Donald Trump’s first State of the Union address as US president was a reflection of the xenophobia that vaulted him to the presidency. One of the major themes of his speech, as it had been on the campaign trail, was that of immigration. He vowed to eliminate the green card lottery – a scheme whereby 50,000 people a year are granted immigration to the US from places that are under-represented in the country – and ‘chain migration’, which is a derisive term for the process which allows immigrants to sponsor close family members. Trump had an extended riff on Latino gangs and the crime they bring to the US; the American president uses this as as a justification for building a wall along the border on Mexico. Even on trade, Trump claimed that the US is being taken advantage of by other countries even though the World Trade Organisation and multilateral trade agreements are specifically devised to formalise US exploitation of poorer countries. The State of the Union was a distillation of Trump’s worldview – a mix of isolationism and belligerence towards those he sees as enemies of his countries.
Although not specifically mentioned, it is not hard to conclude that Trump believes Pakistan is one of those enemies. The American president said that the US would only provide aid to those it considers its friends. Given that he has only recently cut off much of the security aid previously given to Pakistan, he obviously does not consider us a friend or a partner. Trump had only a few boastful words about his foreign policy, taking credit for smashing the Islamic State in Iraq even though the country is still mired in civil war. He was also threatening towards North Korea, continuing a war or words that has brought the world closer to a nuclear war. On the domestic front, too, he claimed credit for achievements that have little to do with him. He touted the economic performance of the US in his first year although that was part of a recovery that began in 2009. He also took credit for dismantling Obamacare – something that has not actually been done and which would deprive millions of people of healthcare should it come to pass. What was most striking about Trump’s State of the Union speech is how, despite all the talk about him being a uniquely dangerous figure, much of what he said is no different from what his Republican predecessors did when in the same office. Indeed, on the foreign policy front, Trump has much in common with Barack Obama or most other Democrats. If the first year of the Donald Trump presidency has taught us anything it is that he, like everyone else in US politics, is dedicated to the preservation of US Empire.