Joe HonickJoe Honick
Now that the celebrations and/or mournings have died down, it’s important — if not urgent — to make sure all Americans understand that we did not elect a monarch or king with Donald Trump. We elected a President who represents one part of the three branches of federal government: the Executive. The Legislative and the Judicial, however powerfully influenced by the President, remain independent forces that are often challenges to the White House, even when they’re of the same party.

Having spent a good part of my professional career in D.C., as many others who read these pages have, knowledgeable people know that the President has to use lots of experience with the system to get his “wants” turned into action. Multiplying Trump’s hurdles in this respect is the fact he spent much of his campaign insulting the Congressional Republican leadership, going far below the belt compared to most ordinary political criticism.

Will the Republican Congress simply capitulate after being so roundly demeaned during the campaign?

Further complicating President-elect Trump’s path to delivering on his many campaign promises is the reality that he has no experience in negotiating with those who differ from his opinions, whether it’s in his own corporations — all 500 of them — or where others have been willing to take him on in any number of accusatory places from sex to business. As a public figure, he will simply not be able to threaten a lawsuit to beat back challenges as he already has in more than 3,000 cases.

In the broader sense, I, like so many who deal in international matters, are on the receiving end of calls and e-mails expressing fears as to whether already established agreements will be kept or whether there will be a divergence on the part of the President-elect regarding what he said and what he really has planned. Early expressions from some world leaders who have sold their own nations on deals negotiated with President Obama are being carefully polite, but covertly pondering which American leader will emerge after his inaugural.

It’s to President Obama’s and Hillary Clinton’s credit that they’ve been so publicly sensitive to the way in which they’re showing respect for the election results and the urgency of maintaining a semblance of national unity. But, given the unusual demonstrations across the country in these early days, Trump has some major decisions right now that could force him to retract or otherwise minimize threats he made during the campaign in order to establish a peaceful transition and confidence abroad. Were he to take a few important steps backward, well, that could also backfire should his supporters feel deceived.

There’s an urgent need for the leaders of the Legislative Branch to carefully maintain its respect for the new national leader while avoiding any sense their standing was not diminished by Trump commentary and to ensure that they remain a powerful branch of American government.

In the end, however, once a conclusive expression of Trump’s established position is defined beyond just an official inaugural, there’s immense pressure for those already in power to make sure the nation has elected a President who must be both a leader and a partner with other branches, and those steps must take place fast and convincingly. He’s not a monarch who can simply take complete control.

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Joseph J. Honick is president of GMA International in Bainbridge Island, Wash.