The reason Donald Trump must be stopped is because he is a proponent and student of fascism, which is the "rule of the strong." The problem with the rule of only the strong is that society changes to reflect the weak vulnerable ego of the strong man at the center, who immediately identifies. (1) His enemies, and (2) Who the outgroup is, and why the enemy — which becomes the outgroup, own vice versa — and the winnowing thus begins. First you lose individualism, which gives over to a queer (and not the gay kind) type of collectivism... Once individualism is gone, people who try to help individualism prosper become part of the enemy outgroup. The winnowing continues on, and then resources become spread too thin, and you begin to lose the resources and the infrastructure that delivers resources into goods.. Then you begin losing JOBS. And when you begin losing individualism, individual prosperity, accolades (because you lose individual virtues and accomplishments so as to appease the egos of the "strong" at the center of thing). The outgroup(s) of "Weaker" people then become, as they've gotten poorer and poorer at the service of the strong who have forcibly taken THEIR resources, their numbers have swelled. Then the scales flip, the miserable peons in the outgroups are too many and infrastructure is a thing of the past, so the strong begin to lose their hold — they're at the center, trying to tie everything into themselves — and the weak rise up in what is the only propbable outcome: Revolution, followed by anarchy, and the whole system burns to the ground. Ashes to ashes. THAT is why we must stop Trump and his allies. Because if THEY win, society WILL ctumble and fall into despair, hopelessness, and eventually, chaos. The only hope is the defeat of the strong man before he comes to power in the first place. Only through intellect and romance can we defeat brute force and cynicism, or the cynical and brute, like Donald Trump.

Donald Trump’s rise to political power in the United States was unprecedented, unconventional, and divisive. As a businessman and reality TV star, he brought an outsider’s approach to the presidency, breaking away from political norms and traditional governance. However, while his approach resonated with many Americans, it has also caused deep concerns, both domestically and internationally, over his leadership style, policy decisions, and the broader impact on American democracy. In this essay, we will explore why Donald Trump's presidency has been viewed as bad news by many critics, focusing on key areas like the erosion of democratic norms, inflammatory rhetoric, foreign policy mishaps, and his response to critical crises.

One of the most significant critiques of Donald Trump's presidency is his consistent undermining of democratic norms and institutions. American democracy, like many democracies around the world, is built on principles of checks and balances, respect for rule of law, and the peaceful transfer of power. Trump’s behavior, especially following the 2020 presidential election, demonstrated a disregard for these foundational principles.

After losing the 2020 election to Joe Biden, Trump repeatedly made baseless claims of widespread voter fraud, despite numerous court cases and recounts that confirmed the election's integrity. His refusal to concede gracefully and his promotion of the false narrative that the election was "stolen" culminated in the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Trump’s rhetoric and behavior during this period fueled a dangerous belief among many of his supporters that the democratic process was illegitimate, thereby threatening the peaceful transfer of power—a cornerstone of stable governance.

In addition to this, Trump's attacks on the judiciary, the media (frequently calling the press the "enemy of the people"), and independent institutions like the FBI and intelligence agencies raised alarms about the potential erosion of democratic accountability. These actions contributed to an atmosphere of distrust, polarization, and instability within the American political system.

Trump’s presidency was marked by a sharp increase in political polarization. His rhetoric, often inflammatory and antagonistic, was designed to energize his political base but often alienated large portions of the population. Trump frequently used divisive language on issues related to race, immigration, and national identity, which deepened social divides in an already fractured country.

For example, his comments about the 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he claimed there were "very fine people on both sides," were widely condemned for failing to unequivocally denounce white supremacy. His inflammatory language on immigration, such as describing Mexican immigrants as "rapists" and calling for a complete ban on Muslims entering the United States, also contributed to a climate of fear and resentment.

This divisiveness extended beyond race and immigration. Trump’s attacks on political opponents, labeling them as "radical leftists" or "socialists," framed American politics as a zero-sum game in which compromise was seen as weakness. Rather than seeking to unite a deeply divided nation, Trump's strategy seemed to rely on amplifying divisions for political gain, contributing to a toxic political environment.

On the international stage, Trump’s foreign policy represented a stark departure from traditional American diplomacy. His "America First" doctrine often alienated longstanding allies while emboldening adversaries. Trump withdrew the United States from several international agreements and organizations, including the Paris Climate Accord, the Iran nuclear deal, and the World Health Organization, signaling a retreat from global cooperation and leadership.

This isolationist approach damaged the U.S.’s reputation as a reliable partner in global affairs. For instance, Trump’s unilateral withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, despite Iran’s compliance at the time, strained relations with European allies and destabilized the Middle East. His approach to NATO also raised concerns, as he repeatedly questioned the value of the alliance and cast doubt on whether the U.S. would uphold its defense commitments to member countries.

