.

Trump’s early initiatives in his second term as president of the United States bear the marks of populism, authoritarianism, illiberalism, and imperialism.

He issued an executive order allowing unbridled freedom of speech (including on social media) while dictating the terms of allowable expression and identities to national institutions, demanding political loyalty from civil servants, and threatening retaliation against dissent.

His administration has ordered federal employees and diplomats to cease communications on a range of issues, including “diversity, equity and inclusion,” “environmental justice” and “gender ideology.”

Trump himself continues to criticise the news media, calling journalists the “enemy of the people.” He is suing various media organizations—including the board of the Pulitzer Prizes, the Des Moines Register, and its parent company, Gannett—over journalism he claims was libellous or unfair.

The White House removed the independent inspectors general of nearly every Cabinet-level agency in an unprecedented purge to clear the way for Trump to install loyalists in the crucial role of identifying fraud, waste and abuse in the government. These dismissals violate federal law requiring Congress to receive 30 days’ notice of any intent to fire a Senate-confirmed inspector general.

Trump has been ruthlessly bullying his counterparts in Canada, Denmark (in respect of Greenland), Panama for imperialistic territorial expansion, and Columbia for it to accept to recuperate its illegal migrants from the US.

Populists (like Trump) claim that they, and they alone, represent people. They portray their political competitors as part of the immoral, corrupt elite, and when ruling, they refuse to recognise any opposition as legitimate.

The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change indicates :

« Over 50 per cent of populist leaders amend or rewrite their countries’ constitutions, and many of these changes extend term limits or weaken checks on executive power. The evidence also suggests that populists’ attacks on the rule of law open the way to greater corruption: 40 per cent of populist leaders are indicted on corruption charges.

Overall, 23 per cent of populists cause significant democratic backsliding. Populist governments are about four times more likely than non-populist ones to harm democratic institutions. »

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Rubbish. As a majority of Americans would say to all Lefty hissy fits. They have the man they want, and it's a matter of stiff cheese for the limp-wristed and weak-minded,

One of the good moves by Trump:

President Trump has banned transgender (what a ridiculous word) types from military service because they are “mentally ill and unfit for duty”. There are 15,000 of them, requiring persistent drugs and hormones that have a “severely debilitating impact on their psychological wellness”.

The defence forces are a defence force, not a social experiment.

Dear Banjo,

Thank you for this discussion.

People who are opposed to Trump generally have particular
issues that they are concerned about or upset at him
because of the actions in those areas. Yet they get
accused of having "Trump Derangement Syndrome".
Being concerned about particular issues is not
derangement.

His supporters continue with accusations "You hate him".
When it's about his behaviour and not him.

The problem is - it will take decades to repair. The
damage will continue long after he's gone and some of it
will never be fixed.

Unfortunately Trump is a character and a symbol who is
viewed as being more than a mere mortal by his MAGA
cultists. And in that role Trump has permission for
revenge, craven power, and permission for him,
to engage in the worst human behaviour.

It appears that the man views American politics
as a TV program where he is the star,
casting agent, and producer.

Foxy,
You really don't appear to ever express a single ounce of common sense. The only man at the moment to effectively make a move to weed out the parasitic Woke & drain that swamp & you condemn him. For crying out loud, would you rather have the Woke continue ruin already terribly fragile societies ? To condemn Trump says more about your mentality than his competence ! Don't you ever get embarrassed for supporting the parasitic ?

I just can't help it. Don't ya just love the tRumpster's claims of "draining the swamp." I agree, yes, there is a swamp, but tRump fills it with his blind apologists which means it is an even more putrid swamp. (Or are these people there just for the immediate power? or the warm fuzzy feeling they get being near the epicenter of power?)

tRump as a human being has no redeeming qualities and deserves the same respect he dishes out to anyone he deems lesser than him (which judging by his actions and words to date, appears to be the rest of humanity.)

Indyvidual,

I would like to understand a lot more about what
is driving how you're feeling about me and learn what
values you have that you think I don't.

I'd like to know what's going on with you because
frankly - I'm not comfortable with your negativity.

This is not a productive way to discuss anything.
It does not encourage further conversation.