In the first months of his second term, the Trump administration has projected a vision of the United States characterized by strong economic nationalism, assertive foreign policy, and a restructuring of federal institutions. His policies are based on the idea of America First, with effects both domestically and globally. Trump has depicted himself as a disruptor, a political wrecking ball. Perhaps George Friedman is right: the United States may be entering a new historical cycle that requires a “storm” before the “calm.” And maybe the president is the agent of change, shaping a new internal and global order.[1]

What is certain is that between January and March of this year, we are witnessing the dismantling of international rules of conduct, the redefinition of traditional alliances, and the overturning of the established world order, with significant implications for international cooperation and global stability. At the same time, we are witnessing an effort on the domestic front to transform the federal system and the relationships among the institutional powers of American democracy.

Consider the executive orders on withdrawing from the World Health Organization, cutting funds to agencies like USAID, sanctioning the International Criminal Court (ICC), canceling agreements made by previous administrations — such as the Paris climate accords — and especially the orders that introduce or increase tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico, and China, as well as on steel and aluminum.

Beyond the executive orders, consider the threats of annexation directed at Canada, Greenland, and the Panama Canal; the threats of protectionist tariffs against allies and trade partners; and the danger of withdrawal from organizations such as the World Bank or even NATO. Finally, think of the declarations signaling the end of the sanctity of sovereign borders as established by international law.

Trump’s destructive streak— or rather destructive fury, given his style—does not spare the domestic front either. Consider the executive orders dismantling the Agency for Global Media (USAGM), eliminating DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) policies, taking control of independent federal agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Election Commission (FEC), firing and restructuring a large part of the federal workforce, and invoking the Alien Enemies Act to support a massive — and theatrical — deportation program.[2]

On the domestic front, beyond executive orders, there are threats from the new administration against the judiciary, whose rulings are often ignored; attacks on freedom of speech, especially on college campuses; and the dismantling of federal agencies like the Department of Education and the National Weather Service, aligned with the directives of Project 2025.[3]

Executive orders and threats have broadened the scope of chaos, seemingly pushing us toward a process that will likely reshape both the post-globalization World Order and the American cultural and institutional model. Before analyzing in a forthcoming essay how this process might unfold and what its likely outcomes could be, both domestically and internationally, we must first understand who Trump is and how his Weltanschauung is influencing the new American administration.

The Five Faces of Trump

Donald Trump can be described as a revolutionary political leader — populist, nationalist, and highly polarizing — with a strong authoritarian streak and a clear goal to redefine the United States’ role in the world while drastically transforming domestic politics. His approach is marked by five distinctive traits that shape his political identity and hint at his influence on America’s future and the global order.

Trump as the Architect of a New Populist Right

As the leader of the America First movement, Trump has reshaped the Republican Party from a traditional conservative force into a populist and nationalist movement. His message relies on economic nationalism, which includes protectionism, import tariffs, and incentives for U.S. manufacturing; anti-globalism, meaning withdrawal from international agreements and disengagement from multilateral organizations; and anti-elitism, pushed through a culture war targeting the media, academia, and institutions he considers part of a hostile Deep State.

His rise has created a new electoral bloc consisting of a white working class impoverished by globalization, technology entrepreneurs and large corporations benefiting from deregulation, evangelical Christians, and social conservatives drawn to his anti-woke agenda.

Trump as an Authoritarian and Revolutionary Leader

Trump aims to undermine democratic institutions by openly challenging liberal democracy principles. He tries to expand the limited powers of the presidency and weaken institutional checks and balances. He has used executive orders and states of emergency to bypass Congress, politicized the judiciary by appointing ultra-loyalist judges to protect his actions, and attacked the media and civil liberties by threatening journalists and cutting off dialogue with independent information sources. His goal is not to abolish democracy entirely but to turn it into a semi-authoritarian system where the president holds near-unlimited powers.

