The Trump Takeover Is Almost Done

: Jamie Stiehm on May 20, 2026

Are we almost at the point of no return? Let America be America again, please, in a post-Donald Trump world.

Rebuilding our institutions, arts and trust in government is not a sure thing. Given a global economic, environmental or medical crisis, the endeavor could cross country boundaries, as natural historian David Attenborough said, in "an international ambition for survival."

But on the first day of President Trump's second term, he ruined hundreds of thousands of lives by making Elon Musk cancel all foreign aid and then fire much of the federal career workforce. He also pardoned 1,600 violent rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in his name.

Now it seems he nurses a vein of vengeance toward anyone who's not a billionaire or a devout MAGA follower. Two Republicans, Sen. Bill Cassidy and Rep. Thomas Massie, defied Trump; they just lost and learned the hard way.

To wit, Trump frankly answered a question on whether he worries about pocketbook gas and grocery issues in his deals and travels. "Not even a little bit," Trump said.

He denounces concerns about affordability and climate change as "hoaxes."

The presidential plot goes beyond the Project 2025 blueprint and bleeds into wee hours, when he insults former presidents in foul language.

Trump's new ploy, to create a $1.776 billion fund for his Jan. 6 rioters and other supporters, is a readymade way to summon a paramilitary force. That may seem farfetched, but he knows the people he pardoned have a thirst for violence at his command.

If there is political violence in the 2026 midterms, Kash Patel's FBI will likely be in on it.

The ruthless man in the White House has utterly changed the nation's character and reputation. Remember, Trump had four years to plan revenge for his 2020 loss and pick all the right people for his Cabinet.

Health Secretary Bobby Kennedy Jr. crusades against vaccines, the greatest advance in medicine. Perplexing, isn't it, until you realize Trump really doesn't care about lost lives or medical research.

Brash Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth is a man without a plan for Iran.

But Trump's surprise war on Iran has one reason, and Jeffrey Epstein is its name. How cleverly he shifted the focus of the national conversation.

TV generals and anchors talk about military logistics, stuck in the Strait of Hormuz. So much for Trump's blatant violation of the Constitution in ignoring Congress, starting a war of choice and killing the Iranian leader.

Here in Washington, Trump's personal construction, destruction and dumping ground, his state of mind is heartbreaking to witness. It plays out in real life, in shambolic zones for his larger-than-life Triumphal Arch, a 250-statue Garden of Heroes and the "active" White House site for a billion-dollar ballroom.

Lovely green spaces and squares are crying out for help.

The sightlines between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial are sacred and intentional for our nation's meaning, not to be destroyed by a massive self-congratulatory arch.

A citizen campaign is taking place: Volunteers are snapping photos of museum exhibits to see if they change to conform to Trump's executive order to cut out the dark corners of our history.

Last weekend, Trump appropriated the entire National Mall for a Christian-right day of prayer, for thousands to descend on the people's shared secular space. Police choked all roads and bridges around it. (Trump did not attend.)

Church and state are meant to be separate, the founders declared. For what it's worth.

It's amazing what Trump thinks he can get away with -- and then he does. Why? He goes further than any president ever dreamed, to remake the capital in his own image.

Democrats in the congressional minority feel little to no leverage over Trump. And they're right. There's no stopping him now, except a prayer for the November election. Trump treats them like one of his destruction zones.

In fact, he barely consults with Republican Senate leader John Thune.

King George III of England suffered mental illness and had to be replaced by his son, the Prince Regent, in 1811. This line associated with him still echoes:

"A traitor is everyone who does not agree with me."

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The author may be reached at JamieStiehm.com. To find out more about Jamie Stiehm and other Creators Syndicate columnists and cartoonists, please visit creators.com.

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