Trump presidency at half-time: early concerns more than vindicated

IT was two years ago on January 20, 2017, a rainy and cold day in Washington, DC, that Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States. He was to lead a nation that was politically divided and still recovering from costly wars and a devastating economic crisis, and that needed more than ever a unifying figure who would bring the country together and reassert its prestige around the world.

To put it mildly, and despite some early expectations to the contrary, the former real estate tycoon from New York City and television reality show host was not exactly the right man for those tasks. A unifier he was not, and - it's now more evident than ever - he was not qualified to perform even the basic duties of a chief executive and the commander in chief.

In a way, pitting one group of Americans against another, has proved to be central to the political modus operandi of Presidential Candidate, and later, President Trump, who excelled at smearing his opponents at home and abroad, demonising the "globalist elites", illegal and legal immigrants, minority groups and even America's trade and defence allies. Add to that the fact that Mr Trump seemed to lack the "presidential" traits necessary to lead a great nation, not to mention good manners and decency, and it is not surprising we have witnessed two years of "fire and fury" in the Trump White House.