Donald Trump’s Rage
If the president’s demeanor and draconian policies were indicators of an underlying anger he has been holding since the 2020 election he still claims to have won, then his recent meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has ended all doubts. Far from simply a masterclass in childishness and cynical, self-serving posturing before his base, the behaviour on display belies a change that at best will see decades old norms fractured and, at worst, a tectonic shift in the world order.
This sideshow saw world leaders yell at one another, make baseless claims (some of which were disproven moments before they were made), and show no decorum or decency whatsoever. While it may be nothing more than cheap entertainment and meme fodder to many, it offered a glimpse into the mind of likely the most powerful man on the planet. We would do wise to pay close attention, because our enemies certainly are.
Ukraine’s status as the place where the next century’s balance of power will be decided is well documented. On one side, an expansionist and ever more belligerent Russia that has not been seen since the Cold War. With it’s relatively newfound ally in the second largest economy in the world, China’s bettering relationship with Russia has seen the two dictators call one another “true friends” and have agreed to on mutual support over the course of dozens of official state visits. On the other, European influence continues to wane while the United States, the cornerstone of NATO and Western power, moves clearly and unceasingly toward an isolationist future. Even in their current states, both NATO and the West as a whole still represent a force that the new Russian-Chinese partnership could not hope to directly oppose. This is why indirect actions such as election interference and widespread disinformation campaigns have been their chosen weapons against the West. The outcome of the war in Ukraine and Donald Trump’s second term represent their best opportunity for a power grab since the resurgence of both nations.
From his initial 2015 announcement that he was going to run for president of the United States, Trump has been a fixture in the public eye. His boorish charisma, sarcasm, and relentless mocking of his detractors and opponents have granted him notoriety throughout the world. Even his many facial expressions are renowned and seen as an integral part of his over the top persona. These are some of the things that helped single him out among 17 candidates and propelled him to the top of the Republican ticket and eventually the Oval Office. Regardless of what one may think of the man and his policies, Trump was an animated and vibrant figure that pushed boundaries and redefined what was acceptable in modern politics — for better or for worse.
Today’s Trump is inarguably different. His mood is ever sombre and serious to the point where one could easily describe the once jovial reality TV star as dark. This comes as no shock. Nearly a decade of unyielding negative press by virtually all media outlets that ranged from the objectively true to the patently absurd, dozens of lawsuits and claims of corruption, and multiple assassination attempts, one of which he only narrowly escaped with his life, have left an indelible mark on the president. Gone are most of the quips and repartee that were staples of his first term in office, replaced by rare but harsh, dry retorts meant to kneecap an opponent rather than energize a crowd as they once were.
Compare his first presidential victory speech to his second, the latter of which came after what can only be described as one of the greatest political comebacks in American history. Yet the one delivered in 2024 was devoid of the happy tone found in the first. While there was a great deal of overlap between the two, notably absent was the 2016 commitment to the global community to put America first while still “dealing fairly” and “seeking common ground” with everyone else. Gone too were the vast majority of the jokes and the earlier’s hopeful nature. The “Golden Age” promised by the president elect would be achieved only through the absolute destruction of what his opponents had built, not merely the triumph of an America resurgent. It was strictly to business, repeatedly decrying the failures of the previous administration, righting perceived wrongs of the past, and reestablishing a Trumpian America.
The late 2010’s saw no shortage of political correctness to be attacked, economically damaging environmental laws to fight, or trade imbalances to be corrected. Many NATO nations were then, as now, not meeting their military expenditure obligations. Millions of illegal immigrants lived in and continued to enter the US. Many countries were reliant, wholly or in part, on the United States for their defence and continued economic prosperity, often to the detriment of their benefactor. Even as he railed against these disconnects, Trump’s policies and actions on the world’s stage were surgical and tactful in comparison to the first month of his second presidency. He implemented targeted tariffs with clear demands, ripped up trade deals and successfully renegotiated them, and appealed however forcefully to the international community for change. At the time, he was considered crude and “unpresidential.”
