Looking at Trumpism as the ‘greatest show on earth’

Getting accurate information from the intelligence, military, and bureaucracy is already a major issue. Trump’s decision making could be based upon flawed information.

Many moves the Trump administration has made are based upon executive orders, where a couple have already been challenged in court. Ensuring the bureaucracy takes these executive orders seriously, and doesn’t sabotage Trump initiatives is on the cards. Renaming the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of America, and planting a US flag on Mars are purely aspirational, rather than substance.

With USD 36 trillion public debt, the Trump administration is severely hampered financially. It’s unsure whether the debt limit could be raised by the Congress, and the prudency of this is questionable. A major part of the Trump administration’s economic policy must be concerned with lowering debt, inflation, thus requiring some curtailing of spending. Whether DOGE has the ability to pursue its mission effectively, with very limited resources, is a major question?

Trump faces an unreliable Congress. Republican senators have already defected during cabinet confirmation votes, and the skills of JD Vance and other cabinet members will be thoroughly tested by the Congress.

The Trump administration 2.0

The second Trump administration will be a mix of technocrats and politicians working in a very unfriendly sea of government. Yet, we observe the successes of Argentina’s Javier Milei who has achieved a miracle in economic management in his country over a very short time. This shows proof of concept, that may carry over to other countries, if signs of success are there.

In retrospect, four years out of the presidency gave Trump a great advantage for both Trump the man and Trump the politician. Four years gave Trump time to reflect upon the weaknesses of his first administration, to prepare for the second. Definitely Trump 2.0 will be very different than what Trump 1.0 was.

There is still a lot we don’t know. Are the Trump tariff threats theatre or is it a major restricting of fiscal and foreign policies? Columbia’s very quick reaction to the imposition of a 25 percent tariff on its exports to the United States for refusing a planeload of Columbian national is telling.

Trump is promising the ‘greatest show on earth’, and that’s what we may certainly see over the next four years. At the same time, Trump may also bring efficient government to the United States, and do something big on the international stage on the scale that Reagan achieved.

Viewers must sit back and watch. Its about what Trump actually does, not what he says.