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Illustration by Dionne Gain

Diplomacy can’t deliver the quick wins Trump craves. But neither can war

In the Middle East, notions of victory are never simplistic. Mission creep, which has haunted America since the quagmire of Vietnam, is a clear and present danger.

  • Nick Bryant

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US President Donald Trump in the White House situation room at the weekend.

White House emphasised strikes were not about regime change. Then Trump logged on to social media

Israel will be looking for support to topple Iran’s supreme leader, and Trump may be tempted to help. But such involvement carries risks for Americans - and for the president himself.

  • Michael Koziol
Markets remain close to record levels.

The alarm bells should be ringing louder in markets

From the Middle East crisis to Trump’s trade wars and everything in between, investors are seemingly ignoring the escalating risks growing for markets. They may live to regret it.

  • Stephen Bartholomeusz
‘Mad’ King George III and US President Donald Trump.

Compared to Trump, ‘mad’ King George looks decidedly sane

This is the moment when we find out just how crazy a king Trump is.

  • Maureen Dowd
Donald Trump speaks as a flag pole is installed on the South Lawn of the White House overnight.

Trump has made perfectly clear he’ll decide what ‘America First’ means, even if MAGA don’t like it

The Tucker Carlson and Ted Cruz interview encapsulated the MAGA debate about US involvement in the Middle East. But there can only be one winner.

  • Michael Koziol
Sydney academic Vafa Ghazavi with his friend Melissa Hortman, the American Democratic politician who was assassinated with her husband on the weekend.

My friend was assassinated. In a world of shrinking political ideals, she was a beacon

Melissa Hortman, a great American reformer, accepted my invitation to come to Australia. Now, that will never happen.

  • Vafa Ghazavi
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President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump watch fireworks following a parade to honor the Army’s 250th anniversary, coinciding with Trump’s 79th birthday, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Washington. (Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

America was already divided – Trump’s $69m military extravaganza did not help

For many, a parade of 6000 soldiers and 128 tanks was a fitting way to celebrate the US Army. For others, it was a gauche display of militarism more suited to Pyongyang.

  • Michael Koziol
Los Angeles Police Department officers shoot rubber bullets at protesters in front of the City Hall on the weekend.

A tale of two cities on either side of a divided country

There’s a hardness, an ugliness, a brutality and unfairness to Trump’s United States that Australians especially might find distasteful. But at times like these, it’s important to remember it’s not all bad.

  • Michael Koziol

It would be catastrophic for America if Trump doesn’t forgive Musk

Donald Trump and Elon Musk need each other and America needs them to get along.

  • Philip Pilkington
Anthony Albanese and Donald Trump

The most important meeting of Albanese’s career just got trickier

The Australian PM is not yet sure of a sit-down with Donald Trump at the G7 summit, but if they meet, he needs to come away with at least one win.

  • James Massola

Original URL: https://www.watoday.com.au/topic/us-politics-1nlq