Despite My Own Low Incredibly Low Expectations, Somehow I Still Underestimated the Extent of How Disastrous the Second Trump Administration Is Proving To Be

This is a picture of a magnet that was being sold at Strand's Book Store in New York City a few years ago. No, I did not buy it, but I liked it and took a picture, which I am sharing here now. 

What got me interested in this article was the title. Indeed, it feels like Trump can be likened to a political volcano. A volcano of blatant corruption, as the title suggests. But also a political volcano in terms of him just being a destroyer, not a builder or unifier. A volcano in terms of good will and any remaining faith that the rest of the world felt towards the United States. Whatever good will we had remaining after the aftermath of George W. Bush's Iraq invasion, Barack Obama's surveillance program against allies and his drone killings, and Trump's first term are now long gone. Universal tariffs imposed on goods from almost literally every nation in the world, threats to invade and take over numerous nations, constant insults recklessly hurled, and the general hubris of this second Trump administration have pretty much eroded what remained of good will towards Americans.

Now, as an American, when I go overseas or talk to someone from a foreign country, I feel I almost have to apologize for the actions of my fellow Americans for imposing such a monster on the rest of the world. Bad enough that he's doing the damage that he's transparently doing to the country. Even worse, though, that he somehow got the entire rest of the world against us, and in record time. Who would have thought that one man could do so much damage in such a short period of time?

Incredible. 

Which brings me back to the title of this article. Indeed, despite my own bleak expectations of impending disaster regarding a second Trump administration, did not believe that he could or would do quite as much damage as he has indeed done. As a nation, we will be paying for this for a long, long time. Decades, frankly. And we deserve it. This isn't something which will simply go away. People will remember many years from now. For the rest of the world, the United States will from here on out be remembered as the land which brought the world a volcano of destruction which went by the name of Trump.

Again, what a disaster.

Experts: We underestimated Trump's 'volcano of corruption' Story by Thomas Kika • April 9, 2026 • 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/experts-we-underestimated-trump-s-volcano-of-corruption/ar-AA29ItVR?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=U531&cvid=6a799fc862944d34bcff42ce72ebf9f1&ei=13

Experts: We underestimated Trump's 'volcano of corruption'