Week 73 - An Increasingly Isolated Trump Can't Escape the Fallout of His War

This week Trump and senior regime officials continued to give ever-changing objectives and endgames for his Iran War, which entered its fifth week. Trump continued efforts to game his beloved stock market, which at one point entered correction territory, with rosy statements ahead of markets opening. The price of gas rose above $4 a gallon, and the vast majority of Americans expressed disapproval and dismay with Trump’s handling of the war and economy. Trump’s approval was now lower than former president Richard Nixon’s during Watergate, and George W. Bush’s during the lows of the Gulf War. At times, in fact frequently, Trump made statements this week that call into question his mental acumen, at a time when he alone is calling the shots for a war that has increasing global impacts.The Republican-led Congress, meanwhile, was unable to come to a simple resolution on funding parts of the Department of Homeland Security, instead leaving Trump to act unilaterally, and order that Transportation Security Administration workers be paid ahead of spring break. Republicans in Congress not only once again abdicated their role of controlling the budget, they also left town for a two week recess, leaving Trump alone in D.C. as he deployed thousands more troops to an increasingly unpopular war they had not approved. TMZ took to publishing photos of members of Congress living it up on vacation amid a DHS shutdown and a country in chaos.Not only was Trump literally alone in D.C., but figuratively the U.S. was increasingly isolated with his actions. Trump, his regime, and Republicans continued to make remarkable concessions to Russia, which was aiding Iran and helping them successfully target U.S. troops and interests, while distancing the U.S. from our post World War 2 alliances. The survival of NATO is undoubtedly in question.Finally, this week had several important court rulings, mostly against Trump. We continue to see his regime’s attempts at retribution against Trump’s perceived enemies. We also continue to see a growing dysfunction in our federal agencies. The week closes out with Trump breaking yet another precedent, attending a Supreme Court hearing on his birthright citizenship executive order, and preparing to address the nation in the evening on his Iran war.