Shown below is a short list of journalists, writers and media types, whose opinions I value. I may not agree with all their conclusions or analysis, but I will take the time to consider them.

Late additions to my Political Influencers list: Jon Meacham, Chrystia Freeland, George Will, Jessica Tarlov, Kaitlyn Collins, Garry Trudeau and Jennifer Griffin (sole Fox News journalist).

President Trump is systematically severing America from the globe. This is not simply a shift in foreign policy. It is a divorce so comprehensive that it makes Britain’s exit from the European Union look modest by comparison.

Consider the breadth of this effort. Allies have been treated like adversaries. The United States has withdrawn from international agreements on fundamental issues like health and climate change. A “nation of immigrants” now deports people without due process, bans refugees and is trying to end birthright citizenship. Mr. Trump’s tariffs have upended the system of international trade, throwing up new barriers to doing business with every country on Earth. Foreign assistance has largely been terminated. So has support for democracy abroad. Research cuts have rolled back global scientific research and cooperation. The State Department is downsizing. Exchange programs are on the chopping block. Global research institutions like the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Wilson Center have been effectively shut down. And, of course, the United States is building a wall along its southern border.

100 Days. That’s All It Took to Sever America From the World. Ben Rhodes NYT 4/27/25

In a poll from Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos, Trump’s standing was the lowest of any president in the first 100 days of his term since 1945, with 39% saying they approve of his job performance while 55% disapprove. As much as I am upset about Trump’s poor performance, as president, I am even more angry that 39% of Americans could possibly approve of his job performance. What kind of grading curve are these people on!? However, I am reminded that even in the ruins of Germany in April 1945 that many Germans still supported Adolf Hitler.