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OPINION

No one is writing about it…but you can bet it’s on everyone’s mind. How will the Trump Administration handle the next crisis? Unfortunately, all U.S. actions impact Canada…and the rest of the world.

Nothing we have witnessed in the 90 days of Trump’s second presidency - along with what is likely the most incompetent Cabinet in U.S. history - inspires confidence. One thing is certain. There will be a crisis…we just don’t now what and when.

Before Trump, America was known worldwide for its reliable institutions… guided by experts and under the watchful eyes of legislative and judicial oversight. Now, President Trump’s and Elon Musk’s chaotic actions are often unconstitutional and undermine one of the world’s oldest democracies.

Consider the COVID-19 pandemic that surprised the world - spreading from a tiny outbreak in Wuhan, China - in December of 2019. In five years, more than 7 million people died worldwide. What if another - even more virulent disease - spreads to North America…or starts here?

Well, last month the Trump Administration cut more than $12 billion in federal grants to states…money used for tracking infectious diseases, as well as mental health services, addiction treatment and other emergency health issues.

(DON THOMPSON / iNFOnews.ca)

Remember, Trump pulled the U.S. out of the World Health Organization…so there’s virtually no international coordination between the U.S. and other nations on infectious diseases and pandemics.

On top of eliminating 20,000 jobs at the Department of Health and Human Services, another 2,400 highly trained medical personnel are lost from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 1,200 more experts at the National Institutes of Health.

The Federal government is not prepared for another pandemic…and the Department of Health and Human Services is led for the first time by someone without a single day of scientific or medical experience. That person - Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr - is an long-time anti-vaxxer…with a dead pork tape worm larvae in his brain.

Of course, there are other emergencies…security concerns that arise from unstable political and military environments and terrorism. While Trump has been in the Oval Office just three months…it seems much longer. Maybe the Trump Administration’s chaotic approaches to most everything is one reason.

His actions in just 90 days have cost the economy trillions of dollars. Of course, the fact that Trump and everyone working for him lies is a big part of the problem. All America’s allies - those that are left - as well as its enemies know Trump and his minions can’t be trusted.

When you can’t predict what someone might do in a given situation…things become less stable. There’s no other time in American history when the level of trust with allies and enemies…was pretty much the same.

Who worldwide feels safer now than when Obama or Biden was president? If you do…hey, you’re qualified to be a member of the Trump Cabinet.

In short order, Trump has fired the people who oversee our nuclear arsenal, protect us from bird flu and keep our air travel safe. With climate change bringing more fires, floods and stronger hurricanes…Trump has fired hundreds of workers at FEMA.

Terrorist threats increase when intelligence and law enforcement agencies are hobbled…and that’s what Trump has done. The Trump administration’s mass firings and program shutdowns at the DOJ, the F.B.I., the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and other national security agencies weaken the ability to counter threats.

One of the best ways for terrorists or other nations to attack the U.S. is through its electrical grid. Yet, the Trump Administration has fired hundreds of linemen, engineers and dispatchers who maintain America’s power systems.

Think about events that could happen…pipeline leaks, chemical and natural gas explosions and oil spills. Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency has gutted career staff with the expertise to enforce pollution laws and oversee safe hazardous waste cleanup. Several hundred experts who used to respond to environmental disasters…are gone.

Trump killed the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau two months ago…now no one oversees the financial products and services used by everyday Americans…from credit cards to checking accounts to home loans.

Further, Trump wants to deregulate banking and other financial institutions…because donors representing banks have given Trump millions of dollars…they bought deregulation.

Neither Trump nor any member of his Cabinet are qualified to handle the crises the world might face. Are they stupid? Well, Trump believes he can win a nuclear war.

So, if you’re worried whether America stands ready to fend off an emergency…any crisis…your concern is justified. Something terrible…horrible even…that America was once prepared for now poses a greater threat than ever because of Trump’s recklessness.

It’s simply a matter of time.

— Don Thompson, an American awaiting Canadian citizenship, lives in Vernon and in Florida. In a career that spans more than 40 years, Don has been a working journalist, a speechwriter and the CEO of an advertising and public relations firm. A passionate and compassionate man, he loves the written word as much as fine dinners with great wines.

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