Trump as the Strategist of Social Division

Trump has intensified the division in American society. He has built his consensus by splitting society into opposing groups, fueling conflict on multiple fronts. Through the culture war, he has turned the fight against “political correctness” into a political tool, targeting minorities, feminism, and LGBTQ+ rights. By promoting ethnonationalism, he has advanced anti-immigrant rhetoric and sought to redefine American identity in more exclusive terms. By encouraging confrontation between red and blue states, he has imposed economic retaliation against California and New York, further deepening the divide between conservative and progressive states. This approach has made him the most divisive president in U.S. history, increasing the risk of political and social instability.

Trump as a Geopolitical Revisionist

Trump is attempting to dismantle the post-1945 world order, aiming to break down the multilateral system established by the U.S. after World War II, which is rooted in American economic and military dominance, international institutions, cooperation with key allies like the EU, NATO, Japan, and South Korea, and the U.S. role as a global mediator. He has pushed a more pseudo-isolationist and confrontational approach, leading to serious consequences: a crisis within the Atlantic Alliance, with threats of withdrawal and U.S. disengagement from European defense; trade conflicts with China and the EU that have disrupted global supply chains; and withdrawals from climate and health agreements, abandoning U.S. leadership on major global issues. This approach has accelerated the decline of American influence, creating more room for China and Russia.

Trump as a Pragmatic and Unscrupulous Politician

Trump has established “Trumpism” — his own worldview — as the core ideology of the Republican Party. He is not a strict ideologue, but a political opportunist who leverages populism and nationalism to maintain power. His unique traits include a sharp sense of political marketing and the ability to create compelling slogans and simple messages that resonate with his supporters, such as “Make America Great Again.” Equally notable is his strategic use of lies and the systematic dissemination of disinformation to steer public discourse. He also fosters a government based on personal loyalty, where those who are not aligned are ousted, as seen with members of his previous administration. “Trumpism” is not a unified political doctrine but rather a blend of authoritarianism, populism, and self-interest that shifts with circumstances to enhance his power.

Trump’s Legacy

Trump, therefore, is not just a conservative politician or a populist outsider; he is the revolutionary leader behind a radical transformation of American politics, steering the country toward an illiberal democracy with authoritarian tendencies. He is a revolutionary of the American right, having shifted the Republican Party toward populism and nationalism. He is a leader who threatens democracy through his contempt for institutions and the concentration of power. He is a master of social polarization, exploiting ethnic and cultural divisions to build support. He is a demolisher of the world order, pushing the U.S. toward relative continental isolationism and protectionism lacking strategic sense. And finally, he is a politician without scruples, adapting his message and actions to suit his personal convenience.

Trump’s political legacy will depend on the strength of American institutions to resist and on the outcome of the 2028 general elections. If Trump manages to solidify his project during this term, the United States may already be entering a new phase of its history, leaning more towards the illiberal regimes of Hungary and Russia than traditional liberal democracy. The key question for the near future of the United States and the world is: Is American society still cohesive enough around the idea of liberal democracy to contain Trump’s revolutionary policies, or are we witnessing the start of a radically different America and a new world order?

It is essential to remember that today’s America shaped Trump, not the other way around. Therefore, Trumpism will persist even after Trump leaves office, whether he runs again in 2028, as Steve Bannon suggests.[4] Although the U.S. Constitution does not explicitly permit it, if Trump manages to manipulate Congress and subordinate the judiciary and the Supreme Court, he might also succeed in subordinating the Constitution itself to his interests and narcissism.

Notes

[1] George Friedman, The Storm Before the Calm, Doubleday, 2020.

[2] The Alien Enemies Act of 1798 is a law that grants the president the authority to detain or deport citizens of countries with which the United States is at war.

[3] Project 2025 is the manifesto of Trump’s new presidency, produced by his close collaborators during the four years prior to this second term. The most significant aspects of the program pertain to culture, faith, and lifestyle. The full text can be consulted on the website of the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, which promoted it: www.heritage.org.

[4] Chris Cuomo, interview with Steve Bannon, March 19, 2025.

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