Trump’s global fallout contrasts with Pope Francis’s enduring legacy

Donald Trump was among world leaders to attend the funeral of Pope Francis who was one of the 21st century's most admired and beloved global figures and whose death moved millions to grief. Trump clearly expected his presence in Rome would polish his image tarnished by his record during his first 100 days back in the White House.

He claims he has had the most successful 100 days in US history, and this will continue for the rest of his four-year term. However, during the early phase of his first term (2017-2021), Trump was new to the office of president and chose military men and politicians with experience for his advisers who acted as “the adults in the room” to block his worst initiatives.This time around know-it-all Trump has surrounded himself with media personalities, cranks, and yes-men who want to keep their jobs.

According to an ABCNews/WashingtonPost/ipsos poll, his approval rating has sunk to 39 per cent, the lowest for a president beginning a new term in 80 years. This was even lower than the figure of 42 per cent in 2017 at the same time in his first term. The crucial figures for Trump were on the economy and migration since he had campaigned to boost family income and cut immigration. He had promised early improvements on both fronts. Fifty-three per cent said the economy was worse since he returned to office and 72 per cent took the view that a recession was likely due to his policies. Fifty-three per cent disapproved of his immigration policies. 

Also on the domestic front, Trump's authoritarian efforts to expand presidential powers and his flouting of the US constitution and the rule of law earned disapproval ratings ranging from 55 to 65 per cent. Federal and state court cases are mounting against his executive orders. Harvard University is suing Trump who cancelled $2.3 billion in US government grants for medical research and demanded government oversight of admissions, staff, and courses. The Department of Education sent letters to 60 higher institutions of learning warning them of "enforcement actions" if they did not halt pro-Palestinian protests and protect Jewish students although many have taken part in anti-Gaza war demonstrations.

On the foreign front, his initiatives have caused widespread consternation. He pronounced tariffs on imports from all US commercial partners. Outrage among US friends caused him to pause the tariffs while adversary China responded in kind when he imposed high tariffs on Chinese goods. If he goes ahead with tariffs on others, he could disrupt global trade and cause a global recession. High tariffs introduced in 1930 exacerbated the Great Depression which had begun in 1929, lasted for nearly a decade and impacted countries across the globe.

Last week he angered Panama and Egypt by demanding that US ships pass through the Panama and Suez canals without paying toll fees. The US had nothing to do with building the Suez Canal which was built by France and Egypt but the US was responsible for the Panama Canal, It was handed it over to Panama during Jimmy Carter's presidency. Earlier in the year Trump argued the US should take over the management of the Panama Canal, a bid promptly rejected by the government of Panama. At the same time, Trump proposed making Canada the 51st US state and assume control over Greenland, the vast autonomous territory tied to Denmark. This idea has been rejected by Greenlanders and Danes and their governments. He has upset Mexico by renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America, a move most countries do not recognise.

This week Greenland's prime minister visited and toured Denmark to make it clear to Trump that he cannot buy or annex the Arctic territory. When on Monday, Canadians voted for a new government they chose the Liberal Party which they believed would most forcefully reject Trump. Ahead of the election, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called Trump an economic and existential threat.

Trump has demonstrated that he is an existential threat to peoples around the world. In this region, he called for the evacuation of 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza and the transformation of the narrow coastal strip into a Middle Eastern Rivera. Trump has taken no action to put pressure on Israel to end the Gaza war. Instead, he has continued to provide weapons, including 900-kilogram bombs, which have killed more than 52,000 Gazans and devastated the Strip. Although the International Criminal Court has issued warrants based on war crimes charges for Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, Trump remains their staunch ally. Trump maintains Assad era sanctions on Syria although there is a new regime in Damascus which is trying to reconstruct the country and revive the economy. Trump has imposed "maximum sanctions" and threatened Iran with war if Tehran does not agree with the US on a new deal limiting its nuclear programme in exchange for lifting sanctions. Trump has authorised bombings of Yemen which have killed civilians and African migrants.

Trump has cut the World Food Programme's (WFP) budget in half by attacking the US Agency for International Development (USAID). While the WFP will continue to provide assistance to Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Somalia and other countries, Afghanistan and Yemen have been excluded because they do not fit into Trump's Make America Great agenda. 

Pope Francis would never have behaved the way Trump does. Francis' agenda was to succour the poor, hungry, and ill whenever they are and defend vulnerable peoples, like the Palestinians, from injustice and genocide.