A prime minister who routinely uses ‘Trumpian’ as a pejorative adjective will soon have to bite his tongue as Donald Trump sweeps back into the White House on the heels of a tightly contested and lessthan- expected election. Depending on how one looks at the data, US Vice-President Kamala Harris either underperformed or president-elect Trump overperformed tremendously in key demographics, including Latinos and black/white men.

Donald Trump’s victory raises certain important issues. People interested in T&T’s political and economic wellbeing must call into question the foreign-policy wisdom expressed by our Government-a view now repudiated by the US election results.

Rowley’s administration, through their words and actions, quite clearly bet on a Democratic Party victory-a gamble that in hindsight was unwise but even ill-advised by anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of American politics.

The hubris and elitism expressed by senior Cabinet members must be questioned. All politicians, especially those of a ruling party, must be sensitive to not embroil themselves in issues of foreign states, for the villains of one day are the heroes of the next; and Donald Trump has returned with aplomb, elected with an even greater electoral majority than in 2016.

A reckoning is due. The next assigned US ambassador will be well aware of the comments made by our current administration, and one can only hope they choose to look kindly upon on our nation.

The future of the Dragon gas deal remains in the balance with this US election casting a long shadow. Will the new US president choose to pursue a hardline policy apropos to Maduro? That remains to be seen, but how independent a foreign policy Trinidad and Tobago can chart will be further constrained.

I hope the current administration is prepared for the pragmatic diplomacy required moving forward.

Keval Marimuthu
Mayo Road