There are broadly two prevailing theories about US President Donald Trump. Many Americans dismiss him as an idiot, arguing: “It’s hard for people to admit he’s a stupid man, so they make elaborate justifications.”
Others, however, believe he’s got a grand master plan, surrounded by ultra-intelligent right-wing advisors like Stephen Miller and Peter Navarro, who view the world as overburdened by immigration and excessively liberal trade policies that undermine US interests. The savage cutbacks actions by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and his dismantling of USAID, have made the billionaire a hero to the “Make America Great Again” crowd.
Consider the theory put forward by Michael Gove, an ex-top British cabinet minister and new editor of The Spectator magazine. Gove contends the US is overly committed to Europe and NATO. With China’s rise, he argues, America must shift its focus and military resources to Asia, necessitating a “rough withdrawal” from Europe. In this view, Russia’s no longer the main adversary, even if it remains the only country with a comparable nuclear arsenal.
It’s a far-fetched idea, but so are many of the actions taken by Trump, who, let me remind you, is only a month into his four-year presidency. Monday marked the third anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war, and in a stunning move, the US sided with Russia at the UN, voting against a resolution condemning Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The US and Russia then jointly pushed a resolution calling for an end to the war without assigning blame to Russia. This comes after the US has supplied Ukraine with over $100 billion in military aid, though Trump’s repeatedly falsely ballooned the figure to $300 billion.
The US policy shift has alarmed German politician Friedrich Merz, set to be the next chancellor. He urged Europe Monday to ramp up military spending and develop its own defence strategy. On the same day, the US announced the shutdown of a Greek military base.
Each day of Trump’s return to power brings increasingly bizarre moves that seem to weaken the American state. He’s fired the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, almost certainly because he’s Black, as well as the first naval operations chief, a woman. To pre-empt legal challenges, he’s also dismissed the judge advocate generals of all its military branches.
Bizarre hires
This week, Trump named right-wing podcaster Dan Bongino as deputy FBI director. Bongino, an ex- New York cop and Secret Service agent, never held a senior position in either institution. Now, however, he’s outspoken conspiracy theorist who relentlessly targets those he deems enemies. “The irony about this for scumbag commie libs is the Cold War they’re pushing for will end really badly for them,” he’s warned, adding ominously: “They’re not ready for what comes next.” As a top FBI official, he’ll now be able to action such threats.
History has witnessed rulers like Trump before but not at the helm of the world’s most powerful nation. Comedian Trevor Noah has cleverly noted the striking similarities between Trump’s rhetoric and that of Uganda’s late dictator Idi Amin. Both claimed to be uniquely talented and superior leaders, asserting, “I am the best” and “They love me.” New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd notes while Trump’s made many bizarre hires, he’s yet to follow in the footsteps of the Roman emperor Caligula, who famously appointed his horse as a senator. During a recent press conference, French President Emmanuel Macron had to cut Trump off mid-sentence to correct his wildly inaccurate statements.
Then there’s Canada, which Trump regularly calls America’s “51st state,” and Greenland, the world’s largest island, strategically positioned in the North Atlantic with a population of just 56,000. Canada’s immense with coastlines on three oceans, vast oil reserves, natural gas, and mineral resources, along with abundant freshwater and hydropower. Canadians are livid with Trump and have already begun boycotting US products. Greenland, meanwhile, could serve as a critical US Arctic stronghold. Together, the US, Canada, and Greenland would form a massive land bloc with strategic significance.
Will there be a backlash from voters who hadn’t anticipated this level of upheaval and craziness? There are signs they’re feeling the strain, but for now, protests remain muted. Trump, though, won by the slimmest 1.5-per-cent popular-vote margin.
Several factors could erode his “honeymoon”, especially if inflation, job losses or a recession hit. If he pushes too far on punishing opponents, overriding democratic norms or expanding executive power, some backers may become uneasy. Finally, some supporters may just tire of the chaos. Stay tuned.
