What will happen if Donald Trump becomes the President of the US?
Christopher Bucktin
Sixteen years ago The Simpsons broadcast an episode called Bart to the Future in which Lisa becomes the first straight woman president
As you know, weve inherited quite a budget crunch from President Trump, she tells her staff, who inform her the country is broke due to her predecessor. Writer Dan Greaney described it as a warning to America, adding: It just seemed like the logical last stop before hitting bottom.
It was pitched because it was consistent with the vision of America going insane. Today Greaneys fears are on the verge of being realised as Donald Trump s bid for the presidency could become a reality.
Since entering the race in June last year, hes staked out controversial policy positions on immigration, gay rights, the economy and justice. If elected on Tuesday, Trump has vowed to get to work from day one. Here the Mirror takes a look at what a Trump Presidency would mean.
Immigration
From day one of his Presidency Trump has vowed to begin working on an impenetrable physical wall on the southern border, handing the estimated 22billion bill to the Mexicans. Described by Trump as rapists, drug dealers and murderers, many of the 11 million undocumented immigrants he has vowed to deport from the States come from across the border.
Also he plans on implementing a temporary closing of the US border to all Muslims until we can figure out whats going on in the wake of several ISIS attacks in America and the world. Its no secret that ever since Trumps particular brand of Islamophobia has been introduced to the public, theres been a noticeable upswing in anti-mosque attacks and anti-Islam violence in the US.
US Border Patrol/Handout
Hes backed away slightly from the position recently saying its merely a recommendation and the ban would only apply to nations with a proven history of terrorism against the States or its allies.
The American Action Forum, a right-leaning policy institute based in Washington DC, estimates that immediately and fully enforcing current immigration law, as Trump has suggested, would cost the federal government from 326billion to 490billion.
It would shrink the US labour force by 11 million, reduce the real GDP by 1.3 trillion and take 20 years to complete. Trump reckons he could do it in 18 months.
It will harm the US economy, said Doug Holtz-Eakin, president of the American Action Forum and chief economic policy adviser to Sen. John McCains 2008 presidential campaign.
Abortion
Hillary Clinton prides herself on being one of the biggest supporters of abortion and the nations largest abortion provider Planned Parenthood. Trump, on the other hand, has said he will be no friend to the industry if he wins the Oval Office.
The Republicans position, however, has been changed more times than a babys nappy. He has flip-flopped his way through the issue once declaring there has to be some form of punishment for those women who undergo the procedure while at another time stating he was pro-choice.
Trump actually doesnt hate Planned Parenthood. He has acknowledged they do a lot of good when it comes to making sure women get screenings for breast cancer and cervical cancer.
Women
His campaign has been dogged by allegations of sexual impropriety against women while he has also spoken degradingly of the opposite sex. As far as Trumps presidential campaign, womens attitudes toward the Republican candidate are mixed.
Among the general public, females overwhelmingly dislike him by more than a 2-1 margin but among his party and some independents he has support. His views on women are at times disturbing once saying breastfeeding women were disgusting.
Policing and Race
While youre hard-pressed to find a Republican who doesnt believe in law and order, Trump has actually put his love of police into action, using them to throw out protesters of his rowdy rallies. He also defended the beating of a Hispanic man, claiming the perpetrators were just passionate men who got carried away.
Even though Black Lives Matter has made police brutality a cornerstone of its campaign, Trump has promised to give power back to the police because of rampant crime. His policy of handing police a controversial frisk and search policy allowing them to stop anyone is directly opposed to Hillary Clinton s view of moving to end racial profiling.
Foreign policy
Trump has labelled Americas foreign policy as a complete and total disaster, adding it has no vision, no purpose, no direction and no strategy. While on the campaign trail he condemned the US war in Iraq, Obama administration actions to overthrown the government in Libya and what he says is a hamstrung effort to fight the so-called Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.
Hes said that there will be no daylight between US and Israel and has pledged to reopen the disastrous nuclear programme negotiations with Iran. All this while speaking favourably about Russian President Vladimir Putin , saying the two would get along very well he has promised to welcome old enemies who want to become friends and criticised the idea that America should be the worlds policeman.
He has said, above all, the US must be unpredictable with its foreign policy so that its adversaries will not be able to anticipate. Trumps foreign policy has largely been a mishmash of positions, so it was somewhat unusual that his team took an active interest in watering down the platforms anti-Russian language.
Trade and economy
Throughout the campaign, Trump has gone to extreme lengths to emphasise his experience in business telling the country he will Make America Great Again.
Choosing not to mention his numerous failed brands such as air travel,universities, vodka and his ill-fated casinos he believes his CV puts in the best position possible to lead the US economy. Despite being extremely critical about the current state of US trade he has however offered very little in the way of specific policies to fix it other than saying his my core beliefs are I want a major tax cut.
His default setting is to promise to create jobs in the States as he accuses the likes of China, Mexico and Japan of stealing them away from the US. He has said past trade deals were poorly negotiated, without protections for US workers and intellectual property - and that he would rework them to put American priorities first.
Gay rights
When Sir Elton John wed David Furnish he tweeted: If two people dig each other, they dig each other. But during his campaign he has stated marriage should be between a man and a woman and states should not be forced to recognise same-sex couples.
Hes expressed opposition to the North Carolina law that required transgender individuals to use bathroom facilities corresponding to their birth gender, however.
His party is quite clear that it views traditional marriage between a man and a woman as the foundation for free society.
It condemns the Supreme Court decision legalising gay marriage and asserts that every child deserves a married mom and dad. Democrats have drawn battle lines on LGBT matters an issue which Trump appears ignorant too.
For Britain
Before his departure from Number 10, David Cameron described Trump as divisive, stupid, and wrong. It would have left for an exciting first meeting to discuss the Special Relationship had he stayed on, and the Republican won.
But now with Theresa May in charge and Trumps attitude to women, it is even more difficult to envisage.
The undoubtedly terse meeting would come amid a backdrop that Parliament hosted a heated debate over a petition calling for him to be banned from visiting the UK. The truth is America doesnt need Britain the way it once did. The Mirror
