28. März 2025
Dear readers, I wanted to let you know that I'll be writing fewer blog entries in the near future as I've embarked on an exciting new project. I'm thrilled to announce that I've started a weekly podcast with Handelsblatt and Nicole Bastian called "Trump Watch." This new podcast, which launched in 2025, focuses on analyzing the second term of Donald Trump's presidency1. Each Wednesday afternoon, Nicole Bastian (co-head of Handelsblatt's podcast, video, and live journalism department) and I dive...
17. März 2025
Elon Musk’s role as de facto shadow president in Donald Trump’s administration exemplifies the dangerous erosion of democratic norms through the unchecked fusion of corporate power and federal authority. Appointed as a "special government employee" to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Musk has exploited ambiguities in his mandate to orchestrate a chaotic, self-serving overhaul of federal operations—all while evading accountability and enriching his empire. The...
04. März 2025
As President Donald Trump prepares to address Congress tonight at 9 PM ET, the nation braces for what will undoubtedly be a disturbing display of autocratic ambition and democratic erosion. In just six weeks since regaining office, Trump has unleashed a relentless assault on American institutions, values, and global standing that will likely be both celebrated and amplified in his speech. Trump's address comes at a critical juncture, with his administration's actions already sending shockwaves...
04. März 2025
The Trump administration's recent actions to end military aid to Ukraine and impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico represent a seismic shift in U.S. foreign policy, one that threatens to unravel decades of carefully constructed international relationships and norms. This isolationist turn, cloaked in the rhetoric of "America First," is not merely a recalibration of priorities but a wholesale rejection of the liberal international order that has underpinned global stability since World War II. By...
03. März 2025
President Donald Trump’s second-term educational policies have introduced sweeping changes to academia in the United States, with ripple effects that extend into the transatlantic academic community. These policies, which prioritize decentralization, ideological reform, and budgetary constraints, pose significant challenges for American universities and research institutions while simultaneously creating opportunities and tensions for European academia. A closer examination reveals how these...
26. Februar 2025
Die jüngsten Haushaltsvorschläge der Trump-Administration, insbesondere jene, die vom neu gegründeten Ministerium für Regierungseffizienz (DOGE) unter Elon Musk vorangetrieben werden, haben eine kontroverse Debatte über ihre Auswirkungen auf die Bundesdefizite, das Wohlergehen der US-Bürger und die Integrität der Sozial- und Gesundheitspolitik entfacht. Nachdem das Repräsentantenhaus mit knapper Mehrheit eine Haushaltsresolution verabschiedet hat, die erhebliche Steuersenkungen und...
26. Februar 2025
The recent budget proposals from the Trump administration, particularly those championed by the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under Elon Musk, have ignited a contentious debate regarding their implications for federal deficits, the welfare of U.S. citizens, and the integrity of social and health policies. As the House narrowly passed a budget resolution that includes significant tax cuts and spending reductions, the potential consequences of these measures warrant...
22. Februar 2025
Donald Trump’s presidency can be likened to a sprinter attempting to run a marathon, his governance defined by relentless speed, impulsive decision-making, and an unyielding focus on dominating the news cycle. While this approach has energized his base and kept him at the center of political discourse, it has also exposed significant vulnerabilities in his leadership style—vulnerabilities that could become critical as he approaches the midterm crossroads of his second term. Trump’s first...
22. Februar 2025
Donald Trumps Präsidentschaft lässt sich mit einem Sprinter vergleichen, der versucht, einen Marathon zu laufen. Seine Regierungsführung ist geprägt von unermüdlichem Tempo, impulsiven Entscheidungen und einem unerbittlichen Fokus darauf, den Nachrichtenzyklus zu dominieren. Während dieser Ansatz seine Basis mobilisiert und ihn im Zentrum des politischen Diskurses gehalten hat, hat er auch erhebliche Schwächen in seinem Führungsstil offengelegt – Schwächen, die angesichts der...
12. Februar 2025
The ongoing legal battles between the federal courts and the Trump administration have escalated into a full-blown constitutional crisis, with the very foundations of US-democracy hanging in the balance. As President Trump continues to push the boundaries of executive power through a barrage of controversial executive orders, the judiciary has emerged as the last line of defense against what many see as an unprecedented assault on the rule of law. Trump's executive actions bear a striking...