Trump’s betrayal of America’s social contract and global standing

From its inception, America has embraced and promulgated ideals and values, making it a great and unique nation. America's uniqueness is characterized by its consistent pursuit of liberty and individual freedom, equality of opportunity, self-government and democracy, diversity and inclusion, justice and the rule of law, innovation, individualism, self-reliance, patriotism, and civic duty. Although these political ideals and moral values have guided America from its inception, millions of Americans have been left behind, enduring poverty, inequality, injustice, and a lack of opportunity.

Nevertheless, the American Dream, a concept deeply embedded in the national consciousness, which was coined during the Great Depression by historian James Truslow Adams in his 1931 book The Epic of America, remained a source of inspiration for people near and far. Adams envisioned the American Dream as a collective aspiration for a society where individuals could achieve their fullest potential regardless of birth or circumstance. Although this ideal has evolved, its core promise-opportunity, equality, and justice-remains a defining feature of American identity.

What made America great was not that these ideals and values were reserved solely for Americans, but that they were promoted worldwide by investing political and financial capital to improve and save millions of lives from poverty and disease while advocating for democracy to foster freedom and equality for the betterment of humanity, encompassing:

Foreign Aid and Democracy Assistance Programs, including $43.79 billion disbursed via USAID for poverty alleviation, electoral support, and strengthening of civil society. Public Diplomacy and cultural exchange initiatives to promote cross-cultural understanding, which often mitigates conflicts. Military Alliances grounded in shared values, especially NATO, which served as the bedrock of US-European security.

Democratic Capacity Building through partnerships with foreign governments, civil society organizations, and human rights activists, fostering free legislatures and rights-respecting constitutions. Civil Society Empowerment Grants, such as the National Endowment for Democracy, which support activists in repressive regimes and promote independent NGOs, labor unions, and independent media. Media outreach through the US Agency for Global Media, including the Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, which broadcasts in 64 languages to counter authoritarian narratives and reaches 427 million weekly. Put together, these programs made America an unrivaled nation with unprecedented worldwide influence and power. Hardly any country makes a major foreign-related decision without considering America's reaction.

Trump inherited this incredible power. Instead of building on America's unsurpassed military, economic, cultural, technological, and global outreach, he crowned himself as an emperor, acting on his whims, devoid of careful consideration or moral values, betraying America's social contract and global standing.

Unparalleled damage
Trump's first eight weeks inflicted uniquely severe damage due to his multidimensional actions, their speed, and their potential irreversibility. His concentrated assault on democratic institutions, alliances, and norms has no parallel in scale. It may well exceed the total sum of mischiefs, crimes, corruption, and delinquency of all his predecessors.

Domestically
On his first day in office, Trump issued full pardons to 1,500 individuals convicted of crimes related to the January 6, 2021, insurrection that he instigated. Not a single Republican dared to question his alarming act, which is nothing less than traitorous. They remained deftly silent when he signed an order denying citizenship to children born in the US to undocumented immigrants or those on temporary visas, rendering children vulnerable to deportation and potentially leaving them stateless.

The Republican party's bigotry was on full display when not a single legislator lifted a finger when Trump mandated federal agencies to classify individuals strictly as "male" or "female" based on biological sex, restricting access to gender-affirming care under federal programs. On top of that, he terminated all federal DEI initiatives, alleging they promote "reverse discrimination," exacerbating systemic inequalities while suspending asylum processing and violating international refugee law. And, customarily to their indifference to those in need, no Republican of any stature objected to Trump's halting discretionary spending across agencies, paralyzing public services and causing chaotic disruptions to healthcare and disaster relief.

Trump's rhetoric and policies have exacerbated racial and ethnic tensions, creating divisions within communities and tearing apart America's social fabric. His draconian orders on immigration have adversely impacted America's social uniqueness as a land of immigrants, which has historically been a cornerstone of American identity and strength and could have lasting impacts on American society, economy, and identity.

Foreign Relations
He accelerated the erosion of America's global standing and values and alienated international partners, posing an existential challenge to America's pivotal role on the international stage. He exited the World Health Organization and the Paris Agreement, which will have dire consequences for pandemics and carbon emission targets. He imposed a 90-day pause on $60 billion in foreign assistance, suspended critical programs, including maternal health initiatives and climate adaptation projects, and slashed USAID's foreign aid contracts by 90 percent while cutting $340 million annually from UNRWA, exacerbating starvation in Gaza. He mandated a review of all US-ratified treaties, targeting the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and Convention Against Torture, threatening to unravel decades of human rights accountability.

He humiliated and demeaned Ukraine's President Zelenskyy in the Oval Office for the whole world to witness-a shameless display of arrogance while siding with America's staunch adversary, Russia's Putin. European leaders decried the shift as a betrayal of NATO solidarity. And to top it all, he instructed the US mission to vote against a UN resolution advocating a just peace in Ukraine, signaling support for Russian territorial claims-a vote that will live in infamy.

He arbitrarily imposed 25% tariffs on most Canadian and Mexican goods. Even though he temporarily suspended them, he still severely damaged the most successful and beneficial trade agreement between the three countries, which Canada and Mexico can no longer take for granted. He further violated Mexico's sovereignty by authorizing military action against cartels, risking escalating violence and militarizing drug policy.

To add luster to his imperial design, he wants to grab Greenland, reclaim the Panama Canal, take over Gaza, and deport the Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan, which is tantamount to ethnic cleansing. And for good measure, he wants to make Canada the '51st state.'

Every Republican should ask, do we want to sacrifice the future well-being and the global standing of this incredible country that exemplified human capacity to realize the unimaginable, only to serve a felon possessed with self-grandeur?

Do we want to empower a blind and delusional wannabe king to batter domestic democratic checks and balances and undermine America's indispensable role in global affairs?

Do we want to support a president who is ready to ignore federal court orders and push the country to the precipice of a constitutional crisis?

Do we want to govern a country grappling with institutional decay, diplomatic distrust, and societal divisions that are defacing America to the point of no return?

Every Republican leader left with an ounce of integrity should wake up and stop Trump before it's too late. Otherwise, self-destruct is what will await the Republican party, and Trump's presidency will be remembered for its catastrophic ending.

As for the Democrats, they have been in a coma since Trump was elected. They better rise now, speak up, and oppose Trump at every turn when any of his actions violate the Constitution and betray American ideals and values. They must develop a national agenda that responds to the yearning of a multitude of Americans for whom the American dream has become nothing but a tragic illusion. The Democrats, like their counterpart, the Republicans, are facing the test of time. They must rise to the challenge now before the sun sets on America.