Donald Trump made use of the 250th anniversary of the United States not only to highlight his own achievements but also to go on the offensive against his opponents.
With his characteristic “modesty”, Trump repeatedly drives home the message that for two and a half centuries the American Republic has stood as the crowning achievement of human history, and that he himself is the best president in US history.
Although Trump devotes the bulk of his time to the conflict with Iran, he has not lost sight of the parliamentary elections scheduled for 3 November. He has noticeably intensified his attacks on the Democratic Party, blaming it for every conceivable ill. Moreover, he has once again resorted to “the bogey of communism,” having stressed that his left-wing opponents are all Marxists and communists and having declared communism to be the primary threat to America. In doing so, it was not China, Vietnam, or Soviet Russia that he was referring to; he was targeting the left wing of the Democratic Party, which has tangibly strengthened its position.
Vice-President JD Vance recently stated that, in his view, one of the leaders of the left-wing movement, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, would emerge as the Democratic Party’s leading candidate for the 2028 presidential election.
On 30 June, Trump once again raised America’s eyebrows by announcing the convention of the Republican Party in the middle of his presidential term – an extremely rare occurrence, since such conventions are ordinarily held prior to presidential elections. However, in order to shore up the party’s position ahead of the midterm elections, the president announced that the Republican convention would take place on 9–10 September.
Trump and Family Profit from Personal Branding
At the same time, American newspapers loyal to the Democratic Party have reported that the Trump family has earned at least $2.3 billion from cryptocurrency-related projects since Trump’s return to the White House in 2025.
Many newspapers have reported that President Trump’s wealth extends far beyond his property investments and traditional business ventures, encompassing unconventional income streams that he has successfully turned into multimillion-dollar enterprises. These range from luxury watches, perfumes, and sneakers to books, licensed guitars, and even cryptocurrencies. The latest financial reports demonstrate his exceptional ability to leverage his name and brand image for substantial profit, following a model that combines political influence with personal branding.
The president’s opponents have not been idle either. On 30 June, The Guardian brought to light the testimony of a woman who featured in the Jeffrey Epstein case; she alleges that she was assaulted by Donald Trump in the 1980s, when she was between 13 and 15 years old. The White House immediately dismissed her testimony as entirely baseless and unsupported by any evidence.
Democratic Attacks Fail to Hit Their Mark
Supporters of the Democratic Party have joined forces with European states in their attacks on the US president. On 5 July, the Financial Times, citing opinion polls, wrote that a majority of American voters believe the war with Iran has not been worth the cost. The $67 billion that the White House requested from Congress to cover military expenditure is seen as excessively high relative to the objectives achieved in the conflict: 58% of Americans believe the war has not paid off economically, while 40% said the war had weakened the United States’ position. Some 66% of respondents suppose the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran will have little effect on achieving peace in the Middle East.
Bloomberg has published several articles stating that “America’s battlefield dominance is under serious threat.” One piece notes that the US military purchases 50,000 drones per year, whereas Ukraine produces 4 million annually, and that the Iranian missile that destroyed an E-3 Sentry early-warning aircraft worth $300 million cost only a few hundred dollars.
A few days ago, on 23 June, the Senate passed a resolution by a majority vote effectively calling on the president to put the war with Iran to an end. However, within two days, the Senate passed a new resolution that, in fact, completely disavowed the previously agreed document: this time, 50 senators voted against restricting the president’s actions, while only 47 supported the measure.
This represented a defeat for the Democrats after Trump both publicly and privately launched a fierce attack on the four Republicans who had voted for the 23 June resolution, writing on social media that they had “given aid and comfort to the enemy”.
Trump has proved himself a true fighter, vigorously defending his political line. Although America and Israel’s launching of their war against Iran on 28 February was widely condemned in American society, and the president’s actions came under sharp criticism, a ceasefire agreement concluded with Tehran was nevertheless received positively in general. This was also helped by the fall in petrol prices, which had initially risen to $4.50 a gallon before dropping back below the $4 mark. Trump repeatedly pledged that he would reduce fuel prices immediately after the end of the war with Iran.
Trump’s supporters generally characterise him as a consistent leader who defends the interests of the United States, and in pursuit of that goal, he has even gone so far as to clash with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Bibi Lost Both the War with Iran and a Friend
The Arab media has put forward a thought that the US–Iran agreement represents a blow to Netanyahu. Citing a former adviser to the Israeli prime minister, it claims that the latter “not only lost the war with Iran but also lost Trump as a friend. From now on, he is isolated not only on the international stage but is also embroiled in a major conflict with Trump.”
Throughout all the events marking the 250th anniversary of the United States, Trump persistently repeated the idea that with his coming to power, America’s “golden age” had begun.
On 6 July, CNN, citing a close friend of Donald Trump, advanced the argument that should the president’s attempts to establish de facto federal control over the upcoming midterm elections not yield the desired results, he may resort to declaring a national state of emergency on the grounds of alleged foreign interference.
Muhammad Amer is a Syrian political commentator and expert on current issues in global and regional politics
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