Is the US facing a crisis?
"The whole world has come to the conclusion that the U.S. government doesn't know what it's doing." Mark Blythe, "Inflation: A Guide for Users and Losers" (New York Times, April 14, 2025).
Professor Mark Blythe's remarks were aimed at the turmoil in global financial markets caused by the Trump administration's gross mismanagement of the bond market and the start of a trade war with China. However, Blythe's accusation can be applied to all areas of the Trump administration over the past three months. Trump's second term began with the appointment of the most inexperienced and incompetent ministers and heads of departments in the history of the United States. In his inaugural address for his first term in 2017, he spoke of the "destruction of America." Now, eight years later, we are truly facing the destruction of America.
In less than 90 days, the United States under Trump has become a completely different country. It is no exaggeration to say that America is facing a crisis that will be difficult to fix. For example, the executive branch has assumed powers that are usually associated with wartime demands. The legislative branch has largely lost its power due to the almost complete capitulation of the Republican Party. And the judiciary is facing an unprecedented threat from a president and vice president who have no respect for the courts and judges. Trump has fired at least 15 inspectors general, who were tasked by Congress to identify abuses in federal agencies. This has opened a wide door for corruption and abuse.
The United States is facing existential, constitutional, and identity crises that signal a national crisis; the effects of this can already be seen in domestic and international instability.
CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS
Donald Trump's refusal to recognize a recent Supreme Court ruling to take steps to deport Salvadoran immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia has set off a constitutional crisis that many have been anticipating as the new president returns to the White House. Abrego Garcia was illegally deported to El Salvador's most dangerous prison, and there is still no evidence of any crime against him. He has never been imprisoned or charged with a crime. El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele told Trump on April 14 that he would not deport Abrego Garcia. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who sat next to Trump, insisted that it was El Salvador's decision. In a clear example of the Trump administration's extreme cruelty and ruthlessness, Bondi added: "If they want to deport him, we will help, we will provide a plane."
Last week, Trump said he would not respect federal court rulings but would abide by Supreme Court rulings. Two days later, the Trump administration stood firm, saying it was not necessary to involve the Salvadoran government in securing Abrego Garcia's return. Abrego Garcia's deportation amounted to "official kidnapping" because he was taken from the United States without due process. Trump's defiant tone was echoed by his Justice Department, which is seeking to expand executive branch powers in ways that are illegal and even unconstitutional.
EXISTENTIAL CRISIS
The United States is facing an existential crisis. In this case, leading members of the administration, especially the attorney general and the deputy chief of staff, are questioning the very foundations of the rule of law and freedom. Never before in American history, except for the Civil War in the 1860s, has there been a crisis of this magnitude. For the past 150 years, American politicians and historians have prided themselves on the uniqueness that sets the United States apart and justifies the export of American traditions and values. Now, “Uniqueness” has become a de facto stylistic device in political discourse and historical narratives.
Over the past 80 years, the United States has prided itself on playing a crucial role in ridding the world of the threats of fascism and communism. But the Trump administration has created strategic confusion about the United States’ goals and objectives. The health of the Atlantic alliance is now in doubt; the trade and tariff war with China is escalating; and the pressure on Ukraine has raised doubts about U.S. support among allies in Europe and Asia.
IDENTITY CRISIS
The crisis of identity is defined by Trump’s utter desperation. He is personally responsible for his administration’s illegal and unconstitutional brutality toward refugees. There is a famous poem about the Statue of Liberty that describes it as a symbol of welcome and hope. In contrast, refugees who have faced violence in their own countries are now facing even greater violence in the United States. Trump has promised to deport one million immigrants in his first year, but a lack of funding and staff could prevent that goal from being achieved. Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller is leading the deportation process, forcing 30 countries to accept immigrants who are not their citizens. The case of Abrego Garcia is a clear example of the utter desperation of the Trump team.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent decision to revoke visas for foreign students is the latest in a series of moves that have signaled a new face for the United States. In less than 60 days, more than 1,000 international students have had their visas revoked, ostensibly to combat anti-Semitism on college campuses. Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil was the first victim of this crackdown, and it has led to a wave of self-deportation among international students. This is exactly what Trump, Rubio, and Miller wanted. As a result, international students are increasingly turning away from U.S. universities as their destination for higher education, especially when Canada and Australia offer far greater security and support.
The American people themselves are feeling the humiliation of the Trump team. Trump stripped President Joe Biden's son and daughter of security protection and even said that Hunter Biden deserved the death penalty. Because of this, Biden was forced to pardon his son before leaving office. Trump's words have caused serious concern for former national security adviser John Bolton, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and General Mark Milley. In addition, more than a dozen prosecutors who worked on special counsel Jack Smith's criminal investigation into Trump have been fired.
Every major institution in the United States, even libraries and museums, which the CEO of the American Alliance of Museums has called “the most trusted sources of information in this country,” are being targeted by the Trump administration’s ignorant. The Soviet Union used to be the only country in the world with an “unpredictable past,” but now that accusation could apply to the United States as well. Last month, Trump issued an executive order called “Restore Truth and Reason to American History.” The order calls for a reexamination of the country’s historical development.
Trump himself has vowed to retool and overhaul the Smithsonian Institution, the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Vice President J.D. Vance, who currently sits on the Smithsonian board, has been tasked with dismantling the institution's "ideology of error." Prestigious universities, successful regulatory agencies, health departments, and prominent law firms have also been targeted and weakened in the process. Donald Trump has even managed to take direct control of the Kennedy Center, a prime example of his pathological racism.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in 1991 that the collapse of the Soviet Union was "the greatest geopolitical disaster of the 20th century." Perhaps the collapse of the Soviet Union gave the United States too much power for its own good. This led to the abuse of power in the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the two-decade war in Afghanistan, and the subsequent military involvement in Iraq. The greatest geopolitical disaster of the 21st century may be the political and economic collapse of the United States, which will have far-reaching consequences for the entire international community.
In addition to the internal turmoil unleashed by the Trump administration, the United States is losing power and influence on the international stage. This is reflected in the decline of the influence of the Atlantic alliance that provided security for the US relationship with Western Europe, in the senseless and "monumental split" with China that makes no geopolitical sense, in the retreat from arms control and disarmament, and in the purge and politicization of professional militaries. Last week, the global financial system that has ensured the dominance of the US dollar and US bonds in international markets was threatened. Britain lost the dominance of the pound after the Suez War in 1956. History does not repeat itself exactly, but it rhymes.
Prepared by Muhammad Dawud.