Trump won the 47th U.S. Presidency with flying colors. He won the national popular vote by 2.5 million or more, electoral vote 312 to 220, Senate 49R to 47D (4 Independents), House 220R to 212D (3 Vacancies), and governorship 27R to 23D. No matter how you look at it, Trump came back better in 2024 than in 2016 and 2020. Trump created the slogan, “Make America Great Again (MAGA)” and the MAGA movement spoke out in 2024 and gave him a mandate. Although MAGA may sound the same to everyone, it means different objectives with specific goals to everyone. For example, for those believing that the U.S. unemployment issue is due to (1) jobs stolen by China, (2) the U.S. education system produced unwanted skills, or (3) illegal immigrants flooded into the U.S. The specific goals may be (a) applying tariffs and technology sanctions and restricting investment to China, (b) overhauling education, including demolishing DOE, or (c) building border walls and deporting all illegal immigrants. Therefore, Trump has a tough job to satisfy MAGA’s many competing and often conflicting goals. So, one may question, can Trump accomplish MAGA? In the following. the author shall attempt to answer this question.
Trump has observed many problems challenging the U.S., both domestic and foreign, such as dragging down the U.S. economy and tarnishing its reputation and influence on the world stage. Trump has been successful in his campaigns using the slogan MAGA to create resonance among Americans from 2016 to 2024 despite Trump’s mannerisms pissing off some people and his narrow defeat in the 2020 election. Now that Trump is back with a MAGA mandate, he must establish clear presidential goals to show results in his first two years so that his next two years will not be a lame-duck president but can extend some influence for the 48th U.S. President. His presidential policies should be upheld for more than a couple of decades. The U.S. political system gives the president great power but is limited to two four-year terms. So, Trump must establish his presidential goals (MAGA Goals) and efficiently accomplish them to the point that his successors can carry them on.
Trump must define his MAGA goals to avoid a confused and divergent MAGA movement. Competing and contradicting goals are difficult to accomplish within his term. First, Trump must take a realist approach to define his MAGA goals. Trump must accept the world as it is today, a world fast developing and desiring a multi-polar world. China has risen rapidly under its “Make China Great Again (MCGA)” to become the world’s second-largest economy, the world’s manufacturer, and the number one trading partner with 135 nations. In this situation, Trump should recognize China’s MCGA accomplishment and engage her in his MAGA goals. China has risen peacefully in the world with rules and order defined by the U.S. China poses no security threat to the U.S. other than being a fast-growing economy due to its large but hard-working population and authoritarian but effective political system. China’s policies of placing lifting poverty as a top priority not only benefit China but also help any country willing to collaborate with her. China’s rapid economic growth and ever-expanding international relations are observable in the UN, G20, BRICS SCO, APEC, and RCEP international organizations and platforms. Biden’s ‘Alliance Strategy’ essentially failed since it forced her allies to give up beneficial trading relationships with China to adopt the U.S. anti-China policy.
Trump entered the White House as a dark horse, he was not a part of the establishment, such as the military-industrial complex or the deep state. However, the establishment has a legacy hegemony strategy of maintaining U.S. supremacy by preventing any nation from challenging its number one position in the world. There is nothing wrong with this strategy except the tactics employed have made the U.S. rely on its military might to (1) export military arms for huge profit in the name of offering defense and security, (2) set rules for maintaining global trade and world order, and (3) force the world to use the U.S. dollar as the currency for trade settlement. This practice allowed the U.S. to rip a profit from every transaction involving currency exchanges. However, the above practice has transformed the U.S. economy to favor financial services more than industrial manufacturing. This allowed China to get into industrial manufacturing, initially taking advantage of its vast and low-cost labor force and gradually moving to higher technology productions. In the MAGA movement, the stories of blaming China or illegal immigrants for U.S. job loss are groundless. China did what every industrial nation (including the U.S.) did (import technology and build its industries). Illegal immigrants came because there was a sharp shortage of manpower for low-level labor work.
Trump must realistically define his achievable MAGA, first to tone down the rhetoric about deporting all the illegal immigrants. The estimated number of illegal immigrants is about ten million. The bulk of them are working on low-wage labor jobs which Americans don’t want to take. Employers hire illegal immigrants simply because of cost considerations. Deporting all illegal immigrants is not only a costly government job, but it may create a serious social problem: creating labor shortage, tearing families apart, and facing diplomatic issues of finding countries to accept them. Similarly, Trump needs to tone down the rhetoric against China about trade tariffs and technology sanctions. Tariffs may be effective in dealing with small trading countries, but it is essentially a failure when applied to China. During Biden's Administration, tariffs were added, but the trade volume and surplus both went up in China’s favor. Adding heavy tariffs is equivalent to adding high taxes to American consumers, it may or may not reduce China’s exports to the U.S., but it sure will cost American consumers more to get what they need. The U.S. cannot engage in a trade war against China alone, coercing allies to join forces has also been proven ineffective. China, having good trade relations with over one hundred nations and holding over $3.25 trillion in foreign exchange reserves, is far more secure than the U.S. in a trade war.
