It is difficult to accurately depict the destruction that Trump has levied against the American people in such a short time. However, as a writer, my duty is to distill a moment in time so that, looking back, we can sift through the debris, and understand what it truly was like to live through these deeply troubling times.
Trump, The Warmonger
America is at war. Not only in the physical sense, but with itself. Innocent civilians have been unlawfully detained by ICE agents. Executive Orders violating the Constitution have poured endlessly from the White House since the inauguration. The Republican Party continues to enable a president who appears intent on dismantling our sovereignty. The Judicial system is under attack. The economy is in free fall. Our allies have turned their backs on the United States as they seek new alliances with more-reliable partners. Our foreign policy has shifted from persecuting our enemies to empowering them. There is very little that inspires hope in this moment.
Perhaps what is most-ironic is that Trump is the embodiment of all of America’s problems, and is still heralded as the ‘savior of democracy’ by his supporters. He is beyond ignorant of nearly every issue and situation, and has been exposed as economically illiterate repeatedly in his inability to grasp the sheer stupidity of levying tariffs against countless countries. He evaded military service by falsely claiming injury. He has shown blatant disdain and disregard for our military, evidenced most recently by his decision to cut more than 80,000 federal workers from the Department of Veterans Affairs. He has created significant rifts in the American education system at a time when the youth of America are falling behind compared to their peers globally. He has a history of failing to pay contractors and other associates in his business dealings. He has committed fraud numerous times. He is blatantly misogynistic, as evidenced by his sordid track record of sexual assault and demeaning of women. He is incapable of understanding the plight of the average American in a time when the vast majority of citizens are mere weeks away from financial collapse. More than anything, he has successfully sown division in a manner that is difficult to describe, turning the American people against each other, and propagating a deep mistrust of science, journalism, and, ultimately, reality. Well before Trump was elected for the first time, America was at an inflection point that demanded nothing short of a concerted, unilateral effort to take on the existential threats it faces as a society, including economic inequality, climate change, unparalleled debt, shifting global influence, stagnant wages, and inflation, to name a few. Not only has he failed to address any of these issues, he has effectually allowed these issues to grow in magnitude and severity.
It is difficult to look at the current state of America and refute that Trump has initiated an all-out assault on his own country. Although his end goal is not clear at present, the cracks in an already-brittle nation have begun to deepen, and it will be everyday Americans that are left to deal with the repercussions.
American Incompetence
What is perhaps most-detrimental and will remain a stain on America’s reputation well beyond his administration is the world’s perception of the United States under Trump. It has become clear to world leaders that Trump does not understand policy, history, science, or even the needs of his own constituents. Americans were seen as ignorant and self-aggrandizing before Trump, and those views have only been affirmed as people around the globe witness the deeply harmful actions of a deranged president suffering from malignant narcissism. The truth is that Trump simply does not care who is hurt by his actions, even in the case of his fellow Americans. Only a leader entrenched in the depths of delusion is capable of inflicting tariffs that are sure to lead to the collapse of the US economy before immediately departing the White House to enjoy a weekend of golf, leaving hundreds of millions of Americans to grapple with the reality of how they will care for their families through the looming recession.
America was built on diversity, on the backs of immigrants who saw the United States as a land replete with opportunity that knew not the bounds of race, creed, and affiliation. Trump’s abject xenophobia, unabashed hatred, and unbridled racism towards those who do not look like him or ascribe to his warped belief system have done irreparable damage to the fabric of this nation in a time when the world is experiencing the paradigm-altering reality of globalism. As he and his sycophantic supporters embark on an effort to deport millions of workers who serve as the backbone of America’s economy, it is truly terrifying to think about the implications that this will have in the near future, including economic hardship, family separations, hate crimes, violence, and more. Furthermore, Trump has already taken action to bend history to his will with his assault on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, principles at the bedrock of America’s promise to its citizens. His views and policies are indicative of a regime following the precedent of authoritarians and fascists before him, and there is very little evidence to suggest that he has any interest in strengthening our democracy.
What has become clear is that the American empire is heading towards a precipitous collapse, and the fallout will leave a void that the rest of the world is ready to fill. Canada and Mexico have turned to the European Union to forge new trading alliances. Europe has begun preparations to support Ukraine as the United States has turned on its allies, and the realization of Trump’s desire to withdraw from NATO looks increasingly likely. Countries like Greenland, Denmark, and Canada are now faced with the reality that the United States will use necessary force to threaten their sovereignties. Our military prowess and competence have been called into question as the leaders of our Intelligence Community have signaled to the world that their incompetence threatens national and international security. The United States is increasingly viewed as unreliable, unpredictable, unstable, and incapable of meeting its obligations on the world stage.
Put simply, the United States, under Trump’s leadership, has ceded its role as Leader of the Free World.
What Happens to a Dream Deferred?
To the Americans who understand the implications of Trump’s actions, and the consequences that have already become evident, the threat that this inept and dangerous man poses to the country that they love has come to fruition. Our Constitution has been desecrated, our morals have been supplanted by demagoguery, and our hope for the realization of the American Dream has been deferred.
To the Americans who continue to support him, it is my belief that the reality of the coming months will quickly abolish your faith in his leadership. The economy will collapse, jobs will be lost by the millions, families will go hungry, neighbors will go bankrupt, and decency will erode as destruction takes root. Although reality has proven incapable of wrenching the MAGA cohort from their false reality, the gravity of this fall from grace most certainly will.
Yet, in the face of all of this, I choose to preserve this American Dream of mine, to believe that our democracy is not beyond repair, and will reclaim its promise. For it may be deferred until tomorrow, but it is only our failure to protect it that leaves the sacred American Dream to dry, like a raisin in the sun.
Read the full poem, ‘Harlem,’ by Langston Hughes.
