WASHINGTON — Congressional Republicans are deeply aligned with Donald Trump, while Democrats are unsure of the most effective way to counter him.
Instead of assembling a “team of rivals” in his White House, Trump has chosen to surround himself with loyal followers.
Throughout Trump’s presidency, the most significant and robust resistance he has encountered has come from two eclectic groups: foreign leaders and American judges.
Both have delivered rebukes rarely witnessed in the realm of presidential politics.
Judges have blocked aspects of Trump’s agenda which they argue breach the law, while international leaders have confronted him for adopting stances that disrupt the established rules-based order that the U.S. helped create.
In this challenging stance, they risk inciting Trump in unpredictable ways. Trump is sensitive to any perceived slights. Anyone who confronts him, especially in public, faces his wrath.
For instance, Trump administration aides instructed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to vacate the White House grounds and subsequently delayed arms shipments to Ukraine following their disagreement over peace negotiations with Russia.
Already, Trump’s billionaire ally Elon Musk has leveraged his vast social media presence to advocate for the impeachment of judges who have obstructed Trump’s objectives.
“There’s a concerning aspect to this: The more the Trump administration and their supporters make these absurd statements about federal judges, the more they jeopardize the safety of their families and courthouse officials,” said Doug Jones, a former Democratic senator and U.S. attorney from Alabama.
Nevertheless, neither the judiciary nor a cohort of foreign leaders have been discouraged. After all, federal judges hold lifetime appointments, and international officials answer primarily to their own constituents. For the time being, they are acting as a brake on Trump’s efforts to alter the global landscape.
In countering Trump’s attempt to dismiss a member of the National Labor Relations Board, a federal judge issued a clear reminder regarding the confines of presidential authority.
“A President who portrays himself as a ‘king’ or a ‘dictator,’ perhaps as his vision of effective leadership, fundamentally misunderstands the role defined in Article II of the U.S. Constitution,” wrote U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell recently. (Trump had previously stated during his campaign that he would assume a “dictatorial” role on his first day in office. After derailing New York City’s congestion pricing system last month, he declared exuberantly on his social media platform, “Long live the king!”)
In another ruling, Judge William Alsup of the Northern District of California commented on the Trump administration’s mass termination of probationary federal employees: “The ongoing, widespread termination of probationary workers across the federal government’s agencies has created significant disorder.”
Foreign leaders take a stand
In recent weeks, at least four U.S. allies have openly criticized Trump for comments they consider false or misguided.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a speech last week referring to Trump by his first name, “Donald,” and stated that imposing tariffs on Canada was “a very foolish decision.”
Trudeau’s aides provided him with a speech draft beforehand, but he chose to rewrite it for a more forceful message, a Western government official disclosed, speaking anonymously.
“Honestly, he has had enough,” the official remarked regarding Trudeau.
“The Prime Minister spoke very candidly and expressed the minimum needed to address the level of disdain shown by the president toward him and towards Canada,” the official added.
Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, stated in an interview: “We know Americans love Canadians and Canadians love Americans. This is just one individual. President Trump has caused significant confusion. He’s created uncertainty.”
“This isn’t how you conduct trade with your closest ally and friend in the world.”
Both President Emmanuel Macron of France and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer intervened to correct Trump after he claimed that Europeans were receiving payments back for the aid they’ve sent to Ukraine, insisting that U.S. taxpayers had been cheated.
While placing his hand on Trump’s arm in the Oval Office, Macron asserted on February 24, “No, to be honest, we pay. We covered 60% of the total effort.”
Following Trump’s comments in an Oval Office meeting with Starmer three days later where he mentioned, “We don’t receive the money back,” Starmer replied: “We’re not getting all of ours. A significant portion of ours was a gift.”
Both leaders were guests alongside Trump in the Oval Office as reporters documented the conversation, and it’s unusual for foreign dignitaries to feel compelled to interject and correct a sitting U.S. president.
“It’s uncommon for foreign leaders to critique or correct one another on camera,” said Peter Westmacott, who has served as the British ambassador to the U.S., France, and Turkey. “But we are not in normal times. Sometimes the president’s inaccuracies may not be critical, but at times—because of the office he holds—they absolutely are.”
When reflecting on those moments with Starmer and Macron, a White House official stated that Trump was not upset by their comments. Trump and Macron share a long-standing rapport, and when cameras were off, the president seemed to connect well with Starmer, the official indicated.
Moreover, neither of these leaders interrupted Trump in the same manner as Zelenskyy did, the official noted. (Trump and Vice President JD Vance became irate with Zelenskyy after he described how Russian President Vladimir Putin had breached prior agreements with his nation over the past decade.)
How global leaders prepare for Trump meetings
When foreign leaders visit the Oval Office, they typically do not improvise. They arrive equipped with key points and rebuttals prepared in anticipation of expected arguments, according to diplomats.
For example, prior to his initial meeting with Trump last month at the White House, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba engaged in over 20 hours of preparatory discussions with advisers in Tokyo, a source familiar with the preparations revealed.
This preparation proved fruitful. Ishiba presented visual aids during his Oval Office meeting that illustrated Japan’s investments in the United States in clear and colorful charts, which are the types of visuals Trump appreciates.
Ishiba also brought a golden samurai helmet as a gift—an item often symbolizing hopes for prosperity and longevity in Japan—according to two individuals familiar with the gift.
Thus, when leaders like Macron and Starmer interject to correct Trump, it is not a decision made lightly; they feel compelled to challenge his statements, diplomats noted.
“It’s remarkable and, at least to my knowledge, unprecedented. We have some of the most experienced diplomatic leaders, like Starmer and Macron, who understand Trump and know just how sensitive he is,” stated Ned Price, a former State Department spokesman during the Biden administration.
“The fact that they did this in that context, in front of reporters and cameras, only emphasizes their concerns about how these inaccuracies truly threaten the fabric of the alliance,” Price added.
Democrats grapple with their response
One of the most apparent obstacles to Trump’s aspirations would be opposition from the Democratic Party. However, Democrats have seemed ineffective following their loss in the 2024 presidential election.
At Trump’s recent speech to a joint session of Congress, Democratic representatives raised paddles reading “False” in the House chamber. Late-night talk show hosts derided this display.
Nevertheless, Jones believes there is a pathway for his party to regain footing. Eight years ago, he achieved an unexpected victory in deeply Republican Alabama to secure a Senate seat. Now, he argues that Democrats can recover by strategically choosing their targets instead of reacting to the barrage of policy statements and reversals from the White House.
“Democrats have faced challenges partly due to the rapid-fire nature of criticisms,” Jones remarked. “It was akin to playing whack-a-mole. You pursue one avenue, and Trump shifts focus. This may be intentional to keep Democrats on their toes, and it has proven effective.”
“However, Democrats are beginning to focus on critical issues. Medicaid and healthcare are significant topics that resonate with many swing districts and several Republican-leaning areas.”
“What we’re witnessing is Democrats refining their message. They’re avoiding every diversion the administration presents.”
