A bitter fall looms in American politics, as President Donald Trump flexes unchecked power that often tests the Constitution while Democrats grapple for traction with their voters demanding a fight back.
Trump seems like a president in a hurry, as he threatens to send National Guard troops into more Democratic-run cities; accelerates mass deportations; and takes new swings against the bureaucracy, which last week led to a purge of top scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Abroad, Trump is demanding the Nobel Peace Prize, despite his failure to end two murderous conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. His trade wars have shredded the US reputation as a bastion of economic stability — and pushed India into the arms of superpower China. But his tariff barrage is suddenly looking vulnerable after an appeals court ruled Friday that it is illegal.
Nothing is too small for Trump’s attention. He’s obsessing over his project to redecorate the White House after paving over the fabled Rose Garden and unveiling plans for a multimillion-dollar ballroom in an East Wing makeover. And his raging late-night social media posts show he’s determined to insert himself into every aspect of political, cultural and national life while using his power to harass and investigate his political foes.
But Democrats are finally showing signs of life after enduring an eight-month pummeling by Trump. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has turned to searing mockery of the president’s outbursts and elevated himself above potential 2028 rivals for the Democratic nomination. In Illinois, another Democratic governor, JB Pritzker, is seizing the spotlight, warning Trump to keep federal troops out of a promised crime and immigration crackdown in Chicago.
