Here’s your update on the Trump administration actively working for Russia and China to weaken America! Are you still down with the clown?
1. The Pentagon kneecapped NATO reassurance, because apparently Russia needed a morale boost.
The administration canceled deployments of thousands of U.S. troops to Poland and Germany as part of a broader reduction of about 5,000 U.S. personnel in Europe. This reportedly surprised Polish officials, some U.S. military people, and lawmakers from both parties. Nothing says “ironclad alliance” like making Poland wonder whether the American security umbrella has been replaced with a wet cocktail napkin. (AP News)
2. Trump went to China, got the full imperial pageant treatment, and came home with vibes instead of wins.
The Beijing summit produced plenty of ceremony and Trump claims about deals, but reporting says there were no major breakthroughs on Iran, Taiwan, or AI. Xi warned that mishandling Taiwan could push the relationship into a “dangerous place,” while Trump stayed ambiguous on a major Taiwan arms package. Tremendous negotiating. The table was set, the band played, and America got the diplomatic equivalent of a fortune cookie that says “please try again.” (The Guardian)
3. Japan needed a reassurance call after Trump’s China trip. Very normal superpower behavior.
After the China visit, Trump called Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to reaffirm the U.S.-Japan alliance. That is good in isolation, but the fact that allies need fresh “no, really, we still like you” calls after U.S.-China pageantry tells you the whole alliance-management machine is currently being operated like Dick Bulger rewired it with speaker wire and chewing tobacco. (Reuters)
4. The Iran war diplomacy is still a flaming Roomba.
Iran’s foreign minister said lack of trust is blocking talks to end the war with the U.S., while criticizing mixed messages from Washington. China is being floated as a diplomatic helper, which is a neat trick: destabilize U.S. credibility, then watch Beijing audition for “adult in the room.” (AP News)
5. They picked another election fight that critics say would create administrative chaos.
Democrats and advocacy groups were in court this week urging rejection of Trump’s executive order tied to citizenship lists and traceable mail ballots, arguing it would create a chaotic “nightmare” for election administration. Because nothing restores confidence in elections like federal meddling with a side of paperwork shrapnel. (News From The States)
6. Medicaid got the “fraud crackdown” treatment, which always somehow lands on patients and states first.
The administration deferred $1.3 billion in Medicaid money to California over fraud concerns. California disputes the rationale, and experts/providers are warning that broad crackdowns can disrupt legitimate services. So the pitch is: “We’re protecting taxpayers by making healthcare administration more chaotic.” Brilliant. Very galaxy-brain. (AP News)
7. The tariff chaos machine kept humming.
A U.S. appeals court temporarily allowed Trump’s 10% global tariff to remain in effect while litigation continues. Meanwhile, the earlier threat to jack EU auto tariffs to 25% has continued to strain relations with Europe, with EU officials arguing the U.S. is proving itself unreliable as a trading partner. “Buy American” is apparently now “make every ally build a contingency plan around us.” (Reuters)
8. Canada is acting like the U.S. is no longer a dependable Arctic partner. Because… gestures broadly.
Reuters reports Canada is deepening Arctic defense ties with Nordic countries after Trump’s Greenland threats and amid concern about U.S. reliability. This is one of those quiet strategic shifts that matters: allies are not just complaining; they are routing around the United States. That is how influence decays — not with one giant collapse, but with friends gradually deciding your house is where the raccoon got into the walls. (Reuters)
Dick’s Bottom Line:
This week’s Trump administration foreign policy masterclass was basically: annoy NATO, flatter China, wobble on Taiwan, let Beijing look statesmanlike on Iran, threaten trade partners, jam up healthcare funding, and stir election-administration chaos — all while insisting America is somehow becoming more respected. It is “The Art of the Deal” if the deal is that America trades trust, leverage, and competence for a commemorative photo op and a headache.
