Isa Abbott, Opinion Editor–

One of the first things a person does to create a dictatorship would be to divide society within racial, gendered, and ideological lines to weaken national unity. 

Then, they would weaken education, making it more possible for citizens to shift their brains from critical thinking to create a more easily influenced population. 

Next, would be undermining communities, for example, questioning family structures and isolating them, dividing them from community support. 

Lastly, they would control human rights under the, now, easily influenced population. This looks like censoring constitutional rights and viewpoints that counter argue theirs to create a society that fears speaking out against such censorship, leaving the dictator in control of its citizens. 

Does this sound familiar? 

We are in a state of a weakened democracy by an administration that has brainwashed its citizens into believing that their economy and country is growing and more secure by the use of persuasive wording, risking international diplomacy and democracy. 

In late February, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, came to the oval office in Washington D.C. to speak with President Trump and Vice President JD Vance on war matters between Ukraine and Russia. 

During the meeting, both Trump and JD Vance treated Zelenskyy with insensitive disrespect, claiming he did not know how to dress in the Oval Office, and that the way he spoke to them was unacceptable considering the United States is offering aid to Ukraine against Russia. 

This is where, in the last few months, international diplomacy and democracy has been at risk under Trump’s presidency. Zelenskyy is a man who is losing his people and his country, and instead of being sensitive to that, Trump and JD Vance verbally attacked and made a mockery of him and his country. 

After their meeting, Trump wrote, “He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for peace.” 

After the fact, Trump adds, “We’re not looking to go into a 10-year war and play games. We want peace.” This phrase is deeply troubling because this potential 10-year war against Russia is not a “game,” it is a fight for peace and democracy against a country that has essentially an authoritarian dictator who makes his government and citizens fear him. The reality is that Trump looks up to the power of Vladimir Putin, and wants American citizens to similarly feel fearful of him so he can run the United States the way he wants to. For example, since his win in the 2024 presidential election, Trump has claimed he is running for office again and will win in 2028. That is not democratic, nor constitutional. That’s leaning on dictatorship and is a threat to the world. 

What is most important to note from this interaction between Ukraine and the United States is its connection to the Democratic Peace Theory; democracies do not go to war with other democracies. Ukraine, being a democracy, should ideally be supported by the United States in the war against Russia, but with Trump’s connection to Putin, it seems as though democracy doesn’t matter so long as Trump has power. 

This could cause issues in future wars between a democracy and a country that is not a democracy because the United States, being such a hegemonic power, is significant to supporting other democracies in circumstances of war. It also makes one question whether or not the United States will pull out of NATO. 

Then, during his first term in 2019, Trump publicly discussed purchasing Greenland, which is also a part of his current American expansionism policy. To this, Greenland has responded that they are not for sale. Trump says the U.S. will, “go as far as we have to” to get control of Greenland. Even a 10-year war? I thought the United States wanted peace.

Trump continues to make extreme claims, such as Canada becoming the 51st state. This is oddly similar to Putin’s strategies, as Trump seems to want to expand American territory unjustly for his personal gain of power. Additionally, Trump is threatening other countries with extreme violence. This is a recent tweet from the White House: “Simply put: WE WILL FIND YOU – AND WE WILL KILL YOU.” This tweet is in response to Hamas and citizens who support Palestine, or Palestinians who are left within Gaza. 

Trump posted an AI-generated video on his instagram, depicting himself and Elon Musk in Gaza, dancing and tanning with women. The background depicted a city and a “new vision” for Gaza after the war; a greatly insensitive video.

Then, on March 5, Trump wrote to Hamas and Palestinians within Gaza. He said, “This is your last warning! For the leadership, now is the time to leave Gaza, while you still have the chance. Also, to the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD!” 

So not only does the president need help with his use of grammar, but he is also sending out an extremely violent threat to people who do not have the resources to leave, and are already dealing with the loss of their home and family. What the United States and Israel fail to realize is that Hamas, as a terrorist group, does not care about the people in Gaza or Palestine, and they are leading them into a trap to help terrorize Palestinians.

