Inauguration and Trump's inner circle

Associate Professor Zim Nwokora is a political scientist at Deakin's School of Humanities and Social Sciences and a member of the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation.

Inauguration Day in the United States is steeped in tradition but president-elect Donald Trump is no shrinking violet when it comes to shirking conventions, and Associate Professor Nwokora says Trump may have some surprises in store.

'The inauguration is a constellation of customs. We know that Trump and his followers have been unusually willing to break with custom, including of course regarding the inauguration itself – Trump skipped Biden’s inauguration four years ago,' Associate Professor Nwokora says.

'In light of all that, it will be interesting to observe the actions and reactions around Trump's inauguration. What does he do and say? What do his opponents do or say? And what do these dynamics portend for inter-party relations during Trump's second term?'

Further, on Trump's appointments, Associate Professor Nwokora predicts sparks may fly as the team settles into their new roles.

'We've already had quite a lot of positions appointed, especially high-level ones. These will be interesting indicators of the direction of the Trump administration, and of the kinds of conflicts that might ensue,' Associate Professor Nwokora says.

'One interesting development has been the screening out of conservatives who were associated with senior politicians like Nikki Haley and Mike Pompeo, who served in the Trump administration but fell out with him toward the end of that administration. Being known as a 'Haley person' or 'Pompeo person' is apparently enough to get a potential appointee scratched from the list.

'It will be interesting to see how staffing progresses from that standpoint, as well as from other standpoints – including the challenge of filling the executive branch and doing so in a timely manner, which is something the first Trump administration struggled with.'

Email: z.nwokora@deakin.edu.au

U.S relationship with China: Things could improve under Trump

Professor Baogang He, Deakin Distinguished Professor and Personal Chair in International Relations, Faculty of Arts and Education, School of Humanities and Social Sciences predicts Trump may find common ground with China’s leader Xi Jinping.

Professor He is a member of the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation and recently co-authored a new book on China’s growing influence titled China's Galaxy Empire.

'Much has been said about the impending trade war amid Trump’s threats to implement new tariffs against China, Mexico and Canada,' Professor He says.

'But while many fear this could exacerbate tensions between China and the United States, we could find China is not as impacted as many people may think.

'This is because a key difference in U.S-China relations during Trump's second presidential term is that China has diversified its trade relationships to focus more on the Global South. This has made it less reliant on the United States than it was during Trump's first term, when it was one of China's major trading partners.

'Another indication that the United States and China's relations may stabilise or even improve under Trump is that Trump may have greater capacity to put ideology aside and focus on other areas of commonality and shared interests with China. Ideology has increasingly become a prominent factor shaping the U.S-China relationship.

'But unlike outgoing president Joe Biden, Trump does not emphasise a strict democracy versus autocracy framework. Instead, Trump has shown in the past that he can take a more pragmatic stance in relation to global affairs.

'Finally, Trump has said he aspires to be a dictator, and he has copped flak from some sections of the public and the media for these comments. But while Trump has vowed to take decisive action on controversial election priorities in his first days in office, we may find Trump could find an ally in Xi Jinping.

'Xi, as the head of the People's Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party, is often characterised as the dictatorial leader of China's so-called people's democracy. As such, Xi is unlikely to criticise what Western commentators often describe as the 'authoritarian' actions of Trump. And if anything, Trump and Xi may find their leadership styles have common ground.'

Email: baogang.he@deakin.edu.au