Trump Is Ushering in the Era of the Strongman

The U.S. president is promoting iron-fisted rule throughout the Western Hemisphere.

A person with glasses holds up a sign with Trump and Bolsonaro's faces, and the text: "INIMIGOS DO POVO." The person is surrounded by people holding up red flags. September 18, 2025, 7:00 AM Comment icon View Comments ( )

Trump’s Second Term

Ongoing reports and analysis

The first time that U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration carried out a deadly aerial strike against a high-speed boat allegedly crewed by a drug cartel as it headed north into international waters from Venezuela, one could still speak of the operation as an isolated incident.

Critics, including some in the U.S. Congress, denounced the attack as an extralegal execution .

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