Back in the saddle
THE incorrigible Donald Trump is averse to expressing regret for his actions. But he did lament the other day that he shouldn’t have left the White House after losing the 2020 presidential election. Now, he is all set to reoccupy the much-vaunted seat of power after winning the 2024 poll. Another loss would have made him raise hell and incite his supporters to protest against the verdict — like they did during the Capitol Hill mayhem on January 6, 2021 — but this frightening scenario has been averted. Trump is back in the saddle, and the world will have to deal with this unpredictable character all over again.
India won’t find it easy to handle the man who calls Prime Minister Narendra Modi “my good friend” and yet describes the country as a “very big abuser” in the trade realm. During his election campaign, Trump had criticised India for imposing hefty tariffs on US goods and called for a tit-for-tat policy in bilateral trade relations to make America “extraordinarily wealthy again”. It is feared that the Republican administration will levy higher tariffs on over $75 billion worth of Indian exports to the US. What’s more, Modi’s ‘Make in India’ campaign might come into conflict with Trump’s ‘America First’ approach. Employment-based immigration could take a hit as well, considering the surge in the denial rate for H-1B visas during Trump 1.0.
On the diplomatic front, New Delhi will be hoping that Modi’s good rapport with Trump will help in papering over differences regarding the Gurpatwant Singh Pannun case. Trump’s distrust of the US Justice Department and the FBI, whom he has repeatedly accused of being biased against him, could give India a much-needed breather in this vexed matter. The BJP-led government would also expect that he won’t lose sleep over alleged human rights violations in India. However, when Trump is at the helm, the wisest course is to expect the unexpected.
