Europe's Warning: A Post-Trump U.S. May Not Return to "Normal"

A leading columnist argues that Europe must abandon hope for a simple return to U.S. stability if Donald Trump leaves office again. The core issue is whether American democracy can survive a potential second Trump term. The columnist describes a fundamental conflict: a president with authoritarian, or "despotic," ambitions versus a constitutional system designed to prevent one-person rule. He warns this is a "battle to the death." The result will either see the republic's spirit broken by tyranny or that tyranny defeated by it. The outcome has global importance. As the world's paramount power, America's internal struggle directly impacts allies like the UK, which rely on Washington for security. The conclusion is stark. If Trump's first term did not make the U.S. political system immune to authoritarianism, a second term offers no guarantee of a cure. Europe cannot bet on America automatically reverting to its old self.