Donald Trump’s theatrical ambush of Ukraine’s President Zelensky in the Oval Office was an unmistakable attempt to justify Trump’s abandoning Ukraine in its war against the Russian invader and to obscure Trump’s abandonment of NATO and US democratic allies in Europe.

The false theatricality of the dramatic presentation by the Trump Oval Office Players only highlighted Trump’s switch of US support from European democracies to Russia and Russian dictator ‘that great guy’ Putin.

This clear triumph for Russia and Putin was recorded for posterity by a representative of Russian state media who, according to claims by the Trump government, snuck into the Oval Office undetected and proceeded to video and stream the Trump Oval Office Players presentation on Russian state media.

One cannot help but wonder whether it was joyful cackling resulting from the US betrayal of allies in switching sides during a war that exposed the penetration of the high – well, supposedly high – level of security for the US president and the Oval Office by a Russian Agent.

Still Trump’s betrayal of allies and switching of US support to Russia and ‘that great guy’ Russian dictator and war criminal Putin, is not the most dangerous, most insidious, attack on the US government and the US as a nation.

Not even when you include using the Trump Oval Office Players dramatic presentation to overshadow Trump lifting US economic sanctions on Russia at a time Europe and other NATO allies were working to tighten their economic sanctions on Russia, thereby supporting Russia’s conquest of Ukraine; the moves by Trump and Trump sycophants to end US government and military monitoring and counteraction of Russia’s well documented extensive digital assaults on the US and other democracies.

No, by far the most dangerous attack on the United States of America is the attack underway by Trump and his MAGA and Project 2025 allies that, in the Chaos it is creating, will destroy the ability of the US government to function or govern effectively.

If the US government is unable to govern or function effectively, the government will be unable to be effective in with dealing with the negative economic chaos and damages caused by the [seemingly] random shutdown of federal departments and agencies and the firing of a significant percentage of the federal workforce.

Add to that the negative consequences of the Tariff War Trump has launched on Canada and Mexico for no valid reason, no reason that would justify starting a Tariff War with the US’s largest trading partners. A Tariff War whose only guaranteed result will be to maximize damage to the US economy.

The inevitable result of Trump’s assault on the US economy since being sworn in on January 20, 2025 will be an economic recession.

A recession that is likely to get deeper and be long lasting given the reduction of the effectiveness in governing resulting from  the Trump/MAGA/Project2025 assault/destruction on the functioning of the US government.

The Trump/MAGA/Project2025 assault/destruction is not limited to the functionality and effectiveness of the US government or to tipping the US economy into recession. The destruction of entire agencies and departments, the massive cutting of programs and the massive, thoughtless layoffs of government employees will have serious negative consequences for research, science, technology and health – ending US leadership in those areas. The Trump/MAGA/Project2025 actions will deliver an advantage that grows over time to Putin’s Russia, China and any country that continues to invest in research and science.

Doctor Martin Luther King jr. stated “Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted” and anyone who is creatively maladjusted will recognize that the appointing of people who lack the necessary skills and competency to a position in charge of an organization is an attack on that organization.

Incompetent leadership degrades an organization, impairs the organizations functioning and can result in the destruction of the organization – just ask the two non-profit organizations that Pete Hegseth was in charge of that no longer exist.

Having a massively unqualified Secretary of Defense leaves unopposed the firing of the top leadership of the military thereby degrading the effectiveness and ability of the US armed forces; a degradation that increases over time.

Installing unqualified toadies at the FBI, in conjunction with massive terminations of agents, disrupts – even ends – the ability of the FBI to be effective against foreign espionage. It also facilitates domestic terrorism and erodes support of and for the rule of law. Loyalty testing/screening FBI agents continued employment provides a de facto secret police force.

Installing an under qualified sycophant as the head of the Department of Justice, weaponizing the Department of Justice not only serves to satisfy Donald Trump’s pettiness and need for revenge for any perceived sleight, but also adds to the distrust of the federal system that results from the behaviours, actions and rulings of the Republican/Donald Trump appointed Supreme Court judges. It also ensures the Department of Justice takes no actions that interfere with any Trump goals.

The severe reduction of ability and effectiveness of the Department of Justice is a moot point because justice is not a Trump goal, while inability and ineffectiveness serve to further undermine the rule of law.

Appointing someone who is not simply unqualified, but is an antivaxer and the antithesis of the leadership one would want in charge of health at a time when the threat of disease outbreaks or of a new pandemic are a significant probability only serves to put at risk the health of the American public and increase changes of negative health impacts, impacts that can be as large or larger than COVID.

Examining, analyzing, evaluating Donald Trumps actions since taking the oath of office January 20, 2025 it is clear that Donald Trump has violated and betrayed his oath of office. A violation and betrayal that began with his assault on the US Constitution and birthright US citizenship and has continued in the behaviour and actions Trump has engaged in since that point; in particular his abandonment of the a democratic Ukraine and support of Putin’s Russian invasion of Ukraine.

A Ukraine whose independence from Russia the US guaranteed in exchange for Ukraine surrendering all the tactical nuclear missiles left in Ukraine but the fall of the USSR.

The words called to mind by an examination, analysis and evaluation of Donald Trump’s actions and the outcomes that will result from those actions are ‘Russian sleeper agent’.

There are, unsurprisingly, no bank records or other documentation that would provide undeniable proof of a Donald Trump Russian affiliation

When it comes to other evidence there is Russia’s clear and well documented digital/online actions supporting Donald Trump and Donald Trump’s campaigns for the presidency. There is also Trump’s support and promotion of Russian talking points on issues.

Then there is the evidence of a Trump/Russian affiliation that lies in his actions, actions that benefit Putin’s Russia, harm the interests of the US, isolate the US by stripping away allies, attack the effectiveness and functionality of the US government, increase selfishness, hatred, division and anger in the population of the US and weaken/impair/decrease the US economy.

An alliance in support of Russia is also is also in line with the fact that Donald Trump has repeatedly and decisively demonstrated a lack of character or ethics; a lack of any loyalty; of self-centered egotism; of being motivated by greed and concerned only with $$$$.

Acting to fill his pocketbook even if it means acting in a manner that benefits Russia and is detrimental to the US is simply ‘the art of the deal’.

The answer to the question of ‘Why now and not during Trump’s first term in office’ is that Russia cannot sustain the war in Ukraine and sis the process of losing the war; in addition Russia’s economy is imploding.

Cutting support to Ukraine is a reprieve for Russia’s military and the removal of US economic sanctions is a lifeline thrown to the US economy.

What better time to burn a Russian asset?

Whether Trump and/or any of his supporters and allies are Russian asserts, have been compromised or bought, is moot.

What matters is that the actions of Trump, JD Vance, Republican Representatives and Senators, those promoting and implementing Project 2025 and Trump’s appointed sycophants are engaged in actions that will destroy the functionality of the US government, make the US government incapable of acting effectively or efficiently, damage the US economy, inflict immediate and growing harm on the quality of life of all but the wealthiest US citizens, end US leadership in science and technology, increase the threat and probability of terrorism on US soil – both domestic and foreign, significantly decrease US security and increase the threat to the US as a nation.

Lack of critical thinking skills, lack of mental capacity, incompetence or a Russian asset as the cause of the actions taken does not change the widespread, long lasting, deeply negative consequences and costs of the actions.

Which benefit Russia, a benefit that increases over time; actions that also benefit China, North Korea, Iran and other nations who are enemies of the US.