2016 US election: W. T. F? (Will Trump Flourish or fail?)
DONALD Trump has done the unthinkable - Ridiculed and written off, the brash billionaire will become the US’s 45th President after Middle America emphatically rejected Hillary Clinton and the US establishment. FULL COVERAGE
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DONALD Trump has done the unthinkable.
Ridiculed and written off, the brash billionaire and anti-politician will become the United States’ 45th President after Middle America stunned the world by embracing his unconventional agenda and emphatically rejected Hillary Clinton and the US establishment.
After a bitter and divisive campaign, an unusually humble Mr Trump used his victory speech to pledge he would rule for all Americans and reassured world leaders he would “deal fairly with everyone”.
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The maverick President-elect promised he would use his business nous to revive the American dream: “It is going to be a beautiful thing.”
Such a beautiful and important evening! The forgotten man and woman will never be forgotten again. We will all come together as never before
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 9, 2016
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull immediately vowed Trump’s election would not damage the relationship between Australia and the US.
Dawn of the Rising Don
The first 100 days of Donald Trump’s US presidency will see America turn its focus on itself, with the nation’s 45th President acting on an ambitious policy agenda of deporting illegal immigrants and closing borders to those countries he considers a terror risk.
However, Mr Trump’s presidency is also set to dramatically redefine international power structures, forcing some countries to consider stockpiling nuclear weapons and others to revisit their own power ambitions.
Alongside him, the billionaire property developer-turned-world leader will assemble a cabinet most likely made up of the supporters who helped get him from New York to the White House.
Predictions so far include former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, former conservative presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich, retired three-star general Michael Flynn and possibly embattled New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. All are considered inexperienced in international affairs.
As the world deals with the aftermath of haywire world markets and currencies after the historic election, Mr Trump has foreshadowed domestic policies including the relaxing of gun laws and his plan to erect a wall between the US and Mexico.
He is also expected to use his first 100 days to deliver on a campaign built on promises of a massive infrastructure program and significant tax cuts.
To do this he will work to take legislation through Congress to stimulate building programs and give ordinary Americans hip-pocket relief.
Also as part of his pledge to “drain the swamp” of Washington — a reference to the political powerbase and big money in the Capitol — he is expected to freeze the hiring of government employees, issue an executive order for term limits on congressmen and to repeal outgoing Democrat rival Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, dubbed “Obamacare”.
Many pundits will also watch to see if Trump follows through with his vow to cancel every “executive action, memorandum and order issued by President Obama” with official advisers confirming that the campaign has worked to single out up to 25 executive orders which could be reversed.
It is also expected that by Mr Trump’s swearing in date of January 20, China and Russia will both be considering how far they can push their power. Mr Trump has already said he would meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin before even taking office in January — a break with protocol that also steps on the toes of outgoing president Obama.
Mr Trump, who has signalled that he might recognise Russia’s contentious annexation of Crimea and wants a friendlier relationship with Moscow, could also relegate the US to a passive observer if Russia decides to further flex its muscle in eastern Europe.
The political novice is likely to take a far different stance with Russia’s former Cold War colleague China, immediately putting the US on an aggressive, tension-filled footing with the Asian superpower.
China could also be contemplating if America’s new inward-looking regimen could mean a chance for more aggressive build-up of its own power in the South China Sea.
In East Asia, Japan and South Korea will be contemplating their own nuclear problem, with Mr Trump already warning that allies like them may not be able to count on the US defending them in the event of war.
The same goes for European countries, who have also been warned.
The Donald always loved the spotlight
HE was always seen as the underdog, in both the Republican and presidential races, but promoting himself has never been a problem for Donald Trump.
Born and raised in New York City, his father was one of the most successful real estate developers in the Big Apple.
THE DONALD: A LIFE IN PICTURES
In the 1980s the magnate became the epitome of Wall Street’s “money never sleeps” mentality. He was brash, flashy and unafraid to flaunt his wealth.
His name adorned some of the largest buildings in America as he exuded an air of confidence and prosperity, he rubbed shoulders with A-list celebrities and always had a beautiful woman on his arm.
Mr Trump, 70, has built the successful real estate and construction business he inherited from his father into a potent force, with the Trump Organisation holding hotels, casinos and golf courses across the US.
He also enjoyed a successful TV career, becoming the face of The Apprentice.
But not everything he touches turns to gold. Mr Trump’s companies have been declared bankrupt four times, with developments including casinos and hotels crashing in Atlantic City with debts of more than $1.8 billion.
Litigation against him continues over Trump University, a private college that reaped millions of dollars but left thousands of students without qualifications.
Conventional wisdom traces Mr Trump setting his sights on the White House to the night President Obama eviscerated him as the punchline of the annual White House correspondents’ dinner in Washington DC. It was April 2011 and many believe Mr Obama’s lashing sowed the seeds of a desire for revenge.
Mr Trump flirted with the idea of running for president in 2012 but abandoned the plan to endorse ultimate Republican nominee Mitt Romney.
The Romney campaign always saw Mr Trump as a threat to its credibility and the pair never campaigned together. But behind the scenes Mr Trump was observing and building his political acumen. For his 2016 campaign he used a divide and conquer, scorched-earth tactic that has delivered him the presidency — and forever change politics in the US.
Mr Trump’s rise was built on an “us versus them” mentality. He’d build a wall and keep the “bad hombres” out, he’d protect American business from the rest of the world.
He scoffed that he had been laughed at for his political ambitions: “A lot of people have laughed at me over the years, but they’re not laughing any more.”
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