Donald Trump is "largely about ... being a showman", an international relations expert says. Photo: ALON SKUY / AFP
An international relations expert is warning of a "stark difference" in climate issues, and "possibly" security issues if Donald Trump wins the US presidency next week.
Auckland University senior lecturer in politics and international relations Dr Maria Armoudian said it was possible that either election outcome would not make a huge difference to New Zealand trade and tourism.
Armoudian said a win by the Democratic candidate, vice-president Kamala Harris, would likely be a continuation of the status quo in terms of international relations, human rights and environmental protections, but a victory for the Republican candidate, former president Donald Trump, would mean everything was "up in the air".
Under Harris, she said, there would be a continuation of a commitment to democracy and human rights and to a "commitment to a fact-based science-based decision making that is thoughtful".
Armoudian, who is also the co-director of Ngā Ara Whetū, the Centre for Climate, Biodiversity and Society, said Trump was "so unpredictable".
"He doesn't make decisions based on those same values systems, nor does he make decisions based on strong facts or science.
"He's been known to deny the science for things like the environment, climate change and biodiversity. He has been known to have no problem with dictators and he seems to lean into authoritarianism. He doesn't seem to have any commitment to democracy, and he doesn't seem to have a commitment to human rights."
It was also likely that current international alliances were likely to shift "unless somebody persuades Mr Trump otherwise", which was possible too, she added.
"The most important thing I think to remember, if [America is] under a Trump presidency, is that he's unpredictable and it's hard to know.
"Donald Trump is largely about, you know, being a showman - he has a particular image he likes to project, and that seems to be more important to him than making decisions that would be protective of the future."
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