Welcome to Trump’s America, The i Paper’s World Insight series presenting the sharpest, deepest thinking on an era-defining shift in history and politics, investigating how Donald Trump and his administration have changed the US and the world – and where we go from here.
• America can’t afford to retire• The US is becoming impossible to live in• The White House I worked for would have condemned this image. Trump refuses• Maga leaders want ‘traditional American families’ – but can’t stop having affairs• Sin City has lost its shine. It shows how far America has fallen• The Florida street that exposes America’s growing homophobia• Inside America’s most loyal Trump town – where people still think he’s ‘a good man’
Since coming to office as US Secretary of Defence – later War – last year, Pete Hegseth has spoken at great length about his desire to turn America’s warfighting machine away from “woke distractions” and return to “lethality” and “joint warfighting”. He has remained hyperfocused on the kinds of small-unit-level complaints one would expect to be more in the purview of a battalion sergeant major than a cabinet secretary.
When it comes to the tactical and operational levels of war, the US military is undoubtedly effective. From the synchronised global reach to destroy Iran’s nuclear research facilities last summer, to the precision of America’s special operations forces during the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, American mastery of the mechanics of combat has been on display. This kind of skill cannot be developed overnight and is indicative of the capabilities that have been created and refined across multiple preceding administrations.
