DONALD J. Trump is back in the White House. A hard-fought re-election campaign culminated yesterday in him becoming only the second US president in history to secure non-consecutive terms at the White House.

His inauguration, watched by millions worldwide, marked a stark reversal of fortunes from just four years ago, when a high-profile defeat to Joe Biden had dropped curtains on a first term that featured much turmoil and controversy.

However, the trajectory and force of his political comeback have since demonstrated just how strongly his policies, distilled into slogans like ‘America First’, continued to resonate with ordinary American voters, who in 2024 handed him for the first time not just the majority of electoral votes but also the popular vote. He made it clear in his inaugural speech yesterday that he intends to deliver on those promises, even if doing so comes at the cost of antagonising the rest of the world.

Few have forgotten how disruptive Mr Trump could be as president. So far, there has been little indication that his second term will be any different. As his first order of business, Mr Trump yesterday vowed to start arresting and deporting illegal immigrants and put a stop to what he has described as the “invasion” of America, which is likely to have far-reaching implications for minority communities in the country. He also spoke about “taking back” the Panama Canal to protect American trade. He announced that he would reverse various environmental policies, especially those that incentivised electric vehicles, and bring back fossil fuels like never before.

On the plus side, he acknowledged that his ultimatum to Israel and Palestine seems to have enforced a long-elusive ceasefire, with both sides quickly suspending their hostilities and exchanging prisoners before he took office. Ukraine may now be on the top of his agenda, and we may soon see an abrupt drawdown of the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

Mr Trump yesterday said that he wants to be known globally as a peacemaker, does not want to get involved in conflicts and wars, and made it clear that his number one priority is his own people. That is a worthy position for a president to take.

However, the presence of high-profile xenophobes in his team will remain a concern. Paranoid and unapologetic about their views on race relations, these individuals have already openly supported the far right in Europe and the UK. Their insistence on describing their views as ‘freedom of speech’ raises fears that xenophobia and bigotry may become normalised and more commonplace. Such narrow worldviews may even dictate the Trump administration’s foreign policy.

This is why, though his speech yesterday was almost statesmanlike in some respects, many will continue watching Mr Trump to see whether he has really changed.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2025