Sunday, May 17, 2026

America in Free Fall

Donald Trump didn't invent American decline, but he has accelerated it with a fury and recklessness that will echo across the century.

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America in free fall • PLUS: Join Fighting Democrat Rep. Adelita Grijalva and me TODAY at 12 pm ET

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-- The Warning with Steve Schmidt (@steveschmidt.skystack.xyz) 10:52 AM · May 12, 2026

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snip ...

Donald Trump didn't invent American decline, but he has accelerated it with a fury and recklessness that will echo across the century.

There have been many presidents in American history who made mistakes. There have been weak presidents. There have been corrupt presidents. There have been presidents overwhelmed by events.

But there has never been an American president who has waged such sustained warfare against the sources of American strength itself.

Donald Trump is the author of American self-harm.

He's the vandal of American power.

While America convulses in madness, instability, corruption and grievance, the leadership of Communist China waits with patience and discipline as the balance of power tilts eastward.

The Chinese understand something that too many Americans refuse to see: empires rarely collapse because they're conquered from abroad.

They collapse because they rot from within.

That's what is happening to the United States of America.

#1 | Posted by A_Friend at 2026-05-12 02:14 PM

snip ...

The 21st century began with America standing alone atop the world.

The United States possessed the world's strongest economy, military, universities, reserve currency, scientific institutions, technological ecosystem, alliance network and cultural influence.

No rival came close.

The United States accounted for nearly a third of global economic output after the Cold War. American universities dominated scientific research. Silicon Valley defined the digital age. NATO represented the greatest military alliance in human history. The dollar ruled global commerce. America's word mattered.

Today, all of that is under strain - not because China became strong, but because America became stupid.

#2 | Posted by A_Friend at 2026-05-12 02:16 PM

Right now the GOP is just interested in stealing as much as they can personally before it all collapses due to their negligence.

#3 | Posted by Nixon at 2026-05-12 02:20 PM

Gee, I wonder why.

#4 | Posted by fresno500 at 2026-05-13 07:05 AM

The GOP has been selling out the US in the name of "capitalism" my entire adult life.

What's happening now was an inevitable end to their decades long policies of profit at any cost.

#5 | Posted by jpw at 2026-05-13 11:35 AM

What's happening now was an inevitable end to their decades long policies of profit at any cost.

POSTED BY JPW

The grifters of this administration are oblivious to your pain.

They don't care. They got theirs and their progeny is also set for life too. And then they pull the ladders up.

Have you learned yet? You are on your own pal.

#6 | Posted by donnerboy at 2026-05-13 11:52 AM

THIS is a very expensive Free Fall.

Think I prefer, "Free Ride".

goodreads.com

#7 | Posted by Corky at 2026-05-17 01:44 PM

#5

"my entire adult life"

at my age, and knowing what I know, I would say gop insanity was going on your entire childhood as well....

Difference is people, individually and in groups, were DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

better start swimming....

#8 | Posted by South_American at 2026-05-17 10:37 PM

and I also know, obviously, not enough was accomplished or we wouldn't be where we are now....

#9 | Posted by South_American at 2026-05-17 10:41 PM

American People Very Dumb.

They think TV Boss Very Strong.

He Fires People on TV.

Let's make him Big Boss....FUHRER.

American People Very Dumb......

#10 | Posted by Effeteposer at 2026-05-18 01:30 AM

This is how cynical I have become...I no longer even believe there will be elections in 2028. A bankrupt nation is a country where anything goes, and sooner or later Trump will inspire a terrorist attack by Iranians or Cubans or whoever, perhaps on DC itself, and then, hello national emergency and full on rule of the Fascist Trump gang.
Trump said he paid taxes, his returns were leaked and it turned out he took, he rarely if ever gave, to the treasury, and one has a strong hunch his taxes are one way...to him, not away from him.

#11 | Posted by Hughmass at 2026-05-18 07:13 AM

The US in 2026 is the ultimate reality TV show.

That's what happens when you elect a media personality as president.

#12 | Posted by madbomber at 2026-05-18 08:17 AM

Have you learned yet? You are on your own pal.

#6 | POSTED BY DONNERBOY

Ummmmm no s*^%?

My post was a simple statement of fact that our decline is almost entirely because of the GOP and their long term policies.

#13 | Posted by jpw at 2026-05-18 03:34 PM

Like many centrally planned societies, the Heritage Foundation took a page from the communist playbook and planned long term. They had a vision years ago. They executed it and continue to do so. We're suffering.

The Democrats don't have serious long-term plans, or at least they can't make them law. They don't execute their vision. They suck at messaging and always, always have.

The left in the US has been outflanked and outmaneuvered on just about every domestic front.

Want to blame Trump for all the country's ills? Might be better to wonder why Democrats have not made their approach to the world more attractive to US voters.

Then again, if the US is really full of racist, misogynist, knuckle-breathing fools, maybe we're right where we're supposed to be at the moment.

Sucks, huh? Too bad we don't have a political party or a populace that's capable of battling the enemy within.

If all it took was Trump to do this to America, we were on really shaky ground already.

#14 | Posted by Dbt2 at 2026-05-19 07:17 AM

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