Trump was a new phenomenon in the American political system. He had no experience in political science and was not a theorist; But in terms of behavior, he introduced a political practice called "Trumpism" in the international system, which had the following characteristics:
1. Insist on Unilateralism - The United States, led by Donald Trump, sought to maintain American hegemony in the international arena and to establish an order based on unilateralism. This approach was pursued at a time when the vast majority of countries in the world cared about maintaining their national sovereignty and did not adopt a multipolar system based on unilateralism. To secure its own interests, each country advocated interaction and cooperation with the world and the avoidance of war and violence, and blamed US belligerent and aggressive policies for global insecurity. Trump's campaign slogan had the goal of "restoring America's lost greatness," and Trump sought to humiliate other nations and even White House allies to restore American hegemony.
2. International Controversy - Trump was thinking that international law and order as a major obstacle to restoring American greatness, and Trump avoided the restrictions imposed by international law on the United States. Under Trump, the United States easily withdrew from the Paris Agreement, mocking the reduction of greenhouse gases and the fight against global warming. Trump opposed any international treaty that did not prioritize US interests. He left the UNESCO cultural organization, said goodbye to UN human rights commissions, and withdrew from the nuclear deal with Iran. He even ignored UN resolutions in the interests of Israel and moved the US embassy to Jerusalem. Trump proposed the Great Deal of the Century, which sought the annexation of the West Bank to Israel, and unilaterally acknowledged that the Golan Heights belonged to Israel. He supported terrorism with all his means, especially Wahabi groups such as ISIS, and in the end, he infected his dirty hand with the pure blood of the hero of the fight against terrorism, Martyr General Qassem Soleimani and Martyr Mehdi Al-Mohandes. . Trumpism ignored all international standards for the benefit of the United States and not only lost its strategic allies but also accelerated the isolation of the White House.
3. Disruption of World Trade - Trumpism pursued the discrediting of international trade institutions, even the World Trade Organization, and disrupted the idea of a free trade boom by imposing unilateral tariffs. The role of free trade in shaping American hegemony was undeniable and was considered a strength of American governments. But the Trump administration, in violation of free trade laws, entered into a full-blown economic war with countries such as China and even its European allies. In the economic sphere, Trumpism opposed the Free Trade Act by advocating his pro-US economic policies, and Trump called the Free Trade Act a "tie-up." American economic elites, meanwhile, were aware of the contradiction of maintaining their country's hegemonic power by not adhering to a practical commitment to free trade, and former US allies in the global capitalist system sought to curb or defeat American economic hegemony.
4- Dealing with the media - Trump, in his opinion, sought to defeat the hegemony of the information giant in the United States. Trumpism also raised the issue of indifference and even struggle with major media outlets such as CNN and the BBC, especially those that controlled American public opinion and even much of the world. Trump ousted the influential media and, during his four years in power, repeatedly called them fake. Fox News remained the only pro-Trump body, engaging in "Trumpism" without regard for rival media.
5- Expansion of Trumpism - Trump may not have followed this line, but the radical features of Trumpism quickly spread to the West and even to Asia. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was Trump's first client and tried to stand up to international standards alongside the United States in his own interests. When UNESCO named a day after Palestine, the Zionist regime withdrew from the organization, and Trump left UNESCO in support of Israel. Boris Johnson also became an imitator of Trump after coming to power in Britain, and with a tyranny at home and abroad, he turned to a kind of Trumpism. Opposition to joining the EU and disregard for current EU regulations stemmed from Johnson's approach. Bin Salman, the young and immature crown prince of Saudi Arabia, soon fell into the trap of Trumpism. Hunted by Trump as a suckling cow, he tried to make a secret by imitating the US president. The assassination and mutilation of Jamal Kashokechi at the Saudi Consulate General in Istanbul was the beginning of Saudi "lawlessness" and disregard for international standards for crime. The invasion of Yemen and the killing of innocent people and children and the destruction of his traditional neighbor were another act of Bin Salman on his way to becoming a Trump in the Arab society. Bin Salman intensified his crackdown on his opponents in Saudi Arabia in order to draw the attention of the international community, and in disregard of international rules and regulations, sabotaged the Iranian delegation to attend the extraordinary OIC summit. In fact, he continued the path of the US President, who used the leverage of the visa to prevent the Iranian Foreign Minister from being present in New York. The Saudi Crown Prince wanted to present himself as Trump of the West Asian region, and for this reason he joined hands with Netanyahu and paved the way for revealing the connections of the occupying regime in Jerusalem with the reactionary Arabs.
But just as Trump's political life was short, so will Trumpism life be short. By insisting on unilateralism, fighting international norms, disrupting the global economy, and confronting the media, Trump not only failed to restore American hegemony, but also exposed not only himself but also the political structure of the United States and liberal democracy. Trump's racist behavior, especially after the assassination of George Floyd, showed that the protest of the American people was no longer against the agents and officials of the country, but it was the American political structure that was attacked and protested by the people. The unconventional revelations of Republican and Democratic candidates during the election campaign, the issue of electoral fraud, and finally the occupation of Congress by the people, were the final nail in the coffin of liberal democracy and the product of the rise of Trump and Trumpism.
Today, Trump's imitators are on the path to his fate. Netanyahu is on the verge of collapse and, more isolated than ever, is seeking to beg for votes in Israel's fourth election in two years. The big deal plan of the century has been left unmanaged and will not be implemented as predicted. The axis of resistance is also more prepared than before to seek to shorten the life of the Zionist regime and realize the ideal of the liberation of Holy Quds and Palestine. Ben Salman is chasing Trump while he has invested hundreds of billions of dollars in him and has not achieved anything. The defeat of Saudi Arabia in the Qatar embargo and the failure of Riyadh to isolate Iran and the axis of resistance and the Saudi rulers' confrontation with global hatred for invading Yemen and killing Kashoqachi all indicate the defeat of Trumpism in Saudi Arabia. In the UK, Ben Johnson also tried to avoid Trump in the middle of the road, but again failed to advance his political and economic policies in Europe, and his failure to contain Corona added to his failures.
Trumpism is a failed thinking. This phenomenon appeared at a time when the world is saying goodbye to unilateralism, and cooperation between countries is gradually replacing the global dictatorship of the great powers. Those who sought to restore American hegemony through bullying and global dictatorship by bringing Trump to power should learn from the tooth-breaking response they have received. Certainly, if Biden or other future US presidents want to act like Trump, they will face a serious reaction from the international community.
Trump was not a political ideologue, and with his actions, Trumpism did not become a form of government. Just as the American people did not accept Trump, the international community will not accept Trumpism. Trump is gone, Trumpism will be gone, and the international system will move toward countering unilateralism and emphasizing multilateral cooperation.
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