Donald Trump is tearing the United States apart
Musk and Trump and the Putin Agenda
Beyond these specific cases, the Trump administration’s broader strategy has been one of institutional erosion. The last two months have seen a marked pattern of dismantling key American institutions, from regulatory agencies to international aid programs. USAID, once a critical tool of U.S. soft power in Africa, Latin America, and Asia, has been all but destroyed, leaving the field open to Chinese and Russian influence. The gutting of healthcare and agricultural programs in the US further underscores this retreat, not as cost-cutting measure but as a calculated effort to strip down the American state. Add to this the firing of inspector generals, the massive purges at the FDA, at the FAA, the Department of Veterans Affairs, 5400 probation workers at the Department of Defense, 900 million cut at the Department of Education, staffers at the Department of Energy including those tasked with nuclear weapons, Internal Revenue Service and so on and so forth.
The enforced of much of this process of destruction is Elon Musk, who has been granted unprecedented influence over government operations. Musk’s role in the administration mirrors that of a "super minister" in other countries, exercising authority over multiple secretariats and with budgetary decisions over all areas of government. This raises the question of whether Musk’s influence is part of a broader strategy not only to consolidate power in the Oval Office but also to eliminate entire areas of government which are critical to the daily operation and defence of the US.
The Trump administration’s actions have not been limited to domestic policies. The retreat from global engagements is particularly striking, with the U.S. ceding influence in key geopolitical areas. The dismantling of programs like the U.S. peace initiatives and the recent decision to halt the tracking of Russian war crimes in Ukraine exemplify this withdrawal. The latter, which had been investigating the forcible transfer of 20,000 Ukrainian children to Russia, among other crimes committed by Russians in Ukraine, was a significant step in holding Russia accountable.
Perhaps the most insidious aspect of this transformation is the aggressive reshaping of the American judiciary. Since Trump’s return to power, Musk’s social media presence—particularly on Twitter—has become the Trump press virtual office and ministry of propaganda. Calls for the arrest of politicians, the impeachment of judges, and the broader purge of the judicial system account for a large portion of Musks last few days of digital communiques. Judges perceived as "leftist" or "woke" are being targeted, the message is clear, the independence of the judiciary is anathema to the Trump White House and its goons. The judiciary is expected to align ideologically with the executive branch.
The elimination of American programs, particularly those that extend U.S. influence abroad, signals a strategic retreat. USAID employees, for instance, have historically functioned not only as development agents but also as intelligence conduits in regions where the U.S. government lacks a formal presence. Their removal means a diminished American footprint and the fulfilment of the wildest dreams of the masters of Beijing and Moscow.
The events of the past week underscore the trajectory of this administration. Ignoring judicial rulings, outsourcing immigration detention to foreign camps, and purging institutions reflect a regime not bound by democratic guardrails. The ultimate goal appears to be the destruction of American democracy in favour of an ideological tyranny aligned with an international constellations of illiberal tyrannies.
This transformation is not just an American problem. The erosion of U.S. institutions has global ramifications as it vacates the power on which the US western allies have relied and alters the dynamics of international governance. If left unchecked, the dismantling of the American state may soon reach a point where it is no longer reversible, leaving behind a nation unrecognizable from the democratic republic it once claimed to be.