“Inside the citadel, the hordes are incinerating America’s traditions of law, civility and restraint. The civic-minded cry in the wilderness. Measured by the old era’s conventions, US President Donald Trump’s bonfire is only a quarter of the way through.” 1/8
“Trump is rebranding the US as his own. As America prepares to commemorate its 250th anniversary, the republic is flirting with its own funeral.” 2/8
“Fate will decide what becomes of Trump. He could get to the point where he loses his grip over the 2028 succession. He could just as equally bury America’s constitutional order and claim a third term into his mid-eighties.” 3/8
“How should rational planners — American and foreign alike — respond to whatever Trump throws at them? They have little chance of success unless they see him for what he is. No ideological code can fully capture his actions.” 4/8
“Trumpism is whatever he chooses it to be even as he contradicts himself. The key thus lies in Trump’s psychology, which has never been a mystery. His character is hidden in plain sight.” 5/8
“For those belatedly ready to see today’s abyss for what it is, here once again is Trump’s worldview. Life is a battle in which one person wins and the other loses. Everyone else, including his henchmen and America’s allies, is the other person.” 6/8
“A zero-sum world permits no room for sentiment or friends. Opponents earn respect. Loyalty is for fools. Rivals might win or lose, depending on their hand. China has been the biggest winner of Trump’s second term so far — and has earned his respect.” 7/8
“The lesson for America’s friends is clear. Flattering Trump will earn his contempt. The world should study the fate of Canada’s Mark Carney. Alone among allies so far, the Canadian prime minister is responding to the reality of America’s deranged turn.” 8/8