By Ray Hanania
It is amazing how so many Americans were duped by Donald Trump, a convicted felon who has one priority: to serve himself and his family.
The American people and the Republican Party were deceived by Trump during his first campaign when he promised to strengthen the economy and pursue an “America First” policy.
In contrast to the entitled and arrogant attitude of the Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton, he was clearly the better candidate.
To help Americans, Trump promised to reduce the tax burden on middle-class Americans. He vowed to avoid foreign wars, invest $1 trillion in infrastructure, reduce energy and gas costs, and replace “Obamacare” with a better healthcare system for Americans, bringing down costs in premiums, drugs, and medical procedures.
He failed on all. Once in office, Trump emerged adjusting his policies to help himself first and the American people last.
His first act was to help his family and companies, reducing the corporate tax from 35 percent to 21 percent. He broke his promise to bring down the national debt.
Those failures led to Joe Biden’s election in 2020. Biden quickly succumbed to age-related cognitive problems, allowing Trump to return and break more promises.
In this term, Trump promised to end the Ukraine War on his first day in office. Instead, Trump has strengthened ties to Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin, abandoning the Ukrainian people and NATO.
He broke his promise to prevent wars, fueling and funding Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Israel’s corrupt Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu treats Trump like a floozy.
Trumped launched wars of aggression against Venezuela and Iran, causing economic turmoil for hardworking Americans.
Costs have increased dramatically across the board, not just for gasoline, but for groceries, retail items like clothing. Restaurant food costs have increased. He has undermined the value of one dollar for hardworking Americans, reducing it to about 70 to 75 cents, depending on your industry or job.
What he did do was strengthen the Stock Market, where 90 percent of the value is owned by less than 10 percent of the richest people and corporations in America. Those Americans with pensions or modest investments benefited slightly, but no better than in previous years.
Embarrassed by his failures and recognizing that his failures have undermined the Republican Party, Trump was asked about how inflation was rising, and he responded incredulously by saying, “I love the inflation.”
He argued that inflation would drop once his “little incursion” in Iran, which he later defended as “a military operation,” would end in weeks. It has been over six months now, and the violence continues.
Trump has destroyed the Republican Party, exploiting it for his own selfish interests. He won his election not because his ideas were brilliant, but because the National Democratic leadership is also corrupt, bankrupt, and “leadership deficient.” The Democratic leadership is just as bad as the Republican leadership.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are as incompetent as Trump, focused on their own political interests, breaking their bond with mainstream Democrats, and failing to take actions to block Trump’s insanity.
But the worst and most egregious damage has been to America’s international image.
Trump’s unfulfilled major promises have undermined the image of the American Military. Our enemies see through Trump’s bombast and hyperbole and see America’s weakness under Trump.
Instead of putting down Putin to win the war in Ukraine and defend Democracy, Trump has acted like an adulterous husband cheating on his wife. He strengthened his relationship with Putin, treating him like a dignitary rather than a war criminal. Why? Because Trump hopes that once he is forced out of office at the end of his presidency, he and his family business can profit from investments in Russia.
Instead of forcing an end to the Israeli military violence in Gaza, where nearly 100,000 civilians have been killed, and the terrorist organization Hamas remains a potent force, America has been sidelined and pushed aside by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, designated a war criminal by the International Criminal Court.
Instead of defeating Iran by murdering its government leaders during wild strikes across the country, killing countless civilians there, too, the war has expanded to the region and has surpassed its sixth month.
He has started problems with Canada and other American allies. Rather than renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America,” he should name if “Lake Jeffrey Epstein,” as a reminder of his betrayal of morality.
America is no longer the world’s most powerful nation. Our military armaments are depleted, our military has been put in check, and Trump’s endless wars have entrapped us with no exit strategies.
America’s weakness fuels extremism and has pushed Democrats and Republicans to the extreme. Hatred dominates Trump’s second term more than economic achievement.
Before America follows the collapse of the Roman Empire, Trump must be removed from office.
Here is a list of some of Trump’s most immoral and often illegal decisions that benefit himself, not the American people.
