Trump faces 'slow death' of his presidency as blunders pile up

President Donald Trump may be witnessing the “slow death of his presidency,” with his unpopular foreign policies leading to economic trouble back home and his increasingly bizarre public appearances threatening to overwhelm his political survival strategy, according to a new analysis.

Writing in The Independent on Friday, columnist Chris Stevenson argued that Trump’s ability to mask his endless controversies by hitting the news with new distractions is losing its power.

Stevenson wrote that Trump managed his scandals by attacking his critics, shifting blame onto others and moving from one headline-grabbing confrontation to the next. However, the mounting pressures from his consequential decisions may prove harder to escape.

Trump identifying himself as a peacemaker is a hard sell as he recently described Ukraine’s attacks on Russia’s oil refineries as a “disgrace” due to its potential to increase global energy costs.

The analysis points out that Trump’s proposed energy ceasefire was a massive failure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv is "done" with the president’s proposal after Russia completely ignored Trump and continued strikes on Ukraine’s power and energy infrastructure.

Stevenson identified Trump’s war in Iran, and its devastating economic consequences, as something he can’t simply blame on his predecessors or sell it as an issue beyond his control because he gave the order to strike the resilient Middle Eastern nation.

Americans facing higher fuel costs, rising inflation and a worsening economy have left the president confronting dissatisfaction at home, the columnist argued, while offering voters little reassurance that he can fix the issues.

In another controversy, Trump was forced to backpedal his approval of plans to livestream the firing squad execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009.

In a move that would have put the United States in the company of only Iran and Afghanistan, it was promptly criticized by Democrats and Republicans.

The president initially defended the proposed live execution but acknowledged the wave of objections and warnings that it could make Hasan a martyr.

Meanwhile, Stevenson pointed to Trump's campaign-trail conduct as another sign of political strain.

At a recent Arizona rally, Trump referred to audience members as “collateral damage,” in the event that they may require emergency healthcare at his rally. A remark that could do Republicans no good as they face tough races ahead of the November midterm elections.

Stevenson also questioned whether Trump's is sending the MAGA message with his renovation projects, writing:

“Trump's other empty gestures and political sleight of hand – renovating the White House ballroom, lining Washington's Reflecting Pool – are adding to the malaise, rather than providing the "Make America Great Again" narrative he needs. It all adds up to a picture of an administration struggling under the weight of one man's ego.”

With Republicans nervous about potential losses in November, Stevenson suggested that Trump's television appearances may be remembered as the “slow death of his presidency.”