BARELY 100 days into his new term, President Donald Trump is deeply embroiled in battles on multiple fronts in his Maga (Make America Great Again) mission.
In the critical domestic battleground, he has met with rebuff after rebuff and significant opposition across key areas. Some relate to:
0 Immigration
Trump’s policies on stricter immigration enforcement and attempts at selective deportation have faced strong legal challenges and opposition from those who argue that the policies are anti-democratic, discriminatory, inhumane and ineffective.
0 Social policies
Very much in the news and receiving what appears to be wider support is his handling of LGBTQ+ rights, particularly transgender rights, though these have also faced legal challenges and public
protests. Meanwhile, the issue of abortion remains highly divisive, with ongoing legal battles over state-level restrictions.
0 Healthcare
Efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, have sparked widespread protests and legal battles with ongoing debates about access to healthcare, pre-existing conditions and the role of the government in healthcare.
0 Environment
Trump has almost single-handedly destroyed the US reputation as an influential stake player and stakeholder in addressing and mitigating the many-faceted global environmental crisis. The withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, expediting permits for fossil fuel development, rolling back emissions reporting requirements and support for other anti-green Trump initiatives have drawn opposition from the public, including those in the scientific community as well as state and local governments.
0 Government efficiency
Trump has met with quicker success with the flurry of executive orders and policy shifts aimed at advancing his agenda of government deregulation. However, here too, the success has been less than initially envisaged. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was established to cut federal spending, reduce bureaucracy and streamline procurement.
While it has overseen some layoffs of civil servants, eliminated some agencies and rescinded Joe Biden-era rules, including environmental and healthcare regulations, its mission objective of saving a trillion dollars in the federal budget has now been drastically reduced to a modest US$150 billion (RM658 billion), according to the latest update by
Elon Musk.
Challenging Maga’s domestic agenda
Ominously, the outlook for Trump making much headway with his Maga agenda for the coming months and probably until the end of his current administration in 2028 is looking bleak.
Firstly, he has underestimated the legal and constitutional challenges that are bringing intense legal and public scrutiny, causing delay into virtually every issue and sector in which he is attempting policy reform and change.
Despite the Supreme Court with the majority of its members being seen as leaning towards the conservative camp, Trump cannot expect automatic support for the cases that are brought before it. This is because the US Constitution sets limits on presidential power and any attempt to expand those limits faces resistance from the courts and other branches of government.
Increasingly too, questions are being asked on the limits of presidential authority and the president’s ability to override congress.
Meanwhile, we are seeing the lower judiciary play a crucial role in reviewing the constitutionality of laws and executive actions.
This has provided victories to opponents of some of Trump’s executive orders and policies. These opponents, although a motley and disparate group of state attorneys general, civil rights organisations and advocacy groups, have been able to block or effectively alter orders relating to various travel bans and border security violations, citing concerns over due process and equal protection.
Perhaps more challenging for Trump has been the difficulty in gaining support from the opposition party for key domestic reform initiatives. Not only has there been little bipartisan cooperation but what has emerged is a deeper political polarisation between Republicans and Democrats.
This has led to failure to find common ground for legislative agreement on controversial issues. The small majority that the Republican party has in both the Senate and House means that the gridlock accompanying every major legislative proposal will lead to stalled policies, delayed implementation and a broader perception of political stagnation – or even regression.
One of the greatest obstacles to Trump succeeding in his domestic agenda to make his vision of America great has been the emergence of a diverse network of activists and organisations across the country.
These groups have mobilised to protest on various policy issues and to defend against the erosion of what they view as core American values, democratic norms and institutions, which they believe the Trump administration is destroying.
Although this evolving and dynamic grassroots movement has been handicapped by a host of disadvantages and problems – such as internal divisions over strategy
and messaging, the absence of conventional political legitimacy and reliance on social media to provide coverage and visibility – it has nonetheless been able to mobilise strong support and raise the level of political awareness and engagement, especially among the younger generation.
Turning point
Ironically, the final blow to Trump’s Maga agenda may come from his foreign policy approach. Presently focusing on tariffs, this strategy
is widely expected to inflict considerable pain on a wide swath of American families and businesses.
This damage and pain will be definitely felt by all the constituencies supporting Trump and will lead to inevitable reversals and losses for the Republican party in the next round of electoral contests.
“I always say ‘tariffs’ is the most beautiful word to me in the dictionary,” Trump said at a rally
just hours after his inauguration in January. “Because tariffs are going to make us rich as hell.”
The “rich as hell” claim may
well go down as one of the most extravagant, bizarre and strangely prophetic proclamations uttered by Trump to upend his government and place in American history.
Lim Teck Ghee’s Another Take is aimed at demystifying social orthodoxy. Comments: [email protected]
