Washington.- In little more than an hour, Donald J. Trump suggested that the United States should default on its debts for the first time in history, injected doubts about the country’s commitment to defend Ukraine from invasion by Russia, offered pardons for most of Capitol Hill protesters convicted of crimes, refusing to say he would abide by the results of the upcoming presidential election.
The second-term vision that Trump outlined at a CNN public event on Wednesday would represent a sea change from the core American values that have been the nation’s foundation for decades: its creditworthiness, its credibility with international allies and its compliance with the state. of law at home.
Trump’s provocations were not surprising. His time in office was often defined by a rules-don’t-apply-me approach to government and a lack of interest in upholding the post-World War II national security order, and at 76 he’s not required to change a lot
His performance, however, marked an escalation in his attempt to bend the government to his wishes as he runs for the White House again, only this time with greater command of GOP pressure points and a plan to demolish the bureaucracy. federal.
The televised event crystallized that the version of Trump who could return to office in 2025 is likely to rule as he did in 2020. In that final year of his presidency, Trump weeded out people perceived as disloyal and promoted those who would fully indulge his instincts, things he didn’t always do during the first three years of his administration, when his advisers often dissuaded him from drastic policy changes.
“From my perspective, there was an evolution of Donald Trump during his four years, and I think 2020 was the most dramatic example of him, the real him,” said Mark T. Esper, who served as Trump’s defense secretary. “And I suspect that would be his starting point if he won office in 2024.”