In contrast, Trump appeared more conciliatory toward authoritarian leaders, such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. His refusal to directly challenge Putin on election interference, human rights abuses, and military aggression raised serious concerns about the strength of U.S. foreign policy in countering authoritarianism.

While Trump positioned himself as a leader who would renegotiate trade deals and reset foreign policy on more favorable terms for the U.S., his often erratic decisions and disregard for diplomatic norms left the country more isolated and less trusted on the global stage.

Throughout his presidency, Trump faced several major crises, most notably the COVID-19 pandemic. His handling of the pandemic is widely regarded as one of the most significant failures of his administration. Early on, Trump downplayed the severity of the virus, frequently contradicting public health experts, and spreading misinformation about treatments and the virus's spread. His inconsistent messaging and refusal to encourage mask-wearing or other preventative measures contributed to a fractured national response.

The COVID-19 pandemic will be remembered as one of the most significant global health crises in modern history, with devastating impacts on public health, economies, and societies worldwide. In the United States, the pandemic resulted in over 600,000 deaths by the time Donald Trump left office in January 2021, with millions more infected. While the pandemic was a challenge for all world leaders, Trump’s response to the crisis was widely criticized for its lack of leadership, failure to prioritize science, and contradictory messaging. His handling of COVID-19 contributed to a fragmented and inconsistent national response, leading many to believe that his decisions made the crisis far worse than it needed to be.

This article explores Donald Trump's mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on several key areas: the administration’s early response, his downplaying of the virus, the inconsistent federal strategy, undermining of public health experts, and the politicization of essential public health measures.

The initial months of the COVID-19 outbreak were critical for containment and preparation. Unfortunately, Donald Trump's administration failed to act swiftly when warning signs appeared. Despite receiving intelligence briefings in January 2020 that warned of the potential severity of the virus, Trump and his team downplayed the risk to the American public, assuring that the virus was under control and would not significantly impact the United States.

In February 2020, Trump publicly stated that the virus would "disappear," famously saying, "One day—it's like a miracle—it will disappear." These statements, made at a time when the virus was rapidly spreading around the globe, gave the public a false sense of security and delayed efforts to mobilize a coordinated response.

While several countries moved quickly to ramp up testing, contact tracing, and public health measures, the U.S. lagged behind. The Trump administration’s slow rollout of COVID-19 testing severely hampered early efforts to track and contain the virus, leaving public health officials scrambling to understand the scope of the outbreak. By the time testing became more widely available, the virus had already spread throughout the country.

One of the most damaging aspects of Trump’s handling of the pandemic was his consistent downplaying of the virus’s severity. Even as case numbers soared and hospitals across the country began to fill with COVID-19 patients, Trump repeatedly minimized the threat of the virus. In recorded interviews with journalist Bob Woodward in early 2020, Trump admitted that he knew the virus was "deadly stuff" but chose to downplay it to avoid causing "panic."

This strategy of underplaying the dangers of COVID-19 had serious consequences. Trump’s repeated assertions that the virus was no worse than the flu and that the pandemic would soon be over contributed to widespread public confusion and a lack of urgency in addressing the crisis. Many of his supporters adopted these beliefs, leading to widespread resistance to basic public health measures like social distancing, mask-wearing, and later, vaccinations.

A key factor in the U.S. pandemic response was the lack of a cohesive, national strategy. Instead of taking a centralized approach to managing the pandemic, Trump largely left decision-making to state and local governments. While federalism is an important principle in the U.S. system, a crisis of this magnitude required a unified national strategy to ensure consistent public health messaging and resource distribution across states.

The administration’s decentralized approach led to wide disparities in how different states handled the pandemic. Some states implemented strict lockdowns and public health measures, while others, encouraged by Trump’s rhetoric, resisted such efforts. This patchwork response made it difficult to contain the virus, as people moved between regions with varying degrees of restrictions and public health compliance.

Moreover, Trump’s administration failed to take decisive action on critical issues such as ramping up the production and distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators, and other essential medical supplies. Healthcare workers across the country reported shortages of PPE, particularly in the early months of the pandemic, leaving frontline workers vulnerable and overwhelmed.

Perhaps one of the most damaging aspects of Trump’s handling of the pandemic was his undermining of public health experts, particularly those within his own administration. Throughout 2020, Trump frequently contradicted or sidelined experts such as Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and other members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

While public health officials emphasized the importance of social distancing, mask-wearing, and avoiding large gatherings, Trump often dismissed these recommendations. He held large rallies with thousands of supporters, most of whom were unmasked, and openly mocked the idea of wearing masks as a precaution. His refusal to wear a mask in public for much of 2020 sent a message to his supporters that masks were unnecessary, further politicizing what should have been a straightforward public health measure.

