Analysis by Bruce Alpine, May 29. 2025

𝕋𝕣𝕦𝕞𝕡 𝕚𝕤 𝕒 𝕗𝕒𝕚𝕝𝕦𝕣𝕖 - 𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕡𝕠𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕓𝕝𝕪 𝕤𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝔸𝕞𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒

𝔸𝕞𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒 𝕟𝕖𝕖𝕕𝕤 𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕥𝕪, 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕥𝕒𝕩𝕖𝕤, 𝕓𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕖𝕕𝕦𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟, 𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕒𝕝 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕥𝕙𝕔𝕒𝕣𝕖, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕚𝕟𝕗𝕣𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕦𝕔𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖 𝕚𝕟𝕧𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥. 𝕋𝕣𝕦𝕞𝕡’𝕤 𝕕𝕚𝕧𝕚𝕤𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕡𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕔𝕚𝕖𝕤—𝕥𝕒𝕩 𝕔𝕦𝕥𝕤 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕙, 𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕕𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕤, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕣𝕙𝕖𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕔—𝕕𝕖𝕖𝕡𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕕 𝕚𝕟𝕖𝕢𝕦𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕦𝕤𝕥, 𝕗𝕒𝕚𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕟𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟.

A

merica deserves bold, unifying solutions—fair taxes, robust education, universal healthcare, modern infrastructure, and social cohesion—to achieve true greatness. 

Instead, across both terms, Donald Trump’s catastrophic leadership has turned the U.S. into a global laughingstock, doubling down on divisive, elitist policies that wreak havoc. 

His first term ignited division with lies and giveaways; his second escalates the chaos with reckless tariffs, deportation disasters, and authoritarian stances, shredding America’s economy, trust, and reputation. 

Here’s why Trump’s failures are a disgrace and what would actually work. 

Economic Fairness: 

America’s inequality (Gini: 0.41) is a moral failure. 

Progressive taxation (45% for incomes over $10 million) and a $15-$20 living wage could lift 1.3 million from poverty (CBO). 

Retraining, like Germany’s apprenticeships, could prepare workers for tech jobs. 

Trump’s first-term 2017 tax cuts handed 60% of benefits to the top 20%, bloating the deficit by $1.9 trillion (Tax Policy Center). 

His second-term tariffs—25% on non-USMCA goods, 10% universal—have spiked gas prices 20% and cost Canada $13 billion (UChicago), dwarfing his first-term trade war’s $27 billion hit to farmers. 

Both terms betray workers for corporate cronies, making America a global symbol of greed. 

Education Reform: 

The U.S. ranks a pitiful 24th in OECD high school completion (87%). 

Equalizing school funding and free community college could close gaps. 

Trump’s first-term charter school obsession bled public funds; his second-term plan to gut the Department of Education, slashing $200 billion, is a vicious attack on kids’ futures. 

His teacher-bashing as “woke” radicals fuels division, leaving America’s schools a global embarrassment. 

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Related:

Analysis: 𝕋𝕣𝕦𝕞𝕡’𝕤 𝟙𝟘𝟘-𝔻𝕒𝕪 𝔸𝕡𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕧𝕒𝕝 𝕊𝕚𝕟𝕜𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝟛𝟡%, 𝕋𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕗𝕗𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝔼𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝔽𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟝𝟝% 𝔻𝕚𝕤𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕧𝕒𝕝 𝕚𝕟 ℙ𝕠𝕝𝕝

𝕋𝕣𝕦𝕞𝕡: 𝔸𝕞𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒'𝕤 𝕎𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔹𝕒𝕝𝕝-𝕚𝕟-ℂ𝕙𝕚𝕖𝕗

𝕋𝕣𝕦𝕞𝕡𝕤 𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕒𝕘𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕕𝕣𝕚𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕠 𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟

𝔸𝕟𝕥𝕚-𝕋𝕣𝕦𝕞𝕡 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕔𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕖𝕤 𝕒𝕔𝕣𝕠𝕤𝕤 𝕌𝕊 𝕕𝕖𝕔𝕝𝕒𝕣𝕖 '𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕤 𝕠𝕗𝕗'

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Healthcare Access: 

Spending 18% of GDP for 11th-place life expectancy (78.8 years) is a travesty. 

A public option could save $400 billion. 

Trump’s first-term ACA repeal bids risked 20 million losing coverage; his second-term NIH/CDC “reforms” are empty bluster (Holland & Knight). 

His COVID-19 lies—pushing bleach, mocking masks—killed 200,000 (Johns Hopkins); now, his transgender care bans spew hate, branding America as cruelly backward. 

Infrastructure Modernization: 

Crumbling infrastructure costs $500 billion yearly (ASCE: C-). 

A $1 trillion green investment could create 3 million jobs. 

Trump’s first-term $200 billion “plan” was a sham; his second-term fossil fuel fixation and wind lease cancellations lag behind China’s $100 billion clean energy push (Columbia Business School). 

His Panama Canal and Greenland stunts, worse than first-term trade flops, make America a global punchline. 

Social Cohesion: 

Polarization is at a 50-year high (Pew: 80% view rivals as threats). 

Civic education and ranked-choice voting could heal divides. 

Trump’s first-term “fake news” attacks set the tone; his second-term DEI bans, journalist purges, and Jan. 6 pardons embrace authoritarianism (Reuters, WSJ). 

With 40% approval and 59% opposing tariffs (Pew), he’s a global case study in division. 

Trump’s first term fractured America with lies; his second—tariffs crashing trade, deportations like sending Venezuelans to El Salvador, and global ridicule—has buried it in shame (PBS, WSJ). 

Fair taxes, strong schools, healthcare, green infrastructure, and civic reform would restore America. 

Trump’s legacy is failure.

𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬: 𝔅𝔯𝔲𝔠𝔢 𝔄𝔩𝔭𝔦𝔫𝔢

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