According to Russian media on October 31, after the U.S.-China meeting, President Trump released a series of positive signals, but it is generally believed that he suffered a major defeat in this meeting, with Russian media even claiming that Trump was directly crushed.

This setback quickly reflected on both international and domestic political levels, forming a consensus: although Trump appears aggressive on the surface, he actually lacks control over the situation and lacks real confidence.

As a result, various forces have increased pressure on him while his momentum was weakened.

The first to be affected is his impasse on the Venezuela issue.

Trump is intensifying the layout for military action against Venezuela, aiming to overthrow Maduro in one move.

However, now the U.S. Congress has raised red flags, clearly stating that the president cannot bypass the legislative process to start a war against another country without authorization.

Under the pressure of multiple lawmakers' questioning and proposed bills, Trump's military adventure plan has hit a deadlock.

At the same time, the United Nations human rights mechanism and Latin American countries have also expressed strong opposition, emphasizing that if the U.S. uses force against Venezuela without proper international authorization, it will be considered an illegal act of sovereignty violation.

Although Trump denies verbally any intention to go to war, his actions are interpreted by the outside world as a failed attempt, trying to show strength but ultimately failing to even strike a single drumbeat.

Trump

On another front, there is a new twist in Ukraine's quest for Tomahawk missiles.

According to CNN, the Pentagon had already approved the assessment of providing Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine before Ukrainian President Zelenskyy's visit to the U.S., meaning that it could be given, depending on Trump himself.

However, Trump remained ambiguous. After his meeting with Zelenskyy, the public expected the aid to be immediately launched, but instead received silence, exposing his indecision and lack of strategy in strategic judgment.

This matter was supposed to be closed, not giving it meant not giving it. But with Trump's recent setbacks, the Pentagon has started to undermine him, leaking information to a media outlet that Trump strongly dislikes, CNN, clearly intending to give Trump a hard time, trying to further deepen the image of Trump's weakness.

American Missiles

In order to prove that he is not weak, and to regain the initiative in the narrative, Trump directly stated that he would resume nuclear testing.

This statement not only faced obstruction from Congress, but also drew sharp criticism from numerous nuclear experts, who called it extremely irresponsible.

In fact, the U.S. has not conducted any nuclear test since 1992. Restarting such actions would require several months or even years of preparation, and would trigger a chain reaction internationally, severely damaging the U.S.'s already limited credibility.

Moreover, the current international environment does not support such radical actions, and even NATO allies have shown no signs of support.

Therefore, the public generally believes that Trump's move is more of a public relations operation, attempting to use a tough stance to shift attention from his passive position on other issues.

But so far, this show of force has not shifted the focus, but rather further exposed his ignorance of nuclear strategy, as well as his desperate attempts to maintain personal prestige at all costs.

American, Japanese, and South Korean Flags

It is clearly evident that there is a turning point. Before the U.S.-China meeting, Trump showed no mercy to Japan, South Korea, and European countries, and they all succeeded, with these countries spending billions of dollars for the U.S.

But after the U.S.-China meeting, the situation changed abruptly. Why? It is exactly what the Russian media said: he was crushed by China, and everyone realized that Trump wasn't that powerful.

This is not just a limitation of his personality, but also a reflection of the structural contradictions of the United States. A country that relies on hegemony, when its opponent no longer fears it, its threats become hollow and powerless.

So, this time, it is not only a crisis for Trump personally, but also a symbol of the decline of American hegemony.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7567619015898169898/

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