Donald Trump is the next president of the United States of America.
As the US – and the world – comes to terms with that fact, Americans abroad are also monitoring developments in their homeland.
So we asked two students at the University of East London with completely opposite views: Will Donald Trump be a good president for the USA?
Marie Lutton, UEL student from the West Coast
Donald Trump will not be a good president for the US because he has never held public office.
Many Americans fear he will treat the country like a monopoly, because that is what he is used to.
He calls himself a good businessman, but his companies have declared bankruptcy four times. What is he doing in a position that requires responsibility for the nation’s economy?
And domesticating the country’s problems has been Trump’s main attraction for his voters. He is famous for the wall he wants built on the US-Mexico border, which could be dangerous for US trade partners.
If the wall is built, Trump could renegotiate or even leave the North American Free Trade Agreement.
According to the International Trade Centre, the US’s largest trade partners, after China, are Canada and Mexico. US imports from Mexico and Canada (about 13 per cent) could be lost or become much more expensive.
He wants to be an isolationist, treating issues that are in the US, and the US alone. What could this mean for our allies, like Britain?
Many are comparing this election to Brexit in the UK. Those who voted for Trump don’t know what is going to happen, and those who voted for Brexit aren’t sure what’s next. Both superpowers are currently in a time of divide.
Adam Nelson, UEL student from the Midwest
Donald Trump will make a good president, his ego alone will push him to be seen as such. Economically speaking, he will work to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, which has allowed American companies to send manufacturing jobs to Mexico or Canada with little repercussion, as they didn’t have to pay extra taxes and they didn’t have to deal with American unions.
Trump will stop companies moving by imposing an extremely high tax, making their goods unaffordable in the US, and he’ll end the Trans-Pacific Partnership, replacing it with trade deals that are better for the US.
Regarding foreign policy, Trump has supported non-interventionism. He doesn’t want American troops meddling in the Middle East, deposing leaders, and causing more instability in a region that has suffered every time America put boots on the ground. Trump’s goal is to get rid of ISIS and return power to regional leaders. He also wants to strengthen relations with countries that wrote off the Obama administration, including Russia, China and Israel.
Trump’s party is now the majority in both houses of Congress, so he can pass legislation without much opposition for the first two years. After that, his natural deal-making ability will prove useful if the Democrats regain power.
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