As the war continues, college students who are American citizens are using their first amendment right to protest peacefully against Israel’s attacks in Gaza. This has led to Trump holding students hostage in Louisiana, many being taken by ICE. This is human trafficking. This is how Trump is getting younger generations to begin fearing him and fearing the act of practicing their first amendment rights so he can get his way. 

In addition, beginning May 7, airports are requiring all people to carry a form of identification, and in the last few months, citizens have had trouble gaining passports. This is also another way for Trump to be able to control who leaves and who stays, which is terrifying. 

Lastly, we cannot forget to mention the Signal chat that exposed the United State’s war plans against Yemen. Atlantic Reporter Jefferey Goldberg wrote on March 24, one of the biggest headlines of the week, “The Trump Administration Accidentally Sent Me Its War Plans.” Underneath the headline reads, “U.S. national-security leaders included me in a group chat about upcoming military strikes in Yemen. I didn’t think it could be real. Then the bombs started falling.” 

Those who were a part of the Signal chat have had mixed responses, some claiming it was sensitive information, not classified information, whereas others flat-out claimed the group chat did not exist. For example, the Director of National Intelligence told the U.S. Senate, “There was no classified material that was shared in that Signal chat,” and that she “misremembered,” (yikes). In response, many politicians suggested that if the group chat was not classified, then why not share the information upright. 

On March 26, Pete Buttigieg posted a response to the Signal chat, saying, “So which is it? If this information wasn’t classified, that in itself would be a scandalous screw-up that must be explained. And if it was classified, then the Trump administration lied to congress and to the American people.” 

The reality is that any pre-war plans against another country are typically classified. In response to The Atlantic article, Hegseth wrote on X, “The Atlantic released the so-called ‘war plans’ and those ‘plans’ include: No names. No targets. No locations. No units. No routes. No sources. No methods. And no classified information. Those are some really shitty war plans.” 

Let’s get this straight: Goldberg did in fact post names and plans. 

In the Signal chat, the screenshots had the names: S M, John Ratchliffe, Michael Waltz, and MAR, JD Vance and Pete Hegseth. Hegseth also texted information on bombing Yemen, claiming, “just CONFIRMED w/ CENTCOM we are a GO for mission launch. 1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package)…1410: More F-18s LAUNCH (2nd strike).” During this text, Hegseth also listed information on the target, locations, and timing of the bombings in Yemen. These sound like war plans if you ask me, and the fact that everyone in the group chat is so shaken by getting caught makes one think it was meant to be kept private, because publicizing these plans would not be a good look. 

What strikes me the most is that Trump can claim he wants peace, but his administration and cabinet has a group chat about destroying peace in Yemen, while verbally abusing and mocking another democracy, threatening a country that is already dealing with extreme violence, and claiming to invade other countries. In addition, he finds any opportunity to gain control of America’s citizens by getting rid of the department of education to make people easily influenced, trafficking those who practice their first amendment right, and writing away people’s human rights on executive orders. 

Let this sink in: France, along with other countries, have compiled brochures on the provisions their citizens need to take if war were to break out due to the United States. This is what Trump’s presidency means for international diplomacy and democracy. There will be none. 

It is time for American citizens to decide whether or not they will feed into the fear Trump wants us to feel, if their eggs are more important than human rights, and if they will allow a fascist man with no former governmental experience prior to his first election to control our democracy and international relationships. 

During the fall of the Berlin Wall, Putin was terrified when he realized that large groups of people were fighting for democracy against the Soviet Union; against him and his deeply rooted ideological beliefs. Similarly, Trump fears us and our first amendment right to stand up to him and his unconstitutional actions that go against democracy. If that is, indeed, his fear, then let us shake him to the core. 

Isa Abbott ‘28 is a politics and public affairs major from Indianapolis.