Trump's USA

Trump's future
Analysis: Unpredictability can also weaken Trump

Unpredictability is an end in itself in Donald Trump's foreign policy, several analysts note. It has served him well, but it maybe becoming an end in itself that is ruinous for him – and for the United States. Stephen Collinson writes for CNN.

"The president is putting America's credibility at risk with his harsh threats against Iran followed by rapid retreats. Transatlantic relations are at their worst since World War II, and his anger at South Korea is calling into question America's entire commitment to its allies in East Asia."

The level of conflict is also increasing internally, writes David A Graham in The Atlantic. Trump is publicly at odds with the vice president over the war goals in Iran, and with his senior military commanders over whether the crew of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln is doing okay after nine months at sea.

Trump's aides have previously summed up his foreign policy as "fuck around and find out," roughly "fuck around and you'll see what happens." The warning was intended to be directed at leaders of other countries.

"But as the crisis worsens," Graham writes, "they'll see what happens."

The President's Team
CNN: "Personal feud" after words about Trump's assistant

The White House has raged against a speech that Democrat Jon Ossoff gave on Sunday, in which he mentioned Donald Trump's assistant Natalie Harp, several media outlets report.

Ossoff said in his speech that Trump "doesn't want to do the job" as president.

- He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie aboard the defenseless flying palace they have been given by the emir of Qatar, Ossoff said.

According to CNN, the mention of Harp has led to a "personal feud" between Ossoff and the president's staff. On social media, White House communications director Steven Cheung writes that the Democrat is "a miserable person" who hates the United States.

Davis Ingle, a spokesman for the White House, at the same time describes Ossoff as a "feminine theater kid" who is trying to be like Barack Obama. 

US Midterm Elections
Trump administration to send record number of election observers this fall

The US Department of Justice is planning a historically large deployment of election observers ahead of the midterm elections in November, Bloomberg reports. Around 1,000 people will be sent to polling stations - likely more than ever before under a Republican administration.

The observers will monitor the election and follow up on suspected irregularities, but not intervene on the spot. Democrats, however, have expressed concerns about federal interference in the election this fall, after President Donald Trump repeatedly and without evidence claimed that Democrats will cheat.

Harmeet K Dhillon, who heads the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, says the effort follows the same principles as in previous elections and is intended to strengthen trust in the electoral process.

Progressives Want to Reshape US Israel Policy

The Democrats' progressive faction is aiming for a shift in US Israel policy in 2027, reports the news site Semafor. They want to stop certain US arms deliveries to Israel if the party takes control of the House of Representatives after the midterm elections.

The group is rallying around the "Block the Bombs Act" bill, which is already supported by over a third of Democrats in the chamber.

- If we want to regain the trust of voters, we must say that the Democratic Party's past stance simply has not worked, says Greg Casar, chairman of the progressive group.