Trump was inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States on January 20, 2017. Trump was the man, who has fulfilled almost all his pre-elections promises, in fact his promises was about to reverse almost all the decisions of Obama’s administration. In his successful presidential campaign, he used a slogan “Make America Great Again” and he also started the “America First” policy.
If we talk about the US relations with Cuba, we know that the former President Barack Obama restored the diplomatic relations with Cuba in 2015 and he became the first American President who visit Cuba in nearly a century, and the first since a revolution led by Fidel Castro toppled a US backed strongman Batista in 1959. Obama administration lifted some economic sanctions from Cuba. But in Presidential election campaign Donald Trump promised to “Cancel” President Obama’s normalization policy. His administration made good on that promise, they reduced the diplomatic staff in Havana and issued travel warning to the US citizens. In November 2017, the Trump administration tightened the rules on trade with Cuba and since that time the US and Cuba have not enjoying good relations.
Just a few days after starting the office, Trump withdrew from Trans-Pacific Partnership. He reversed the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement by saying that “If China is not going to solve North Korea, we will.” The Trump administration withdrew from Paris Climate Accord. They also withdrew from UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).He withdrew from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.N. Human Rights Council.
In 2015, Iran and the five permanent members of UN Security Council (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States) including Germany and European Union signed an international agreement on Iran’s Nuclear program in Vienna. This agreement is commonly known as “Iran Nuclear Deal” and “Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action”. Under the agreement Iran agreed to leave 98% of its enriched uranium until 2030 and in return Iran will receive relief in economic sanctions, which was imposed by US, EU and UN Security Council.
Donald Trump pulled America out of the Iran nuclear deal while saying, “It is clear to me that we cannot prevent an Iranian nuclear bomb under the decaying and rotten structure of the current agreement. The Iran deal is defective at its core. If we do nothing, we know exactly what will happen. In just a short period of time the world’s leading state sponsor of terror will be on the cusp of acquiring the world’s most dangerous weapon. Therefore, I am announcing today that the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal.” The relations between the US and Iran remained tense because of US withdrawal from Nuclear deal and the killing of very influential Iranian General Qassem Suleimani in Iraq put more fuel in tense situation.
Trump condemned the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in his election campaign by saying, “we will either renegotiate it or we will break it” and later in 2018, he replaced NAFTA with new agreement United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
The relations between the United States and China was not very cordial in Trump’s era. As Trump administration imposed new tariffs on Chinese products, worth of $34 billion and $200 billion in 2018 and 2019 respectively. In retaliation China imposed tariffs on US products, worth of $34 billion and $60 billion in 2018 and 2019 respectively. The “United States Commerce Department” also adds “Huawei” (Chinese telecom company) to its foreign entity blacklist. The President Trump said we are imposing more tariffs on Chinese products to encourage our citizens to buy local products. The relations between big powers had reached very low as both sides were accusing each other on Coronavirus. Trump called the virus as “Chinese virus” and criticized the role of WHO.
The President Trump signed the “Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act” and “Hong Kong Autonomy Act” to pressurize China. The US put sanctions on Chinese products and officials, those belongs to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Trump and his team always criticized China’s “Belt and Road Initiative” and also China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The United States made the world much safer for Israel. Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. They also played their key role in normalizing relations between Israel and Arab countries, especial the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) also allows Israel to use their airspace for commercial flights. Both KSA and Israel supports each other to stop Iran to become Nuclear power and to contain the Iran’s influence in the region.
In 2020, the US and Taliban signed peace agreement(Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan) in Doha (Qatar) to bring peace in war torn Afghanistan. Pakistan played an important role to achieve this peace agreement. According to deal the US and NATO will withdraw their troops from Afghanistan in 14 months’ time and Taliban have to start negotiations with Afghan government and they wouldn’t attack on foreign troops.
In Trump era, the relations between the US and India were very cordial like his predecessors. Trump’s tweeted “America Loves India” and he proved the love with signing the pact (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA)) with India in his last days of presidency.
Since the Obama period, the relations between Pakistan and US are not very cordial. Trump termed Pakistan as “dangerous state” but in signing the peace agreement with Taliban, the US appreciated the “important role” of Pakistan. The US is unhappy with Pakistan because of Pakistan’s growing military and economic cooperation with China and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
In Trump’s era no major wars have been started even he withdrew most of the American troops from Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. Trump also broke down the fighting capabilities of ISIL/ISIS and limited their activities. He had been criticized by Americans for not taking quick and timely measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic. And they showed their anger and distrust on his policies by voting against him in 2020 US presidential elections.
