The incoming Trump administration: What it means for Asia and the world

Link to the program here.

On January 20, 2025, at 12pm in Washington, D.C., Donald Trump will take the oath of office as US president for the second time. Just hours before Trump appears at the US capitol for the inauguration ceremony, the FCCT will assemble a panel of experts to speak about what his new administration will mean for the US, Thailand and the wider Asia region -- and the world.

In media interviews, and via his Truth social media account, Trump has vowed to implement a host of new measures that will be very different from those of his predecessor, Joe Biden. Among other things, Trump has promised to impose new tariffs on trading partners, round up millions of illegal migrants in the US, quit the Paris climate agreement and reverse US policy on global warming, bring about a peace agreement in Ukraine, step back from NATO, pardon January 6th rioters, re-start negotiations with North Korea, retaliate against his domestic and international political opponents, engage in massive budget cutting, bring in a new crypto-currency policy and overturn the “deep state” that he claims controls the US government’s civil service.

While Trump has publicly disavowed the conservative Project 2025 blueprint, many of the architects of that plan will be joining his administration in senior positions. The incoming Trump administration has been much more disciplined in putting forward nominees for key positions, raising the possibility that lessons learned in his first administration may see more streamlined governance this time around.

But if the world learned anything from the first Trump administration, what you see and hear from President Trump is not always what you get. So, government leaders and people around the globe will be again watching closely in an effort to parse what is mere rhetoric from what policies will be really implemented.

To make sense of what the return of Donald Trump as president really means, the FCCT presents a panel of experts, including:

Thitinan Pongsudhirak, visiting professor at the Southeast Asia Centre, London School of Economics (on leave from Chulalongkorn University’s faculty of political science).

Keith Richburg, editorial writer and columnist, The Washington Post.

Kantathi Suphamongkhon, former Thai foreign minister.

Pavida Pananond, professor of international business, Thammasat University Business School and Alan Rugman visiting fellow, Henley Business School, University of Reading, United Kingdom.

Moderator: Phil Robertson, FCCT board member.