Sludge

Donald Trump is at war with the rest of the world.

- ALEX MAGNO

Since the start of his second term, he threw the global economy into turmoil with his whimsical tariffs. He withdrew US contributions to important international organizations, including the World Health Organization. He scuttled USAID and basically questions NATO's reason for being. He pulled his country out of the international effort to curb global warming.

The man has taken other nations’ sovereignty lightly. He sent bombers into Iran. He thinks Gaza is nothing more than a real estate proposition. He wants to annex Greenland and convert Canada into the 51st state. Last week, he assaulted Venezuela, took the dictator Nicolas Maduro prisoner and threatens to do the same with Colombia’s leader.

Trump is now the personification of the Ugly American: unapologetically imperialist and quick to pull the trigger on any country that annoys him. Although he claims he deserves to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, he embarks on a path of intimidation and war.

The US Supreme Court, dominated by his partisans, has bent backwards to allow his brazen policies. He unleashed immigrations thugs on his own people, sparking protests nationwide two days ago after trigger-happy ICE agents shot dead a young mother in Minneapolis.

The US Congress lost its spine and many Republican politicians are choosing to retire instead of confronting Trump’s unrestrained rule. The blowback to Trump’s brand of strongman rule could spell disaster for the Republican Party in the next elections.