though his companies sell products made in Mexico and China.
On security and defence he has made it clear that as president he may not guarantee protection to fellow Nato countries which come under attack.
Neither will he be bound by the recently hard won deal with Iran over its nuclear programme which saw sanctions lifted, a rapprochement between Tehran and the West which should be welcomed.
Mr Trump still insists the US shouldcloseitsbordertoMuslims “until we can figure out what’s going on”. As for the terrorists of Islamic State (IS), he would simply “bomb the hell out of them”.
That, of course, is easier said than done, given IS appears to be giving up its caliphate ambitions and switching tactics to transnational acts of terrorism like those in Nice and Brussels. But then Mr Trump was never a details politician.
IS may be many things but it is not stupid. It knows all too well its actions are influencing the US presidential campaign and Mr Trump in particular. It also knows the divisiveness, racism and Islamophobia being spewed out by Mr Trump only helps its cause, serving to give strength to those easily influenced by IS’s own extremist message.
Mr Trump’s convention speech echoed the words and strategies of the world’s worst leaders. That claim to be protector has so often disguised a tyrant in the making. Neither America nor the world would be a safer place with Donald Trump as president.