Trump: Expectations, reality, and everything in-between

In the immediate term, the Trump administration is becoming entangled in two wars it inherited, where spoilers are making anything difficult to settle. This is taking Trump well outside his 'short-term thinking' comfort zone. Trump is not a strategic thinker, he is a tactician.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, with European support (or European prodding) has been pushing back on any type of solution to the war. Zelensky is standing in the way of Russia and the United States coming to any sort of wide agreement, much larger than the Ukraine war, and Trump's ability to reach out to China after an understanding has been found with Russia.

The Gaza issue is putting pressure on the Trump administration. The situation is pinning Trump to the 'Jewish lobby', making him look subservient, propping up the Netanyahu regime. The Trump administration is turning a blind eye to continued genocide in Gaza and the West Bank, and itself is engaged in the bombing of Yemen. There are no strategic benefits here for the United States, just Trump losing goodwill.

The United States is finding that even Iran doesn't want to hold direct talks, making the US look weak. Rhetoric towards Canada, Greenland, and Panama seems irrational.

The current foreign policy trauma is beginning to bog down the Trump administration into a quagmire, where the administration is starting to find out just how difficult diplomacy really is. There are no quick fixes, no Ukraine cease fire, where Trump is being played out by multiple sides. These issues are starting to create an albatross around the neck of the White House, with perceptions of trust and competence being quickly eroded.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have walked into hostile institutions, where senior figures in those departments have no intention of assisting them. Tulsi Gabbard is finding the same with the US intelligence community. These bureaucracies are not going to entertain Trump's appointees and aim to render them helpless and ineffective through non-cooperation and even sabotage.

It already looks like the State Department is being led by two different people, with United States Special Envoy to the Middle East, now involved in Russian negotiations as well.

Its unlikely Trump's cabinet will purposely betray him in this second administration. However, how competent they will be in hostile environments is the question. Trump needs to totally shift current US global strategy, but it looks like he will get bogged down just like previous presidents have in overseas wars.

Threats and weaknesses of the Trump administration

The major weakness of the Trump administration is the appearance of the 'Jewish lobby' calling the shots on US foreign policy. This appears to be heavily influencing actions taken by the Pentagon in the Middle East.

Trump is showing signs that he will activity pursue those who attacked him with lawfare over the last couple of years. If vengeance gets the better of Trump, then this administration on this front may be no better than the last administration. Unlike Trump's first term, there are signs he wants to seek retribution on those who crossed him.

The legacy media since Trump has re-entered the White House is attacking on all fronts. Even some conservative independent journalists are digging up the past of some cabinet members. The recent Signal conversation among Trumps team became and issue, which nearly cost the National Security Advisor Mike Waltz his job.