'His only motivation': Experts say Trump is an 'empty vessel' — except on this one issue

Experts have been warning that the key pillars of American society are under attack by Donald Trump's presidency. These include the legal system, universities, major cultural organizations, the press, the courts, Congress, and independent oversight bodies.

Since his inauguration in January, Trump and his supporters have been targeting individuals and groups they view as political or ideological adversaries.

In an article published Tuesday, the New York Times featured the views of analysts who are concerned about where the United States is headed under the Trump presidency.

READ MORE: Supreme Court refuses to hear Republican lawsuit seeking to roll back voting rights measures

Paul Rosenzweig, who served as a deputy assistant secretary for policy in the Department of Homeland Security under George W. Bush, told the Times that the impact of the president's action will never go away.

"The damage is permanent. Not because it cannot be fixed — it can be with effort. But rather because nobody will ever trust the United States again that something Trump-like won’t recur," he said.

"Would you as a young person take a federal job today? Would you as a foreign student trust that you could attend university in the United States safely? Would you as a European government trust the United States to maintain the security of your secrets?" Rosenzweig asked.

He continued: "Trump was elected to enrich and protect Trump. That was his only motivation. On issues of direct concern (e.g., getting a plane as a gift from Qatar or profiting off cryptocurrency), he has views. Otherwise, he is an empty vessel."

READ MORE: 'Who’s going to tell' him? Trump mocked as Kennedy Center lineup featuring notorious drag productions

Mara Rudman, a professor at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center, said: "The most lasting impact of this term will be felt in the damage done to the reputation of the United States as a safe harbor where the rule of law is king and where the Constitution is as sacred a national document as any country has developed."

J. Michael Luttig, a former federal appeals court judge appointed by President George H.W. Bush, said that there had never been an American president who he considers "even to have been destructive, let alone a president who has intentionally and deliberately set out to destroy literally every institution in America, up to and including American democracy and the rule of law."

"I even believe he is destroying the American presidency, though I would not say that is intentional and deliberate," Luttig said.

READ MORE: Trump appointee suggests criminal charges for Jill Biden