The recent outbursts of the US President-elect about higher tariffs on finished goods, and asking the BRICS countries to continue to trade in American dollars and maintain their foreign exchange reserves in the American currency appears to have boomeranged.

 On this sensitive issue Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are on the same page. The other countries, which have joined this forum include Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Iran.

Interestingly, the first reaction challenging Trump’s policy has come from the Chinese President Xi Jinping. He has politely declined the invitation to the inaugural ceremony. Beijing has stated that Jinping would not be attending  President Trump’s inaugural function. It must have stunned the Trump camp. The function is scheduled on January 20, 2025, just six weeks before the event the invitation has been declined. Instead, Beijing has stated that its Ambassador would be attending the function with his spouse.

Canada Reacts : Trump’s off-the-cuff statement that if Candians feel the heat of higher tariffs, Canada should federate with the USA. It, perhaps , was just a joke, but It  has not been taken kindly by the Canadian authorities. The northern neighbour recently reciprocated by the statement  that Canada might discontinue its oil supply to the US. It may be noted that most of the fuel needs of the northern and east-coast states of the US are being met from the fuel imports from Canada. Thus, the issue of Canada’s separate existence will now be blended with the sentiments of strong nationalism, perhaps, benefitting Prime Minister Treadeu’s election prospects.

Weaponizing Judiciary : Meanwhile, eminent politicians from the Democratic Party are keen that the cases pending against the President-elect Donald Trump should be pardoned by the present incumbent Joe Biden before he quits his office next month.

Several Congressional Democrats, including a former member of the House Democratic leadership, this week has called for President-elect Donald Trump to be pardoned. Similarly, Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), the former House Democratic majority whip, was seen responding to a question on a media channel recently echoing the same sentiments. He was asked whether Trump should be pardoned by President Joe Biden. His response was “Yes, I do think so, and I think he should pardon all of those people that have been accused and have been targeted so we can clean the slate and have an air of possibilities for the future.”

Meanwhile, Senator Chuck Grassley, who will be presiding Senate till a Republican occupies the coveted position in January, has hoped that Kas Patel would finally help the FBI to restore its old respect.

The  Senator lamented that current FBI Director Christopher Wray, named by Trump in 2017 to a standard 10-year term, “has failed at fundamental duties” and that anyone who leads the agency has to “chart a new course” for transparency and accountability.

It is being suggested that Wray should quit following Trump’s nomination of Patel. He has  either to resign or be fired after Trump takes office on Jan. 20, 2025. It is being observed that so far there has been no indication that Wray is looking to step down from the role.

“Every president wants people that are loyal to themselves,” Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) told a prominent news channel. He also has stated adding that he does not have “any complaints” about how Wray has “done his job right now.” Referring to his nominations, Rounds said that the job is normally for 10 years, a length meant to insulate the FBI from the political influence of changing administrations. However, Trump has been critical of the FBI, namely after agents searched his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida for classified documents, ultimately resulting in the appointment of a special counsel to bring criminal charges against him.

“We’ll see what his process is, and whether he actually makes that nomination,“ Rounds said. ”And then, if he does, just as with anybody who is nominated for one of these positions, once they’ve been nominated by the president, then the president gets, you know, the benefit of the doubt on the nomination, but we still have to go through a process.

Meanwhile, there are reports that several other Republicans recently  have signaled that they would back Patel.

Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) told NBC News on December 15 that Patel “represents the type of change that we need to see in the FBI“ and that the agency ”needs to be cleaned out.”

He said “there are serious problems” in the bureau, and the “American public knows it.”

It is a well-known fact that Trump has become an admirer of Patel for exposing the FBI’s dirty role. Trump promptly reciprocated when he further stated that “I am proud to announce that Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel will serve as the next director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Nov. 30. “Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending justice, and protecting the American people.”

In a recent interview, Patel said that he wants to close the FBI’s headquarters in Washington.

“I’d shut down the FBI Hoover Building on day one and reopen the next day as a museum of the deep state,” he said. “And I’d take the 7,000 employees that work in that building and send them across America to chase down criminals.” However, according to the FBI,“Every day, the men and women of the FBI continue to work to protect Americans from a growing array of threats,” an agency spokesperson told media outlets on Nov. 30. “Director Wray’s focus remains on the men and women of the FBI, the people we do the work with, and the people we do the work for.”

Gopal Misra has been associated with national and international media. His books on journalism and geo-politics have been well-appreciated. Views are personal.