Loss Leader
For every MAGOP in Congress lining up in support behind Trump for him lambasting President Zelenskyy of Ukraine in public at Friday's White House press event, and for every MAGA swaggering with false pride at Trump bullying in public a democratic ally under attack in war by our own adversary, what they all must realize is that the detrimental consequences of that action are not only far-greater than they know, but actually undermine one of America's long-held, cherished claims. In fact, almost more to the point, it completely destroys the very posturing at the heart of "MAGA" -- to make America "great" again. Because what it actually did was drastically undermine America in immeasurable ways.
Contrary to MAGOP World's' imperious belief -- in that one action at the White House on Friday (the culmination of his many previous actions, like saying he might not support an ally attacked by Vladimir Putin and suggesting he wants to leave NATO), Trump not only weakened the security of the United States, tying the country to Putin and Russia, but perhaps more importantly, he has now removed the U.S. from being "The Leader of the Free World".
Not believing this and dismissing it as meaningless because it goes against what you have convinced yourself is true might be comforting, but it's also foolish ignorance.
Bear with me. These aren't empty words of nothing more than angry opposition. They are all, unfortunately, demonstrably supportable.
The thing is, being "The Leader of the Free World" was more than a brag -- and a major right-wing strutting boast. Since after WWII - and maybe even further back -- the United States has always been "The Leader of the Free World" specifically because it led the NATO coalition and all the coalitions of democracies against authoritarian dictatorships like Russia, China, North Korea, Afghanistan, Iran and others. It led the defeat of Nazis, fascists and Imperialism trying to dominate the globe. But now, by throwing aside a democratic ally and aligning himself with Putin - an accused war criminal by the International Criminal Court, just condemned overwhelmingly by the United Nations -- Trump has separated the U.S. from our allies who have supported Ukraine with more money than we have and who see Putin and Russia as a direct threat to their own security on their same continent.
Europe and other allies may still look at the United States as one of their partners, particularly in economic matters, but no longer (at least as long as Trump is in office, and the U.S. can hopefully one day rebuild its trust) will they look to the U.S. for leadership. And even that is resting on a thin thread, when you consider that Trump has pushed away our oldest and literally closest ally Canada - starting a trade war with them and trying insanely into thinking he can bully the country to bizarrely give up its sovereignty and become a U.S. state.
And anyone -- even the most ardent "America is the greatest nation in the history of the world" Direct-from-God partisan -- who doubts this loss of World Leadership, they must face answering this one, simple, basic question: how could our allies possibly look to America as their World Leader since Trump has now allied the United States with Europe's greatest threat in Russia (which in many ways risks aligning us with a new coalition of other dictatorships like China, North Korea, Iran and more) -- and all the related threats that that comprises?!
Indeed, it's those who most strongly embrace the concept of America as "The Leader of the Free World" who should be most gut-churning outraged by Trump causing that to disappear. Yet they are the ones most enabling and cheering its disappearance.
The thing is, it's not just losing the mantle of "The Leader of the Free World", but its most basic level, Trump's actions have made the United States less secure. While I know many in MAGA World disdain foreign nations and conservatives have long tried to cut foreign aid, this myopia dismissed the critical importance of our international close ties. As Adam Kinzinger explained after the Trump meltdown and his supporters in Congress and elsewhere started cheering him - "Dear MAGA, If you think making Canada, the UK, and Australia, and New Zealand hate us is 'tough guy politics' you're going to regret that. I can't tell you how many attacks on US soil have been stopped by their intel agencies picking up on it. Now they hate us."
Or consider the words of Canadian MP Charlie Angus who explains pointedly the risk Trump brought to the U.S. by his actions, separating the country from our allies who united help keep us and them safe: "Donald… you've have made America sign up with Russia and North Korea. At one point, that would have been considered the act of an absolute traitor. How do you defend this absolute betrayal of your allies to the American people? For 80 years, America has led on the global stage, and you're willing to give that up to kiss up to Putin. If you think Canada is going to break right now, you're in for a big shock."
While I'm sure that many, if not most of Trump's most loyal supporters and enablers, including those in Congress, can find it easy to dismiss Adam Kinzinger as a mere embittered "RINO" (Republican in Name Only) and some Canadian government official they've never heard of, two mere nobodies, the words of these two men are only the surface of the earthquake shaking below. Willful blindness is no virtue.
Indeed, for anyone who considers this here about hurting U.S. security and the nation losing its position as "The Leader of the Free World" is all just hyperbole or fear-mongering or "fake news" or the biased words of a damn lib, let's ratchet it up a notch, so that the reality is more clear. Because these are the words over the weekend from Frank-Walter Steinmeier -- no mere nobody, but the President of Germany, perhaps the strongest democratic power in Europe. He said: "The scene at the White House yesterday took my breath away. I would never have believed that we would ever have to defend Ukraine from the United States."
