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By : Abdullah bin Bijad Al-Otaibi

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:: Observing the American president and his administration during their first 100 days helps analyze their performance. It’s an American tradition as this is enough time for the president to show his character and his domestic and foreign policies and to clarify his decisions and orientations.

Compared with former president Barack Obama, we can say that Trump has in 100 days did what Obama did not do in eight years, particularly in terms of matters related to foreign policy as this is what concerns our region and countries the most.

In 100 days, Trump proved he is a decision maker and that he wants to keep his promises even if many think these are unpopular or unfair decisions. Trump has tried to implement his decisions more than once but this was hindered by the ancient state institutions or the deep state institutions as Obama called them during his famous interview with The Atlantic.

Trump thus bumped into his attempt to understand the limits of his power. The first issue that surfaced was the immigration ban and legalizing it via the judicial institutions so he reformulated the decision to achieve what he wanted via negotiations. He realized he had to create an atmosphere of cooperation between the two parties and understood the importance of convincing the Congress and its members of significant decisions.

During his first 100 days, Trump has shown that he wisely addresses thorny issues on domestic, regional and international fronts and that he is capable of securing interests via negotiations

Abdullah Bin Bijad al-Otaibi

Rethinking plans

He had to rethink his plans more than once to convince his voters that America comes first – as he promised in his famous slogan America First – and that he intends to continue to work towards this end.

During these 100 days, the entire world knew that America has withdrawn itself. Trump seems in a rush to prove that America – the leading country which is well-known throughout its history for bearing international responsibility – is back to the arena, and it is rearranging international balances, putting the international community before its responsibilities and bearing the burden of leadership.

During these 100 days, rogue parties across the world felt they are under the pressure of the strongest country in the world. They must expect the worst now following years of irresponsible policies that helped them make gains.

Trump’s international policies and visions can be seen in the hostile policies against rogue parties. Escalating reactions towards them began with the strike on the Syrian al-Shayrat air base. This was followed by adopting strong policies against the Iranian regime and against the terrorist Shiite militias affiliated with it in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.

Foreign policy

In terms of foreign policy, Trump maintains the position of going back to cooperating with America’s allies. This goes hand in hand with putting pressure on rogue states and countries which support them. This directly serves the interest of Gulf countries.

Trump adopted a similar policy to restore the trust of America’s allies across the world. He is dealing with the threats which North Korea poses on Japan and South Korea – America’s allies in the East – and the world due to its nuclear and missiles experiments that have increased in the past years without anyone deterring it.

Some of the statements Trump made during the campaign upset many and drew criticism. However, during his first 100 days, Trump has shown that he wisely addresses thorny issues on domestic, regional and international fronts and that he is capable of securing interests via negotiations.

Trump has restored America’s prestige and status and brought its military, political, economic and cultural power back to the forefront.

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Abdullah bin Bijad al-Otaibi is a Saudi writer and researcher. He is a member of the board of advisors at Al-Mesbar Studies and Research Center. He tweets under @abdullahbjad.

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Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in the Column section are their own and do not reflect RiyadhVision’s point-of-view.

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