America is matchless in terms of the array of erudite, sagacious and committed leaders that coalesced at inception nearly 250 years ago from 13 early states to form the United States of America. Gouverneur Morris, Robert Livingstone, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Roger Sherman, John Jay, Henry Knox, Alexander Hamilton, Patrick Henry, Robert Morris, George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. You could add 50 more names, and each was worth his weight in gold. Together, they were called American Founders.
American Founders through their bravery, their commitment, their patriotism and visionary leadership forged the United States of America. Although they were many, American Founders shared certain common traits, chief of which was insatiable thirst for learning, belief in the law profession and the rule of law as the cornerstone of civilized society; and pride in military service to fatherland. Although they had many faults, American Founders who had the good fortune of becoming presidents were modest, graceful and accommodating of dissenting opinion.
President George Washington for instance, in spite of his matchless leadership qualities paused to question his credentials in his First Inaugural Address, saying that “even the wisest and most experienced” citizen ought to do so under the circumstance. Likewise, President John Adams, the first president to live in the White House made a solemn prayer concerning future occupants of the revered residence: “May none but Honest and Wise Men ever rule under This Roof.”
Indeed, the United States has been blessed with a succession of “honest and wise” presidents, some like William McKinley, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama were flamboyant and efficient, yet, there were silent achievers like James Polk, and Calvin Coolidge. In between these groups one could situate Abraham Lincoln, Dwight Eisenhower, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman. Each president contributed his fair share in making the United States attractive, prosperous and powerful.
American Founders forged the foundation of United States’ enduring democracy, the longest successive democracy in the world. Their successors made the United States the center of the world. Together, they unfurled the Star Spangled Banner over men and women from all corners of the world. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion became enduring American values and the United States became the envy of the world, but it wasn’t enough.
President Donald Trump insists on Making America Great Again as if America ever lost its chip. Trump has no sense of American history or values; neither does he appreciate the sacrifices of American Founders and their successors. Trump is unmaking America to the delight of Beijing, Pyongyang, Moscow and Tehran. Successive American presidents and their allies have consistently backed a two-state solution in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but Trump insists on turning Palestine to the Rivera of the Middle East. Benjamin Netanyahu is gleefully carrying out that wish and the world is appalled at the genocide that is unfolding in Gaza. How many Osama bin Laden will emerge from the ashes of Gaza to hurt Americans
in the future?
President Joe Biden, well-meaning Americans, and American allies understand that the safety of Ukraine is the safety of Europe and is in America’s interest. But Trump is more concerned about settling old scores with Zelenskyy and appeasing Putin. Trump threw Zelenskyy out of the White House, suspended military aid and intel sharing with Ukraine; causing more Ukrainian deaths and further emboldening Putin.
Now Trump has switched to issuing empty ultimatums to Putin. Remember that this was a war Trump promised to end in the first 24 hours of his second term? Well, Trump, in a widely circulated interview said he was joking about that! If the President of the United States could joke about the over three years-long horrors coming out of Ukraine, it is not surprising that during his meeting with the German leader Friedrich Merz, Trump likened the war to “two children fighting in a park!!”
Perhaps Trump was joking about revealing the content of the Epstein files, another of his campaign promise that is threatening to divide his MAGA base. In order to divert attention, Trump is accusing President Obama of treason with regard to investigations that linked Trump’s campaign organization to Russian influence in the build up to 2016 election. Yet, these are nothing compared to the daily panting and exertion of Americans under this president that is disingenuously like no other American president.
Threats, intimidation and assaults emanating from the White House are regular occurrences under Trump. Americans are snatched on the streets and incarcerated without due process because Trump has mandated ICE to arrest 3000 suspected illegal immigrants a day. Adrian Clouatre, the breastfeeding-mother of a three-month old, and wife of US Marine Corps veteran was a recent victim. She spent two months under horrible conditions separated from her young family. Now she wears an ankle monitor. Cruelty, divisiveness and race-baiting are on the rise in America, supported by a president who adores worship and punishes dissenting voices.
Melissa Hortman, a Democrat representing Minnesota and her husband, Mark paid the supreme price for Trump’s divisive rhetoric. Senator John Hoffman, another Democrat and his wife Yvette were more fortunate. While Vance Luther Boelter, the Minnesota assassin used his gun to satisfy his depravity, A Trump supporter, Tom Jones of American Accountability Foundation (AAF) is prepping up Americans, mid-level civil servants for a hit. The website of the AAF publishes a “watch list” of federal workers, with photos and emolument and job history. The AAF says the workers on the watch list belong to the “radical left” and are guilty of undermining Trump administration’s policies. The workers are compelled to resign, go into hiding and a few have left the United States for their personal safety. Danielle Citron, a specialist in online privacy and professor of law in University of Virginia says sites like the AAF are “designed to silence and intimidate and to inspire other people to hurt.”
Indeed, Americans are hurting. Job losses starting with Elon Musk’s “chainsaw” cuts and vengeful federal workers’ sacking drive; rising inflation due to erratic import tax regimes; exposure due to Medicaid cuts in the Big Beautiful Bill, and harassment by overzealous ICE agents are some the constant companions of Americans under Trump. Yet, Americans must doctor statistics to keep the emperor happy, else they will suffer the fate of Erika McEntarfer, Labor Statistics Commissioner. In April 2025, Trump trashed Hatch Act, introduced in 1939 by President Franklin Roosevelt to protect the civil service from partisan politics. Now, federal workers can wear MAGA hats while on duty as expression of loyalty. When I wrote “Buhump –A tale of two Floundering Presidents” in 2020, I expressed happiness that Americans survived Trump’s first coming, but I never imagined that Americans would vote to endure such erratic and vainglorious leadership again. Americans have more than three years to endure, many would be killed needlessly, many would be wrongfully incarcerated, but America will survive and rebound. Like President Bill Clinton said: “There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured with what is right with America.” For the sake of dear America, I hope that is the case.
