There tends to be an assumption when any form of tyranny reigns, that all will return to normal, should the dictator be removed. It ought to be recalled that before the rise of Trump, a range of right-wing and fascist forces emerged strongly in Western and some parts of Eastern Europe. One cannot assume that the “morning after” Trump will necessarily be any less repressive than the rule of Trump.

The electoral victory of Trump was not simply an endorsement of his candidacy, but part of a disillusionment with the character of the liberal two party system in the United States and many other countries. It continues with similar features. Trump may be an extreme manifestation, but his orientation and acts are not exceptional in the current world.

While there are many cartoons about the return of Donald Trump to the United States Presidency, the overall phenomenon is not funny and is wreaking havoc within the United States, destabilising institutions and creating conflicts with the judiciary. 

At an international level, the pre-Trump alignment of forces - especially in the North - is in tatters, as Trump has encouraged Israel to break the ceasefire it had signed, and around 600 people have already been killed in a short period. He has attacked previous allies and created confusion regarding future alignments. (https://www.politico.eu/article/punching-allies-in-the-face-how-trump-is-making-europe-question-us-arms-deals/ ).

The rise of Trump has from the outset had a damaging effect on South Africa, its economy, healthcare system, education and other areas of the country that have been in well-established relationships with the United States, and that have now been eradicated or are under threat.

It appears that he intentionally sought to sow division by offering white Afrikaners unfettered immigration to escape the “racial discrimination” he alleged they were experiencing. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/addressing-egregious-actions-of-the-republic-of-south-africa/).

It cannot be forgotten that many of the developments mentioned had already started and been consolidated by immediate past president Joe Biden. Biden was not an unambivalent defender of constitutionalism and human rights - his record was at best uneven.(See for example: https://edworkforce.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409571 and https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/01/14/how-biden-failed-human-rights ).

Like Trump now, for the whole of his presidency Biden armed Israel with weaponry used to destroy men, women and children and many elderly people and educational, health and other facilities and institutions.  What was left was mainly rubble under which more people are likely to be buried.

Provisional characterisation of the Trump phenomenon

The government that has been installed since Trump won the elections is authoritarian or fascist in character. There are several other possible characterisations like “right-wing populist”, but to find a precise label is not the object of the article. Let us simply say that we need a word (and there are many) that conveys callous indifference to the poor and marginalised and readiness to use force and kill without any need to offer justification.

Trump rose to power twice on the wave of disaffection with existing choices of government, especially the Democratic Party and its ineffectual leadership that was perceived as failing American society in general. This was not purely disaffection of the wealthy, but extended to the working class and poor who had no significant vehicle to voice an alternative.

Violation of legality and court decisions: The administration has not waited to acclimatise itself to heading the state. Without much explanation several actions have been taken that have violated the law and/or the constitution. Courts have, in many cases, been invoked to set these aside, and have done so. But in many of these, the Trump government has simply ignored the courts. 

Rebuke by Chief Justice:  To ignore or attack the courts is not a minor matter in the United States and the Chief Justice reprimanded Trump for remarks calling for the impeachment of a judge that ruled against him. (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8j0vwpkwkxo).

The lawlessness of the Trump government is wide-ranging and undisguised.  It continues to arouse tension with the judiciary.

Resort to violence as spectacle and use of force

Suppression of protests:  Extreme violence is manifested in the suppression of protests.

Trump does not make apologies for killing and maiming people but owns it. (https://truthout.org/articles/trump-has-pledged-an-era-of-spectacular-violence-we-cant-be-passive-onlookers/ ).

There is no hiding away from the horrific fates that await immigrants and pro-Palestinians - within or beyond the law - and Trump announces these acts with pride. What is unique about the Trump resort to force is that in some ways the spectacle of violence is seen by him as more important than its actual practice. 

Mass deportation of individuals: In mass or individual deportations of individuals, some of these are actually US citizens as in the case of Mohamed Khalil who is being readied for illegal-deportation right now. (https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/mahmoud-khalil-journey-refugee-syria-columbia-university?utm_source=substack&publication_id=2510348&post_id=159643658&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&utm_campaign=email-share&triggerShare=true&isFreemail=true&r=27dgup&triedRedirect=true).

Others have papers in order for their status in the United States. The revocation of a legal status entitling presence is not an exception, but part of a general crackdown on immigrants with 530 000 stripped of their legal status last week. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtOnbkwZD9E and (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQyt6BWKe98). It is also bringing the administration into conflict with the judiciary (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsI4L641dys).

Repression and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)

At a broad level, this repression relates to the demonised notions of diversity, equity and inclusion. Individuals and protests that advance these values or institutions that include what the Trump leadership consider to be incorporating of these values will be targeted for repression or withdrawal of funding. 

In the case of South Africa, advancement of DEI was given as one of the reasons why the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio would not attend the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting in South Africa. (The notions of DEI will be further considered in a later part).

Crisis of US and crisis for world

The rise of Donald Trump to the United States presidency has obviously created an upheaval for the United States and for the world at large. Without pause since his inauguration, Trump has destroyed institutions, withdrawn vital funds, suppressed liberties, acted lawlessly without any regard for the constitution and the laws of the United States and other states.

The rise of Trump in an already fractured world has created new divisions and new dangers to peace and the continued effective functions of key international institutions.

At the international level, we have seen apparent fantasies as in Trump’s foreseeing a flattened Gaza, emptied of Gazans/Palestinians turning into a riviera. The ceasefire was obliterated and there is talk of a two-month Israeli occupation. This may be creating the conditions for turning Trump’s fantasy into reality.

In our own case, Trump immediately on election issued an attack on South Africa and a withdrawal of funds. A lot of these funds have been vital for medical research and people who are dependent on HIV projects are either not able to continue as workers in the projects or as recipients of HIV and AIDS medication - their lives are again put in danger.

Focus must incorporate lessons to be learnt from Trump’s rise and preparation for the ‘morning after’

We can go through a range of areas that are impacted by Trump's rise to power. But what I think is important, since we're thinking not just of defending ourselves now but also how we rebuild democratic life, is that we focus simultaneously on the Trump phenomenon and the “morning after”. Reference has been made to the “night before” , as in existing authoritarianism (prior to Trump) and this will be elaborated in a later article.

How will democracy be rebuilt after Trump's departure from the international political scene? We have already seen in the United States the shameful capitulation of Columbia University to withdrawal of funds, offering to cancel activities of key departments of the university or to neutralise them. And what this points to is that we should be looking back at what was happening before the rise of Trump.

How did university administrations - not the faculty or the students - in some of the Ivy League and other universities operate in the period when pro-Palestinian demonstrations were suppressed with violence?  Students had their degrees withheld, and a range of other activities which indicate that before the rise of Trump there were some dangerous tendencies in North American society, which point to dangers even when Trump goes.

Raymond Suttner is an emeritus professor at Unisa, who spent over 11 years as a political prisoner. He was in the leadership of the UDF, ANC and SACP, but broke away at the time of the Jacob Zuma rape trial.