Trump also promoted unproven and sometimes dangerous treatments for COVID-19. For instance, he publicly advocated for the use of hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug, despite a lack of evidence that it was effective in treating COVID-19. Perhaps most infamously, during a White House press briefing in April 2020, Trump suggested that injecting disinfectants could be a potential treatment for the virus—a statement that was immediately condemned by medical professionals as dangerously misleading.

One of the most striking features of the pandemic under Trump was the extent to which public health measures became politicized. Instead of viewing actions like mask-wearing or social distancing as necessary steps to protect public health, Trump and many of his supporters framed them as infringements on personal freedoms and expressions of political allegiance.

Trump’s opposition to prolonged lockdowns and mask mandates, as well as his encouragement of protests against state governors who imposed such restrictions, further deepened the divide. This politicization of health measures led to widespread resistance in certain parts of the country, contributing to higher transmission rates and prolonging the pandemic’s impact in the U.S.

The pandemic also became a tool in Trump’s re-election campaign. His administration pressured the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue optimistic reports about the pandemic’s trajectory, and Trump himself often claimed that the virus would miraculously disappear. This approach undermined public confidence in the government’s response and led to confusion about the real severity of the pandemic.

By the time Trump left office in January 2021, the United States had recorded over 400,000 deaths from COVID-19 and millions of infections. The pandemic had devastated the economy, leading to widespread unemployment and business closures. While other countries managed to curb the spread of the virus through coordinated, science-based public health strategies, the U.S. response remained chaotic and inconsistent.

Critics of Trump’s handling of the pandemic argue that his failure to take the virus seriously from the outset, combined with his mixed messaging and politicization of public health measures, directly contributed to the high death toll and extended the duration of the crisis in the United States. Public health experts believe that tens of thousands of lives could have been saved with a more decisive and coordinated federal response.

The COVID-19 pandemic presented a once-in-a-century challenge to world leaders, and Donald Trump’s mishandling of the crisis is widely seen as one of the defining failures of his presidency. From downplaying the virus to undermining public health experts and spreading misinformation, Trump’s response exacerbated the severity of the pandemic in the United States. Rather than uniting the country in the face of a global health emergency, his actions deepened divisions, politicized essential health measures, and contributed to the loss of hundreds of thousands of American lives.

As the world continues to grapple with the ongoing effects of COVID-19, the lessons of Trump’s mishandling of the pandemic are clear: effective leadership in times of crisis requires a commitment to science, transparent communication, and a willingness to put the well-being of citizens above political interests.

By the time Trump left office in January 2021, the United States had the highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the world. Critics argue that his lack of leadership during the pandemic not only led to unnecessary loss of life but also exacerbated economic hardship by failing to implement a coherent federal response.

The racial justice protests in 2020, sparked by the killing of George Floyd, were another critical moment where Trump’s leadership was questioned. Rather than addressing the systemic issues of police brutality and racial inequality that fueled the protests, Trump focused on framing the demonstrations as lawlessness, calling for "domination" of protesters by law enforcement. His aggressive stance and failure to acknowledge the legitimate grievances of millions of Americans further inflamed tensions across the country

The long-term impact of Donald Trump’s presidency is perhaps most concerning in the way it has reshaped political discourse and norms. Trump’s brash, confrontational style has lowered the standard for political civility, with personal attacks, conspiracy theories, and falsehoods becoming normalized. The rise of "alternative facts" and the mainstreaming of disinformation have eroded trust in public institutions, the media, and even science, with many Americans now divided over basic truths.

This erosion of truth and the polarization of political discourse have set a dangerous precedent for future leaders. The amplification of conspiracies, such as the baseless claims of election fraud, has undermined faith in the electoral process and could have lasting consequences for the stability of American democracy.

Donald Trump's presidency has left behind a legacy marked by division, erosion of democratic norms, foreign policy isolation, and mishandling of key crises. While his supporters celebrate him as a disruptor who challenged the political establishment, the consequences of his tenure have revealed deep fractures in American society and governance.

From undermining the rule of law to fostering an environment of political and social division, Trump’s impact on the political landscape is undeniable. His presidency exposed vulnerabilities in the democratic system, and his rhetoric and policies have had lasting effects on the nation’s discourse and global standing. As the United States moves forward, the challenge will be in healing these divides and restoring the norms and institutions that have been weakened during his time in office.