‘Trump’s gamble’

This is apropos two back-to-back letters to the Editor from this writer carried by the newspaper on Thursday and yesterday. That the domestic repercussions extend beyond economics is a fact. Trump’s reliance on executive orders to deploy National Guard units across American cities has stirred resentment.

Governors, civil society groups, and ordinary citizens increasingly resist federal overreach. What began as isolated protests now carries the seeds of civil disobedience. If these tensions deepen, the United States could face a crisis of internal legitimacy alongside its external challenges.

Internationally, relationships once grounded in cooperation have soured. Under Trump, ties with Mexico, Brazil, Canada, and Europe have deteriorated, shifting from cordiality to volatility. Diplomacy has been supplanted by threats, taunts, and public insults. America’s reputation as a partner of choice is waning, leaving it with fewer allies and diminishing influence. Soft power, once its greatest asset, has been eroded.

What remains is the blunt projection of military might—a tool ill-suited for resolving economic and political disputes. At the heart of the crisis lies the failure to pass a coherent federal budget. Without it, the machinery of government grinds to a halt. Public servants go unpaid, households lose income, consumer spending contracts, and economic growth falters. Inflation compounds the pain, creating a vicious cycle that ordinary Americans feel most acutely. Jobs vanish, prices rise, and confidence evaporates. The very people who form the backbone of the nation bear the brunt of political dysfunction.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025