Trump’s presidency is collapsing

After a late night of partying with the Governors deemed worthy of his company, President Donald J. Trump once again disappeared today. His retreat followed the same quiet, calculated pattern we’ve come to expect. No formal press appearances, and the usual flood of rage-filled posts slowed to a trickle. And with past presidents, that kind of silence on a Sunday might pass without notice. But with Trump, it almost always means one of two things: either something is being plotted behind closed doors, like an imminent attack on Iran, or he’s too physically and mentally depleted to be paraded in front of the camera.

And with everything swirling, the latest accusations against him in the Epstein files, his threats against Iran, the Supreme Court striking down his tariffs, and new signs of economic decline, it’s hard to know what his silence really means. Maybe he’s hiding because he’s overwhelmed. Maybe he’s planning something behind closed doors. Either way, the timing matters. Especially after the performance he gave at the governors’ dinner, trying to make it look like everything was under control. He had to stay composed and play the part of a steady leader for a room full of politicians and elites, seated beneath candlelight while powerful violin music played in the background. The whole thing was so carefully staged and so disconnected from the real world.

And it wasn’t just about this dinner itself. This is a traditional event Presidents are expected to hold. But what made this one different was the opulence on display and the complete disregard for the fact that the federal government is still partially shut down. Thousands of workers aren’t getting paid. And yet Trump seemed far more concerned with the lighting and the music than with solving any of it.

But that was the point. This dinner was only about sending a visual message. About reminding the people in that room, and the ones watching from outside, that the show goes on no matter what. That there’s still plenty of money. That power is intact, and that loyalty is rewarded. Because these are the governors who stood by him. Even as he’s tried to dismantle constitutional checks. Even as he’s threatened political enemies. Even as the legal walls close in. And like authoritarian leaders before him, Trump understands something very clearly: if you can surround yourself with gold and music and deference, you can sell the illusion that everything is fine. That there’s nothing to worry about. That the chaos you’re causing isn’t real, because look, there’s a violinist playing, and the flowers are beautiful, and the president looks steady at the head of the table.

That trick has been used before. Hitler wasn’t known for personal luxury, but the regime around him understood the political power of performance. His 50th birthday was turned into one of the most extravagant national displays in Europe: military parades, fireworks, orchestras, sweeping declarations of strength. And behind it all was a simple message: the Reich is thriving. Stay loyal, and you can have all of this too.

Then, late in the day, Trump resurfaced. Not in the Oval Office. But on speakerphone, in what looked like a locker room, calling in to congratulate the U.S. men’s hockey team after their gold medal win. In the video, the Director of the FBI is holding the phone in one hand and what appears to be an alcoholic drink in the other, surrounded by players drinking open Corona beers. The whole thing looked less like a presidential moment and more like a frat house, with the head of the FBI partying overseas with hockey players.

And that’s even after the FBI insisted this wasn’t what it looked like. CBS News reported: “Kash Patel used an FBI jet to fly to Italy with plans to attend the Olympic men’s hockey games, sources say.”

In response, FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson posted online:

But even that wasn’t the worst of it. On the call, Trump invited the men’s team to the State of the Union and even said he’d send military jets to bring them in. Military aircraft, to fly Olympic athletes across the world for a political event. Not because he was proud of them. Not to make their travel easier. But because he’s facing a half-empty room and needs applause. With attendance expected to be thin and interest in his speech even thinner, this wasn’t about honoring their achievement; it was about using their medals and their patriotism as stage decorations. A last-minute attempt to inflate a spectacle that’s already collapsing under its own weight. It was one more reminder that Trump doesn’t treat the presidency as a responsibility; he considers it his latest reality TV show production.

And still it got worse. Between laughs, he said he might have to invite the women’s hockey team too, or risk getting impeached. He wasn’t inviting them because they, too, are bringing home gold. Nor because they deserve to be honored. But because it would look bad if he didn’t. And he felt completely comfortable saying that out loud. That’s how this man thinks. And my heart breaks for the women’s team. They deserve so much better than how he just disrespected them. This is who the Trump administration is. This is the President of the United States and the Director of the FBI.

And while all of this was playing out, something far more sinister was quietly unfolding in Washington. This week, a massive banner bearing Donald Trump’s face was hung across the front of the Department of Justice headquarters. It stretched between two columns on the corner of one of the most iconic federal buildings in the country, blazoned with the words: “Make America Safe Again.” This is the building that once symbolized the independence of American law enforcement. The building that still bears the etched inscription: “WHERE LAW ENDS TYRANNY BEGINS” And now, it’s been turned into a stage set, for a man who wants to place himself above the very law that building was meant to defend.

