Dr James Zogby argues that the conduct and language of US President Donald Trump have profoundly degraded American political culture, with recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions symbolising a broader abuse of power. He says behaviour once considered unthinkable for a president is now normalised, from vulgar insults and racist slurs to attacks on journalists and political opponents. Zogby notes that Trump’s second term differs sharply from his first, as remaining internal checks have disappeared, replaced by loyalists who enable intimidation and retaliation against critics. This unchecked authority, combined with false claims and ego-driven governance, has led to actions Zogby describes as illegal, corrosive to democratic norms and damaging to the institutions Congress created to protect US values.
