Trump's ascension to office: can he and will he do what he says? Implications for Africa

The research paper examines the likelihood of Donald Trump implementing his campaign promises and the resulting implications for Africa. It suggests that while Trump's focus is domestic, his approach to the Paris Climate Change Agreement, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), and US aid programmes could vary from total withdrawal to minimal impact due to institutional constraints and bipartisan support in Congress. The author concludes that Africa may be overlooked by the administration, making it necessary for African nations to be united in their engagement with the US and to diversify relations with other global players.

• Despite campaign rhetoric, it is considered unlikely that Donald Trump will withdraw the US from the Paris Climate Change Agreement (COP 21) because environmental protection is generally supported by the American public and the four-year exit process may exceed his term in office.
• The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) may be ignored by the Trump administration because it is not well-known to the US public and its impact on US jobs is minimal, though the prospect of negotiating reciprocal replacements before its 2025 expiry is viewed as slim.
• US aid programmes for Africa, such as PEPFAR and YALI, are likely to be maintained due to historical bipartisan support from Congress, although they may face budget cuts and are unlikely to receive additional funding.
• US military support for Afcom is expected to remain secure because fighting terrorism is a primary foreign policy concern for Trump, particularly regarding threats from Al Shabbab and Boko Haram.
• The US-China rivalry under Trump could potentially benefit Africa by encouraging the US to increase infrastructure investment on the continent to compete with China.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2017). Trump's ascension to office: can he and will he do what he says? Implications for Africa. https://saiia.org.za/research/trumps-ascension-to-office-can-he-and-will-he-do-what-he-says-implications-for-africa/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Trump's ascension to office: can he and will he do what he says? Implications for Africa. 2017. https://saiia.org.za/research/trumps-ascension-to-office-can-he-and-will-he-do-what-he-says-implications-for-africa/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Trump's ascension to office: can he and will he do what he says? Implications for Africa |date=26 January 2017 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/trumps-ascension-to-office-can-he-and-will-he-do-what-he-says-implications-for-africa/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2017trumps, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Trump's ascension to office: can he and will he do what he says? Implications for Africa}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2017}, month = jan, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/trumps-ascension-to-office-can-he-and-will-he-do-what-he-says-implications-for-africa/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }