Roughly four years ago, former US President Joe Biden declared “America is back”, promising to “restore the soul” of the country after Donald Trump’s first term. Fast forward to March 2025—standing before a joint session of the US Congress—President Trump, making his first appearance before Congress after his decisive electoral victory, declared, “America is back”. Unlike previous presidential transitions at the White House, Trump’s presidency marks a sharp break from his predecessor’s, calling Biden the “worst president in American history.” So, what does this speech mean for Trump’s radical policy shifts regarding how America is run and how Washington engages with friends and foes in the world?
A Polarised Legislature
In one of the longest presidential speeches to Congress in recent times—running around 100 minutes—it was a no-holds-barred self-eulogy of President Trump’s accomplishments in the first six weeks of his second term. From national emergencies to tackling illegal immigration at the southern border to imposing tariffs on some of America’s closest economic partners, he claims that all these actions lead to— “Make America Great Again.”
The atmosphere in the US Congress was unlike anything witnessed in recent times. The mood among Democratic lawmakers, the voluntary and forced walkouts, the anti-Trump protest cards, and the loud chants of “USA, USA…” from Republicans showcased an American legislature more polarised than ever before. Trump came armed with his trademark salvos and anti-Biden one-liners to show how he and his team of loyalists planned to run America over the next four years. Pointing out his detractors, Trump said, “I look at the Democrats in front of me, and I realise there is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy or to make them stand or smile or applaud, nothing I can do.”
The Disruptor-in-Chief
From healthcare, government efficiency, economic revitalisation, gender issues, and foreign aid to the Ukraine war, Trump’s second term at the White House, had ‘disruption’ written all over it, from day one. The barrage of executive orders, executive actions, and policy pronouncements has caught both Americans and foreign leaders off balance, to say the least. From an on-camera verbal spat with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine to constant vows to take control of Greenland and Panama Canal, from talking to Moscow without Kyiv and European partners to demanding that Ukraine repay American assistance through a minerals deal, Trump’s hyper-transactional style—or what he would rather call his ‘Art of the Deal’—is in full display.
The speech, as such, offered nothing fresh; it largely reiterated his campaign promises and amplified the mandate to supercharge a conservative agenda—one aimed at rewriting America’s political, economic, and cultural landscape and waging a war on all things considered “woke”. From declaring ‘male and female’ as the only gender specifications America requires to literally gutting all references to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in the US government, and from calling for a revolution in US energy policy to mining fossil fuel (aka “liquid gold”) with a vengeance, the Trump turbulence is real. Trump’s unilateral moves have evoked an age-old fear of an unrestrained and unchecked “imperial presidency”, as a Democratic lawmaker’s protest T-shirt read: “No Kings Live Here.”
De-Risking Trump
In practice, the US president exercises more prerogative powers in foreign policy decisions, despite the US Congress—and more particularly the Senate—appearing more influential on paper. Besides, the Trump presidency is currently in a honeymoon period, with control over both houses of Congress, at least until the next midterm congressional elections. The speed at which he has metaphorically and operationally disrupted—and in many ways, dismantled—the post-World War-II western alliance has left European leaders hustling to de-risk Trump and respond jointly on matters of economy and defence.
While the Indo-Pacific has yet to feature prominently in Trump’s first six weeks of office, the lurking trade war with China or new terms of engagement with Beijing are of consequence in the near future. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s early visit to the White House was strong on optics and statements, but India is clearly not out of Trump’s firing line—at least on matters of trade reciprocity. In Trump’s mind and words, India remains a big “tariff” abuser.
Trump’s unilateral moves have evoked an age-old fear of an unrestrained and unchecked “imperial presidency”
Perhaps, India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal’s visit to the US is aimed at moving the needle on a proposed new trade deal, while managing the fallout from Trump’s tariff measures. Meanwhile, the largest-ever EU delegation, led by the President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen, visited India calling for the next steps in an India-EU strategic partnership, and India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is reportedly heading to Moscow for meetings. These diplomatic movements come at a crucial time, as global security alliances and partnerships undergo rapid transformation. China, South Korea and India were directly mentioned in Trump’s speech as trading partners that “have long imposed unfair trade barriers on American goods.” “Other countries have used tariffs against us for decades, and now it’s our turn,” Trump said, vowing reciprocal tariffs.
The world order is passing through a phase where America’s material capabilities remain unchallenged, but the compass that guides how American power will be deployed and wielded is extremely uncertain. The speed at which the US withdrew from some of the most significant multilateral groupings, along with Trump’s vendetta on foreign aid, is indeed bewildering—yet he wears it as a badge of honour. As President Trump declared in his speech, “We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplished in 4 years, 8 years — and we are just getting started.”
Delhi needs to protect its interest through hardnosed bilateral negotiations while bracing for the fallout of Trump’s radical shifts in America’s new tryst with the world.