Trump’s strategy should be based on a set of achievable MAGA goals, including pumping up the U.S. economy, modernizing U.S. infrastructure, reforming the U.S. government for efficiency, and raising U.S. prestige and influence in the world arena. For these goals, China could be a useful partner rather than an adversary. Trump inherited the U.S. legacy China policy, but he could reset his China policy with MAGA in mind. By collaborating with China and improving trade relations, the U.S. economy would be benefited. China could be a valuable partner for U.S. infrastructure projects. (China is leading in high-speed rail/trains, port construction and automation, communication, and electricity transmission) Collaborating with China could allow the U.S. to play a significant role in many international platforms China initiated. (The recent G20 and APEC meetings held in Beirut and Brazil were clear examples of China’s increase in influence in South America while the U.S. is missing in action.) Even in pumping government efficiency, China’s experience in ‘Making China Great Again (MCGA) could be used as a cheerleader if not a role model, barring the ideologic nonsense.
Trump’s election victory gave him a national MAGA mandate. He wisely selected his key cabinet members, many having hawkish views towards China, although no rational basis, anti-China was a theme in the MAGA movement, generating a patriotic spirit. I venture to suggest that Trump wants to have loyal staff to accomplish his MAGA goals, not people to influence his mind. Trump should have understood that campaign slogans do not equate one hundred percent to the goals he set to achieve to deliver to his people. The Trump administration is in a good position to continue ‘the white face and red face (or dark face)’ strategy practiced in U.S. diplomacy. The administration staff plays the white face (being tough, hawkish, and mean), and the president plays the red face (nice, reasonable, and achiever) to conclude deals. For example, Marco Rubio is a white face with a vicious anti-China background, but in the end, it is Trump who will conclude deals with China. Trump should get the credit for turning China into a useful partner in helping him accomplish his MAGA goals. Rubio will be loyal to Trump, serving obediently. Trump had a more hawkish team in his 45th U.S. Presidency, but he fired those who disagreed with him. I venture to say that in Trump’s 47th U.S. Presidency, he will build his MAGA team to accomplish his MAGA goals, which will make Trump great (MTG).
Trump won the 47th U.S. Presidency with flying colors. He won the national popular vote by 2.5 million or more, electoral vote 312 to 220, Senate 49R to 47D (4 Independents), House 220R to 212D (3 Vacancies), and governorship 27R to 23D. No matter how you look at it, Trump came back better in 2024 than in 2016 and 2020. Trump created the slogan, “Make America Great Again (MAGA)” and the MAGA movement spoke out in 2024 and gave him a mandate. Although MAGA may sound the same to everyone, it means different objectives with specific goals to everyone. For example, for those believing that the U.S. unemployment issue is due to (1) jobs stolen by China, (2) the U.S. education system produced unwanted skills, or (3) illegal immigrants flooded into the U.S. The specific goals may be (a) applying tariffs and technology sanctions and restricting investment to China, (b) overhauling education, including demolishing DOE, or (c) building border walls and deporting all illegal immigrants. Therefore, Trump has a tough job to satisfy MAGA’s many competing and often conflicting goals. So, one may question, can Trump accomplish MAGA? In the following. the author shall attempt to answer this question.
Trump has observed many problems challenging the U.S., both domestic and foreign, such as dragging down the U.S. economy and tarnishing its reputation and influence on the world stage. Trump has been successful in his campaigns using the slogan MAGA to create resonance among Americans from 2016 to 2024 despite Trump’s mannerisms pissing off some people and his narrow defeat in the 2020 election. Now that Trump is back with a MAGA mandate, he must establish clear presidential goals to show results in his first two years so that his next two years will not be a lame-duck president but can extend some influence for the 48th U.S. President. His presidential policies should be upheld for more than a couple of decades. The U.S. political system gives the president great power but is limited to two four-year terms. So, Trump must establish his presidential goals (MAGA Goals) and efficiently accomplish them to the point that his successors can carry them on.
Trump must define his MAGA goals to avoid a confused and divergent MAGA movement. Competing and contradicting goals are difficult to accomplish within his term. First, Trump must take a realist approach to define his MAGA goals. Trump must accept the world as it is today, a world fast developing and desiring a multi-polar world. China has risen rapidly under its “Make China Great Again (MCGA)” to become the world’s second-largest economy, the world’s manufacturer, and the number one trading partner with 135 nations. In this situation, Trump should recognize China’s MCGA accomplishment and engage her in his MAGA goals. China has risen peacefully in the world with rules and order defined by the U.S. China poses no security threat to the U.S. other than being a fast-growing economy due to its large but hard-working population and authoritarian but effective political system. China’s policies of placing lifting poverty as a top priority not only benefit China but also help any country willing to collaborate with her. China’s rapid economic growth and ever-expanding international relations are observable in the UN, G20, BRICS SCO, APEC, and RCEP international organizations and platforms. Biden’s ‘Alliance Strategy’ essentially failed since it forced her allies to give up beneficial trading relationships with China to adopt the U.S. anti-China policy.
