Trump Shredding Democracy Calls for... Focus on Biden?

Trump’s ongoing assault on American democracy and international cooperation is nothing short of catastrophic. He’s undermining institutions, alliances, and the rule of law—all in real time.

But you wouldn’t know just how extraordinary and dangerous this moment is if you relied solely on much of the legacy media. Instead of reckoning with the worst corruption scandal in U.S. history, they’re fixated on what they deem the realcrisis: Joe Biden’s cognitive health.

Rather than confront the authoritarian rot happening right in front of us, the media retreats to its comfort zone—rehashing well-worn narratives about Biden’s fitness, as if we’re still stuck somewhere between 2021 and 2024.

It’s not just a failure of journalism—it’s a failure to meet the moment.

Trump Isn’t Such a Straight Shooter After All

We’re often told that MAGA voters admire Trump because he’s a “straight shooter”—someone who tells it like it is. But there’s no shortage of evidence to the contrary. From conspiracy theories to bizarre tangents (see: eating the pets), he frequently strays into fantasyland.

Now, with his chaotic and ill-defined tariff “plan” (or concept of a plan) creating uncertainty and actually starting to hit everyone’s wallets Trump suddenly doesn’t appreciate others telling it like it is. He lashes out when Jeff Bezos threatens to highlight the real cost of tariffs at Amazon, or when Walmart states the obvious: prices are going up due to Trump’s tariffs..

Apparently, being a “straight shooter” only works when he’s the one holding the gun—and no one’s allowed to return fire with facts.

While You’re Distracted, Democracy Burns

In the chaos of Trump-era politics, it’s easy to get caught reacting to the latest outrage. But if we want to stay effective, we must resist the impulse to chase every shiny object. We have to prioritize what matters most.

One day he shuts down the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)—an agency that literally saves lives across the globe—and before we can process the implications, we’re spun into absurdities like the “renaming” of the Gulf of Mexico or a hostile takeover of the Kennedy Center. Yes, the gutting of the Kennedy Center is significant, but USAID’s dismantling costs lives.

He pulls aid from Ukraine, worsening a deadly war, only to follow it with a dramatic appearance before Congress where he claims we’re under invasion… from Venezuela—setting the stage to invoke the Alien Enemies Act. It’s not just performance; it’s strategy.

Then comes “SignalGate,” confirming what many feared: the Cabinet is stacked with sycophants and amateurs. But before we can focus, it’s “Liberation Day,” and Trump drops a tariff bomb that rattles global markets. Or maybe not—it’s just a 90-day pause. The damage is already done, but the circus moves on.

This is not incompetence. It’s calculated distraction. A constant sleight of hand.

We must resist the manipulation. Prioritize the crises that matter most. Focus where lives, rights, and the future of democracy are on the line. And never forget: the chaos is the point.