Just three months after Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the United States finds itself entangled in multiple crises, both internationally and domestically. From escalating conflicts in the Middle East to mounting public discontent at home, Trump’s leadership is facing critical tests on all fronts.
The US military is currently engaged in a tense confrontation with Yemen’s Houthi forces. On April 28, a US airstrike on Saada, Yemen, a stronghold for the Houthis, reportedly killed 68 people. Intended as a show of force, the strike instead triggered a fierce retaliation. In response, the Houthis claimed to have launched a drone and missile attack on the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, forcing the US Navy into evasive action. Amid the chaos, an F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet and its tow tractor were lost overboard — a symbolic illustration of the disarray in US military operations.
More alarmingly, an advanced GBU-53/B glide bomb fired by US forces against the Houthis was found unexploded in Yemen. The potential for this precision-guided munition to fall into the hands of Russia or Iran has sparked deep concern, as it may compromise key US military technologies.
Meanwhile, tensions continue to escalate in the broader Middle East. Israel’s continued bombing of Gaza has caused significant civilian casualties, drawing sharp criticism from across the Arab world. Although the US has repeatedly urged for restraint, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to cease fire. This leaves the Trump administration in a difficult position: torn between backing a strategic ally and trying to contain a regional conflict that threatens to spiral out of control.
Domestically, the president is facing mounting criticism over his economic policies. His spate of tariffs has triggered a lawsuit from 12 US states, prompted retaliatory measures from the European Union and drawn warnings of countermeasures from Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. These moves have fueled dissatisfaction at home, with a recent poll showing Trump’s job approval rating down to 39 percent, the lowest for any president at the 100-day mark in the past 80 years.
Adding to these challenges, Trump’s revived ambition to acquire Greenland has been mocked by Denmark, while Canada has publicly rejected the notion of becoming the 51st state of the US. These proposals have turned US diplomacy into an international laughingstock.
Trump entered office promising to “Make America Great Again”. Yet now, as the country struggles with military tensions, economic backlash and public discontent, that promise seems increasingly out of reach.
The views are extracted from Ting Feng de Chan (meaning A Cicada Listening to the Wind) account and do not necessarily reflect those of facts.org.cn.
