Trump White House-the first 50 days

Mar 24, 2025 Features / Columnists, The GHK Lall Column

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Hard truths…

By GHK Lall 

Kaieteur News- The first 50 days of Donald Trump in the White House has come and gone, had its share of excitements.  Then, there have been the strategic retreats.  Since not one bad word is to be said about the Don, strategic has its uses.  The most I will say is that Mr. Trump has been on the move, constantly moving from point to point and place to place.  Because my self-imposed 100-day sabbatical is only halfway over, I will leave whether he has moved at all to the tender handling of others.

I am in favour of some immigration developments.  Some only, to be clear.  Those that relate to the borders and sanctuary cities get my nod.  One example: I would not want to live in New York City today.  The thought of having to travel on the subway brings out a heavy cold sweat, and I am not too much of a perspiring man.  The subway is the lifeblood of the City.  To have it deteriorate to where it is, means that commuters live in fear, forever looking over their shoulders, clutching their belongings more tightly, and hurrying to get to their destinations in one piece.  Then what about those cities where prostitution and drug use invaded neighbourhoods, and degraded everything in sight?  Crime was not a stranger, with enough to incur the wrath of hardworking and law-abiding Americans.  Borders, sanctuary cities, and mass transportation crises dispatched the Democrats to where they belong.  Into the barren wilderness.  Their immigration policy, more one of ultra-leniency, backfired.  Reports are that some 44% of Hispanic males voted for Mr. Trump, and gave him a good boost in his successful quest to get back into the White House.

On the issue of skilled foreign workers, those coveted HB-1 visas, will result in the US falling farther behind in the tech gap between Uncle Sam land and the land of dragons and Shaolin temples.  Mr. Trump will move soon, but very stealthily, to manage this one differently.  Retreat first, compromise on the qt. if the HB-1 visa squeezes go forward at full speed, the Chinese would have been the greenlight to accelerate their advantage in AI, and the impacts will be devastating to many areas of American endeavour from the military to Main Street.  Frankly, the US lacks the kind of manpower needed to compete, so its options are limited.

Tariffs.  Did somebody ask what about tariffs?  Here is my response.  Regarding the stuff that I usually cart in from the US (all duties paid, of course), that timetable has been put on a fast track.  Tariffs seem to me to be the equivalent of a mudwrestling match.  Everybody gets a full body costume.  That is, regardless who took the first step, or who had the first jump.  It is not quite that fancy one called a zero-sum game, but everybody gets looking less presentable than Santa.  In short, tariffs boomerang, everybody can play at that game, gets hurt.

Ukraine showed that NATO got shook to its roots.  Looks like Volodymyr Zelensky is going to be back in Washington, and everyone will get to settle back and take a puff on their favourite pipe, while absorbing the news on, where else but Fox News.  If NATO yesterday, then Bretton Woods could be next on the target list, with the UN in for a turbulent existence.  Oh my, then there is cryptocurrency.  Me, I am staying far from that one.  Just give me a piece of paper with a US president face on it.  Relative to Guyana, I will take one with the signature of the big boss man on it.  I have a small favour to ask of the power people: Just keep his mug away from it, please.

Like I said, Donald Trump is on the move.  The dispute that has brewed from the very first day is whether he has made any progress at all.  I call in a high value chip.  Wait until after the next 50 days of movements and excitements.  But there is something that has to be said, because it is the essence of fairness itself.  Take a long, deep look at the decisions and actions of Mr. Donald Trump, 47^th president of the United States of America, and one thing is so persistent that it becomes obvious. It can’t be denied, or diluted, in any way.  President Trump has kept his promises made to his support base scattered all across America.  What he told his people, he has delivered.  Or, at least initiated efforts to make good on those matters of the heart for red meat Republicans.  Whether I agree with him, or harbour any regard for what he has done, is both irrelevant and immaterial.  The man gave his word and he has delivered.  Now if Guyana’s darling President Irfaan Ali could look into that book copyrighted by Trump and learn, actually take ownership, I could go so far as to consider voting for him.  Seriously.  There is one little qualification, though: I would only vote once.

(Trump White House-the first 50 days)

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)   

 

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• Donald Trump, hard truths, New York City, Shaolin temples., White House

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