Reporter: “If you could say one thing to President Trump, what would it be?” Trump supporter: “We love you so much, and we are so grateful. This man didn't have to do what he did. With all his money and wealth, he could have moved to some island, done absolutely nothing, and simply enjoyed his life. But instead, he put himself out there for us. I can't thank him enough. I love this man. I truly, genuinely love this man.” There is something deeply disturbing about the moment political loyalty turns into religious devotion. Cults flourish when societies lose their sense of direction. When people become exhausted, frightened, humiliated, or disappointed, they begin searching for a savior. Someone who promises to turn their suffering into triumph, their resentment into justice, and their failures into somebody else's fault. Why struggle to draw your own map through life when a self-proclaimed genius offers to guide you straight to paradise? Why question, investigate, or think independently when someone promises greatness, prosperity, revenge, and happiness without sacrifice? The temptation is enormous. