President Donald Trump is behaving like a dictator—when he sneezes, the whole world catches a cold: Historian Tim Naftali

President Donald Trump is behaving like a dictator—when he sneezes, the whole world catches a cold: Historian Tim Naftali

Washington, AP: U.S. President Donald Trump has once again proven that he makes decisions based on instinct, not analysis. After reversing his stance on tariffs and announcing trade negotiations, he told reporters, “Instinctively, more than anything else. You can’t really take a pencil and paper; it’s really more of a feeling.”

This decision-making process is nothing new for the Trump administration. By breaking political norms, exercising maximum executive power, and avoiding traditional deliberative methods, Trump’s decisions now influence not only Americans but much of the world.

Historian Tim Naftali commented, “We now have a democratic leader who behaves like a 19th-century European autocrat. When he sneezes, the entire world catches a cold.”

The White House, however, rejected this criticism, stating that Trump was elected by the people and is fulfilling his campaign promises. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “Trust President Trump. He knows what he’s doing.”

In his second term, Trump’s approach has become even more dominant. As he himself said, “The second term is more powerful. I say something, and it gets done.”

Examples of this absolute authority have appeared across various areas—unilateral moves on international trade, appointing himself as chair of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, initiating ideological purges at the Smithsonian Institution, punishing law firms linked to his opponents, and even using law enforcement to investigate former adversaries.

He even lifted household water efficiency regulations, stating, “Public comment is unnecessary because I am ordering the repeal.”

Trump’s ambitions now stretch to Greenland. Vice President JD Vance recently visited the island and said, “The president’s desires cannot be ignored.”

Experts say that relying on one person’s whims for domestic and global decisions creates an unpredictable policymaking process. Former White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta said, “When you act purely on gut feeling, every decision becomes a big gamble.”

Although Trump initially took a hard stance on tariffs, he reversed course after market turmoil and offered a 90-day pause for trade talks. While tariffs on Chinese imports remain, negotiations with other countries are underway.

Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro said, “We can make 90 deals in 90 days.”

But analyst Scott Lincicome warned, “Everything is now dependent on one man’s whims in the Oval Office. These deals will ultimately amount to nothing, and Trump will declare victory anyway.”