January 6 pardons. After returning to office in January 2025, Trump pardoned roughly 1,500 people charged or convicted in connection with the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack. The action was particularly contentious because it extended broadly across January 6 defendants rather than being confined to people convicted of relatively minor offenses.
Jeffrey Epstein Files: Trump campaigned on releasing the files, but when he came to office blocked their total release. Trump at points called the controversy a Democratic “hoax” and said the files were “pretty boring stuff.” Congress passed the “Epstein Files Transparency Act” on November 19, 2025, but Trump delayed their release for several months to allow his administration to remove documents that might have cast him in a negative or illegal light. He released about 3.5 million pages of documents on January 30, 2026, but held back 3 million documents suspected of implicating him and his influential pals.
Treating Putin with Dignity rather than as a war criminal: Just this week, Trump sent real estate investor Steven Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner to meet with Putin, treating the Communist tyrant as a respected international leader rather than as a war criminal. And he has repeatedly disrespected Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose nation has been the victim of Putin’s war crimes. Trump hopes to engage Putin in business dealings after his forced retirement as president. Witkoff and Kushner have traveled to Moscow several times but had NEVER BEFORE visited Kyiv, despite multiple official invitations.
Trump’s narcissism is undermining American strength: Trump puts his name on everything. A narcissist more than an American leader, Trump has sought to put his name on everything, including:
U.S. Institute of Peace → Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace. The administration renamed/rebranded the institution after Trump, describing the change as recognition of his peace efforts.
Palm Beach International Airport → President Donald J. Trump International Airport. This one actually happened through Florida legislation, rather than Trump unilaterally renaming it. The official change took effect July 9, 2026, and the airport now uses the name President Donald J. Trump International Airport.
Donald J. Trump Boulevard. A roadway between the Palm Beach airport and the vicinity of Mar-a-Lago was renamed for Trump.
Trump Accounts. The tax-advantaged investment accounts for children created under Trump’s tax legislation were officially branded “Trump Accounts.” Eligible children born from 2025–2028 can receive a $1,000 federal contribution. Even the IRS form number—4547—references Trump being the 45th and 47th president.
Trump Gold Card. The administration branded its high-dollar immigration/residency initiative the Trump Gold Card, and the card itself carries Trump’s image.
Trump on a U.S. $1 coin. The Treasury/Mint developed designs for an America 250 commemorative dollar coin featuring Trump’s likeness. This generated legal questions because federal law generally restricts depictions of living presidents on currency.
Trump on National Park passes. The administration’s 2026 America the Beautiful annual pass features George Washington and Donald Trump. That decision has been challenged in court.
“Trump-class” battleships. The administration announced a proposed class of Navy surface warships branded as Trump-class battleships. Concept artwork even included Trump’s raised-fist image.
F-47 fighter. The next-generation fighter was designated F-47. Trump explicitly noted the symbolism of 47 because he is the 47th president, although the aircraft is not formally called the “Trump fighter.”
Trump wants to rebrand Washington, D.C.: Trump wants to rebrand Washington D.C., from the Nation’s Capitol to the Trump Capitol, proposing the enormous 250-foot memorial/triumphal arch planned between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery that he will call “The Trump Memorial Arch.”
President Trump is a sick man, far worse than Joe Biden, whom Trump frequently called sick, ill, and incapable of leading the nation.
Another wonderful, well-said article, Ray! I respect the views of many Americans who have heartfelt conservative values. They honor traditions and values handed down through generations. I hope that many can weave their conservative values into the fabric of 21st century America. This strengthens America and unifies the United States. I support your call for many more immigrants to become citizens of the United States. I'm very grateful for the experience of politics and community you have shown and shared with me and others.
MAGA is another, very different selection of values, as you point out. Trump's actions, especially Trump's foreign policy, weakens America. It leaves us vulnerable and untrustworthy. That isn't what patriots do. That doesn't make America great. Trump's actions regarding Venezuela, Iran and Gaza are the worst part of American Imperialism. Trump uses our soldiers on behalf of corporations, and then demands his cut of the theft. I cannot respect that action. I oppose that as immoral.
Thanks again, Ray, for your voice. I appreciate it.