The Global Threat of the U.S.: Trump’s New Imperialism and the Siege on Freedoms

The Statue of Liberty, once a symbol of welcome and hope, appears here in ruins, surrounded by torn U.S. flags and watched by the oppressive gaze of authoritarian power (Donald Trump). The scene translates the suffocation of democracy under the rise of the far right and the new imperialism. It is not only an allegory of institutional collapse but also a warning: when the eyes of power project contempt and violence upon us, art must bear witness, resist, and summon collective memory.

Introduction: When the Threat Is No Longer Distant

The world is at a turning point. The rise of the far right in the United States under Donald Trump is not just a domestic episode: it is a global phenomenon that threatens democracy, weakens sovereignty, and jeopardizes hard-won rights of historically vulnerable groups. When a project of exclusion guides the world’s greatest military and economic power, the danger is tangible.

This is not merely about politics, but about the survival of millions.

As an artist, designer, and LGBTQIA+ citizen, I feel this risk in my own body. The explicit contempt for trans people, the symbolic violence against minorities, and the normalization of authoritarianism create a sense of permanent siege. It means living in constant alert, aware that rights won through struggle and pain can be revoked at any moment.

Trumpism: Imperialism in Updated Form

Trump does not hide his transactional logic of power. By pressuring Ukraine to cede territory to Russia in exchange for peace, he exposed his brutal vision of sovereignty: nations are not subjects, but bargaining chips. This pragmatic reading, wrapped in digital populism and aggressive rhetoric, is the new face of an old imperialism.

And now, this authoritarianism is not limited to foreign policy. In August 2025, federal troops occupied Washington under the pretext of “public security” — in one of the safest cities in the United States. As revealed by *Intercept Brasil*, this military intervention was not meant to protect citizens but to intimidate immigrants, protesters, and political opponents. The militarization of civil space acts as an authoritarian rehearsal, echoing the very practices that the U.S. itself historically condemned in Latin America.

Brazil and the U.S.: Two Faces of the Same Manual

Trumpism and Bolsonarism share the same DNA: denying science, disregarding the environment, exploiting religion as a shield, spreading disinformation, and using the politics of hate as fuel. Both turn lies into a method and fear into a weapon.

The storming of the U.S. Capitol in 2021 and the invasion of Brazil’s Three Powers Plaza in 2023 are parallel expressions of the same populist dramaturgy: the collective manipulation that transforms citizens into pawns. This is not a coincidence, but the repetition of a global script.

Sovereignty Under Threat

U.S. interference is not restricted to foreign borders. It infiltrates financial systems, diplomacy, and even public health. Trump cut international investments in HIV medication programs, putting LGBTQIA+ lives at direct risk. Brazil, meanwhile, has already faced pressure related to digital security and the operation of the Pix payment system — evidence of how imperialist control seeps into everyday details.

Recent reports show that this authoritarian escalation follows a pattern: the use of economic sanctions, military repression, and surveillance as tools of imposition.

It is a cycle that the U.S. has exported to the world for decades, and now it turns back against its population.

Citizen Alienation: The Disturbing Mirror

A large part of the U.S. population remains unaware of the global implications of Trumpism. Alienation, fueled by consumption, entertainment, and nationalism, recalls the caricature of Homer Simpson — not by accident, a symbol of an anesthetized society. And in Brazil, unfortunately, we are not far from that reality: we cultivate our bubble, preferring the illusion of populist promises over the harshness of reality.

This indifference is dangerous because, while some remain distracted, it is always the same groups who pay the price first: trans people, women, artists, immigrants, and vulnerable populations.

The attack never begins at the center; it always targets the margins first.

As Steven Levitsky emphasized on the program Roda Viva (TV Cultura, 08.18.2025), Trump’s authoritarian backlash is, above all, a response to the progress of minorities and the advance of multiracial democracy. For him, the erosion of U.S. institutions reveals that democratic safeguards failed — unlike in Brazil, which reacted more firmly to Bolsonaro’s attempts at authoritarian consolidation.

The Role of Art and Culture

In this scenario, art and culture are trenches. They are what expose cynicism, awaken empathy, and resist the normalization of violence. Beyond aesthetics, they are matters of political and social survival.

If the empire insists on dictating rules through force, it is up to creative counter-narratives to open cracks in the wall of oppression. Artists, intellectuals, and creators carry the mission of resisting — not only in their own countries but on a global front.

Conclusion: Silence Is Also Complicity

Trump’s new imperialism does not threaten only foreign nations; it also endangers U.S. citizens themselves. By militarizing cities, intimidating opponents, punishing allied countries, and attacking minorities, Trumpism consolidates an exclusionary logic that turns life into currency and democracy into a facade.

For us in the Global South, the message is clear: neutrality is complicity.

We must name the threat, resist it, and remember that freedom is not a concession, but an inalienable right.

References:

• Folha de S. Paulo/UOL. Zelenski admits he may lose territory for the first time. 08/17/2025.

• UOL. Trump urges Ukraine to cede territories to Russia. 08/16/2025.

• BBC. Trump’s secretary shares video of pastors calling to end women’s right to vote. 2025.

• G1. Trump threatens sanctions on countries trading with Russia. 07/14/2025.

• CNN Brasil. Trump signs an executive action banning trans women from female sports. 2025.

• G1. Trump signs order restricting gender transitions for youth. 01/28/2025.

• Podcast Café da Manhã. Trump and the face of imperialism today. 08/18/2025.

• Roda Viva. Interview with Steven Levitsky. TV Cultura. 08/18/2025.

• Intercept Brasil Newsletter. We took the Three Powers. 08/19/2025.

• Intercept Brasil Newsletter. What explains the authoritarian escalation in the U.S.? 08/20/2025.

• Intercept Brasil. Trump begins military intervention against his opponents. 08/20/2025.