Opinion: Trump’s reckless presidency threatens global stability

It has been two months since Donald Trump’s inauguration. It seems like two years. Those charitably disposed toward the erstwhile New York property developer describe him as a disrupter. Those ill-disposed toward Trump describe him as a vandal, or worse. So, which characterization is more accurate?

Trump is undoubtedly a mould-breaker. Witness, for example, his mastery of social media and political theatre. He knows how to engage and entertain. He is a self-publicist and manipulator par excellence. This is the lighter side of Trump. The darker side includes his use of coercion, if not outright bullying, to advance America’s geopolitical interests.

The consequential Feb. 28, 2025, meeting between Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky is open to diverse interpretations. The charitable reading is that Trump and his deputy, J.D. Vance, reacted to what they perceived as Zelensky’s ingratitude over military aid, foot-dragging over the minerals deal, and reluctance to negotiate peace. The uncharitable reading is that Trump and Vance set out to humiliate Zelensky in a pre-planned ambush, including:

• Insulting Zelensky’s dress sense—a juvenile response to Zelensky’s thoughtful effort to identify with his bloodied people.
• The systematic baiting of the Ukrainian president by Vance and some Trump-aligned press corps members.

To his credit, and in sharp contrast to Europe’s obsequious leaders, Zelensky refused to kowtow. He stood up to the bullying and ignored the baiting, giving as good as he got. On reflection, this is probably what annoyed Trump and Vance most: the fact that a European leader had the audacity to challenge the truth claims of the president and vice-president of the world’s most powerful nation. The audacity of the man! Who in hell does he think he is? Why doesn’t he bow and scrape like the others?

An early indication that Trump intended to do things his way, regardless of consequences, came during the White House press conference memorializing those killed in the Jan. 29, 2025, Washington, D.C., air crash that saw a military helicopter and passenger aircraft collide over the Potomac River. After mourning the dead, Trump made unsubstantiated claims that the previous administration’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies had compromised the nation’s air traffic control system. Trump later claimed the accident was caused by the helicopter climbing above its assigned altitude. “The Blackhawk helicopter was flying too high, by a lot. It was far above the 200-foot limit. That’s not really too complicated to understand, is it?” Trump claimed in a Truth Social post.

Speculation of this kind by the president is unhelpful, first because it causes distress to the families of the deceased, and secondly because it distracts witnesses and investigators. Speculation may prejudice an investigation, making it harder for witnesses and investigators to approach with an open mind. It creates latent errors in the investigative process and increases the likelihood of misidentifying root causes, making a repeat tragedy more likely.

Since the air crash press conference, Trump has cut loose, deaf to the protests of long-time allies such as Canada, France, Germany, and Britain. He has, for example, imposed tariffs on Canadian exports and, bizarrely, threatened to annex the country. In an effort to justify his annexation proposal, Trump claimed that Canada was unable to defend itself against potential aggressors such as China. It is possible that Trump, who reads little, is unaware that Canada is a NATO member or a member of the Commonwealth.

The most sinister development is that Trump appears to be aligning the United States with Russia, a totalitarian state that denies its people basic freedoms and seeks to impose its will, by force if necessary, on Europe. On the day French President Emmanuel Macron visited the White House, the U.S. twice voted with Russia at the United Nations.

I have reached the following conclusions about his motivation, methods, and intent:

1. Trump has little interest in Europe, save perhaps Scotland, his mother’s birthplace.
2. Trump will ally the U.S. with Russia through accords and treaties.
3. Trump will remove the U.S. from NATO to cement the U.S.-Russia alliance.
4. Trump will use America’s military and economic power to coerce and subjugate America’s former allies. In doing so, he will emulate Putin’s tactics. Trump’s suspension of military aid to Ukraine, including the provision of battlefield intelligence, demonstrates his willingness to use coercion against regimes he finds problematic.
5. Trump will implement an ultra-right-wing agenda domestically, using intimidation and a politicized Department of Justice and FBI to silence dissent. Again, he will emulate Putin’s tactics.
6. The net effect of Trump’s policies will transform America from a pluralistic and reasonably tolerant society into a fascistic, intolerant, religion-soaked society largely run by corporations operating both outside and within government. Elon Musk’s DOGE is a portent. The 1975 Norman Jewison-directed movie “Rollerball” shows us what America could become.
7. When Russia finally defeats and annexes an exhausted Ukraine, the U.S. will join Russia in exploiting the country’s natural resources, including rare earth minerals.
8. When Russia, having regenerated its armed forces, invades Poland, Finland, and the Baltic states, the U.S., no longer a NATO member, will stand off, anticipating the moment Moscow invites Washington to share in the spoils.
9. The European Union will be reduced to the status of vassal to a rampant Russia, presided over still by Vladimir Putin, an indicted war criminal.

If the reader finds this dark vision thought-provoking, then all is not lost. There is still time — just — to prevent this Dantean descent into hell.

Dr. Simon Bennett directs the Civil Safety and Security Unit at the University of Leicester. He’s interested in the organizational, social, economic and political origins of risk. He has worked with the Royal Air Force and U.K. National Police Air Service on human factors issues. His latest book, Atomic Blackmail? The weaponisation of nuclear facilities during the Russia-Ukraine War, was published by Libri Publishing Ltd. in 2023.

© Troy Media

The commentaries offered on SaskToday.ca are intended to provide thought-provoking material for our readers. The opinions expressed are those of the authors. Contributors' articles or letters do not necessarily reflect the opinion of any SaskToday.ca staff.