Trump Does Anything He Wants — and More

Opinion Columnist, reporting from Washington

Donald Trump used to brag about grabbing women by the crotch. Now he’s grabbing the world by its axis.

He still believes he has the right to swoop in with a transgressive attack. He has simply expanded his targets.

“When you’re a star,” he once said, “they let you do it. You can do anything.”

His approach in his second term can best be described as manhandling, abetted by his cabinet of lackeys and congressional Republican bootlickers. Mike Johnson pathetically conjured an “America First Award” for Trump out of thin air. The House speaker called the “beautiful golden statue” of an eagle appropriate to “the new golden era in America.”

Trump thinks more than ever that he can have his way with whatever he wants in whatever way he wants. Whether it’s a country, a skyline, the White House. He accosted the People’s House, bulldozing the East Wing and a Jackie Kennedy garden, before anyone could even look at the plans. He blows up suspected drug boats, snatched Nicolás Maduro out of his bedroom and salivates at the thought of pillaging Greenland and assailing Cuba.

“I do believe I’ll be having the honor of taking Cuba,” he said. “That’s a big honor. Taking Cuba in some form. Whether I free it, take it. I think I can do anything I want with it, you want to know the truth.”

At a cabinet meeting on Thursday, an amused Trump mused: “I think I may go to Venezuela and run for president against Delcy,” referring to Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s vice president who ascended with Trump’s approval.

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Maureen Dowd is an Opinion columnist for The Times. She won the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for distinguished commentary. She is the author, most recently, of “Notorious.” @MaureenDowd • Facebook

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