The Trump Administration Has Cemented America’s Role as a Global Outcast
Tuesday’s eagerly anticipated meeting between Donald Trump and the newly re-elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney became an unpleasant reminder of the loss of international goodwill effected by the president’s imperialist grandstanding.
Carney’s primary mission during his visit to Washington — to reset the relationship between Canada and an increasingly hostile United States — would have been previously unthinkable between countries that were once fraternal allies.
In a span of months, Trump has abdicated America’s role as a paragon of democracy to pursue wild imperialist fantasies: annexing Canada as a 51st state, seizing Greenland and Panama as U.S. territories, claiming billions of dollars’ worth of Ukraine’s natural resources, and issuing blanket tariffs against all of our trading partners. Consequently, nobody should be surprised that our alliances and friendships are quickly disintegrating.
The administration has even ordered intel agencies to step up espionage against Greenland, a reminder that the president’s threats are more than idle words. By the time Trump inevitably leaves office, Washington might never be fully trusted again.
Trump’s Meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney Turns Hostile After Reviving “51st State” Rhetoric
All too predictably, Donald Trump’s first in-person meeting with the newly re-elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney turned sour on Tuesday as the president refused to let go of his autocratic fantasy of annexing Canada as a 51st state.
Since retaking office in January, Trump has insisted that seizing Canada and Greenland is necessary for maintaining national security — even though our northernmost neighbors have no interest in entertaining the president’s fantasies or joining with the United States.
Mark Carney, whose liberal party won a stunning election victory last week, campaigned on keeping Canada independent from the United States and Trump’s reactionary right-wing policies. “Some places are never for sale,” he reminded Trump during his White House visit. “[Canada] won’t be for sale, ever.”
“Never say never,” Trump responded. “Never, never, never,” Carney rebutted, standing up to the president’s bullying. Although the two leaders otherwise met on good terms — and their exchange was far less testy compared to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s calamitous visit — Trump’s unprovoked antagonism toward long-term allies such as Canada is only further proof that Trump has already succeeded in transforming America into an international pariah.
JD Vance Threatens Foreign World Cup Tourists with Possible Incarceration and Deportation
As the United States plans to co-host next year’s FIFA World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico, Vice President JD Vance jokingly warned foreign soccer fans not to overstay their visas while visiting America.
“When the time is up, they’ll have to go home. Otherwise, they’ll have to talk to [Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem].”
Ever since Trump returned to office, foreign arrivals to the United States have plummeted, particularly motivated by fears of being arrested by the administration. Earlier this year, for example, Canadian actress Jasmine Mooney was arrested by ICE and kept in inhumane conditions over an expired work visa. Many countries, including Germany, have likewise tightened travel advisories on the United States.
Trump Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Family of Deceased January 6 Insurrectionist Ashli Babbitt
The Trump administration has reportedly settled a $30 million civil lawsuit brought by the family of Ashli Babbitt, a January 6 insurrectionist who was shot and killed by police as she tried to climb through broken glass to reach sheltering lawmakers.
Although the officer involved, Michael Byrd, had been cleared of any wrongdoing — having only discharged his firearm as a last resort to prevent violent rioters from reaching members of Congress — Babbitt’s estate argues she was unarmed and not a threat.
On the contrary, footage from the January 6 attack on the Capitol shows Babbitt climbing through a smashed interior window as the violent pro-Trump mob behind her had nearly reached the vice president and elected representatives. To get to that point, rioters (including Babbitt) had to breach several police barricades while ignoring repeated orders by law enforcement to stay back. In the process, she and others were criminally trespassing into the beating heart of American democracy.
The Trump administration’s willingness to settle with the family of a right-wing extremist, whose participation in a violent coup will be posthumously subsidized by taxpayers, is a reminder of MAGA Republicans’ deplorable efforts to rewrite history and whitewash the events of January 6.
“The goal here is to rewrite the history of Jan. 6,” said former federal prosecutor Brendan Ballou. “There are [an] enormous number of politicians whose whole careers now depend on that day being forgotten because if it's remembered, people will realize they are supporting a president that tried to incite an insurrection and overthrow the peaceful democratic transfer of power.
On day one of his presidency, Trump similarly pardoned over 1,500 convicted January 6 rioters, releasing countless criminals back onto the streets — including members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.