The Walls Are Closing in on Donald Trump’s Ramblings
Published in Le Journal de Montreal
(Canada) on 10 May 2025
by Richard Latendresse (link to original)
(Canada) on 10 May 2025
by Richard Latendresse (link to original)
Translated from
by Reg Moss.
Edited by Patricia Simoni.
The shock of Donald Trump’s return to the White House is beginning to subside. He continues to rant about everything and nothing, but he backs off here, calms down there. It’s a lot of noise with little result.
It was not a glorious week for the president of the United States, whatever he and his entourage claim. Of course he said he was proud to see an American become pope, but everyone expects Pope Leo XIV to follow in the Francis’ footsteps as a champion of the poor and of immigrants.
Trump’s most ardent supporters, like Laura Loomer, already suspect this, posting on X, "He is anti-Trump, anti-MAGA, pro-open Borders, and a total Marxist like Pope Francis." To hell with nuance.
During Mark Carney’s visit to the Oval Office, did Trump appear to yield anything? No. Tariffs? Nothing will change his mind. The border between the two countries? An artificial line.
It may not have come across clearly enough, but the Canadian prime minister managed, to the extent possible, to cajole his counterpart. Trump’s delusional ideas, Carney politely explained, would amount to nothing.
On the other side of the world, Australian voters sent a similar message by sweeping aside the opposition that did not push back against Trump and his inflammatory ideas hard enough.
The Magician behind the Curtain
Trump is an illusionist. He managed to convince a large number of voters that he, a billionaire who inherited his first millions from his father, understands what they experience and feel every day.
Trump built a winning election campaign on a framework of lies: schools that secretly sent children for sex-change operations without their parents’ consent; cities taken over by immigrants in the U.S. illegally, widespread voter fraud; highest inflation ever, and on and on.
Today, Trump promises to tackle the fact that, “for decades, our country has been looted, pillaged, raped and plundered by nations near and far, both friend and foe alike.” False like everything else.
A House of Cards
The U.S. president’s bravado over his infamous “Liberation Day” — the amateurish imposition of tariffs on the entire planet — drew ridicule as he hoped to strike make mind-blowing deals out of it.
More than five weeks have passed and the only “breakthrough deal” anyone has come close to is a still hazy agreement with the United Kingdom. You had to hear U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick cheer that the Americans have begun trade negotiations with tariffs of 10% and that “we left with 10 percent tariffs.” Really? All of that for this?
The same goes for China. The American president ranted about China’s lack of fair play to the point where imposed 145% tariffs on them. Despite all of Trump’s veiled appeals, Xi Jinping didn’t even crack a smile. Ultimately, it was Trump who, pathetically suggested on Truth Social that an “80% tariff on China" seemed “right” to him. One retreat, then another.
The limits of Trump’s authority are everywhere: The Israelis ignore his appeal for moderation and are preparing to occupy Gaza; despite his threats, Hamas still has not released all its hostages; the Russians could not care less about his proposals for a cease-fire in Ukraine; and Indian and Pakistan are on the verge of total war, perhaps a nuclear one.
The world is taking Trump less and less seriously. And it’s just the beginning.
It was not a glorious week for the president of the United States, whatever he and his entourage claim. Of course he said he was proud to see an American become pope, but everyone expects Pope Leo XIV to follow in the Francis’ footsteps as a champion of the poor and of immigrants.
Trump’s most ardent supporters, like Laura Loomer, already suspect this, posting on X, "He is anti-Trump, anti-MAGA, pro-open Borders, and a total Marxist like Pope Francis." To hell with nuance.
During Mark Carney’s visit to the Oval Office, did Trump appear to yield anything? No. Tariffs? Nothing will change his mind. The border between the two countries? An artificial line.
It may not have come across clearly enough, but the Canadian prime minister managed, to the extent possible, to cajole his counterpart. Trump’s delusional ideas, Carney politely explained, would amount to nothing.
On the other side of the world, Australian voters sent a similar message by sweeping aside the opposition that did not push back against Trump and his inflammatory ideas hard enough.
The Magician behind the Curtain
Trump is an illusionist. He managed to convince a large number of voters that he, a billionaire who inherited his first millions from his father, understands what they experience and feel every day.
Trump built a winning election campaign on a framework of lies: schools that secretly sent children for sex-change operations without their parents’ consent; cities taken over by immigrants in the U.S. illegally, widespread voter fraud; highest inflation ever, and on and on.
Today, Trump promises to tackle the fact that, “for decades, our country has been looted, pillaged, raped and plundered by nations near and far, both friend and foe alike.” False like everything else.
A House of Cards
The U.S. president’s bravado over his infamous “Liberation Day” — the amateurish imposition of tariffs on the entire planet — drew ridicule as he hoped to strike make mind-blowing deals out of it.
More than five weeks have passed and the only “breakthrough deal” anyone has come close to is a still hazy agreement with the United Kingdom. You had to hear U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick cheer that the Americans have begun trade negotiations with tariffs of 10% and that “we left with 10 percent tariffs.” Really? All of that for this?
The same goes for China. The American president ranted about China’s lack of fair play to the point where imposed 145% tariffs on them. Despite all of Trump’s veiled appeals, Xi Jinping didn’t even crack a smile. Ultimately, it was Trump who, pathetically suggested on Truth Social that an “80% tariff on China" seemed “right” to him. One retreat, then another.
The limits of Trump’s authority are everywhere: The Israelis ignore his appeal for moderation and are preparing to occupy Gaza; despite his threats, Hamas still has not released all its hostages; the Russians could not care less about his proposals for a cease-fire in Ukraine; and Indian and Pakistan are on the verge of total war, perhaps a nuclear one.
The world is taking Trump less and less seriously. And it’s just the beginning.
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