Either Trump Falls or America Falls.

It's revolution or ruination.

Photo by History in HD on Unsplash

He’s only gone and done it. He said he would over and over again, and yet you all directed him towards the steering wheel and piled into the backseat anyway. Surely it was all pomp and hyperbole? Well, no, senile and foaming at the mouth, just as he promised, Trump is pedal to the metal and violently steering you all towards a cavernous cliff. After just 100 days in office, Trump is on the verge of destroying America. The Constitution, American democracy, civil rights, human rights and the very hegemony that has held this country up for nearly 80 years all teeter on the verge of destruction. America, you are zooming past the point of no return — you need to eject him from the driver’s seat and slam on the brakes now because your country can’t survive another 100 days of this. And, quite frankly, I can’t have America give up on me. I want to go to Burning Man. Mind you, at the rate we are going, it could end up being the most literal burning man ever…

There is a glimmer of hope, though, because Trump is about as popular as a wet fart in a packed sauna.

Trump’s approval rating at 100 days is lower than any president in the past eighty years, at just 39%, according to ABC, smashing even his own record from 2017 of 41%. For some context, Biden’s approval rating this far into his term was 57%, Reagan’s was 67%, Clinton’s was 55%, and Nixon’s was 62%! Trump’s current approval rating is actually lower than Nixon’s when the Watergate tapes were unveiled. That is how insanely unpopular he is.

But this goes past just simple unpopularity. Another poll found that 52% of Americans see Trump as a dictator whose power needs to be restrained before he destroys democracy. That might sound like a small number, but all it took was 57% of Americans to think Nixon should resign for him to be forced to. Let’s also not forget that back in 2021, 59% of Americans said they wanted Trump barred from the presidency, and this sentiment is being rekindled.

Let’s also not forget the context of the “Hands Off!” protests and the 3.5% rule. Many estimates put the number of protestors at these rallies at more than 1% of the US population. That means America is about a third of the way to meeting the 3.5% rule, which says dramatic political change is guaranteed to happen when 3.5% of the population engages in peaceful protests. With 76% of the country agreeing that the economy is going down the toilet and 72% saying they think Trump’s policies will cause a recession, you can bet more and more people will want to join these protests.

The passengers of the car have spotted the cliff; they can see that Trump is deranged, berserk, and gunning straight for the horizon. A few are already trying to wrestle him out of the driver’s seat, but it’s not enough — he is gripping so hard that the stitches are flying out of the steering wheel. Meanwhile, everyone else is seemingly paralysed and screaming at what is rapidly approaching in the windshield.

It isn’t a matter of when America will notice; it is when America will act. But, truth be told, the real issue is whether they will act in time.

In great news for doomsday preppers and terrible news for everyone else, it is not hyperbole to say that America can’t survive another 100 days of this.

I’m not talking about the stock market, which has nosedived in the wake of Trump’s asinine tariffs, even though the full effect of them has yet to be felt. And because he seems determined to continue with them, the market will likely fall even further.

I’m not talking about the undermining of the Constitution, with due process being denied even for US citizens, Trump openly admitting he wants to take a third term, and democratic processes being scuppered.

I’m not talking about civil and human rights being violated, such as deporting people to literal concentration camps without due process or working to send US citizens there, discriminating against the neurodiverse or LGBTQ+, falsely arresting tourists or migrants for weeks on end, or even the open plan to commit genocide in Gaza.

I’m not talking about the infringement on press and academic freedoms threatening to destroy crucial American institutions.

I’m not talking about the violation and brutalisation of the law and judicial branch, with Trump flagrantly dismissing the Supreme Court and judges being threatened and arrested for no reason other than doing their job.

No, these are all truly heinous actions, but America would be able to thrive nonetheless. What it can’t survive is its feet being kicked out from underneath it, and that is what awaits at the bottom of the cliff.

America is the hegemonic power of the world and has been for over eighty years. Through a complex interplay of military alliances, military might, economic coercion, and straight-up manipulation, America has positioned itself at the tippy top of the food chain of nations. This is not just something that the US maintains control over; it has been ingrained into every aspect of its society and has become a core tenet of its very existence. Everything that happens within its borders can only happen because it can exploit the rest of the world, regardless of whether they are an ally or foe. Don’t believe me? Read Confessions of an Economic Hitman by John Perkins and Who Rules The World? by Noam Chomsky.

But Trump is ham-fistedly destroying this complex relationship. His abandonment of Ukraine, anger at NATO, overzealous trade wars, cosying up to Russia, and even his attempts to annex land and violate sovereignty all undermine American hegemony. Allies will only allow themselves be exploited by the US for something in return, and foes will only allow themselves be plundered if they have no better option. Now, that is no longer the case. The EU is actively isolating NATO from the US and isolating its militaries from US control and supply. The ECB is moving to replace the dollar with the euro as the reserve currency. China is openly working with the EU and other allies to combat Trump’s damaging trade tantrums. There are even allies saying they should treat the US as a hostile nation, and developing nations are no longer looking to the US for salvation.

In short, the complex machine that made America, America, is already damaged far beyond repair, and it has only been 100 days. In another 100, it won’t be America’s choice to isolate, because the world will have turned its back on them. And with no way of exploiting the world order, what America has been, what it stood for, and what enabled its citizens to live will suddenly and violently come to an end.

It took 18 months, or 540 days, to get Nixon to resign after the Watergate scandal. So, I’m not sure Trump can even be reined in over the next 100 days. And even if he somehow is, America may have already passed the point of no return, as the wheels have already been set in motion. Everyone could grab hold of the steering wheel and slam on the brakes right now, and they may still skid, slide, and roll over the edge.

But, on the flip side, it took just a few days for Mussolini to fall. Mass democratic movements, both from the public and within government, can topple dictators incredibly rapidly. There is enough sentiment, awareness, and desire to save America from this self-inflicted fate, both from the citizens and even from within the Republican party. The question is, will they take significant enough action in time?

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Sources: The Guardian, Axios, Pew Research, ABC, QPU, CNN, APP, Will Lockett