Rifts Emerge in Trumpism as Multi-Front Challenges Mount

From tariffs to Iran war, Trumpism faces an unravelling to pose grave risks for Trump

By MANISH ANAND

New Delhi, February 24, 2026 — Trumpism now faces grave threats in the US. The Supreme Court of America first blew up Trump’s tariff centric economic nationalism plank. General Daniel Caine has now reportedly raised a red-flag to Trumpian bullying tactics with wars. Worsening Trumpism further, Trump’s ratings are crashing at a speed to alarm the Republicans ahead of the Mid-Term Elections this year.

Rhetorics are now turning into rants for Trump. Nations which with grudges entered into trade deals with Trump now want to watch out the judiciary-political theatre in the US. Trump’s lower-case attack on the Supreme Court of the US is rattling investors. The Wall Street has begun wobbling.

Not just India, even European Union wants to watch out the uncertainty in tariff policy in the US. Trump resorted to bully with his posts on Truth Social. He threatened to belt out punishing tariffs against those who develop cold feet over announced trade deals.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in an uncomfortable position now. If he sticks to the announced trade deal, the Opposition will attack him day in day out. This will be for the simple reason that India tariffed at the rate which is applicable for all the nations in the world doesn’t justify an Indian commitment to buy $100 billions of American goods and open agriculture to highly subsidized US agri-products.

General Daniel Caine per a report in the Washington Post has made it clear that the US cannot go to a war with Iran without the support of the allies. Shortage of critical munitions also impinges on the war plan. The UK, trusted ally of the US, has already said no to any support in military conflicts with Iran. The Middle East is on the edge, for the region knows the depth of the missile power of Iran.

Trump is ranting and rambling. He has called the report on his top general not being sanguine for an Iran War “a fake news.” Trump also called surveys which tracked his crashing ratings “fake.” He has also attacked the Supreme Court judges with insinuations. Trump also accused the judges of being influenced by “foreign powers.”

With Presidency at an early stage in the second year, Trump’s challenges are spreading and widening. His ICE agents have already riled a vast section of American constituency. Tariff-led economic nationalism deepened the two-front economic challenge of the concentration of wealth with few and rising affordability issue.

If the political upheavals spiral out, a section of Republicans is already warning that Trump may end up facing a restive Congress for the remainder of his tenure. That will knock out many teeth of Trumpian bullying in world geopolitics and also hasten America’s isolation.

(This is an opinion piece. Views expressed are author’s own.)

Will the US Attack Iran? Why a Full-Scale War Is Unlikely

Follow The Raisina Hills on WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us

Save

About The Author

Manish Anand

Manish Anand is a senior journalist with more than two decades of hardcore reporting on beats such as Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament, BJP, Congress, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, and scores of Union Ministries.

His past has been with The New Indian Express, The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle, and The Statesman.

For about 15 years, Manish was also a regular commentator and host for talks on AIR on foreign affairs.

See author's posts