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A guide to what the 2024 US election means for Washington and the world.
We all know this slogan. But Donald Trump isn’t going to make America great again by waging war against domestic enemies. Rather, Trump’s revenge campaign threatens the true foundations of American greatness.
The United States military, the nation’s major universities, the Federal Reserve, the judicial system, the free press, scientific institutions, and even the health of the American people are all at risk. The president-elect has promised to appoint vengeful eccentrics to key positions and let figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “free.”
The damage that President Trump’s policies could inflict on the United States will please the country’s true enemies, Moscow and Beijing. They know from their history that when a nation rebels, its international power can collapse.
President Trump’s MAGA Shock troops believe they can only make their country great again by first destroying their domestic enemies. Mr Trump is said The “enemy from within” is “more dangerous” than Russia or China. His appointees are willing to overturn the American system for revenge.
Pete Hegseth, President Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, wrote, “Sometimes the battle must begin with a domestic enemy.” In the podcast, he demanded: . . Anything that was involved in diversity, equity, and inclusion programs or anything that looked like it was woke must be abolished. ”
President Trump schedule Establish “warrior committees” empowered to remove senior military officials and replace them with loyalists. His team is also reportedly considering court martial Some military leaders praised their role in the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
President Trump was furious during his first term when “his” generals insisted that their loyalty was to the Constitution, not to individuals. Senior military officers have resisted President Trump’s request to send troops to the streets of the United States during Black Lives Matter protests.
This time, President Trump will demand absolute obedience from newly promoted corporals and colonels, especially if he intends to send in the military to carry out mass deportations of illegal immigrants. But purging the highest-ranking generals could leave the country vulnerable and the military in disarray.
American intelligence agencies are also at risk. Tulsi Gabbard, President Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, is known for her sympathies with Syria’s Bashar al-Assad and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. She has consistently aligned herself with Russian propaganda, suggesting that NATO expansion was the cause of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and that the United States was operating a secret biological laboratory within Ukraine. Her appointment will upset America’s allies, including Britain, which routinely shares intelligence with the United States.
American science and medicine lead the world. But President Trump has proposed putting a conspiracy theorist in charge of the Department of Health and Human Services. The New York Post supports Trump in conclusion, After meeting Robert F. Kennedy Jr., he said he was “crazy in many ways.” If RFK imposes hostility toward vaccines on the entire United States, he will be sowing the seeds for future epidemics.
7 of the world top There are 10 universities in America. But America’s educational institutions are also on President Trump’s list of enemies. His allies claim universities are bastions of “wokeness” and anti-Semitism. Trump-supporting investor Bill Ackman recently said: gave an opinion Yale University is “no different than Hamas,” he said. Attacks against woke people could be used as a battering ram to force universities into submission on broader issues. Over time, America may face threats to the intellectual freedom on which our great universities depend.
The thing that truly distinguishes the United States from its authoritarian rivals, freedom of the press, is also under threat. Trump has filed a series of lawsuits. lawsuit This is a favorite tactic of authoritarian regimes.
President Trump views independent institutions of all kinds as a threat. There is widespread speculation that the administration will try to remove Jay Powell, the chairman of the Federal Reserve. Mr. Powell I remembered Journalists said it was “unauthorized by law” for Trump to deport him.
But Trump has his own ideas about the rule of law. Attorney General candidate Matt Gaetz was under investigation by his Republican colleagues for ethics violations, including having sex with a minor. Gates has denied the allegations, but says he believes he, like Trump, is a victim of a politicized judicial system. Other Trump aides have also recently been released from prison, including Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro.
These are angry people who may have revenge intentions. They could use the judicial system to pursue their enemies. That would be bad news not only for the individuals caught up in the witch hunt, but also for the country as a whole.
America’s greatness is based on the rule of law. This is the fundamental reason why foreigners trust American assets and the dollar as the world’s reserve currency. If President Trump uses the legal system to go after his enemies and reward his billionaire cronies, investors would be right to fear.
Far from making America great again, President Trump’s attacks on American institutions will make America more like Russia and China. President Putin and Xi Jinping will benefit. The American people and America’s allies will suffer the consequences.
gideon.rachman@ft.com
