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Trump’s War On America

Trump’s War On America

Last updated on: September 2, 2025 at 2:06 am by Henry Karlson

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Trump’s War On America 2025-09-02T02:06:57-05:00 Henry Karlson

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U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Rakeem Carter: Trump With His Military Parade / Wikimedia Commons

Trump has begun his war on the United States. He, and his allies, have begun their “Second American Revolution.” There is no other way to understand what is going on. He is sending troops to occupy American cities. He is using them to enforce his will. They are acting in Washington D.C. the way soldiers act when occupying enemy territory. They are making the lives of American citizens difficult, as they now live under the watchful eye of a force which is intent to find reasons to arrest them. The people living in D.C. find more reasons to fear the troops in their city than any supposed crime they had. It is clear he is sending troops to cities which he feels have a potential to stand against and resist him, thinking if he does so now, he can prevent them from rising up and becoming a problem as he tries gain and maintain more direct control over the United States. This is why it appears he plans to send the National Guard to Chicago.

Trump has declared an emergency which does not exist; he knows he has to so in order to justify not only his use of soldiers against Americans, but his takeover of independent agencies like the Federal Reserve. The point of his actions is not to fix crime, but to exercise as much power and dominance as possible. Again, this is an act of the “Second American Revolution.” If he were interested in crime, he would not be pardoning so many criminals, including gang members, giving them deals in order to have them offer testimony against those who Trump is accusing of lesser crimes (crimes which often they did not commit) because he wants those he accuses to be deported (or worse, tortured and killed). If he were interested in crime, he would deal with the causes of crime, lessening them instead of intensifying them (that is, he would work to improve workers’ rights, workers’ wages, and provide food and shelter to the homeless instead of trying to criminalize homelessness while making it likely more people will end up homeless due to his administration’s policies).

While Trump’s war can be seen in the mobilization of soldiers across the United States, that is just one element of his war. He has engaged economic warfare against the people of the United States by the means of a trade war, a war which is making the cost-of-living skyrocket. His tariffs affect the price of goods and services, having them become much more expensive, so that Americans are having to live with less (and many of their needs not met). The United States is beginning to find itself cut off from the rest of the world. This can be seen in the way Americans now find it difficult to order goods from overseas as countries have stopped postal shipments to the United States. He is attacking those who look after and protect the economic interests of the United States, such as the Federal Reserve, where he is trying to claim he has the authority to replace those who do not obey his wishes, even if his wishes stand against sound economic policies.

Trump’s war is on the health of the American people. Hospitals are finding it difficult to get the medicine they need to treat their patients. His “Big Beautiful Bill,” when it goes into full effect, will decimate rural hospitals (and doctors’ offices). Those which continue to exist will find it difficult to give the care their patients need as they will find their resources limited, and regulations put in place making it difficult if not illegal for them to give the medicine which their patients need. This is thanks in part to Robert Kennedy Jr., who, as Secretary for Health and Human Services, is fighting against many forms of healthcare, trying to find a way to deny their availability. Not only is he restricting access to COVID vaccinations, but he has cut back medical research which was proving effective in their fight against diseases like cancer.

Trump’s war is on the government. He is trying to set himself up as a leader who does not need Congress or the Supreme Court to act has he wishes. He constantly suggests he has all power, a suggestion which, when it is constantly repeated and not refuted, ends up being believed by many of his followers. He needs people who believe it so they will support him in all that he does. He is trying to set up changes in elections so that he can control the results of elections. He is having Republican allies gerrymander their states. He wants to be able to control voting machines, but also, he wants to determine who has access to places to vote, making it difficult (if not impossible) for many to vote. It should not be a surprise to anyone who has been paying attention. He has made it clear he has plans to take over Blue States and destroy them.

The playbook Trump is following is the same all authoritarian use. I remember growing up listening to how Hitler gained power and what he did to consolidate it. I remember being told how many Christians supported him, but also, of those, like Bonhoeffer, who actively resisted him. I remember how every Christian, thanks to hindsight, criticized Hitler and said they would have joined the resistance. They said “never again” with their Jewish friends. But I have seen how the opposite, sadly, appears to be true. Just like with Hitler, there are Christians resisting Trump, but there appear to be much more either supporting him or being indifferent to what Trump is doing (the banality of evil is once again showing its face!). They are letting Trump have his bloodless “Second American Revolution.” But, despite the claim it will be bloodless, it will not end bloodless; we know how those who follow the authoritarian playbook are bloodthirsty, and they will be quick to turn to imprisonment, torture, and death, as a mean to maintain control.

Trump has not taken complete control. Even if the media does not want to properly present it to the general populace, there is a significant number of Americans protesting his unjust and unlawful actions. There are Christian churches working with and helping the immigrants and the poor, even when it means they find their churches and church leaders threatened. There are Christians decrying what Trump has done and continues to do. But there are far more Christians who are silent or support Trump. The situation, it seems, is very much like early Nazi Germany. All those Christians who said they would have joined with Bonhoeffer are doing the opposite – some, indeed, have tried to make it as Bonhoeffer would have joined with Trump! What an absurdity! Christians need to see what is going on in D.C is not about crime, but about control, and the kind of control which requires dehumanization of others, like the homeless. It is a war against the American people. It is a war against human rights. It is a war against human dignity. It is a war against those in whom Christ is to be found. It is war. That is what Trump has brought into the picture. He is sending troops to invade American cities as if they are foreign enemies. That is because America and its ideals are under attack from within. It is time we stop denying it.

* This Is Another Post From My Personal (Informal) Reflections And Speculations Series

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N.B.: While I read comments to moderate them, I rarely respond to them. If I don’t respond to your comment directly, don’t assume I am unthankful for it. I appreciate it. But I want readers to feel free to ask questions, and hopefully, dialogue with each other. I have shared what I wanted to say, though some responses will get a brief reply by me, or, if I find it interesting and something I can engage fully, as the foundation for another post. I have had many posts inspired or improved upon thanks to my readers.

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