“For several years now, Russia has been engaged in what NATO itself describes as a campaign of hybrid warfare against Western countries—a sustained effort employing espionage, sabotage, cyberattacks, infrastructure disruption, assassination plots, and other covert actions designed to weaken NATO while remaining below the threshold of open war. These latest incidents are part of that campaign.” (“Russia’s Hybrid War Against NATO Escalates”, Substack by Michael Sellers, August 17, 2026)
This pattern suggests that Russia’s covert Cold War against Europe is intensifying just as Donald Trump appears poised to make what could be his final move toward transforming the United States from a democracy into a totalitarian state.
“J. Michael Luttig has called efforts to overturn presidential elections and challenge democratic norms a “grave threat” to American democracy. He famously advised then-Vice President Mike Pence that the vice president had no constitutional authority to alter election results on January 6, 2021, warning that doing so would plunge the country into a constitutional crisis.” (AI Overview) The Hill quoted Judge Luttig when he said, “For the first time in American history, an American president has corrupted democracy itself and the rule of law in America. And he got away with it.”
Trump has warned Americans that he may either declare a national emergency or direct Congressional Republicans to block newly elected Democrats from being sworn in after the 2026 and 2028 elections. As a reminder, Vladimir Putin was legally elected in 2000 to serve a four-year term, which was later changed to 6 years. After consolidating power and intimidating the 450 members of the Russian State Duma, he changed the laws to extend his hold on the presidency.
Once Trump is permanently installed as the President of the United States and has acquired loyal but violent troops (ICE = +22,000 members, former Jan. 6th insurrectionists (+1500 members), Russian Organized Crime (unknown but estimated at 2 million), and potentially the National Guard) – he too will rule by fear. In fact, when Trump was interviewed by Bob Woodward for the book FEAR, published in 2018, Trump said “Real power is the word fear.”
Aleksandr Dugin authored The Foundations of Geopolitics, published in 1997 in Moscow—three years before Vladimir Putin was elected president. Because many of the book’s aims appeared to align closely with Putin’s later agenda, some have suggested Putin was the ghost writer or helped shape it. This book outlines a “neo-imperial strategy for Russia to establish a vast Eurasian Empire to counter Western influence. The text advocates for the annexation of Ukraine, destabilization of the United States, and breaking up the European Union, while forging alliances with nations like Iran, Venezuela, North Korea, Syria, China, Libya, and others.” (Wikipedia) This group of countries closely parallels most of Trump’s presidential actions over the past eighteen months – troop withdrawals, treaties shredded, gas/oil confiscated illegally, and people murdered.
The developments now unfolding in the United States, Ukraine, Iran, and other countries were described in a strategy published in 1997—nearly 30 years ago. It was largely ignored then and remains insufficiently heeded today. By then, Trump’s vanity and conduct had made him a useful target for Putin’s plan. Thirty years ago, he was positioned as the “Ugly American” who could betray and destabilize the United States.
Trump has had the world's best instructors. He was caught by Russia in the 1990s, then lured to Russia by Putin and trapped. I would say over 90% of Americans have no idea how this happens, why, or what to do about it. Trump was promised business in Russia and he was trapped by very beautiful Russian women. Tons of photos were taken, and then in the 2018 Helsinki Summit he was shown those photos and told that either he does what he is told OR the photos would be exposed or someone he loved would die. There is little Trump loves more than himself and money - and he was - and still is - paid by Putin.
Putin spent 15 years in Germany, operating as a Russian spy. He learned how to entrap a westerner and how Hitler played Germany - the promises and con game. Hitler turned an entire democratic nation into mass murderers. Trump has followed this plan to a tee - the guilble Republicans, the women, the shady deals, the crimes, the lying and on and on. He has now nearly destroyed our government, has set in motion a massive genocide in Africa, is deporting people right and left - murdering some along the way, all with total disregard for our laws. He has started wars without Congressional approval, has imposed tariffs that have turned our economy upside down, For 15 years he was Epstein's best buddy - and he apparently violently attacked women and raped young girls. He has now developed his own army - filled with those released from prison due to their destruction of the Capitol, the ICE brigade - over 22,000, and others.
With the majority Republicans who are all deathly afraid of Trump, and his control over the judiciary and the Supremems, he has done what ever Putin wishes with NO controls from Congress and very little coming from the courts. My best guess is that if the last ten years are an example, by 2028 he will permanately be our first dictator.
Hi Sara and I wish I could answer your question. Trump rules by "fear" and with the Russian Organized Crime network in the U.S. and working on behalf of Trump, people have a good reason to fear for their lives or the lives of their family.