WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE WORLD
Trump’s unprecedented power has implications for the rest of the world.
“The US’ long-term institutions may survive, and the government could in the future return to some pre-Trump semblance with various guardrails on the president,” said veteran Democratic operative Peter Goelz.
“But each month this administration remains in power, the more difficult it will be to right the ship of state,” he added.
As Mr Trump consolidates power at home, he abandons the country’s global leadership role. This will usher in a post-World War II level of change on economic and geopolitical fronts.
“Without the US anchoring the global trading system, we have no idea who will,” said Dr Deborah Elms of the Hinrich Foundation.
“With the US stepping off the stage, we do know, however, supply chains will be shorter, more fragile, and more costly. Governments and businesses are not ready for this.”
Geopolitically, the world enters a more tenuous time. In the past week alone, Russia’s incursion into Polish airspace and Israel’s bombing in Qatar are attacks on national sovereignty. The US has not taken concrete action in response.
Over the next few weeks, Mr Trump looks to leverage the tragedy of Kirk’s murder and stare down the Democrats as they try to be a guardrail against increasing executive authority.
If Mr Trump accrues even greater power at home, governments, businesses and investors may re-balance away from the US sooner rather than later. Normally, a government shutdown goes barely noticed outside of the US. That should not be the case this time. The repercussions will likely be felt across the world.
Steven R Okun and Thurgood Marshall Jr served in the Clinton administration as Deputy General Counsel at the Department of Transportation and White House Cabinet Secretary, respectively. Mr Okun serves as CEO of APAC Advisors in Singapore. Mr Marshall practices law in Washington.