As Donald Trump takes office as America's 47th president, some wonder if he is experiencing buyer's remorse.
Barack Obama received arguably the worst treatment since the antebellum Lincoln and since the Depression-era President Roosevelt, who inherited two unwinnable wars and a financial crisis. But ironically, Trump may not be far behind.
First, Trump must address the problem TikTok confusion. one hundred and seventy One million Americans use Chinese-owned social media platforms. Trump became fan When TikTok rallied many of his supporters.
us lawpassed overwhelmingly in Congress and signed by the president last May, requiring the company to be sold to American owners or shut down. The reason is algorithm The company was stealing literally tons of data that it was obligated to share with the Chinese Communist Party.
Also, laws and regulations The restriction period lasts for five years, so buyers don't know what the next administration will do. responsibility The risks could reach trillions of dollars.
Now TikTok is Trump's problem. I wish you the best! If TikTok is legally forced to shut down because it can't find a buyer, this would be a major political setback for the new administration.
Trump also takes credit for it. Gaza armistice and truce. However, although three hostages have been released alive so far, Israelis still do not know how many of the 33 people from the first wave are actually still alive. The same goes for the remaining hostages to be exchanged in future phases.
Indeed, the Israelis not happy that many of the released Hamas prisoners killed their own compatriots and countrymen; Hamas continues to fight the Israeli army. And this complex agreement is a ticking time bomb that could be undone.
President Trump values the agreement so much that he will have to deal with the consequences if Gaza explodes. And the new president doesn't need that.
Even further away, meeting After confirming President Trump's nominees, they will need to pass a budget and approve raising the debt ceiling. For now, it looks like everyone can make it through, including Pete Hegseth.
But here comes a further complication. President Trump may have a secretary, but otherwise his closet is empty. Virtually all ambassadors at the State Department have been recalled, and their respective ambassadors or representatives will assume their positions.
The same applies to all departments. In the Armed Forces, certain senior admirals and generals will disappear if reports and rumors prove correct. Who will take his place and how quickly can it be confirmed?
This is not an easy problem. Let's assume that an international crisis occurs, such as a U.S. reconnaissance plane being shot down. first day George W. Bush administration. Who can negotiate? At the time, only the Secretary of State and the National Security Adviser were in the office.
And suppose the Chinese, dissatisfied with TikTok's adverse decision, retaliate by blackmailing Taiwan or the Philippines? The administration is simply not equipped to respond.
This is not even a criticism of Trump, but a clear observation about the nature of the US government and the realities of the transition process. Unlike, member of parliament In systems like Britain's, where a shadow cabinet can form a new government instantly, it usually takes about a year for a government to be fully established.
What can you do? Not much. Trump's transition process will probably be seen as one of the most efficient in a while, but it still leaves major gaps to fill.
The ideal solution would be for presidential candidates to form a shadow cabinet during the campaign. This would allow background checks to be completed well in advance of the election.
Additionally, for each position, a subordinate officer, perhaps up to the level of deputy secretary, must be appointed. The problem here is that nominees can't assume they're pre-approved and upset senators over their advice and consent. But these are minor issues.
Perhaps the problem between President Trump's TikTok and Hamas will be resolved. But if that is not the case, and Congress cannot agree on a budget or raise the debt ceiling, the new administration's honeymoon may cease to exist.
Some hope that Trump II will not be put in this position.
Harlan UllmanDr. Arnaud Debauchegrave is a distinguished columnist for United Press International, a senior advisor to the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC, the chairman of two private companies, and the lead author of Shock and Awe Military Doctrine. His next book, scheduled for publication in 2025, is The Great Paradox: Strategic Thinking in an Unstrategic World.
