Trump wanted a golden age. Instead, he delivered a golden vanity project. This week’s Elephant in the Room is the accelerating collapse of the Trump presidency—politically, economically, and culturally. As Americans grapple with a struggling economy, rising corruption, and growing incompetence at the highest levels of government, Trump seems more focused on building monuments to himself, expanding his ballroom, and feeding his endless need for attention than solving the problems facing the country. Meanwhile, his much-hyped foreign policy swagger has run headfirst into reality, exposing weakness on the world stage and leaving allies and adversaries alike questioning America’s leadership. Rick breaks down how Trump’s obsession with self-glorification, personal enrichment, and grievance politics is colliding with voter fatigue, economic anxiety, and a growing sense that the emperor isn’t just naked—he’s out of ideas. The cracks are widening, the excuses are running thin, and more Americans are asking a simple question: is this all there is?
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Rick Wilson is on X at @TheRickWilson, on Bluesky at @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and you can check out Rick's Substack at
therickwilson.substack.com. You can check out more of LP's work at
www.lincolnproject.us and on X at @ProjectLincoln.
