THERE is no distinction between defying a callous tyrant and boldly upholding the truth in the face of the world`s most powerful populist leader. In some cases, it becomes even more challenging, as enduring trolling and humiliation from followers of populist leaders on social media is not easy.

One must praise Washington`s Episcopal bishop, the Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde, who courageously addressed President Donald Trump during the National Prayer Service last month, after his inauguration. She urged him to extend mercy to marginalised communities, including the LGBTQ+ community and undocumented migrant workers.

What she had to say did not lead President Trump to reconsider his executive orders, including deportation policies and new immigration regulations. However, her courage will be remembered by those who choose to stand on the right side of history. President Trump appears to remain determined to implement his agenda of reshaping America`s internal and global order, despite resistance to his paradoxical motives.

Deportation flights between the US and Colombia resumed following a stand-off that shed light on how the Trump administration intends to handle countries resisting the large-scale return of migrants. Colombian President Gustavo Petro initially refused to accept two US military planes carrying deported migrants, prompting Mr Trump to order 25 per cent tariffs on Colombian exports.

The US administration is not only pursuing deportations; it also appears to have plans to uproot people from their homes and lands, which can unleash another wave of global migration.

The administration seems determined to carry out its Middle East agenda, which includes sweeping political and social engineering steps, such as the forced relocation of Gaza`s population in Egypt and Jordan.

In a recent Foreign Affairs commentary, Ivo H.

Daalder and James M. Lindsay reflected on Trump`s policies, stating, `Pax Americana is gone. Born with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour on Dec 7, 1941, the US-led international rules-based order died with the second inauguration of Donald J. Trump`.

President Trump is shaping a global order based on the principle of `might is right`, anapproach which while suppressing immigrants and weaker nations in the short term will also result in an unjust world system one that emboldens authoritarianism, chips away further at human rights, and oppresses vulnerable groups. This can only weaken social and national cohesion in developing and semi-democratic nations across the globe.

The most dangerous precedent that Trump`s vision will set is his exploitation of expansionist tendencies. His remarks about capturing Canada and Greenland may have roots in American history, but similar territorial ambitions exist in many nations worldwide. Expansionist beliefs, which are often built on nationalist rhetoric and stoked by radical political actors, threaten global stability they can reignite territorial disputes and justify aggression under the cover of historical claims.

Expansionist theories and `Greater Nation` notions, such as `Akhand Bharat` (Greater India), Greater Persia, and Greater Russia, advocate the extension of national influence based on historical, ethnic, or cultural claims. These ideas are often driven by historical revisionism, nationalist populism, and geopolitical ambitions. Under President Trump, the US has joined that league.

President Trump`s `America First` doctrine and his approach towards immigration are deeply rooted in expansionist ideologies. They shape US foreign policy in ways that prioritise economic and strategic dominance over traditional diplomacy. Despite criticism and rejection from key allies like Egypt, Jordan, and even some Republicans, Trump`s administration continues to emphasise coercion over negotiation, particularly in the Middle East and Ukraine.

Trump`s ideology echoes America`s broader expansionist realpolitik, with strategic goals prioritised over human rights and sovereignty. Such a stance not only lends validity to Israeli aggression but can also set a precedent for forced population transfers, violating international law.

Meanwhile, the detention of Palestinian children without charge in Israel under that country`s controversial laws brings into focus the deepening humanitarian crisis that Trump`s administration appears willing to overlook in its advancement of a pro-Israel, destabilisation-driven strategy in the Middle East.Meanwhile, countries and regions that are outside America`s top strategic priorities, or those which have yet to be explored by Washington for economic and geopolitical interests, are being neglected. For instance, the recent uptick in the insurgency in the Democratic Republic of Congo has not received much attention from the West.

This points to a shift away from humanitarian interventions and conflict-resolution efforts.

Much like Trump`s immigration policies under the `America First` doctrine, Indian Home Minister Amit Shah`s pledge to expel `illegal` Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants from Delhi within two years if the BJP wins the upcoming polls demonstrates the weaponisation of migration for political gain an ideology where citizenship and belonging are increasingly being defined through ethnoreligious exclusivity.

Such rhetoric is also supposed to be a message for Bangladesh, which saw a pro-India regime toppled last year, signalling changes in regional political dynamics. But the BJP`s commitment to its expansionist ideology goes further back; and the ruling party`s alignment with Trump`s nationalist vision suggests a broader shift towards authoritarian populism. It is a trajectory that has grave implications for religious minorities in India and its neighbouring countries, particularly those that the BJP sees as part of `Akhand Bharat` or `Greater India`. By normalising exclusionary nationalism, India risks not only igniting domestic communal tensions but also regional instability as such policies alienate and antagonise populations across South Asia.

Pakistan is not an exception in following Trump`s vision; its state institutions increasingly mirror a hard-line approach towards vulnerable and marginalised communities. The Islamabad administration`s actions and reports on making the federal capital free of Afghan immigrants reflect the same rhetoric and criminalisation tactics that Trump employed during his electoral campaign against immigrants.

In turbulent and chaotic times, the only hope one can find comes from voices like that of Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde. While they may not drastically alter the Trumpian world, they help make it a more livable place for all.

The wúter is a secuáty analyst.