The issues of the order of immigration, healthcare, abortion rights or otherwise along with the American economy and the American contributions to the twin wars have impacted the general narrative of the US Elections. This time around, the age factor of incumbent President Joe Biden is also in play as he crosses the 81-year mark vis-à-vis his chief rival, Donald Trump’s 77 years. Thus, it all amounts to a multifaceted arena where in international, domestic and individual factors will decide the run up to the November match between the two personages of President Biden and Donald Trump. The manner in which the spectacular nature of the presidential elections rule the roost in the United States also amounts to a characteristic tenet of the elections which the 2024 face-off will also earmark with its rapacity, grand confrontational tenor.

President Biden is utilising the office of the Federal Reserve to spawn a new budget which will give succour to the plebeian and tax the rich billionaires in the economic firmament of United States of America. The victory of Donald Trump will be awkward for the Euro Atlantic alliance and the NATO impacted Ukraine-Russia “special operations”, as christened by Vladimir Putin. Trump has declared emphatically that he can end the Ukraine-Russia conflagration within 24 hours of his entering the portals of the White House but his noninterventionism and isolationist foreign policy does not bode well for New Delhi and the wars and disturbances brewing in different parts of the global polity. During the Trump presidency, the American establishment had moved out of the JCPOA talks with Iran and also out of the Paris climate accord. The withdrawal of the draw bridge tenor of Trump’s foreign policy in the name of the “America First” clarion call queered the pitch for US diplomacy for a long time to come, which was reversed by President Biden.

Trump’s isolationism and veering away from the regulator role was rather discomforting. A former American president in the Hollywood movie, “Independence Day: The Resurgence”, contends tersely, "The second Regime of nations ought to unite again. The protagonists might have changed but I am still there to be part of the Human fightback. Once again, we will not falter and disappear into the dark night it was our resolve and we will unite again. We have to fight till the last breadth and that will bring us victory."

My book ‘Serendipity and the American Dream’ (Pentagon Press) bears a content analysis of ‘Independence Day’ strengthening the deliberations on the American Dream and its foreign policy. The sequel too is equally riveting and impactful as aliens descend on mother Earth to annihilate all earthlings and suck dry the molten core and the former American president Whitmore who already had his brain reeking with the alien warnings leads another human fightback.

Thus, what I intend to argue is that the American president is considered as the “most powerful man” on earth, alluding to the military might and the economic hyperssuiance of the seat of power. As a related tradition, there is a mythical halo and verve attached to the mighty perch of the American president which gets amply amplified and reflected in the manner in which the election issues are framed and the way the optics of the American elections go. The US presidential elections qualify as the quintessential confetti elections as far as the American political calendar goes.

The Republicans were amplifying the ameliorative implications of the electoral campaign of Nikki Haley but the traditionally conservative wing of the GOP was enamoured of candidate Trump which made him defeat her in 15 primaries, even in those strongholds where urban and younger populations were dominant. The PBS News Hour reports that, “Nikki Haley, whose unlikely trajectory from polling in single digits to becoming Donald Trump’s last remaining rival made history for women in Republican politics, suspended her presidential campaign this week. Haley announced her decision during a speech in Charleston, S.C., Wednesday morning, after a series of defeats on Super Tuesday all but closed off her path to the nomination.” She stressed that she wanted the American people to get their voices heard and she had managed considerable success in that social service context and she contended rather boldly that she is not regretful of fighting for a cause. On the contrary, the Democratic presumptive candidate, President Biden, contends that if America needs to be saved and autocracy needs to be evaded then the Democratic ethos reflected by his candidature needs to become the order of the day.

Thus, it’s a belaboured call for “America First and Save America”, contestations between a gung-ho Donald Trump and meticulous President Biden in the match up in November, 2024 which has been amply reflected in the recent State of the Union address too.

Dr. Manan Dwivedi is Faculty, IR and IO, IIPA.