American Mythology2020

Donald Trump's victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016 sent shockwaves across the globe. His melding of chaos, incompetence, corruption and viciousness as president combined with his clear affinity for authoritarianism and international despots poses a direct threat to some of the most vulnerable people in the US and the world. At the same time, Trump has proven adept at sparking the rage of the elite, bipartisan political class in the US, often drawing the greatest ire for positions that ultimately challenge the sacred cows of American imperialism. His sudden announcement that he would withdraw troops from Syria in late 2018 and his pledge to do the same in Afghanistan elicited immediate panic and condemnation from powerful Democrats and Republicans alike. Trump's public attack on the CIA, comparing the spy agency to the Nazis, made after he had already won the election, was unprecedented in US history. Award-winning journalist Jeremy Scahil argues that Trump's ascent has pulled back the curtain on a sacred bond between hawkish Democratic Party elites and extreme right wing neoconservatives.