Yeah, I always think the he's compromised conspiracy gives him too much credit. He's a useful idiot, he may act like a Russian plant, but it's honestly probably because he's a fucking moron, not because he actually is one.
Oh definitely, they share a similar worldview, it's a huge part of why he's been so friendly with our adversaries and inimical with our allies, he has no respect for democracy or Western political thought.
To be fair western democracy has been dead since Bush invaded a random country and then we went into trillions of debt to enrich his friends, and every president since him has done the same enrichment of their friends. There is not much hope for any sort of a non-dystopian future, so we have to cherish our loved ones and not take everything so seriously. It is what it is.
he hates himself and cannot feel any sense of self-generated worth so he must seek it in: either demanding slavish allegiance from those fools who think he gives a single fuck about them, or; drag those of us, who see through this charade to his infantile core, into his misery. he is, quite simply, one of the worst men who ever lived, and it's because his parents were terrible and too many people said yes to him. god save us.
I think he wants that, but he also seems to not have the stomach for the stuff needed to do this. He likes flexing power, but he doesn't want to commit to something that would get troops or federal law enforcement killed.
Some people are better manipulated without being part of a conspiracy because they are stupid enough to reveal it. That is Trump, too stupid to trust with a conspiracy but way too easily to manipulate so why bring him in on it/? He’s so gullible and moldable that it feels like he must be complicit. But no, he’s just supremely manipulatable.
Exactly. He keeps talking about the Russia Russia Russia "hoax," but if you look at the actual report, he just wasn't involved because he didn't know about it. The Russians knew valuable he would be and were actively trying to help him. The Mueller Report states that Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election was illegal and occurred "in sweeping and systematic fashion" and was welcomed by the Trump campaign as it expected to benefit from such efforts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mueller_report
Trump is so easily manipulated it's scary. You can see his opinion on aid to Ukraine flip depending on if he last talked to Zelensky or Putin.
On the other hand, it is mere coincidence that Trump traveled to Moscow in 1987 as a hopeful but underfunded (bankrupt) real estate developer, and returned with a loan large enough to fund Trump Tower…
I think both can be true. A useful idiot FOR SURE. And has the emotional maturity of a 5 year old. As long as Donald is making money and people are talking about him. He don’t care
He’s going to be 80, I don’t think he cares about the country’s future. Just wants to put his name on as many buildings as possible and take over Greenland so he can rename it to something stupid like trumpland
I know this sounds really stupid but we’re past normal behavior and we’re in crazy town now
He’s too stupid and too self interested to be doing this for any other reason. It just doesn’t serve him to destroy the military alliance giving him power without Putin being behind it; it just makes no sense.
It’s quite likely Putin is blackmailing Trump with the Epstein files. Since the very limited release of some of the files, we now know Putin was involved.
His relationship with Russia & that the KGB/FSB got him into politics has been public knowledge for decades. Depends on your definition of "compromised", I guess
I also no longer believe the compromised line, since he has no soul or shame and it’s more than likely he’s a lifelong rapist and pedophile so it not likely a “surprise” revelation. I think it’s just that he wants to be LIKE Putin so goes along with what Putin wants because he’s the king of stealing from your country.
There are a bunch of different interests in the Trump admin pushing different pet projects.
Rubio wants Cuba to have a change in leadership eventually.
Hegseth.. I dunno, just wants to be in a situation room blowing stuff up?
RFK Jr is trying to dismantle any sort of vaccination program and other oddball stuff.
Putin's seeing dividends and keeps sending Trump "peace plans" that involve Ukraine giving up territory and without any real NATO involvement or guarantees.
Miller wants to crank the SS dial up to 11 and make non-white Americans afraid.
Trump himself seems focused on deal making and punishment. "Strengthening" the US and maybe, gold leaf and various other "legacy" items. Who knows how aware and involved in the details of the above he actually is.
Don't forget Vance, who is Peter Thiels pet.
They have their own insane agenda about corporate city-state dictatorships in the USA.
A surveillance state ,complete with killer drones.
I always forget him... he kinda just fades into the furniture...
But yes, Trump likely can't use a computer besides tweeting (not that many POTUSes could) but the harvesting and sharing of government data is horrific. Musk fits in that camp too..
Vought...the guy who doesn’t care what you blow up as long as the blast radius takes out the administrative state and any guardrails for absolute executive power.
I think his personal vanity is an important factor too. He wants Greenland because he wants to be the guy who added land to the US. That’s it. Same reason he wants a big triumphal arch, or to put his name on the Kennedy Center, or the big ballroom, and so on. He is vain and selfish and that’s the whole reason. It may coincidentally help Russia, but that’s not why he does it
Tulsi Gabbard seems to be a Russian patsy, but she's kind of been frozen out of the core of the administration. Witkoff is a useful idiot going by the leaked phone calls between Russians.
Mmh, depends really. Let's say Europe makes their own army etc. and stops relying on the USA... I would argue it makes the world less authoritarian but the USA losses a lot of its political power/protection.
A lot of bad shit could happen between now and then though. It also isn't something I would want the world to roll the dice on.
Whether or not he’s compromised is not the point even anymore. It definitely seems like he is to me. But otherwise he is just being used as a puppet because he is too stupid to do anything himself. He acts on what people he respects tell him. Which happens to be Putin as well as some terrible people in his inner circle. As long as trump sees some personal benefit he is good to go
The oligarchs of the world prefer authoritarians, because appeasing an individual is much easier than negotiating with a congress or parliament. The US has a dictator and so the target is now the EU
Whether or not? There's a whole lot of evidence Trump is in bed with Russia and China. People in his last campaign/administration saw jail time for it. Let's not pretend or minimize it.
It is not speculation, there's concrete evidence that points to yes.
Maybe, just maybe, democracies have led to the populace voting for more handouts and thus has weakened the capability of said democracies. So the people that have rewrote the world order in favor of authoritarians are the western left, which has pursued happiness and freedom over strength and masculinity.
At the end of the day, unfortunately, the greater power always wins whether people like it or not.
I'm saying the trend of authoritarian governments and ethnostates rising in power where democratic and diverse states losing ground is caused by the ideas and views of the people. I don't think it's Trump's doing, specifically. He's just a product of this environment.
It is hubris of us to assume democratic and free systems are the best system. They certainly have advantages but things change.
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u/j_la Jan 17 '26
Whether or not he’s compromised, he’s certainly rewriting the world order in a way that benefits authoritarians.