What Happened to the United States?

President Donald Trump only came to power by initiating a domestic battle, which has created a deep division in American society. Trump encouraged racist elements within an important segment of white Americans. Trump started by claiming that the United States’ problems are tied to the growth of Latin American, Muslim and African populations, and that his domestic policies would stop the growth of the non-white demographic, which is expected to become the majority of the population in 2045. Since Trump arrived at the White House, a plurality of Americans has ignored the rule of law, rights, morality and the fight against racism, to support a candidate who makes economic and other demographic promises. However, Trump’s victory is also tied to an abundance of confusing information that existed about the opposing candidate, Hillary Clinton. It has become clear that Russia played a role in hacking the Democratic Party’s systems and began leaking what it found, which had an effect on the election results. Thus, at the moment of Trump’s election, the United States entered a vortex it will not be able to escape during his administration.

The United States’ present situation is tied down by litigation and courtrooms, a fact which shows the president’s lack of respect for American law, and suggests the possibility that a relationship with Russia contributed to his election victory. The latest developments concerning admissions by Trump’s lawyer on one hand, and the conviction of his campaign manager on the other, shook Trump’s throne and sapped the White House’s ability to function. It is clear now that these issues will follow Trump relentlessly until his final day in office. From now until the end of the Trump administration, the American people will be lost between a president who has achieved economic results and lowered unemployment, and a president who creates crises, violates laws and speaks a racist language that disrespects diversity in a country founded on it.

So, does America throw Trump out, or keep him and re-elect him as if nothing has happened? It is an unsettled dilemma. The primary official responsible for investigating Trump’s abuses is former FBI Director Robert Mueller. Mueller is the most important character in this drama because he is putting all his legal intellect, knowledge and experience to use in the investigation. Perhaps it is true that Mueller is engaging in a historic battle to save the United States from a rapid decline for which Trump has paved the way. This atmosphere compelled Thomas Friedman to write about the present American obsession in The New York Times on Aug. 28, 2018. Friedman fears the demise of the United States and its transformation into a country resembling Russia. In fact, he calls upon all Americans to make the right choice in the midterm elections this November in order to restrain Trump, his policies and the moral decline that accompanies Trump domestically and internationally.

As the American dilemma deepens at home, it coincides and overlaps with the problem of the United States on the international stage. The American impasse grew out of U.S. wars and the global role the United States played in protecting its objectives, which include revolution, domination, and domestic and international economic mobility. Like all major powers, the United States suffered from expansion and shouldering great responsibility. Consequently, the United States victory in the Cold War at the beginning of the 1990s represented the zenith of its power. That victory, however, signaled the beginning of the United States’ decline and disarray. In time, the factors behind American expansion and the rise of other nations will shake many of the world superpower’s capabilities. Thus, Trump did not appear out of the blue; rather, he came amid a global crisis which reflects the decline of the United States and the loss of its reputation.

Trump has articulated a policy of shirking responsibilities with respect to the world (except for Israel), which has had implications that extend to Europe, China, Mexico and Russia. Trump is in conflict with the world. He threatens countries, clashes with politicians, imposes sanctions and challenges nations. Trump is transforming the world into a place filled with surprises. The United States is going through a period of retreat, which is accompanied by threats, pride and hostility. The superpower is in a period of decline, but it threatens and talks as if it were at the height of its power and expansion. As part of this policy, there is assertion of control amid the tumult. This explains Trump’s treatment of the Arab world and Jerusalem, as well as his greedy dealing with the Persian Gulf States.

Resisting Trump’s policies is not only an American phenomenon, but also an international phenomenon. Trump is opening on all fronts at the same time, which effectively means that he has sowed the seeds of new conflict and isolation for the United States. This, in turn, encourages China, Russia, Turkey, Iran and others to take clear positions with respect to Trump’s international policy. As the people of the world long for democratic and constitutional systems, the world and its countries are searching for an international democratic balance that defines the relationships between large and small nations, and between American hegemony and its opponents. This is not the Cold War, but it is another form of one.

The world is changing. Countries are more inclined to protect their independence against recklessness. The mechanism of the World Bank frightens countries that are increasingly entangled in debt and sanctions, which the United States uses to resolve its disputes with countries. This situation is generating a desire among many for the creation of an international system that is different from the American international system. The world is no longer as it once was. New international equilibria are starting to emerge.