At the conclusion of his rallies, Donald Trump often jazzed up his catchphrase, “Make America Great Again,” tossing in variations that roused the crowd. One of his favorites was, “Make America safe again!”
Well, that didn’t quite pan out.
Just weeks into reclaiming the presidency, Trump’s actions have left Americans feeling more vulnerable both within the country and beyond its borders. (And let’s not even start on the fact that grocery prices haven’t budged—but that’s a complaint for another time.)
Take for example the precarious move that risks our security right from the Justice Department and the FBI. Loyalists to Trump are carrying out his grudges over past legal battles by dismissing, demoting, or shifting hundreds, maybe thousands, of career professionals who collectively bring eons of expertise in tackling domestic and international threats. Yet, even Christopher Wray, the former FBI Director who chose to resign instead of being axed, constantly highlighted that extremist threats are very real.
Forget about it: The Republican-controlled Senate seems set to confirm Kash Patel as Wray’s successor. Patel is a staunch Trump supporter who identifies political adversaries of the president as the actual menace. Republican senators are lining up to approve him, even though Patel apparently misled them during his senate hearings. He assured them that no FBI staff “will be terminated due to case assignments,” despite ongoing dismissals concerning the events of January 6 and cases involving Trump’s classified documents.
It’s reminiscent of “The Godfather,” with Michael Corleone sitting in church during a baptism ceremony while his henchmen seize the opportunity to wipe out competitors across New York.
Similarly, Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was confirmed just last week, wasted no time in establishing a “weaponization working group” to prosecute prosecutors and scrutinize investigators handling Trump-related cases. The FBI agents’ association opposed, quoting Trump himself that these dismissals are “dangerous distractions” from efforts to truly “make America safe again.” Isn’t that ironic?
Reports suggest FBI agents who were previously on terrorist surveillance are being redirected to what is essentially Bondi’s—and by extension, Trump’s—retaliation team, or assisting Homeland Security to deport migrants. Personally, I’d feel safer if resources were allocated toward monitoring militia activities, lone-wolf radicals, and some of those pardoned from the January 6 incident, rather than diverting attention to evicting migrants from workplaces and homes.
William H. Webster, a lifelong Republican and unique figure who led both the FBI and CIA while serving on a Homeland Security council post-9/11, advised Senate Judiciary Committee Chair, Charles E. Grassley, to block Patel’s nomination.
In a letter I came across, Webster, still spirited at 100, cautioned that this administration aims to dismantle the FBI and bypass the rule of law. He urged Grassley to evaluate the potential threats to national security, the FBI’s integrity, and American safety before letting this nomination progress unchecked.
Complicity in the unwinding of the FBI “is not a legacy I’d choose,” Webster sharply told Grassley. But evidently, Grassley doesn’t mind. He declared the committee might vote on Patel later this week.
Here’s another fresh concern for American security: Trump, along with his unelected and unevaluated co-president—Elon Musk—has assigned young and unverified Musk-associated tech enthusiasts to infiltrate federal agencies and IT systems. They’re accessing personal and tax records of millions of Americans, including those on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and more.
Similar upheaval and dismissals are sweeping through the CIA and various intelligence bodies that shield the nation from overseas perils. Vital CIA operatives have been unmasked in unsecured communications, effectively painting targets on their backs, as Virginia Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, pointed out. Those being pushed out include personnel proficient in critical languages like Arabic, Russian, and Chinese, whose skills have been painstakingly cultivated over the years.
Meanwhile, Tulsi Gabbard, a former Congresswoman who has occasionally dismissed U.S. intelligence in favor of Kremlin narratives, is under consideration to become the director of national intelligence—tasked with delivering the president’s daily briefings. What could possibly go astray?
And needless to say, Trump’s blunder extends to the decimation of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). For sixty years, this humanitarian arm of the State Department has been instrumental in enhancing U.S. security and fostering international goodwill. It operates as a preliminary alert system for overseas threats in over 100 countries, including conflict zones.
Retired Marine General James Mattis once cautioned Congress in 2013 that inadequate funding for the State Department means extra ammunition is necessary. He reiterated this during his not-so-joyful stint as Trump’s first Defense Secretary—sensible advice that’s unfortunately disregarded, to everyone’s detriment. The same goes for his advocacy of U.S. alliances: “History shows nations with allies thrive, those without, don’t.”
Trump has managed to estrange allies like Canada, Mexico, Denmark, and Panama with his overbearing comments. But nothing has agitated the world, particularly the volatile Middle East, like his suggestion to seize Gaza, displace 2.2 million Palestinians, and construct a “Riviera.” Trump’s DHS sent a daunting warning to police nationwide post these statements, advising them to be vigilant for possible retaliatory acts, as reported by Washington Post columnist David Ignatius.
We should all feel perturbed. Is this how we are supposed to make America safe? Certainly not like this.
You can follow me on Twitter: @jackiekcalmes
