Trump, the World, and Possible Mistakes

Hillary Clinton, the leading Democratic candidate to succeed Barack Obama, has stated that Donald Trump's election to the presidency of the United States would be a historical mistake. She emphasized that Mr. Trump is someone who should never have access to the codes related to America's nuclear weapons. Hearing this from Hillary Clinton means that Mr. Trump's approach to the White House would be akin to welcoming a major disaster. With these remarks, a new front has opened in the U.S. presidential election campaign, raising the question of whether Donald Trump can be trusted as a leader of the free world. Ms. Clinton finds a positive answer to this question highly dubious and even very dangerous, stating that: "The thoughts of the Republican candidate are incoherent and a collection of bizarre ideas accompanied by personal animosities and blatant lies." The leading Democratic candidate simultaneously presents herself as a decisive individual and a smart and vigilant alternative to the so-called "mercurial" billionaire. In her Thursday night speech in the coastal city of San Diego in Southern California, addressing a significant crowd of party supporters and several military commanders, Hillary Clinton described Donald Trump as unworthy of a position that requires sufficient knowledge, moral stability, and acceptance of heavy responsibilities. The Washington publication Politico described these statements as powerful political rhetoric and noted in an analysis that undoubtedly Trump's political capabilities are unknown; he may be an extremist who disrupts the existing order, but the main and important question is: What global dangers would a Trump presidency bring? Politico adds that Trump's campaign has already raised several concerning questions, including: * Will he send ground troops to fight the Islamic State (ISIS)? * Will he confront Vladimir Putin [the President of Russia] or let him [carry out his policies]? * What about sanctions on Mexico or Japan? * Will he bomb Chinese artificial islands in the South China Sea and engage in a trade war with that country? * Will he launch military attacks on Iran or North Korea? * Will he annul existing trade agreements and treaties? * Will he withdraw the United States from NATO if other members fail to pay more? * Will he use America's financial debts as leverage in negotiations? * And what dangers would each of these questions pose to Americans if they were to come to fruition? Ian Bremmer, the author of this article, states that the slogan "America First" was first used by him and his colleagues last spring when drafting and publishing a piece examining Donald Trump's global views, and Mr. Trump immediately borrowed it and has clung to it to justify and explain his foreign policy. According to Mr. Bremmer, Trump prides himself on his negotiation skills and wants to show American taxpayers and other governments that he is not a foolish and naive person and that ideology will not guide him, but the point is that he seems to be generally devoid of ideology and acts based on his feelings; a strategist whose performance adds up to zero; in short, he is a businessman. The Politico writer expresses the opinion that Mr. Trump, as President of the United States, will not have the view that America, as the sole superpower in the world, can be generous. He does not feel a special responsibility to be generous and is not even patient. Being first means being victorious, which means one must be unparalleled and the smartest. This publication's article, special to the capital of the United States, addresses five major risks of a potential Trump administration and states that although all presidents plan for their future management, they all grapple with storms they did not expect. For Bill Clinton, it was the Yugoslav War, George W. Bush faced the disaster of September 11, 2001, and for Obama, the Arab Spring, the Syrian civil war, and the Ukraine crisis became problematic. For Trump, the greatest risk will stem from his management style in dealing with crises that no one expects to arise, whether these crises come from China and North Korea or from Putin or cyber and terrorist attacks or something else. Regarding Iran, Politico raises the question, "Will Trump provoke Iran for war?" reminding that in April (last Farvardin), at the annual AIPAC conference, the most powerful pro-Israel American Jewish lobby, he stated: "My top priority will be to eliminate the disastrous nuclear deal with Iran." Such a promise would certainly gain more credibility if it were not in contradiction with other statements of his and if he did not change some of his firm promises. Criticism of Iran gives him the opportunity to attack Obama and also Hillary Clinton as someone who collaborated in the early stages of nuclear talks with the U.S. President, but when he is outside the AIPAC assembly, Iran is not seen in the list of prominent enemies he seeks to isolate. On the other hand, Hillary Clinton, as the leading Democratic candidate competing against Donald Trump, defended the nuclear agreement with Iran during her speech on Thursday night, June 3, in Southern California, stating: "The world must understand that the United States will take decisive actions, and if necessary, use military force to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons." Hillary Clinton added that: "The security of Israel is not negotiable, and moreover, the U.S. has a moral commitment to defend its close allies in the region [Middle East]." The Associated Press reported in an analysis that Hillary Clinton's remarks in San Diego displayed her confidence, capability, and effectiveness, but in the coming months she must prepare to answer tough questions and sharp attacks from Donald Trump. The Republican candidate immediately retaliated against the Democratic rival's attacks, describing her remarks as emotional and affected. Mr. Trump stated: "Watching Hillary on television was very sad. Her speech was not a presentation of foreign policy but a political speech." The Republican candidate mockingly added: "Hillary's speech was like a sedative, and waking up after it seemed very difficult. She could make more money selling this drug." The Associated Press noted that many Republicans remained silent after Hillary Clinton's speech, and even some praised the potential Democratic presidential candidate, but this is just the beginning of the road, and Hillary Clinton will also face another challenge.