Donald Trump feels the walls closing in on him, as he should. This weekend, our nation witnessed the largest protests in modern American history, with an estimated 7 million Americans marching against the authoritarian Trump regime. The protests didn’t stop there, however; demonstrators around the world joined their peers from the United States to protest what they see as a dangerous president willing to sacrifice democracy for ultimate power.
This protest was not emotional in nature, but existential. Millions of Americans, as well as all of those who call this place home, feel the threat that a tyrannical government that refuses the rule of law can have for our present, and certainly our shared future.
Still, Trump and his loyalists have carried on through the public backlash, making it clearer than ever that they see a fair share of Americans as personal enemies to be persecuted by any means necessary. Yet, it feels as though the pressure is building, and it’s only a matter of time before something gives.
The United States is facing its moment of truth, and I harbor hope that it will be good that trumps evil. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest developments threatening Trump, and why they have left Americans disgruntled and ready to fight back.
A Government by the People
One of the key pillars of American democracy is the idea that citizens choose people to represent them, and trust these representatives to faithfully execute their duties to the Constitution. It has never been clearer that the opposite is, in fact, true. Corruption, falsehoods, blatant disdain for constituents - the murky side of politics can be seen on both sides of the aisle. On the Republican side, record funding for programs, such as the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) war on immigrants, has ushered in an era of luxury for those closest to the President. A good example is the recent purchase of two private jets for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, costing the American taxpayer $172 million at a time when the government shutdown has left many public servants and members of the military without pay. Never to be outdone, the Democrats have their shameless displays of grifting, with many rightfully criticizing former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi for accumulating a staggering net worth of approximately $250 million, despite receiving a modest salary while serving in the government for close to 40 years. This brash willingness to defraud the American people by abusing the power of public office has resulted in many losing their confidence in the broader system, and their anger is more than justified.
Likewise, recent moves by the Trump administration have led others to question the ‘America First’ agenda touted by the President, who has worked to steadily concentrate power in the Executive branch in his second term. Rather than looking for solutions or relying on diplomacy, Trump has used the disorder caused by the ongoing shutdown to fire thousands of federal employees in critical departments, such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department of Education. More troubling still is his clear intention to punish Democrats in his so-called war against “Woke.” Name-calling, the withholding of funding for vital public programs, open threats across the aisle, and disturbing AI-generated posts on TruthSocial comprise the President’s arsenal as he goes to battle with anyone who refuses to fall in line with the current administration’s path forward. Not only is this conduct childish, but it underscores this president’s unbridled hatred and ignorance, and demonstrates his inability to work on behalf of all Americans, regardless of party affiliation.
Behind every authoritarian ruler are the loyal servants who work tirelessly to realize the mission. Few in Trump’s inner circle have stirred more controversy than Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who has, like his dear leader, used the government shutdown to stymie votes to release the Epstein Files, as well as to indefinitely delay the swearing in of newly elected Representative Adelita Grijalva of Arizona. Johnson has repeatedly placed the House on recess this year in order to avoid critical votes, and many Republican lawmakers have left DC entirely as they wait to be recalled. Tensions are building, with lawmakers in Johnson’s own party, like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie, decrying the Speaker’s unwillingness to proceed with key votes. Massie, who has emerged as a fierce critic of Trump and the Republican Party in recent months, immediately became the object of the President’s ire, who hastily called for the Representative to be removed from Congress, and endorsed a candidate yet to announce intentions to run against Massie in the coming election. All the while, the majority of Republicans, their voices amplified by right-wing media outlets, continues to vilify the Democrats and decry their unwillingness to compromise. It is hard to compromise when you’re not in the same room, after all.
Through it all, Americans are struggling. Farmers, inundated by the economic pressure induced by record tariffs under the Trump regime, have watched on as the President stepped in to help his ally, Argentinian President Javier Milei, to stabilize the country’s currency to the tune of $40 billion. The move is even more troubling than it appears, with Argentina’s soybean farmers quickly moving to export to China at a time when their US counterparts find themselves on the brink of financial collapse. As is the case with so many of Trump’s actions, money and a never-ending power grab are responsible for his abandonment of the very people who elected him.
To learn more about Trump’s recent illicit financial crimes, read my article here.
The Boy Who Cried ‘Tariff!’
Nothing appears to delight the President more than the destruction he is capable of fomenting with a simple post on his media platform, TruthSocial. Tweets declaring absurd and inexplicable tariffs on China have marked significant drops in markets across the world, with trillions in value evaporating within minutes. Beyond the troubling repercussions and potential for financial demise posed by the tariffs, Trump’s erratic nature leads him to rollback these claims at a moment’s notice. Put simply, there is no rhyme or reason behind these announcements beyond Trump’s sadistic desire to cause panic and play the role of ‘strongman’ for his sycophantic base.
Yet, much as the boy who cried wolf, it appears as though the days of empty threats aimed at the world’s second-leading economy are drawing to a close, with recent GDP rising over 5% in China in the first three quarters of 2025, clearly demonstrating economic resilience in a time of turbulence stemming from the White House. Bombastic tirades aimed at Xi and the CCP make Trump look weak, and the lack of a unified response on China’s part has conveyed the nation’s lack of concern when it comes to maintaining a close trading alliance with the United States. The commotion has left others in the Trump administration, most notably Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, scrambling to justify this ill-conceived trade war and make concessions with China before the US economy experiences the fallout caused by these disastrous policies.
As Trump engages in his self-induced war with America’s closest trading partners, the average American is feeling the pressure as inflation drives costs up, the labor market weakens, and stagnant wages have made basic tenets of the American Dream, like owning a home, unattainable. Despite a booming stock market, cracks in the American economy are beginning to show, and the staggering rally in gold prices highlights the flight of investors to risk-off assets in the face of unprecedented uncertainty. Gold’s manic rise is not only due to retail investors, either; many central governments are rushing to stock up as many experts have pointed out declining confidence in fiat-based monetary systems around the world. Just last week, S&P downgraded France’s credit rating amid ongoing political turmoil.
At such a vulnerable stage, the world needs a steady leader in the West, and it is abundantly clear that Trump is incapable of meeting the challenge. As long as the President finds more interest in hurling digital insults at his adversaries and writing the latest chapter in the melodrama playing out in the West Wing, the future appears bleak for millions of people struggling just to get by.
A Reason to Hope
There is reason to be hopeful. Despite his demonstrated ability to avoid any and all consequences of his actions, there is reason to believe that the innumerable crises and charades peddled by the President and his faithful followers will eventually lead to a moment of reckoning. When the time comes, it is important that we, as a People, punish their wrongdoing, and resolve to take measures to prevent further misconduct moving forward.
As they often say when things get tough - ‘something’s gotta give.’ In this case, I hope it’s the ground beneath the President’s feet.
