"Chaotic cruelty": Trump administration escalating violence at home and abroad

As US President Donald Trump threatens military intervention in Iran and ramps up rhetoric around “conquering” Greenland, experts are questioning whether it’s a sign of a “cornered animal” lashing out.

“It was a dizzying week to go from Venezuela to Greenland to Minneapolis,” said Elizabeth N Saunders, Professor of Political Science at Columbia University.

“It all feels like it’s stemming from the same sort of chaotic cruelty that has become a hallmark of the [Trump administration’s] second term.”

Trump has declared that the government in Iran will “pay hell” if it continues to shoot and kill protestors rallying against the regime.

At the time same, violence is escalating in his own backyard following the shooting death of a 37-year-old female protestor in Minneapolis by a federal immigration officer.

“There are good arguments to be made that these are signs of weakness. This is what weak ‘strong men’ do.”

Trump’s threat to Iran comes less than two weeks after US Special Forces abducted Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

Speaking on the Australia Institute’s After America podcast, Professor Saunders said there are people in the US “who are really optimistic because they see this as the lashing out of a really cornered animal who’s really losing power, suffered serious electoral defeats, serious setbacks in the court.”

Dr Emma Shortis, Director of the Australia Institute’s International and Security Affairs Program said that, “from the outside, it looks like they want violence to escalate. They particularly are looking for violence to escalate against ICE agents so that they can then crack down harder.”

President Trump has also sparked concern in Europe with his renewed his interest in “conquering” Greenland.

“Trump has reportedly asked military leaders to draw up plans for an invasion of Greenland,” Shortis added.

“He’s threatened Colombia, Cuba, Canada, Panama, and is clearly leaning towards military intervention in Iran. The consequences of all of this are catastrophic.”

Professor Saunders said the Trump administration’s rhetoric was being taken seriously this time, given how it gradually ramped up its dialogue on infiltrating Venezuela in the lead up to the abduction of Maduro.

“We were all kind of boiling frogs on Venezuela,” she said, “… so I think that has sobered everybody to the return of this ‘we must have Greenland’ [rhetoric].”

Experts question the US President’s claim he needs to “own” Greenland to counter Russian and Chinese aggression.

“One wonders why so much effort on Greenland to counter this ‘Russian threat’ but not in the Ukraine,” pointed out Professor Saunders.

“It doesn’t hang together. We should all know better than to look for too much logic, but even by Trumpian standards, this is quite illogical.”

“Searching for rationality can be a futile exercise,” said Dr Shortis.

“Maybe it is just as simple as ‘Trumps wants to be emperor’. He wants that victory; this is kind of imperial machismo and that’s it.”

Professor Saunders agreed. “This is like everything everywhere all at once, without any real strategic planning.

“It just feels like a very Trumpian version of imperial overstretch where you just are lashing out in all directions.

“I sort of think of it as not so much the dominoes falling, which is the way we would describe it in the Cold War … This is like smashing the domino table – just upending it. And who the heck knows where they will fall?”

And amongst all the chaos and cruelty, Australia’s ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, announced the end of his posting in Washington a year early. In thanking Rudd for his service in what is often considered Australia’s most prestigious diplomatic role, Prime Minister Albanese described the United States as “our closest security ally.”