Back in 2016, Trump stood for the Presidency on an “America First” ticket. It sounded like a call for national sovereignty. But here in 2026, “Trumpism” has mutated into something far more sinister. Since regaining the White House, Trump has abandoned diplomacy for raw, coercive power, and the world is significantly less stable as a result.
The Era of Economic Shakedowns
For Trump, power appears to be the primary MO. Last year’s “Liberation Day” tariffs were just the start. Even after the US Supreme Court struck them down last month, Trump didn’t blink; he immediately invoked the 1974 Trade Act to slap a 15% global levy on the rest of us.
This isn’t about “protecting American workers”—it’s more like a protection racket. His treatment of Keir Starmer over the Chagos Islands shows how. By branding our deal with Mauritius “total weakness” and threatening to double our tariffs unless we bow to his demands, Trump has shown that he views the UK more like a colony, not a partner. We are now in an era of blatant economic coercion where the Special Relationship is essentially a dead letter.
“Epic Fury” and the New Imperialism
The escalation isn’t just economic. The “Epic Fury” bombing campaign against Iran, launched alongside the hard right Netanyahu, has decapitated the Iranian leadership and brought the Middle East to the brink of a total conflagration.
Trump boasts on Truth Social about “boots on the ground,” but where does this leave Britain? We are seeing the same pattern as with the capture of Maduro in Venezuela earlier this year: Trump then walks away, and then expects the world to live with the consequences. By snatching the Venezuelan President and declaring the US will “run the country” for the sake of its oil fields, he has shredded the last remnants of international law. He isn’t acting as a statesman; he’s acting as a liquidator.
The “Trump Slump” at Home
The irony is that this global aggression is a mask for failure at home. The “Trump Slump” of 2026 is real. With 110,000 layoffs in January alone and unemployment claims surging, the US economy is staggering under the weight of its own tariffs. Trump is bombing Tehran and occupying Caracas to distract from the fact that he can’t lower the price of eggs in Ohio.
Even the MAGA movement is splitting. The “anti-war” faction feels betrayed by the Seven-Country intervention policy, while the “America First” purists are wondering why billions are being spent on “running” Venezuela when the US border remains a mess.
Time for a Sovereign Pivot
The current crisis in the Middle East has sent oil prices rocketing and grounded the global airline industry. While Trump naively allows himself to be roped into a regional “Cold War” by the Israeli hard-right, Britain is left holding the bill for rising energy costs.
Key world leaders have had enough. From the cold shoulders at Davos to the open defiance in European capitals, the message is clear: the USA is no longer behaving like an ally.
Trump has isolated America. He has few allies left—only hostages. If Trump is determined to take the risk of his global escapades blow up in his face, we must make sure we aren’t standing next to him when they do. With mid-term elections coming up the consequences may get more messy domestically as well.
