AFTER a long-drawn tussle, the controversy-ridden presidency of Donald Trump has come to an end and Joe Biden has become the 46th President of the United States. However, remarks made by the outgoing President in his pre-recorded video message that the movement they started is only just beginning, rumours about launching of his own political party and campaign by his supporters regarding separate online inauguration ceremony speak volume about the deep divide he has triggered in US political history.
The world has welcomed the new President, who has a mature and balanced approach to internal issues and those of concern to different regions of the globe. Joe Biden is not new to the US system as he served as Vice President in the administration of President Barack Obama (from 2009-17) and therefore, on the basis of his vast experience, the new President is expected to restore not just credibility and prestige of the Office of the President but also shattered confidence of his own people and those who were affected, in different ways, due to unpredictable policies and actions of his predecessor. At the time of his entry into the 2020 presidential race, Joe Biden had declared that he stood for two things – workers who “built this country”, and values that can bridge its divisions. Observers say he faces a range of challenges from coronavirus to racial inequity; his pitch is to create new economic opportunities for workers, restore environmental protections and healthcare rights, and international alliances. People wronged by Trump including Muslims from several Muslim-majority countries (whose citizens face discriminatory ban on travel to the US) are also expecting an end to discriminatory policies. There are also prospects of soothing effect of his inauguration on the overall Pakistan-US relations, which also suffered heavily during the initial years of President Trump and hopefully the process of renewed engagement would get momentum during the Joe presidency.
