Viewpoint
By Venkatesh Raghavan
Soon after taking oath, the 46th US President Joe Biden launched what can be termed an all-out war on his predecessor Donald Trump’s four-year legacy at the Oval office.
Describing his first-day stay in the Oval office as a down payment from his crucial pre-poll promises, the official stand taken by Biden aide spelt it out as “reversal of the gravest damages that resulted from the Trump legacy.”
Earlier in his inaugural Presidential address, Biden had echoed the sentiment, “We’ll press forward with speed and urgency, for we have much to do in this winter of peril and significant possibilities.” Adding emphasis, he said, “Much to repair. Much to restore. Much to heal. Much to build, and much to gain.” Biden sought Americans from diverse backgrounds to view each other as neighbours and disregard the tendency to harbour adversarial views that were promoted in the previous four years. The initial set of Biden’s actions at office was a clear indication that he sought to swiftly erase the Trump agenda. The areas where he sought to effect reversals included the pandemic, economic struggles, immigration and diversity issues and finally the environment/climate change issue.
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But his first actions in office were aimed not at compromise and cooperation with his adversaries, but instead suggested a determination to quickly erase much of the Trump agenda. They fell within four broad categories that his aides described as the “converging crises” he inherited at noon Wednesday: the pandemic, economic struggles, immigration and diversity issues, and the environment and climate change.
White House aides also observed that the reversal of agendas however, was not unanimous as there were instances where the President had limited authority and had to issue directives to his new administration before any change or policy shift could result in the direction. President Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan stressed that Biden’s action would result in an immediate reversal of inhumane policies pursued by Trump, which did not reflect on America’s values.
