There has been a lot of speculation about what a second Trump administration would look like. Recently Trump has said that he is thinking about a 15-week nationwide abortion ban. So much for “states’ rights,” which was one of the main arguments behind the overturning of Roe v. Wade. That should serve notice that those Republicans who constantly beat the drum about states rights have no intention of stopping at their respective state boundaries. They fully intend to push whatever policies they favor across the country.
Another big issue that constantly comes up when people speculate about a second Trump term is the future of the U.S. involvement in NATO. Many are convinced, and I am among them, that Trump will actually try to carry through on his threat to pull out of NATO. One would hope there are enough adults left in a Republican controlled Congress who have at least some semblance of a spine left to prevent Trump from such a folly. However, given that Trump has zero capability to think through long-term strategic decisions and potential consequences, I think it is necessary to think through what such a decision could lead to. No doubt, regardless of what anyone thinks it will lead to, such a monumental political faux pas will follow the ‘law of unintended consequences’ and will have impacts that even the most seasoned politicians and diplomats cannot imagine.
First of all, the economic consequences will be devastating to the European economy, to the world economy and consequently to the U.S. economy. There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that the American consumer will pay heavily for such an imbecilic move. During Trump’s last term, he started trade wars by implementing tariffs that ultimately cost the American consumer over $80 billion. Withdrawal from NATO will make this look like a student’s milk money for a day at school.
However, there is something potentially even more troubling if Trump were to pull out of NATO. It begs the question, who would be our ‘new’ friends? As far-fetched as it sounds, I can see a scenario where Trump would try to form a new alliance that would include, Russia, Belarus, Hungary, Türkiye, and possibly even North Korea. It is no secret Trump loves dictators like Putin. If Trump thought such an alliance would benefit himself and his family, I can easily see him heading down that path. Don’t forget, he just entertained Viktor Orban of Hungary at Mar-a-Lago.
As I, and many others, have said before, Trump cares not one whit about America, the Constitution, the Rule of Law, or any of those other mundane things that have been the foundation of this country since its founding. Trump cares about Trump and if he could form an alliance with people like Putin and Orban who could help him get richer and stay in power, he would do it in a heartbeat. And if he surrounds himself with an army of toadies, who will stop him? A Congress led by the likes of the bootlicker, Mike Johnson? Yeah, right!
I believe that a lot of people who are currently adamant Trump supporters and think life is going to be so great if Trump gets re-elected are going to be in for a really rude awakening if he carries through on even half of the policies he is currently threatening to implement. They surely can’t be surprised or plead ignorance. The warning signs are all here for everyone to see.