Trump entered the White House as a dark horse, he was not a part of the establishment, such as the military-industrial complex or the deep state. However, the establishment has a legacy hegemony strategy of maintaining U.S. supremacy by preventing any nation from challenging its number one position in the world. There is nothing wrong with this strategy except the tactics employed have made the U.S. rely on its military might to (1) export military arms for huge profit in the name of offering defense and security, (2) set rules for maintaining global trade and world order, and (3) force the world to use the U.S. dollar as the currency for trade settlement. This practice allowed the U.S. to rip a profit from every transaction involving currency exchanges. However, the above practice has transformed the U.S. economy to favor financial services more than industrial manufacturing. This allowed China to get into industrial manufacturing, initially taking advantage of its vast and low-cost labor force and gradually moving to higher technology productions. In the MAGA movement, the stories of blaming China or illegal immigrants for U.S. job loss are groundless. China did what every industrial nation (including the U.S.) did (import technology and build its industries). Illegal immigrants came because there was a sharp shortage of manpower for low-level labor work.
Trump must realistically define his achievable MAGA, first to tone down the rhetoric about deporting all the illegal immigrants. The estimated number of illegal immigrants is about ten million. The bulk of them are working on low-wage labor jobs which Americans don’t want to take. Employers hire illegal immigrants simply because of cost considerations. Deporting all illegal immigrants is not only a costly government job, but it may create a serious social problem: creating labor shortage, tearing families apart, and facing diplomatic issues of finding countries to accept them. Similarly, Trump needs to tone down the rhetoric against China about trade tariffs and technology sanctions. Tariffs may be effective in dealing with small trading countries, but it is essentially a failure when applied to China. During Biden's Administration, tariffs were added, but the trade volume and surplus both went up in China’s favor. Adding heavy tariffs is equivalent to adding high taxes to American consumers, it may or may not reduce China’s exports to the U.S., but it sure will cost American consumers more to get what they need. The U.S. cannot engage in a trade war against China alone, coercing allies to join forces has also been proven ineffective. China, having good trade relations with over one hundred nations and holding over $3.25 trillion in foreign exchange reserves, is far more secure than the U.S. in a trade war.
Trump’s strategy should be based on a set of achievable MAGA goals, including pumping up the U.S. economy, modernizing U.S. infrastructure, reforming the U.S. government for efficiency, and raising U.S. prestige and influence in the world arena. For these goals, China could be a useful partner rather than an adversary. Trump inherited the U.S. legacy China policy, but he could reset his China policy with MAGA in mind. By collaborating with China and improving trade relations, the U.S. economy would be benefited. China could be a valuable partner for U.S. infrastructure projects. (China is leading in high-speed rail/trains, port construction and automation, communication, and electricity transmission) Collaborating with China could allow the U.S. to play a significant role in many international platforms China initiated. (The recent G20 and APEC meetings held in Beirut and Brazil were clear examples of China’s increase in influence in South America while the U.S. is missing in action.) Even in pumping government efficiency, China’s experience in ‘Making China Great Again (MCGA) could be used as a cheerleader if not a role model, barring the ideologic nonsense.
Trump’s election victory gave him a national MAGA mandate. He wisely selected his key cabinet members, many having hawkish views towards China, although no rational basis, anti-China was a theme in the MAGA movement, generating a patriotic spirit. I venture to suggest that Trump wants to have loyal staff to accomplish his MAGA goals, not people to influence his mind. Trump should have understood that campaign slogans do not equate one hundred percent to the goals he set to achieve to deliver to his people. The Trump administration is in a good position to continue ‘the white face and red face (or dark face)’ strategy practiced in U.S. diplomacy. The administration staff plays the white face (being tough, hawkish, and mean), and the president plays the red face (nice, reasonable, and achiever) to conclude deals. For example, Marco Rubio is a white face with a vicious anti-China background, but in the end, it is Trump who will conclude deals with China. Trump should get the credit for turning China into a useful partner in helping him accomplish his MAGA goals. Rubio will be loyal to Trump, serving obediently. Trump had a more hawkish team in his 45th U.S. Presidency, but he fired those who disagreed with him. I venture to say that in Trump’s 47th U.S. Presidency, he will build his MAGA team to accomplish his MAGA goals, which will make Trump great (MTG).
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