It’s increasingly problematic that Trump’s behavior is now playing out on the international stage.
Reports suggest he contacted the Norwegian prime minister and claimed he felt free to take Greenland because he was never awarded a Nobel Prize for his “good deeds.” That alone is strange for endless reasons—not least because there are photographs of the prize winner handing him her award—but it hardly stands alone. There is also the threat to take Greenland itself, talk of leaving Venezuela decapitated, and growing concern that U.S. intelligence has been casually shared in ways that alarm allies.
When these things happen domestically, Fox News and its cousins know how to tidy them up. There is always an explanation: this is normal rhetoric, Biden once mentioned Greenland too, Obama pressured Norway for his prize, Russia is really the aggressor here. The noise gets laundered.
But it is far harder to control the message when this kind of dysfunction appears abroad. The rest of the world still gets the news—and there is no one there to explain it away or to say, “this is what they voted for,” even if that were relevant.
We all know families can be dysfunctional. Teams can be dysfunctional and still win titles. But when that dysfunction spills into public view, others begin to act accordingly.
At some point, Republicans, the Supreme Court, and media figures with a conscience may need to decide whether it is time to intervene—not politically, but institutionally. We are moving toward a moment when the world will begin asking serious questions and taking consequential action.
It may be time to talk to grandpa.