United States President Donald Trump’s actions early in his presidency in a way reminds me of George W. Bush’s mantra — “either you are with me or against me” but at a more disconcerting level.
Perhaps because we, outside the United States, or the non-Trump crowd, are used to listening to soothing prose from the previous president when he explained the arguments behind a policy or making a pitch about an official initiative.
Also, not too long ago, some also described how minima an impact Bush’s spoken words had on their ears before swooning over Barack Obama’s polished and relaxed style when the latter discussed internal and external developments.
People, however, need to wake up and accept Trump’s direct and aggressive tone, which is partly to convey to everybody about the new occupant at the Oval Office, so a different way of seeing and doing things.
We don’t have to like it, but we’d better listen, though admittedly, it's tough and even tougher on Muslims and Mexicans, for the moment.
A journalist revealed how Trump badgered Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in a telephone call last Friday.
Quoting from sources, Trump reportedly said: “We’re going to build the wall and you are all going to pay for it, like it or not.”
Washington, DC-based journalist Dolia Estevez also wrote that Trump hinted the US would force its neighbour to fund the wall with a 10 per cent tax on Mexican exports, with 35 per cent levied on those exports that hurt Mexico the most.
The border issue, however, was eclipsed by Trump’s travel ban on seven Muslim majority countries, with Sally Yates becoming the first casualty. This was after the acting attorney-general refused to enforce Trump’s executive order banning people from seven countries — Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen — from entering the US.
Yates will not be the last to feel Trump’s wrath in line with his “America First” and “Make America Great Again” slogan.
A lot had been discussed for three months regarding the travel ban against people from the seven countries, some describing it as a fascist and racist move discriminating a specific religion.
Those disagreeing to the move involved senior politicians of both Republican and Democrat persuasion.
“We don’t need new ammunition for terrorists to use against the US, it’s undemocratic and un-American,” they said.
Protests had also sprouted all over the world against the executive order, while a Canadian took it as a sort of licence to act against Muslims.
According to reports, Alexander Bissonette, a Trump fanatic, shot and killed six Muslims and injured five others in an attack in a Quebec mosque during prayers a few days ago.
It seems Trump’s comments on Muslims during campaigning and now the travel ban, has been interpreted as an encouragement to target the community.
In fact, since he announced his candidacy in 2015, there had been a 67 per cent surge of attacks against Muslims and Islamic centres, about 257 overall, last year.
Reports also said since Nov 8, at least 100 attacks against Muslims had been made, comparable to the time immediately after 9/11.
Trump did ask those responsible for such activities to stop during an interview with 60 Minutes recently.
However, such crimes continue to be committed and it is the Muslims who justifiably feel victimised even further because of the travel ban.
It is also unbelievable that Iraq, supposedly an ally of the US, is among the seven on the list.
One other fact which had been highlighted by the media was that no extremist from the seven countries had attacked the US since 9/11.
Despite that, a British paper tried to justify Trump’s order by saying that among the seven countries, six have imposed travel bans of their own, specifically on Israeli nationals.
The paper did not try to explain the difference between Trump’s travel ban and the six countries.
While Trump used religion as an excuse, the six countries travel ban, especially against Israeli nationals, began a long time ago chiefly to protest the Zionist occupation of Palestine.
Meanwhile, Malaysians should be relieved to hear that this country is not included in a new travel ban. This was after the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur denied an online report about a new group of 20 countries being in a new travel ban list.
Trump’s executive order has posed difficulties not just for airlines, but also those with valid documents, with officials scrambling to explain who can get in and who cannot enter the US.
Trump needs to think things through to avoid such a blunder in the future. This is the opinion of billionaire and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, who knows Trump up close.
Interviewed by CNN, Cuban remarked: “It’s horrible! Let’s just be real clear. The ban was half-a**ed and half-baked. If the goal was security, why do you leave out other countries that hosted terrorism? That’s like locking your front door but leaving all your windows open.”
Trump should at least listen to friendly advice.
Azman Abdul Hamid is ‘Berita Harian’ Features/Op-Ed Editor