By Elliott Brack
Editor and publisher, GwinnettForum
SEPT. 26, 2025 | Never have I been ashamed and chagrined about an American president before. But Donald Trump’s continued antics have seriously degraded our country. It’s bad enough that this is happening to Americans for us to put up with. Even worse, it is particularly appalling to see him attack and upset the diplomatic community and insult foreign nations with reckless abandon.
Trump’s bullying in his second term is worse than his first term, something we thought impossible. Talk about shooting from the hip! Not only that, but this president seems to have absolutely no understanding of the complexities of the machinations of world affairs.
What amazes me is that with all this ballyhooing that he does, the American economy somehow hasn’t plunged downward. The business climate of any nation is a fine-tuned machine, and might get upset with the slightest suggestion. But through the Trump time, the economy continues amazingly stable, though indications remain that it could plunge any day.
And so far, the Federal Reserve has done its job responsibly in fine-tuning the interest rate, in spite of Trump’s continued interference to cut interest rates quicker.
The last week of Trump’s ranting and behavior has been particularly vexing and troublesome for our democracy.
- Throwing a temper tantrum wanting to punish anyone who doesn’t like him, particularly the media. Has President Trump never heard of the First Amendment, when everyone has a right to speak their piece? As the Huffington Post reported: “If Trump can control the media, he will be free to enact whichever policies he wants — without anyone to hold him accountable for the harm he may do. It’s all a part of his effort to control what Americans can say, think, or engage with.”
- Insulting the United Nations appearing before it on its 80th anniversary. Allotted 15 minutes to talk, he rattled on for 56 minutes of rambling boasts and insults. The speech was a dark fantasy of narcissism and Christian nationalism that struck at the heart of the very concept of the United Nations. In its wake, some journalists demolished Trump’s wild claims, while others bemoaned his destruction of diplomacy by berating our friends and allies while they were guests in our country. As one senior diplomat said afterward: “This man is stark, raving mad. Do Americans not see how embarrassing this is?’”
- Trump cannot stand criticism of any kind. He chunks aside and fires his own appointees when they disagree with him. His efforts against late-night television hosts have been a favorite target, saying that anyone who mocks him should be taken off the air. At least ABC (Disney Entertainment), which took Jimmy Kimmel off its late night show not wanting Trump’s wrath, heard the nation’s protest, and reinstated Kimmel.
- The Glendale, Ariz. rally after the murder of Charlie Kirk, was this another vehicle for Trump not merely to laud the late departed, but set in motion more rants and raves, more of a political rally than a memorial service? And do such MAGA rallies not remind you of the way Adolf Hitler swayed Germany nearly a century ago, bringing himself to power, and each rally ending with the vast followers throwing up their right arms and saying “Sieg Heil?” Will we soon be saying “Sieg Trump?”
Yes, these and many more episodes of Donald Trump disparaging Americans and our allies abroad as well trying to force change our basic principles, makes me ashamed of what is happening in our country. We can only pray for better days.
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