The first few months of 2025 now has nations pining for those times. Trump is no longer concerned with negotiation, he is imposing his will. World leaders began emergency meetings months before his inauguration in anticipation of what was to come next. Several countries are now facing 25% tariffs on all of their goods which will essentially place their economies into full recessions. In some cases, the countries in question immediately capitulated to his demands but are still being threatened with tariffs without clarity on the rest of Trump’s demands. This raises the possibility that there is nothing more in particular that he is looking for yet he is still refusing to cancel the upcoming devastation. It should be noted that both Mexico and Canada, both targets for these massive tariffs, were not given so much as the opportunity to plead a case let alone ask for something in return. Executive orders have wiped DEI policies from the federal government, begun mass deportations of illegal immigrants, withdrew the US from the WHO and the Paris Agreement, and freed hundreds of his most ardent supporters after the January 6th riots. This level of heavy handedness was absent from the 45th president of the United States, but not the 47th.
The first term was a victory. The second is revenge.
The opportunity to separate the US from it’s longstanding partners and NATO has finally presented itself. Trump has already mused about withdrawing from the military alliance and has taken unprompted steps to begin distancing the world’s largest economy from many of it’s longtime trading partners. Even fracturing the alliance and casting doubt as to whether or not the US would meet the alliance’s military obligations and defend supposed allies would be a resounding victory for those who wish to see the balance of power change in their favour. Short of total submission to their whims, the Russian and Chinese dictators could not ask for a more gracious gift. Unfortunately, it has already begun and both NATO and European allies are no longer confident that their most powerful friend will continue to be reliable in any way.
During the fiery meeting with Zelensky, the Ukrainian president referenced his previous discussions with the US regarding the need to instill security guarantees into any ceasefire should Russia renege on it’s word as it did in 2019. A sentiment shared by the US. Trump replied simply, “That wasn’t me. That was with a guy named Biden, who was not a smart person.” He immediately shot down previous commitments as merely promises made by someone else, not the same nation. As though they no longer had any merit. It is difficult to accurately portray how profound and dangerous this statement was. In a few short words, Trump validated fears that have echoed throughout the free world since the announcement of his second term. Not only would the US no longer honour it’s previously held commitments, but it has no compunction with dropping them at a moment’s notice and outright abandoning previous friends and allies. The established norms of a president maintaining America’s reputation for steadfastness and dedication to keeping its word are finished. Decades of foundational trust can and will evaporate should others refuse to cooperate with increasingly brazen and lopsided demands. Trump actually insinuated on more than one occasion that Ukraine is at fault for being invaded by a foreign aggressor and all US military aid to the beleaguered nation has now been suspended. With this administration, there will be no negotiations in good faith, nor will there be any appeals to reason. The self-proclaimed expert on making deals has made it clear: all deals are off.
After the meeting, dozens of world leaders expressed their continued support for Ukraine and their disapproval of Trump’s assertions and demands. Russian leaders praised Trump’s behaviour.
Aside from the ongoing decline of Westerners’ support for democracy (spurred on in no small part by well documented Chinese and Russian propaganda campaigns), nothing represents a greater danger to the established order than the loss of trust between Western allies. And while the EU still represents a powerful bloc both economically and militarily, none can ignore the fact that the US provides the bulk of NATO’s power. To lose it’s support would not simply change the game, it would upend it entirely. Democratic world leaders are now faced with a situation that has not been seen since before the US ended it’s isolationist policies over a century ago. That being a world where they cannot rely on one of the world’s great powers while simultaneously facing their greatest existential threat since the fall of the Soviet Union. It is a worst case scenario for dozens of disparate nations and peoples who have yet to fully recover from the pandemic and are struggling under the weight of stagnating economies, overwhelming migrant numbers, aging populations, and decades of lax military spending.
48 hours after ejecting Zelenskyy from the White House, 15 NATO members along with representatives from the European Union and NATO itself held a meeting with him to reaffirm their commitment to Ukrainian sovereignty. The US was not present.
