Trump S Multiple Front Wars Can Asean Help Win One

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 Barely 100 days into his new term, US President Donald Trump is deeply embroiled in battles on multiple fronts in his Make America Great Again (Maga) mission.
“I am telling you, these countries are calling us up, kissing my ass,” he said during a speech at the National Republican Congressional Committee Dinner in Washington.
“They are dying to make a deal. 'Please, please, sir, make a deal. I’ll do anything sir',” he imitated a begging foreign leader.
In the critical domestic battleground, he has met with rebuff after rebuff and significant opposition across key areas, as follows.
Immigration
Trump administration policies on stricter immigration enforcement and attempts at selective deportation have faced strong legal challenges and opposition from those who argue they are anti-democratic, discriminatory, inhumane and ineffective.
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.
The issue of abortion remains highly divisive, with ongoing legal battles over state-level restrictions.
Healthcare
Efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) have sparked widespread protests and legal battles with ongoing debates about access to healthcare, pre-existing conditions, and the role of government in healthcare.
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.
Withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accords, his “drill baby drill” mantra, expedited permits for fossil fuel projects, rolling back of emissions reporting requirements and a host of other anti-green Trump initiatives have drawn opposition from the public, virtually all within the scientific community, and state and local governments.
Government efficiency
Where Trump has met with quicker success is with the flurry of executive orders and policy shifts aimed at advancing his agenda of government deregulation.
But here too, the success has been less than initially envisaged. The Government Efficiency Department (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 one hundred and fifty billion dollars 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.
First, he has underestimated the legal and constitutional challenges that are bringing intense legal and public scrutiny and delay to 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.
We are also seeing the lower judiciary play a crucial role in reviewing the constitutionality of laws and executive actions. This is providing 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 of due process and equal protection.
More damaging for Trump has been the inability to sell any of his key domestic reform agenda to the opposition party. Not only is there little bipartisan cooperation, but what has emerged is even deeper political polarisation between the Republicans and Democrats.
This has led to a failure to find common ground for legislative agreement on controversial issues. The small majority that the Republican party has in both Senate and House means that the gridlock accompanying every major legislative proposal will lead to stalled policies, delayed implementation and an overall debilitating sense of political stagnation and even regression.
The US CapitolThe greatest obstacle in the way of Trump succeeding in his Maga agenda is the diverse network of activists and organisations that has emerged around the country.
They protest on policy issues and to defend against the erosion of their own vision of core American values and democratic norms and institutions, which they see the Trump administration destroying.
Although this still evolving and dynamic grassroots movement is handicapped by a host of disadvantages and problems - internal divisions over strategy and messaging, the absence of conventional political legitimacy, and reliance on social media to provide coverage and visibility - it has been able to mobilise strongly and raise the level of political awareness and engagement, especially among the younger generation.
Foreign policy nail in Maga coffin?
The final nail in the coffin of Trump's Maga ironically could well come from his foreign policy agenda. Presently focusing on tariffs, it is widely expected to inflict considerable pain on a wide swath of American families and businesses.
This damage and pain will be 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.
Can Asean help Trump win?
Trump desperately wants a win on the foreign policy front as his domestic support polling numbers plummet. Since his Ukraine peace initiative looks increasingly doomed, he needs to make deals with other foreign leaders on his reciprocal tariff imposition to bolster his public relations image.
With China standing firm, his advisers will be looking to “no money” Asean to strike deals with. At the same time, following China President Xi Jinping’s visit to the region, Trump has expressed concern that this part of the world is engaged in trying “to figure out how do we screw the United States of America”.
The answer to this and related questions may help save or bring down the Trump presidency. - Mkini
LIM TECK GHEE is an economic historian, analyst, and former senior official with the United Nations and World Bank.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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