To truly make America great again, Trump must succeed in 2 things

“From this moment on, America’s decline is over,” declared US President Donald Trump in his inauguration address, underscoring his long-held belief that only he can save America. Surrounded by tech titans and former presidents, he adopted a relatively subdued tone even as he remained faithful to his “Make America Great Again” talking points.

“My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier,” he said as a newly implemented ceasefire in Gaza paused the devastating 15-month conflict. “Like in 2017, we will again build the strongest military the world has ever seen. We will measure our success not only by the battles we win but also by the wars that we end. And, perhaps most importantly, the wars we never get into,” he said, underscoring his “peace through strength” philosophy.

Perhaps nothing better captures Trump’s “peacemaker” ambition than his personal invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration and his decision to delay the ban on TikTok, the social media app owned by Chinese company ByteDance. Meanwhile, America’s other major adversaries, most notably Russia and even Iran, have indicated their openness to direct negotiations to prevent conflict, if not pursue detente.