Biden has built his support by offering Americans an ambitious and idealistic image of a revived democratic America; an America that has overcome the damage created by his predecessor and continues to thrive under the values of democracy. Although Biden has made some changes that diverge from Trump’s policy (Trumpism), changes made by Trump in key policy areas remain the same under Biden’s administration. Biden’s strategic approach to policymaking is consistent with Trump’s administration. This article discusses policy making under the Biden Administration and attempts to highlight the hypocrisy of the Biden administration by drawing a parallel between Biden’s and Trump’s terms in office. 

Immigration

During his campaign, Biden continuously criticized Trump’s immigration policies, he openly stated that the Trump administration has waged “an unrelenting assault on our values and our history as a nation of immigrants,” Biden promised he would stop and actively reverse this assault the moment he was voted into office. Reviving morality, humanity, and dignity in the process of immigration was a promise Biden made during his campaign. Today, almost 2 years into Biden’s term in office, immigration practices remain the same. The practice of separation of migrant children from their families is still taking place. In fact, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures, Biden’s administration has intensified the Trump title 42 program, deporting individuals at a faster rate than Trump’s administration has ever done. After taking office, Biden has not yet lifted Trump’s cap on refugees and has not attempted to increase the target, despite promises he made to do so during his campaign. After suspending Trump’s ‘Remain in Mexico’ immigration policy where asylum seekers have to remain in the South borders while courts rule on their request, the Biden Administration has relaunched the program, resorting back to immigration policies aligned with Trumpism.

Foreign Policy

Trump’s administration reorientated US foreign policy on the competition of great powers as an attempt to reassert US supremacy in the international arena. China and Russia were identified as the greatest competitors. Biden’s policy is consistent with Trump’s as they have openly identified China as the greatest competitor to the US. This is seen with Biden choosing to keep the Tariffs imposed on China during the Trump era despite the great uproar over inflation rates being at 8%, a 40-year high. During pre-elections, Biden openly asserted that imposing tariffs was not an effective method to deal with China, he stated that Americans were paying a heavy price for the tariffs including a recession in manufacturing and loss of income in agriculture; However, as president, he chooses to continue imposing the tariffs on China. He has also shown no incentive to re-joining agreements for Trans-pacific partnerships which Trump has left; this aligns with Biden and trump’s approach to international trade. As a heavy critic of Trump’s withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear agreement, Biden promised to reinstate the agreement if Iran cooperated. However, after taking office, Biden has failed in negotiating a return to the agreement and has gone as far as strengthening the provisions and tightening sanctions on Iran. 

External Relations

During the Trump era, building relations between Saudi Arabia and the US was prioritized. Biden was a prominent critic of Trump’s support of the crown prince following the Khashoggi murder allegations. Biden promised during the 2020 presidential elections that he would make the Saudi government “pay the price and make them the pariah that they are.” Despite his criticism, as president, Biden chose to maintain this close relationship by meeting with crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman. Images of them fist bumping and being intimate circulated around the internet; American politicians openly criticized Biden for being friendly and intimate with leaders who engage in human rights violations. Biden’s visit to Israel and Saudi Arabia signals an effort to maintain the close foreign relations constructed and prioritized during the Trump era. 

Conclusion

Despite the flaws of the commander-in-chief during the Trump era, it is important to mention that the Trump Administration was effective in identifying and prioritizing important challenges significant to the American interest and placing an effort in dealing with and overcoming them. The consistency between the Biden administration and the Trump administration is not a political in-effectivity critique but rather a critique of the hypocrisy of the Biden administration. Biden has failed to deliver on his campaign promises and has maintained the status quo in the most critical policy areas established by the Trump administration. Holding political parties accountable to their campaign promises is the civic duty of all Americans. Accountability is essential in maintaining a transparent and effective democracy.

Rowa Kordi

Undergraduate student – Koc University & Erasmus University

Sources

DePetris, D. R. (2021, March 12). Biden’s foreign policy is more similar to Trump’s than you think. Newsweek. Retrieved from https://www.newsweek.com/bidens-foreign-policy-more-similar-trumps-you-think-opinion-1575528 

Labott, E. (2021, September 22). When the White House changed hands, it changed tone but not policies. Foreign Policy. Retrieved from https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/09/22/biden-us-policy-trump-legacy-foreign-policy-aukus/ 

Aguilera, J. (2021, December 6). Biden relaunches Trump’s controversial immigration policy. Time. Retrieved from https://time.com/6125562/joe-biden-remain-in-mexico-donald-trump/ 

Wong, E. (2022, July 24). On U.S. foreign policy, the new boss acts a lot like the old one. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/24/us/politics/biden-trump-foreign-policy.html