Trump's transformation of the US

Al-Ahram Weekly

10-04-2025

The arrival of Donald Trump to the US presidency for the second time in 2025 marked a significant departure from the long-standing principles that had defined US domestic and foreign policy for decades such as the promotion of democracy, the protection of human rights, and adherence to multilateralism.
Instead, his arrival marked the development of a new political doctrine that prioritised populism, unilateralism, and transactional diplomacy.
Trump cannot be accurately classified as part of the far-right, and nor can he be placed within the traditional centre-right. A closer examination of his rhetoric and actions reveals that he does not align with the neoconservatives led by former president George W Bush and former US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld either. His ideas do not fully correspond with old-school conservatives, such as the 19th-century US president Abraham Lincoln, despite Trump's admiration for him. Instead, Trump represents the foundation of a new right.
His tenure has introduced a new era of realpolitik and ideological flexibility that has redefined the US global posture and its internal democratic values. The Trump administration is not only restructuring US institutional policies but also fundamentally altering the moral rhetoric that has traditionally underpinned US governance.
Indicators that signal this transformation can be gathered under four main pillars, the first being Trump's foreign policy pivot sharply in favour of Israel and disregarding the traditional US role as a mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. His first administration recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moved the US embassy in the country there, a controversial decision that sparked an international backlash in 2017.
An analysis of the data related to Trump's support for Israel reveals a striking pattern. In March this year, Trump invoked emergency powers to expedite the delivery of approximately $4 billion in military aid to Israel, bypassing the traditional Congressional oversight mechanisms through emergency provisions.
According to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, since the beginning of the Trump administration, the US has approved arms deals with Israel worth a total of $12 billion and this within just the first three months of Trump's presidency.
According to a report by the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University in the US titled the 'Costs of War Project,' US spending on Israeli military operations and related US military activities in the region amounted to no less than $22.76 billion from 7 October 2023 to the end of 2024. This marks a doubling of support compared to earlier periods of the former Biden administration.
The figures highlight the political contradiction in US policies in this regard,since it is continuing to support Israel militarily despite the latter's documented violations of human rights and breaches of international law.
Trump's support for Israeli policies includes the implicit support for the displacement of the Palestinians from their homesin a form of ethnic cleansing. By providing unconditional backing to Israel, Trump's policies have not only emboldened far-right elements within the Israeli government but have also dismantled decades of diplomatic nuance, undermining hopes for a two-state solutionin the region.
The second pillar of the changes taking place within the administration has been the arbitrary dismissal of national security officials deemed 'disloyal' to Trump's agenda. The third has been the deterioration of civil liberties and democratic norms inside the United States itself. Traditional institutions, once considered pillars of American democracy, have been increasingly undermined. Freedom of speech and the right to protesthave become subject to harsh repression.
A clear example of the erosion of foundational democratic principles such as freedom of expression, the right to protest, and the protection of minorities was seen earlier this year with the arrest of a student at Columbia University in New York for participating in a peaceful protest related to the Palestinian cause. The student quickly became a symbol of the growing confrontation between Trump and the student protest movement opposing Israeli policies.
The last pillar signalling the transformation in the US relates to the question of whether Trump could seek a third term as president. This has sparked heated debate in legal, political, and public circles in the US. While the country's constitution clearly limits presidents to two terms in office, Trump's political rhetoric combined with the growing polarisation and institutional uncertainty in the country, has fuelled speculation about a possible challenge to this democratic norm.
There are several reasons that have led Trump to adopt a unilateral approach of this sort. Firstly, he has pursued a pragmatic and transactional strategy that has allowed him to make decisions based on immediate interests rather than on an adherence to any prevailing ideological framework, reflecting his identity as a deal-maker.
Secondly, he has been strongly supported and encouraged by his close advisers. Thirdly, he has sent a clear political message that he possesses the authority and willingness to take decisive action.
There are several potential implications and consequences that may arise from the continued pursuit of such an approach, most notably the decline in the popularity of Trump himself, reflected in the thousands who have taken to the streets of US cities to protest against his administration's policies and express discontent over issues including restrictions on the freedom of expression.
This trend has been supported by recent opinion polls in the US. A Reuters/Ipsos survey conducted recently showed that Trump's approval rating had dropped to 43 per cent, the lowest since the beginning of his second term and down from 47 per cent recorded in January.
The US political system and its democratic model are currently experiencing the erosion of principles that have long defined the nation's identity. This state of flux is not limited to one branch of government or a single administration, however, since it reflects a structural shift that spans political, economic, and social norms.
These dynamics are also not isolated. They are mutually reinforcing, and they are creating a feedback loop of instability that threatens American democracy. The result is a political landscape that is marked by unpredictability, distrust, and a growing perception that the US is internally fragile.
While the system may not be in immediate danger of collapse, it is undoubtedly undergoing a period of profound transformation in which the risks of political instability and institutional dysfunction are becoming increasingly apparent.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 10 April, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
Follow us on:
Facebook
Instagram
Whatsapp
Short link: