Perhaps, there is only one burning question in America’s domestic politics – who will be the next US president? The answer to this question is worth probing as there are only two available options, former president Donald Trump (Republican) or incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris (Democrat). Now, the Americans must choose between a highly controversial man and a progressive woman.
Currently, the US is embroiled in manifold problems equally at the domestic as well as international fronts. There is no doubt that President Joe Biden’s term could not bring peace and stability in the international relations; however, he at least tried to restore the confidence of American allies and the future of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Biden failed to deter Russia from invading Ukraine and his administration seemed entirely confused over the Israeli aggression in the Middle East. Although, Biden tried to mend America’s relations with China; nonetheless, the outcome of his efforts remained shallow.
The American voters now have to choose between two contenders, an already tested and highly-controversial Trump and Harris – a new candidate who is better in her conduct and articulate in her policies. I hope that they choose the latter and I will also explain why they need to do so.
Trump’s Illiberal Foreign Policy:
It would be astonishing for the readers to know that Trump started campaigning for his next term as the US president just a few minutes after taking office in January 2017. According to the PBS News, Trump filed the paperwork for his 2020 re-election campaign. He was aiming at remaining in power for at least two terms. In fact, he argued many times that Franklin D Roosevelt was elected for four terms and why he couldn’t be.
In other words, Trump was trying to transform US democracy into an autocracy, where he could enjoy unrestrained power, without any chance of accountability and transparency. Many have rightly argued that Trump wishes to exercise power like Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping.
Arguably, Trump has caused the same damage to the American people as Imran Khan did in Pakistan. Both are demagogues who stirred political temperature to the boiling point, sowed the seeds of extreme political polarization, and claimed to be the master of everything.
Middle East:
According to veteran US journalist Bob Woodward, Harris after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in July this year, reportedly said that “I will not stand silent as the people of Gaza suffer.”
Apparently, Biden’s Israel policy is not just Pro-Israel, but is Pro-Netanyahu. Such a policy is a nightmare not just in terms of its outcome; instead, such a policy is against the American values and the values of the Democratic Party.
Woodward argued in his latest book “War” that Trump is so impressed by Putin that he is actually under his influence. He also said that after the outbreak of Covid-19, Trump sent Putin some Covid testing machines made by US pharmaceutical company Abbott for his personal use. At that time, the Russian scientists had been working on such machines and were short on supply. The book mentioned that Putin and Trump have talked to each other for at least “seven times,” since Biden’s assuming of office.
Why America Must Elect Kamala Harris:
It is very important to understand that why the American voters must elect Harris as the next US president. The reason is simple, yet very difficult to articulate and understand. The United States, as we know it today, stands upon the pedestal of its values and traditions, and factually, no individual has tarnished the American values more than Donald Trump.
If the voters don’t realize the dangers emanating from Trump to the American democracy and its political system, then there are chances that its adversaries including Russia, China, Iran, and the North Korea could capitalize on the opportunity and mobilize their assets to meddle in the US elections. James Comey, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) former director, couldn’t truly investigate the Russian interference in the 2016 election or perhaps he was hindered to do so. Later, Comey’s removal from office attested the latter.
There are reports that the American adversaries had started such activities long before Harris’ nomination to run for president. Such activities include using the social media platforms and advertisements encouraging voters to elect Trump. It is also a possibility that the hired hackers could infiltrate into the voting machines, resulting and affecting the outcomes.
The famous American filmmaker Michael Moore in his documentary “Fahrenheit 11/9” held President Barack Obama responsible for Trump’s rise and argued that “Obama paved the way for Trump”.
For Moore, Obama’s poor handling of contaminated drinking water scandal in Flint, Michigan, was the real cause of Trump’s ascent to power.
The world has not forgotten the initial days of Trump’s presidency, especially with the unprecedented initiatives like the travel ban and his White House press secretary Sean Spicer.
Conclusions:
America is a liberal nation that intends to uphold the liberal values and its statecraft has pursued liberal hegemony to maintain its international status. It prefers to pursue liberalism in its domestic politics, and envisaged a realist outlook in its international dealings. However, quite contrary to American history, Trump’s term as the US president saw an ‘Illiberal’ foreign policy, and an ambiguous domestic approach, that was neither liberal nor realist.
On March 15, 2024, at a campaign rally, Trump said that “if I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a bloodbath for the country”. It is understandable that Trump could go to great lengths to solidify and hold power, as he refused to accept his defeat at the hands of Biden in November 2020, and later incited his supporters to attack the Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021.
Apparently, Harris is not a realist and likely will not adopt a foreign policy pivoted upon realist principles. Nonetheless, in comparison with Trump, Harris is a sane as well as a rational person, and we can well assume that she is the best choice America has got.
The author is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), Pakistan. He can be contacted at mmab11@gmail.com and alibaig@issi.org.pk ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9818-2532.