Whatever anyone’s views on him as a man and a politician, Donald Trump’s second term as President of the United States is poised to reshape the global political landscape with immediate effect.

Indoors for the first time since 1985 due to the frigid temperatures, the front rows for the inauguration of Trump as the 47th President were filled with tech billionaires — Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and Tim Cook — who shunned him back in 2017. Other guests of honour included ex-PM Boris Johnson, while Liz Truss, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel were all in DC for the event. Outside the Capitol, there were few protests as Trump’s political and even cultural revolution was formally installed.

What will it all mean for the UK? 

Trump’s return will present Keir Starmer with an array of challenges over the next four years. Farage has long boasted about his close ties with the President, with whispers circulating the White House might be plotting to see him as Prime Minister by 2029. Farage certainly hopes to capitalise on his party’s spot in the President’s affections, even if the recent spat with Musk over Tommy Robinson shows the dangers as well.

On the policy, there are immediate rising pressures on defence spending, trade tariffs, and climate change. And at the same time, Trump’s unpredictability remains a powerful tool for keeping opponents and even nominal allies like the UK off balance — a prospect that could test Starmer's resolve at every turn.