9/11: What Would Trump Do?

Politico asked me and a few others to imagine how a President Trump would respond to a 9/11-type terrorist attack. Here's what I came up with. The full article can be found here.

***

It’s not an easy thing to say, but America was fortunate that 9/11 happened when it did. The United States was in great shape back then, as was its economy. There was no serious social discontent bubbling beneath the surface, and inequality was nowhere near the wedge issue it is today. Washington’s alliances around the world were strong back then, and China was still weak. Washington even had decent relations with Moscow—and they improved after the tragedy. So when 9/11 happened, the entire country—and the world—rallied around the president.

That’s a far cry from where the United States is today. And let’s be honest—Trump in the White House during a real national security crisis is as close to a near-dystopian America as can be imagined. If terrorists were to hit the United States, America’s political response would be closer to what France went through following its November attacks, with Trump playing the reactionary role called for France’s ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy. He’d push for overall surveillance and monitoring of Muslims in the United States. I’d imagine there would be house arrests and deportations for many. And while some Americans would cheer this knee-jerk response, most will be horrified to find themselves living in a country where nothing more than your religion makes you suspect. Europe will be horrified as well, and won’t be near the steadfast ally it was in 2001. There would be no rallying around the idea of America and what it stands for because Americans will be fighting about just that.

Ian Bremmer is president of Eurasia Group, foreign affairs columnist at TIME and Global Research Professor at New York University. You can also follow him on Twitter and Facebook.