But even that's just one national leader, no matter how significant a leader, and therefore easy to dismiss for those so inclined. It’s less easy and more clear, however, when you see the headlines on Sunday. This from the Daily Express of London explains it pointedly, enough for even those with a high level of disbelief for news that falls outside their preferred beliefs.
Note that the "19 world leaders" attending do not include the United States.
Even those so entrenched on the extreme right must recognize that it's near-impossible for a country to be considered "The Leader of the Free World" when you're not participating in an emergency meeting of 19 world leaders. Especially when it's your head of state whose problematic actions caused the meeting.
Those participating include:
- United Kingdom - Represented by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
- France - Represented by President Emmanuel Macron.
- Germany - Represented by Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
- Italy - Represented by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
- Poland - Represented by Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
- Canada - Represented by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
- Spain - Represented by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
- Denmark - Represented by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
- Norway - Represented by Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
- Finland - Represented by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo.
- Sweden - Represented by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
- Czech Republic - Represented by its leadership (no specific name given).
- Romania - Represented by its leadership (no specific name given).
- Netherlands - Represented by its leadership (no specific name given).
- Ukraine - Represented by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
- NATO - Represented by Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Again, not on the list is the United States and Trump.
And lest there be any remaining doubt for those who remain blissfully oblivious to the very real, critical damage done by Trump to Europe-U.S. relations, who don’t understand that Trump’s actions -- cheered and enabled by his party in Congress -- have caused the United States to no longer be seen as "The Leader of the Free World" who all democratic nations look to for direction, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock's speech to her country on Saturday, the day after Trump's debacle throwing our democratic ally Ukraine under bus, should remove all doubt.
It's a powerful, blunt, six-minute official statement from Germany. Not only blistering in its condemnation of the United States, but basically explaining that the U.S. has taken sides with Russia.
If you don't want to watch the whole thing (but it's worth it), this passage alone makes it brutally clear that Germany and Europe are no longer looking to the United States, led by Trump, for direction. And the risks the U.S. is causing itself:
And that is why we have been working for some time on new, stronger alliances with all those in the world who are prepared to continue to stand up for a rules-based international order and the strength of the law, rather than the law of the strongest. We as Europeans must take a stronger lead than ever before….A perpetrator-victim reversal would be the end of international law and thus also the end of security for the vast majority of countries. And it would also be fatal for the future of the United States, because hardly any country could rely on the credibility of the oldest democracy and the strongest military power if there were to be a perpetrator-victim reversal...We must stand up for our own interests, our own values and our own security for the people in Europe.…Germany must take the lead at this historic milestone…But if we set the right course in Germany and in Europe in these moments, in these days, as we did three years ago, then Europe will show what it is all about.
The United States is still a partner with our neighbors and democratic allies, and an important partner. And it can return to leadership one day, hopefully, but even that will take time to rebuild trust for what future MAGOP presidents and Congresses may do. It may even lead on issues where interests overlap. But through Trump’s actions on Friday, culminating in the direction he has been heading, aligning himself and the U.S. with war criminal Putin and Russia, with dictatorships elsewhere, make no mistake the United States under Trump is no longer "The Leader of the Free World," no longer controlling the one path other democracies and our allies must follow. Trump broke that. He showed his loyalties. Even if he and Zelenskyy repair their differences and Trump bullies a needy Ukraine into an agreement of concessions, he crossed the bridge of no return. He told our allies loudly and very publicly that his interests are not theirs. He told our allies that while partnering with the U.S. is necessary -- just like democracies still partner with authoritarian governments like Hungary and Turkey -- do not let America lead the way in deciding what is best for all. And do not share secrets with them that you can't trust.
As much as MAGOPs in Congress, who near-unanimously supported Trump’s actions on Friday against our democratic ally Ukraine on behalf of the dictatorial Putin and Russia, and who in enacting his policies have made Trump’s issues their own, and as much as party acolytes in the general pubic cheer Trump and “JD Vance” bullying and berating Volodymyr Zelenskyy, supposedly showing “power,” taking the side of our adversary Russia – no matter how much they all mistakenly believe that this showed strength and showed that the United States is the Leader of the World and all nations follow us, the reality is that what they are applauding did the very opposite of all they blusteringly stand for and, in fact, removed the U.S. as "The Leader of the Free World". And weakened United States security.
Not because I say so. But because government officials of Germany and Canada say so. Because 19 world leaders got together in an emergency summit without the United States, without Trump, and all say so. Literally say so.
And it’s not just a matter of who "The Leader of the Free World" is, directing the best interests of allies. It’s that our democratic allies no longer trust us because they don’t trust Trump, and don’t trust that intelligence they give us won’t get to Putin and any of our adversaries, and their adversaries. And will be reticent to pass all vital intel to us, and that makes us so much less secure.
Not because I say so.
Because they say so.
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