The situation in the presidential elections in America in the last few weeks looks more like a movie or a popular series than a real political struggle in the oldest democracy in the world.
It all started with the first presidential debate, where President Biden more than failed. Age as Biden's weakness came to full expression, and the Democratic candidate looked like he didn't know what he was talking about, mixed up basic concepts, seemed confused like an old man struggling with dementia. On the other hand, former President Trump continued, according to his old custom, to present a lot of untruths and to focus mostly on his voter base without focusing on the independent voters who essentially decide the presidential elections.
The next event, which has not happened in America since 1981, when President Reagan was wounded, is the assassination attempt on former President Trump at a political rally in Pennsylvania. The former president was millimeters away from death when a bullet grazed him and injured his ear. Regardless of the circumstances, Trump managed to pull himself together and raise his fist in the air. The images of Trump being taken away by the Secret Service have become history and will definitely have an impact on the American electorate. The chances of Trump becoming president for a second time seem to be getting bigger and bigger.
While the Republican convention is underway in Milwaukee, discussions begin in the corridors about which of Trump's associates and Republican politicians will take which position if Trump secures victory in November. For observers outside the US, it is of particular importance who will take over the position of Secretary of State and National Security Advisor, as well as who will deal with our region.
One of the names that is being talked about in the halls of the convention in Milwaukee is the former US ambassador to Germany, former acting coordinator of the security services and special envoy of the US president for Serbia and Kosovo, Richard Grenell. Ambassador Grenell is close to Trump, to whom he remained loyal even after losing the election four years ago and the invasion of the US Congress by Trump supporters on January 6, 2021. Meanwhile, Grenell continued to travel the Balkans and present himself as the shadow US Secretary of State, the man who would come and reset American foreign policy in the Balkans. Grenell was also committed to business where it is mentioned that he was the one who brought Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner to invest in Albania and Serbia due to his allegedly close relations with Albanian Prime Minister Rama and Serbian President Vučić. Despite his ambitions and close relationship with Trump, sources from the top of the Republican Party claim that Grenell will have a hard time passing hearings and voting in the US Senate precisely because of his dubious business and the fact that he has resented certain senators, especially from the Democratic side, in the past. If those claims prove to be true, there is a possibility that President Trump will appoint him as national security adviser, a position that is as important to US foreign policy and security as the position of secretary of state.
Another man mentioned as a possible secretary of state is James O'Brien, Trump's former national security adviser. O'Brien is a man who has not exposed himself much, a professional who is without major controversies. He would definitely be an option that would be received better, especially among career diplomats.
Among other names for important positions in US foreign policy, one of the names mentioned, which is known in our region, is the name of former ambassador to North Macedonia and former assistant secretary of state for Europe (during Trump's term), Phil Ricker as possible ambassador to the United Nations or undersecretary of state. Phil Ricker has been very close to Grenell for a long time, they served together while Grenell was the spokesman for the American Mission to the UN and Ricker worked as one of the spokesmen for the Secretary of State. Also, Ambassador Ricker's wife, who is a career diplomat, was Grenell's right-hand man when he was ambassador to Germany. Ricker is known as a serious negotiator, someone who was the main American man for the Brussels agreement between Serbia and Kosovo, the Prespa agreement between Greece and Macedonia, as well as the main scriptwriter of using sanctions as a weapon in American foreign policy in the Balkans.
What does a potential change in the White House bring and whether there will be a change in American policy towards the Balkans, is the question whose answer everyone is waiting for.
In the meantime, even if the latest public opinion polls after the assassination attempt on Trump show that the fight between the two candidates is even, it remains to be seen how the Democrats will respond to criticism that President Biden is unfit to govern. Also, after a series of excellent performances by President Biden, after the debate it is unclear how they will respond to the calls of certain congressmen from the party itself to change the candidate before the Democratic convention in Chicago at the end of August.
A hot summer and stormy autumn await us, as well as the whole world, and until then, all eyes are still on America, where things are changing day by day.
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