The new-old Republican leadership, with Donald Trump at the top, leaves many wondering what the future holds for America
By: Mijat Kontić
As the world enters 2025, the US is faced with many predicaments, drawing worldwide attention towards the American political scene, almost as if it’s a TV drama that keeps you hooked to your screens, or in this case, the screens of our phones while we scroll through social media and gather our news from questionable sources. It’s safe to say that the rest of the world does not lack in its dilemmas, but there’s something about American politics that sets it apart from others. Whether you follow it closely or not, you’re almost bound to feel the political “echo” of the US in your own country, no matter how far you go to the East.
Why We’re Arguing About U.S. Elections Over Coffee
Even far away from The States, here in Serbia, the US Election was closely followed by “experts” who would debate in the replies section on X (Twitter) over whether they would vote for Kamala or Trump, as if American foreign policy towards Serbia would drastically change depending on who wins the presidency. It’s debatable if these expectations will prove themselves trustworthy, as this is not the first time we see Trump in office, but the fact that this topic constantly repeats itself on our afternoon coffees with friends or our New Year’s family reunions where you’re almost certainly going to fight with your conservative uncle proves the notion of the massive influence of America on the global political order.
As Thomas Friedman would say, “The world is flat, and the United States is the one nation that can reshape the global system in its image.” As a fellow journalist, I believe this quote represents the primary motivation behind my attempt to give our readers some insight into the Land of the Free. I invite you to join me in this monthly analysis of events on the ever-changing American political landscape and its future impact with the first chapter of Capitol Chronicles.
Trump 2.0: America’s Deja Vu
Donald Trump won the most recent presidential elections in the US on November 5th with the support of some of the most famous tech giants, including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg, who have all been confirmed to be seated together on the inauguration platform.
In the past year, all three of these billionaires have tried to earn favour with Trump. The three men are among the wealthiest people in the world, with fortunes based on the tech boom of the past two decades. Musk ranks No. 1, Bezos No. 2 and Zuckerberg No. 3, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. It’s safe to say that this support greatly influenced the success of Trump’s campaign.
Only 10 days after the victory, President-elect Donald Trump announced that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy would lead a new „Department of Government Efficiency“ in his second administration, establishing Musk as an important part of Trump’s presidency. The commission’s DOGE acronym refers to dogecoin, a cryptocurrency Musk regularly promotes. According to DOGE leaders Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the organisation will identify issues and recommend action to the White House, agency leaders and Congress.
As I’m writing this, mid-January 2025, even before the inauguration, Trump is already causing quite a commotion amongst the American public, raising concerns on whether he’ll follow through on his campaign promises that could potentially threaten key democratic institutions.
Donald Trump won the most recent presidential elections in the US on November 5th with the support of some of the most famous tech giants, including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg, who have all been confirmed to be seated together on the inauguration platform
Deporting Immigrants, One Tweet at a Time
The most significant promise, as one of Trump’s most well-known policies over the years, is related to his fixation towards the Mexican border, calling for a „Remain in Mexico“ policy that requires asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their claims are being processed.
For those who have already entered the country illegally, he is calling for the most significant mass deportation in the history of the US, allegedly focusing first on criminals before turning to other undocumented immigrants. This could not only prove difficult to execute logistically, but it could also raise legal challenges.
Besides irregular migration, Trump announced that work permits, green cards, visas, and other legal migration will likely be slowed down. He also confirmed on „Meet the Press” that his Day 1 priority would be ending birthright citizenship „because it’s ridiculous,” which could prove difficult. After all, the principle that anyone born on US soil is a US citizen is rooted in the Constitution.
Tariffs, Pardons and Paris
Trading is another area in which Trump aims to make changes, suggesting a 10% blanket tariff for everything that enters the US. This means China, Mexico, and Canada would be hit with even higher duties. It’s still questionable to what extent this policy will be executed, but what’s certain is that this move could be challenged in court.
The American public is angry over inflation, which is one reason Biden’s support decreased. Donald Trump will have to tread lightly in the public’s favour if his policies raise goods prices in response to these tariffs.
The storming of the US Capitol building on January 6th, 2021, is also a hot topic concerning Trump’s second arrival in office. Republican voters have been vocal about their expectations from Trump regarding the people who were convicted of federal crimes during the insurrection. On „Meet the Press, “ he confirmed that pardoning them would be a first-day priority. Will he do the same and forgive himself for any federal crimes? This is still an open question.
During his first term as president, Trump withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement, a decision that was reversed by Joe Biden, who rejoined the treaty on his first day in office. For his second term, Donald Trump aims to leave the Paris Climate Accords again, intensifying his disregard for the transition to green energy. This could even slow the pace of green energy projects in the US.
Greenland – Trump’s Arctic Crush
Donald Trump’s renewed interest in acquiring Greenland, whether through economic means or means of force, which Trump refused to rule out as an option when asked about it, sparked reactions worldwide. The President-elect threatened Denmark with high tariffs if the country didn’t choose to give up Greenland.
Trump’s remarks were quickly met with a response from Greenland PM Mute Egede, who said Greenland was not for sale. Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also responded, telling Trump it is up to Greenland to decide its future.
In his last presidential mandate, Trump had already stated that he wanted to buy Greenland. Still, when Frederiksen called the proposal „absurd,” he momentarily cancelled his trip to Denmark, ending his pursuit of Greenland.
It is yet to be transparent to what extent Donald Trump will stay persistent in his ambitions of actually acquiring Greenland (through any means necessary). Still, the President-elect has been firm in his public statements on this issue, saying that ownership and control over Greenland is an „absolute necessity“.
Donald Trump’s pursuit of Greenland may be motivated by its valuable natural resources and mineral wealth, including precious metals such as gold and platinum or base metals such as zinc, iron, copper, etc. Besides this, Greenland is considered to be of great geopolitical significance. It is situated between the Northern Sea Route and the Northwest Passage, two artic Shipping routes whose importance is growing as sea ice shrinks.
Whether you follow it closely or not, you’re almost bound to feel the political “echo” of the US in your own country, no matter how far you go to the East
America’s Reboot: Recovery or Replay?
During the last 30 days, America has gone through many events that have managed to steal attention away from the US elections. Starting with the shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson and the case against suspect Luigi Mangione. This tragedy has single-handedly created a massive public discussion, raising many questions about the state of health care in the US.
Even more recently, the fires in Los Angeles have been burning in Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, and Auto. Officials are warning that the LA fires could potentially be the worst natural disaster in US history, continuing the period of turmoil for the citizens of the States.
As Joe Biden’s farewell speech approaches, according to Gallup, his approval rating was only 39% as of December. The 16.6 million jobs during his tenure, which marked a record for a single term of a U.S. President, will be something the administration will boast about, including the support for Ukraine and how Biden helped strengthen NATO by adding Finland and Sweden.
On the other hand, inflation and voters’ concern over Biden’s state, especially after the Trump-Joe Biden debate in June 2024, will definitely cast a shadow over the Biden Presidency.
The new-old Republican leadership, with Donald Trump at the top, leaves many wondering what the future holds for America, but as H.E. Cristopher Hill, Ambassador of Serbia to America, said for our magazine in July in an interview with Robert Čoban talking about the presidential election: „Personalities will change. That’s for sure. But, I think people need to understand that our interests are more permanent than that and more lasting“.
