The old America is gone, which means that the old consensus regarding America’s role and defender of democracy and liberal values has retracted, if not collapsed. That's certainly the feeling when listening to Trump and his description of the US -and the world beyond.

In an aggressive, highly political inaugural speech, Trump paints himself as a liberator, saved by God, to bring about the rescue of The United States of America. It was hard to find a call for unity; it was easy to find division. True, the speech was more optimistic than 8 years ago, as Trump tried to convince voters that The golden age of America begins right now, and decline, accordingly, is over. Whether or not you believe Mr. Trump, and I tend not to believe him, this phrase marks a stark contrast to his focus on American carnage eight years ago.

That is not the only difference, let alone contrast, from Trump 1.0. Coming to power in 2025, Trump is more popular than ever. He is more normal than ever. And he has more political capital than ever. This is of course the consequence of the 2024 election, where Trump won decisively, although not in the kind of landslide that Trump in his usual hyperbole projects.

But make no mistake. Voters were more concerned by inflation and out of control immigration, than the democratic warning about Trump's authoritarian nature. Trump's comeback also energised the republican party to win back the Senate and keep the House, fueling Trump's star within the party. 

So what to expect from Trump 2.0?  

Already from the get-go, Trump outlined his domestic priorities with a series of radical executive actions with the purpose of deporting undocumented immigrants, secure the border, pardon 6th of January rioters and assess several aspects of U.S. trade, including evaluating relations with Mexico, Canada and China, investigating the causes of the U.S. trade deficit and identifying unfair trade practices by other countries.

Moreover, Trump is serious about expanding US energy production by declaring a national energy emergency to speed permitting, rolling back environmental protections, and withdrawing the U.S. from The Paris Climate accord. Although much of climate regulations takes place at a state level in the US, Trumps decision to retreat from international cooperation, will hurt the global fight to halt climate change. Then again, climate change has never been a real concern of Trump.

Trump supporters would say that his actions on day one aligns with his election day government philosophy "promises made, promises kept". And they are not wrong. Not entirely. However, it remains to be seen how much he can deliver on the economy. Contrary to Trump's message during the campaign, the US economy is doing rather well on most measures. Not only for the super rich. Inflation is down, wage growth is up, economic growth is steady as is job creation, and unemployment remains historically low.

Nevertheless, Trump has described the US economy as "the worst ever", and his supporters, against evidence, are prone to believe it. But Trump is now POTUS. He will bear responsibility, and if he can't deliver on the economy voters, at least some, will hold him accountable. We will get a test to whether Abraham Lincoln's famous words "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time", still rings true. 

And what about the foreign agenda? 

It comes as no surprise that President Trump and his America First policy, for democratic allies, represents a tougher challenge than earlier administrations. And most of the world is set to brace for impact. Trump has consistently argued in favor of protectionism. Against economic evidence, Trump seems to believe in protectionism and tariffs, which is not unpopular.

Many voters believe that the US is being treated unfairly, especially in its dealings with China. Nevertheless, Trump seems determined to impose tariffs on all foreign goods, including goods on Canada, Mexico, and the EU. But a trade war will hurt everyone. There are no winners. It matters not; Trump has convinced himself and his supporters that tariffs are good. That said, the way, shape and form of policy is not set in stone, so hopefully there is a deal to be made, reducing tariffs as much as possible. 

Trump's views on international affairs are well known to the world, both friends and foes. Democratic allies remain wary about Trump's willingness to respect longtime alliances, as in NATO. His comments regarding Greenland did nothing to calm the worries. On the contrary, it upset his European allies. His comments and accusations towards Panama, regarding the Panama Canal are nonsense; China is not controlling the canal, and the US is not being treated unfairly. In fact, Trump's comments do not make a lot of sense. Even if you consider him a salesman and do not take him literally, his comments risk alienating an important ally in an area where anti-US sentiments have been on the rise.  

It is still early, and four years is a long time. But it is no exaggeration to say that we are headed for a post-American world. The United States of the past is gone. America First is the ruling ideology.

The rest of the world must deal with it as best we can.

By Eirik Løkke, Fellow at Civita.

Civita is a liberal think tank that, through its work, will contribute to increased knowledge and support for liberal values, institutions and solutions, and promote social development based on respect for the individual's freedom and personal responsibility. Civita is independent of political parties, interest groups and public authorities.