US President Donald Trump walks past police in Lafayette Park last Tuesday in Washington. Photo / AP
US President Donald Trump walks past police in Lafayette Park last Tuesday in Washington. Photo / AP
Editorial
EDITORIAL
Donald Trump likes to call his chief political rival "Sleepy Joe", but should the United States President lose the upcoming election, a new nickname could be in order.
Former Vice-President Joe Biden would require the moniker of "Cleaner-in-Chief" should he be sworn in next January. In just three monthsthe mop-up job he potentially faces has gone from do-able to extremely daunting.
With the outpouring of anger and pain and demands for a policing overhaul following the death of George Floyd, comprehensive justice and civil rights reform is a must.
The newly confirmed Democratic nominee would also have to focus on political and legal changes in Washington.
Last week Trump tested the limits of his security powers in hair-curling ways, using strongman tactics and raising questions of just how quietly he would go if defeated.
America's streets have at times seethed with violent unrest and police brutality. But most protests have grown increasingly peaceful.
Trump, who talked of dominating the streets, took advantage of the District of Columbia's non-state status to flood Washington with troops, some unidentified. On a morning that managed to be both ominous and farcical, Trump threatened to deploy troops across the country as peaceful protesters near the White House were cleared away with tear gas. Trump then walked to a nearby church and held a Bible aloft for a photo op. The White House released a video of the "Dear Leader"-style stunt.
There was a swift backlash from former military leaders and former Trump officials. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser renamed a street near the White House "Black Lives Matter Plaza" and had the slogan painted in huge yellow letters. The President finally erected his wall - a black fence surrounding the White House complex.
Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden. Photo / AP
It may seem premature to consider a possible post-Trump future while he is still president and could win in November.
But Trump needs to pad his loyal base. An Ipsos poll showed that 66 per cent of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of the moment. FiveThirtyEight's national poll average had Trump at 41.6 per cent approval. A Marist poll found Trump's support among whites was 49 per cent - low for a Republican candidate, well below the 57 per cent he drew in 2016 and just 5 per cent more than Biden.
Long-term policy planning on racial injustice does not appear to be on Trump's radar. America's various broken parts would most likely remain scattered in a second Trump term. The choice becomes increasingly stark.
Biden, who has called the election a moral test, would have to try to improve national unity and repair international ties with allies at a time of deteriorating relations with China. He would likely inherit an economy still with high unemployment. There will be ongoing effects and lessons to be learned from the pandemic. The existing health system needs surgery. Issues such as climate change, gun violence, inequality and infrastructure improvements await attention.
Biden's choices for vice-president, attorney-general, secretary of state and treasury would be particularly crucial. It cannot be all old hands returning and long-term solutions – the younger generation out protesting will want new blood and bold steps taken straight away.
Trump's former defence secretary, Jim Mattis, wrote: "We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership. We can unite without him, drawing on the strengths inherent in our civil society."
Biden will need all the help he can get to sweep with a new broom.
