Donald Trump has been elected president for the second time in the United States presidential election. Donald Trump’s victory surprised the entire globe, as analyses and comments made just a day before the election demonstrated the supremacy of his rival Kamala Harris. These results have left all the analyses and comments in disarray. Donald Trump states that this victory is a political triumph the United States has never seen before. “We will fix our borders and our country. We did not fight any war in our previous tenure, nor will we now, but we will also stop ongoing wars in the world.”
Apparently, the people of the world’s largest military power are not satisfied with their government’s policies and the partisan role of their country, particularly in the Middle East, and they desire a positive change. This is why they have elected as their president a person who opposes war, speaks about boosting his country’s economy and prosperity, addresses his people’s issues, and avoids interfering in the business of others. However, the American presidency will not prove to be a bed of roses in the current situation, as the Democratic government has left a legacy of complex problems that are difficult to resolve.
In the last period of administration, Donald Trump introduced new challenges to the world with economic sanctions on China, termination of the nuclear agreement with Iran, and withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on environmental protection. Thus, what approach President Trump adopts regarding the Middle East and East Asia, especially China and Iran, is a big question. However, this time, Trump has secured enough electoral votes and intends to do much to transform Americans’ lives. We have yet to see what the repercussions of the new American president’s policies will be on Pakistan. Under the previous democratic government, the U.S. played a significant role in reforming Pakistan’s political regime and assisted Pakistan in many cases, including the IMF. It is hoped that the new government will continue this cooperation, albeit with its own conditions. These prerequisites will not need to be met in the same way as they were previously; instead, Pakistani government personnel are stirring up a considerable fuss. The United States was displeased before and will not tolerate displeasure this time, as Pakistan can never bear the wrath of the United States or continue to endure its dissatisfaction.
This can be gauged from the fact that, since Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. election, coalition leadership in Pakistan has been deleting their previous opposition statements and issuing new goodwill statements. While congratulating the U.S. president-elect on his win, they express their determination to move forward together on the path of prosperity and peace. At the same time, they are closely examining the fact that the release of Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan is not among their top priorities. In this matter, Tehreek-e-Insaf and the Pakistanis under their influence have fully supported Trump in the presidential election, one of the main reasons seemingly being the belief that Trump’s victory will play a role in Imran Khan’s release.
Unquestionably, America has given Trump an unprecedented and tremendous mandate with 232 electoral votes. In the 2024 presidential election, Latinos, Arab-Americans, and young voters of all backgrounds were critical in delivering a victory shaped by the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, economic decline, and an increase in illegal immigration.
This is why both internal and international political allies did not wish for Trump’s victory, though his success was evident in advance. Political analysts have repeatedly mentioned that Trump would succeed once again, and he is known to have no stronger ally in Pakistan than Imran Khan. Thus, Trump’s focus on American prosperity and reduced reliance on foreign resources is seen as more significant than interference in other countries’ affairs. Nevertheless, the Pakistani government also knows that Trump is unpredictable and capable of anything at any time. This is why some express serious concern while others celebrate his return to power, but only time will reveal whether people’s concerns or their hopes will be justified.
Attiya Munawer
The writer is an activist and environmen-talist. She covers human rights and politico-environmen-tal issues. She tweets @Attiya
Munawer and can be reached at attiabutt121@gmail.com