Mary Trump, psychologist and outspoken critic of her uncle, President Donald Trump, issued a stark warning in a blog post Thursday, calling the United States “a nation in uniquely dangerous times” under Trump’s second term. Despite her alarm, she expressed hope that Democrats still have a path forward—if they choose to take it.
Mary Trump, estranged from the Trump family, has long been one of the former president’s most vocal detractors. In her 2020 bestseller Too Much and Never Enough, she described Donald Trump as “utterly incapable of leading this country,” calling his presidency a danger to American democracy.
Following his victory in the 2024 presidential election—where he secured both the popular vote and the Electoral College—Trump returned to the White House in January. The Republican Party swept the election, flipping the Senate and retaining control of the House. The result sparked a period of deep introspection for Democrats, with internal debates over strategy, messaging, and the direction of the party.
In his first months back in office, Trump has faced both enthusiastic support and fierce legal resistance. His administration is already battling lawsuits over a range of executive orders, with critics arguing that he’s undermining civil liberties and overstepping constitutional bounds.
Mary Trump opened her recent Substack post by warning that America is at “a treacherous point in our history,” urging readers to act differently and more decisively than before. “I remain in this fight because it’s necessary,” she wrote, referencing the dread she felt before the 2020 election when she asked herself: What if Donald gets a second shot at the presidency? Her conclusion was blunt: “It will be the end of the American experiment.”
She accused her uncle and the Republican Party of being “hellbent on taking away something extraordinarily precious: our democracy—our imperfect, striving-to-be-more-perfect democracy.”
Many Democrats and Trump critics share this view, warning that Trump’s actions threaten the foundations of democratic governance. Meanwhile, Trump allies insist he’s simply streamlining a bloated government to better serve the American people.
Mary Trump also directed criticism at her own side, writing: “We haven’t done enough to protect it.” She argued that Democratic complacency about the strength of American institutions has allowed them to be eroded. “Our institutions are failing us, in part because we assumed they didn’t need to be defended.”
She called on Democrats to “work around the edges” and “plan ahead,” emphasizing the need for both resistance to Republican overreach and an honest reckoning with the party’s internal shortcomings.
“We all have power,” she wrote. “We are on the right side of history. Our anger is righteous—and if we channel it together, we can win.”
Democrats, still reeling from the 2024 defeat, are facing growing internal tensions. Progressive leaders like Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez continue to rally supporters against Trump and what they describe as an emerging oligarchy. Yet at the same time, figures like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have drawn criticism for cooperating with Trump-aligned Republicans on select legislation, such as the budget reconciliation bill.
Mary Trump’s 2020 book was quickly dismissed by Donald Trump, who called it “disgraceful,” telling then-Fox News host Chris Wallace that Mary was “never a family favorite” and had little support or respect within the family.
The Democratic Party has also faced cultural critiques from both the left and center. Comedian Bill Maher warned recently, “If Democratic thought leaders keep embracing the notion that America is cringe, and that the people who run Gaza are noble, they’re doomed.”
Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) echoed concerns about the party’s cultural messaging: “The Democrats’ brand is really bad,” he said in February. “We’re losing the cultural conversation, and ideological purity tests are hurting us.”
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg added in an April podcast appearance: “We need to stop with the finger-wagging. That’s not how we win people over.”
At a rally in Los Angeles, Representative Ocasio-Cortez linked Trump’s political rise to corruption and exploitation: “Big money is how we got Donald Trump—bribery tools, meme coins, extortion deals with media companies. That’s the system he built.”
Looking ahead, the 2026 midterm elections are expected to be a major test for both Trump’s leadership and the Democratic Party’s ability to regroup.
As for 2028, the Democratic field remains uncertain. Early polling suggests former Vice President Kamala Harris is a leading contender, with other potential candidates including Ocasio-Cortez, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Pete Buttigieg.
As an 88 year old Brit, it is totally beyond me how America could invite such a disaster as Trump. The problem is that people like trump and Putrid have much in common. Their outsized egos must be punctured, somehow. In Putrid’s case, it is defeat. In Trump’s case it maybe cancellation of the disgraceful invitation, probably initiated by creepy Keir, for the Trump state visit to UK.
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