What has Trump achieved in two years?
Donald Trump has been US President for two years. In that time the White House resident has implemented many of his campaign promises. But commentators disagree as to whether this makes him a successful president.
Enough conflicts for generations to come
Whatever else one might say, the president can't be accused of sitting on his hands, comments Večernji list:
“In 24 months Trump has managed to provoke so many conflicts at home and abroad that it'll take years to calm the waves. He banned Muslims from entering the US, started a trade war with China and Europe, put an end to the nuclear deal with Iran, and pulled the US out of the Paris climate agreement. But the symbol of his fight against all and sundry is the wall on the Mexican border. He announced its construction at a campaign rally in 2016 and is well aware that his re-election in 2020 will depend on whether or not it gets built. If elections were held today, Trump probably wouldn't become president.”
Ready to fight, revolutionary, one of a kind
The fact that despite all the chaos he is causing Trump is by no means unsuccessful gives Die Welt pause for thought:
“His brash economic patriotism works. For fear of sanctions American companies, and also companies from abroad, are delivering what Trump wants. They don't love him, but they fear him. In terms of foreign policy, he has surprised experts with bitter withdrawals like those in Syria and Afghanistan and with his high-stakes peace game in North Korea - and the Chinese are also reacting defensively rather than aggressively to the sharp tone from Washington. Trump, as a dealmaker, is always open to a solution, but he displays a continuous willingness for battle that scares people into submission. With his tweets he has revolutionized communication in international politics, and he talks about how his 'beak' has grown. Trump is singular: in his abysmal depths and in his grotesque successes.”
The president's poor style
The president isn't exactly in the best of positions at the half-way mark, Le Soir counters:
“His track record regarding the promises he's kept and those he hasn't is positive, but his style is less so. Vulgar, shocking, and frequently insulting, the entrepreneur and reality TV showman reborn as US president has not always adopted an attitude befitting of his post. ... Will the growing number of scandals finally get the better of him? That's the big question. On Friday, for example, it came out that Trump had ordered his former lawyer Michael Cohen to lie before Congress about his real estate projects in Moscow. If obstructing justice and incitement to commit perjury are confirmed, it could cost him dearly.”
Trump could follow in Nixon's footsteps
In reaction to the pressure he is under on the domestic front Trump could try to shift public attention to foreign policy, Newsweek Polska believes:
“Nixon resigned when the House of Representatives levelled the same accusations FBI chief James Comey is now levelling against Trump: fraud, abuse of power and disrespect for Congress. ... If the investigation led by Special Counsel Mueller continues, Trump could follow in Nixon's footsteps. He could cause a crisis in the relations with Iran, China or North Korea to divert attention from the accusations and present himself to the nation as some kind of saviour. That's how Nixon tried to save himself when he declared the defence readiness condition Defcon 3, involving complete mobilisation of the US Air Force in reaction to the Yom Kippur War and the prospect of conflict with the Soviet Union.”