Trump, a Jump into the Void

The presidency of Donald Trump has increased the value of the role of democratic institutions with respect to the stability and prosperity of the society that he governs. Without a doubt, there are groups who are unhappy with his public performance. However, amid the ongoing challenges, it is impossible to believe that public policy solutions will bring positive results by simply issuing a decree, by holding that an idea is the main determinant in decision-making, or by denying technical standards obtained over years of experience in the struggle for security, economic strength, or energy diversification.

Donald Trump has completed one month as the head of the most important power in the world, and in only four weeks, he has demonstrated that there are personality profiles who symbolize a leap into the void through their incongruous approaches and the uncertainty of their results. There have been few periods in the institutional life of the United States like that of Trump’s era. It is strange to note the high capacity for conflict and speculation of the compact team in the White House. Without them, the changes in the way of doing politics might result in real benefits for the lives of Americans. Last week, those in the Oval Office had their first crisis with the departure of Michael Flynn, head of the National Security Council, which occupies the most sensitive area in the decision-making process of the president of the United States. The general stepped down, as he was forced to resign as a result of the contacts he established with Russian public servants, contacts which were not particularly well explained to Vice President Mike Pence. The remarkable thing is that the crisis did not stop with the resignation of Gen. Flynn, but continued when the favored replacement – Vice Adm. Robert Harward – declined the presidential invitation to lead the office that has a reputation of being the most coveted among U.S. national security experts. Perhaps it was due to the inadequate technical style imposed throughout the whole structure that surrounds the president of the United States, according to some media. This controversy is in addition to the various leaks made to the media of conversations between President Trump and various international leaders, where the talks were not conducted in the most diplomatic tone.

If conflict is experienced inside the White House, it emerges into the American public arena. Trump held a tense press conference where he not only provided inaccurate data about the elections, but where he also persisted on systematically disqualifying the media by pointing out that they have lost the trust of American society. At various times he had adverse reactions to the approach of accredited reporters, and even accused the press of obstructing the possibility of agreements with Russia because of press coverage. Additionally, he asked a female African-American reporter to organize a meeting with members of Congress of the same race. At a later public event, Trump implied he knew about an act of terrorism in Sweden, when in fact it was just a reference to a report on the alleged increase in common crime, explained as a consequence of accepting a growing number of migrants.

In the context of Trump’s wild declarations and lax diplomatic performance, the Parliament in the United Kingdom debated the appropriateness of receiving President Trump on his next visit to the country. On the other hand, Vice President Mike Pence intends to resume his course of relations with the European Union, emphasizing the common values and objectives of the first world power with that part of the world. In any case, in the first month Trump’s administration has ultimately shown the world the risks of electing political personalities that capitalize on the discontent of citizens, but who in actuality don’t have the capability or the technical skill to transform the reality of millions of people. Let us hope that Mexico does not suffer a similar constitutional period. Let us take heed.