Morality is perhaps the least utilized consideration in political activity. Politics is fundamentally the art of the possible and is only very rarely influenced by moral or ethical factors. This does not mean that there have never been principled, honest and moral politicians in world history. However, such politicians were rare. This is perhaps because such factors as morality and ethics sometimes negatively affect success, which is measured in self-aggrandizement.
However, US President Donald Trump, a bit like other authoritarian leaders, lowers morality to a new level. This is particularly disturbing because the US has long represented freedom and democracy at the highest level. There have been principled and ethical presidents in America. Over the past hundred years, perhaps the most distinct example of this was the relatively politically unsuccessful President Jimmy Carter. Others had their virtues but also serious vices with greater or lesser political efficacy.
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Trump’s last trip to the Middle East was a success of unknown quantity. However, it will only be measured in dollars. Trump counted among his successes the personal gift of a $400 million airplane from Qatar. Only Trump did not see gross corruption in this. Access to the president of the United States costs that much.
Business transactions took place without any mention of such problematic issues as respect for human rights, women’s rights, or even the condemnation of the murders of political opponents. Clearly, states such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, or the United Arab Emirates are not interested in such issues. They interfere with “business as usual” and more so with business at an enhanced level. President Trump, of single mind to make a financial profit, easily found his interlocutors without the slightest hesitation or consideration for the morality of it all.
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Returning home, Trump had to consider non-business and realized that the meeting of the delegations of Ukraine and the Kremlin in Istanbul was not a success, except for the exchange of prisoners. Trump insisted that he had to have at least a phone conversation with his partner in authoritarian rule, Russian President Vladimir Putin. The phone conversation led to nothing, but Trump characterized it in a similar way to Putin, that the conversation was useful and sincere. Excuse me, but even a primitive like Trump could not believe that any conversation with a criminal could be sincere.
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Trump is a consequence of national populism, where a leader can say whatever they want and their followers not only approve, but also promote those ideas. However, it is already apparent that this direction of false populism is running its course. This has become evident in Germany, France, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and even in Poland. The latter is very significant because the Poles are fundamentally chauvinistic by culture. And although they are threatened by Moscow almost on their border, it is difficult to change.
People such as Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk are a modern democratic outlier. A candidate for President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, albeit independent but very conservative in his views, was in first place just a few months ago. Recently, he came in second in the general elections. The mayor of Warsaw, of a moderate direction, ran first. The final elections in a week will show the inclination of the Poles.
Trump, meanwhile, constantly claims that his authoritarian behavior was approved by US voters with a large mandate, giving him a very big popular victory. This is just another lie, because the difference in votes between Trump and his main Democratic opponent in 2024 was the smallest in the last 24 years, that is, in the last six US presidential elections.
Trump continues to lose in the courts. America’s role as a world leader has been assumed by Europe. Among Trump’s allies are Putin and Kim Jong-un from North Korea. True, some world leaders continue to shower praise on Trump, but Trump does not understand that this is a political game. The indisputable fact is that the US has not had such a primitive and immoral president since the time of Andrew Jackson in the first half of the 19th century. Jackson was infamous for the genocide of the indigenous population in America.
Among Trump’s sins in the first four months of his presidency, and there are many, was a major offense against international law. Apparently, Trump could not understand this because crimes against American law are beyond his thinking, so there is no understanding of international law.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes and crimes against humanity. So far, the Israeli Armed Forces have killed 52,000 Palestinians, among them probably 90% innocent men, women and children. It is true that the war was started by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, which killed 1,200 Jews and took 251 hostages on October 7, 2023. However, Israel’s response far exceeded the norms of war under international law.
In February 2025, Trump imposed sanctions against the chief prosecutor of the ICC, a British attorney. This order by Trump was not only without precedent but also manifested his complete disregard for international law, which is already slow to develop due to the ill behavior of the world community, its leaders and the lack of goodwill.
The Holy Father Pope Leo XIV, has already spoken out on the topic of Trump’s behavior, particularly regarding immigration, several times. The last time, although not mentioning Trump by name, was during his sermon at his installation as head of the Universal Church. This is significant. And it should be added that, today, only 39% of Americans approve of the behavior of this president. Where is the mandate? Even Americans are starting to wake up. It’s not too late.
The views expressed are the author’s and not necessarily of Kyiv Post.
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