Mint Explainer: What Trump’s victory means for US, India and rest of the world

livemint.com:

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Donald Trump is poised to become only the second US president to secure a non-consecutive second term, following Grover Cleveland’s historic feat 131 years ago in 1893. Cleveland’s second term focused primarily on domestic economic and labour issues, with limited global impact.

Today, however, the stakes are far higher. The US is deeply polarized, and Trump’s approach remains both disruptive and unpredictable. His proposed policies are expected to have far-reaching implications, not only within the US but also globally.

Mint examines these policies and their potential impact on the US, India, and the wider world. The most notable difference this time is Trump’s near-total control over the Republican Party, leaving no senior leader to challenge his policies, even if they seem extreme. Judging by his recent campaign rhetoric, the world may be in for a period of economic and political turbulence.

Read this | A second Trump term is not good news—either for the US or the world If Trump’s stance on import tariffs takes shape, a trade war with China seems likely, destabilizing an already fragile global trade order. His views on collective security threaten to weaken trans-Atlantic unity and deepen global polarization. Domestically, his plan for mass deportations could further divide the US.

However, while Trump campaigned on similar nationalist themes during his first run, not all of his bold promises were realized in office. Will it be different this time? Some experts believe that while Trump’s campaign leans heavily right, his governance may settle somewhere closer to the political centre. Trump, who once called himself a “tariff man," imposed sweeping tariffs on imports of washing