As Donald Trump is elected as the 45th President of the United States, The Quint is republishing this video explaining what this may mean for India. We guess the video has more shelf-life than we thought!
So, like it or not, Donald Trump is now the Republican candidate for the US Presidential elections.
Since his critics didn’t expect him to get this far, we think it’s time to start asking – If Trump actually became President – What would it mean for India?
Well, Trump is not a “known quantity”.
He’s never been involved in foreign policy so the best we can do is look at what he says but that’s no guarantee of what he’ll do.For example, his stance on immigration.
In February, he said– “India is taking our jobs. It is not going to happen anymore, folks!”
But the Republican platform document says this – “Republicans note with pride the contributions to our country that are made by our fellow citizens of Indian ancestry.”
So does he want more of us or doesn’t he? Cant tell. On China, Trump is combative. This could go either way for India. Any US-China confrontation could cause instability in Asia which is not good for India.
On the other hand, if Trump chooses to trade less with China, it could open some serious business opportunities for India Inc.
This brings us to the big P, we mean, Pakistan.
Well last year Trump did call Pakistan a “serious problem” and that “India is the check to Pakistan”, which sounds great.
Oh, the next (possible) American President trusts us! BUT, he added that “India has its own nukes and have a very powerful army.”
And nobody wants that kind of Indo-Pak engagement, but yes Trump may be a LOT tougher than those before him on cutting financial aid if Pakistan doesn’t pull its weight in the war on terror.
THAT India may like – The really big worry – is Donald Trump, the isolationist – He has spoken of reducing the USA’s global responsibilities and focusing on domestic issues.
If this DOES reflect in his foreign policy, and a much reduced US presence in the Middle East and AfPak, it would shift the burden of international security onto countries like India – which will cost some serious money. It could also cost Indian lives.
But for all you know Hillary may win and Donald Trump and this video may end up in the dustbin of history.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)