A convicted felon’s portrait now hangs on the building that houses the agency traditionally tasked with keeping law enforcement independent from political influence. It’s the symbolism that’s most concerning, and how closely it copies the authoritarian playbook. This banner on the DOJ building is an ominous warning. His face, right there, staring down at every person who enters the building. Sharing the message without saying a word. Trump is watching you. Do what he says.

In North Korea, portraits of the Supreme Leader hang on government buildings as a reminder of who controls everything. In Putin’s Russia, the imagery of power is everywhere, designed to make resistance feel futile. In Cuba, the same kind of iconography has been used for decades. In every authoritarian regime in modern history, the face of the leader becomes the face of the state, and the two become indistinguishable. That’s what this banner represents. Not patriotism or pride. Domination.

Former FBI Director James Comey, whose politically motivated prosecution by this very DOJ was recently thrown out by a federal judge, pointed out the bitter irony. The administration, he said, “forgot to cover the inscription” about tyranny.

And then came the Greenland stunt. On Saturday, Trump posted on Truth Social: “Working with the fantastic Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, we are going to send a great hospital boat to Greenland to take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there. It’s on the way!!!” The post included an AI-generated image of the USNS Mercy cutting through Arctic waters.

This is where the story gets even more absurd. Greenland has universal healthcare. Treatment is free for all citizens. Their Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, responded: “President Trump’s idea of sending an American hospital ship here to Greenland has been noted. But we have a public healthcare system where treatment is free for citizens. It is a deliberate choice.” He added, “Talk to us instead of just making more or less random outbursts on social media.”

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen went further, writing on Facebook that she was “happy to live in a country where there is free and equal access to health for all. Where it’s not insurances and wealth that determine whether you get proper treatment.” That wasn’t just a defense of Greenland. It was a direct callout of the United States.

And here’s what makes it worse: both U.S. Navy hospital ships, USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort, are in dry dock in Alabama for maintenance. For the first time in 30 years, they’re side by side, unable to go anywhere. Even one of Greenland’s own parliamentarians, Aaja Chemnitz, called it out: “Donald Trump wants to send a poorly maintained hospital ship to Greenland. It seems rather desperate.”

And the reason for the distraction matters. Earlier that day, a U.S. nuclear submarine surfaced just seven nautical miles off the coast of Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, after a crew member suffered a medical emergency. Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command responded. A Seahawk helicopter lifted the sailor off the sub and flew them to a hospital in Nuuk. Denmark’s military saved an American life.

This came just two days after King Frederik X concluded a three-day solidarity visit to Greenland, reassuring citizens shaken by Trump’s repeated threats to annex their country. During his visit, the King met with Greenland’s leadership, toured Arctic Command headquarters, and told Greenlanders their well-being was “very close to my heart.” A 74-year-old Greenlandic woman told reporters, “Trump’s threats have been very frightening for all of us. We’ve never experienced anything like this in our world.”

So, to recap: a U.S. nuclear sub surfaces near Greenland’s capital the day after their King leaves, meaning it was most likely sitting right off the coast when he was there, Denmark saves an American sailor, and Trump responds, not with gratitude, not with diplomacy, but by pretending Greenland needs help and we’re sending a hospital ship that doesn’t exist.

This wasn’t a mistake. It was a narrative construction. Frame them as needy. Offer the solution. When they decline, act like they’re ungrateful. It’s the same manufactured crisis playbook we’ve seen so many times before with Trump and authoritarians like him.

So what do we do about it? We remember what it truly means to be American. When the president spreads disinformation, when the director of the FBI is off partying in a locker room while using public resources, we make sure as many people as possible know that is happening. We call out the corruption we’re seeing. We talk about it with people in person and online. We point out when there is a clear misuse of power and taxpayers’ money. We support the people who risk exposure to share the truth, like those who shared the video today. That’s how the truth gains ground: not through silence, or through fear, but through people speaking up and standing with one another.

This is the time to get loud. Because what happens next will determine the lives of future generations. The midterms are the fight for our country. I’m already gearing up, not just to write these nightly posts, but also to canvas, phone bank, write postcards, and donate. We’re going to take back our country. With truth, solidarity, and the Constitution on our side. I know you are ready for this moment as well. And that’s why I still have hope for America. And you should, too.

I’ll see you tomorrow,
Heather

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This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.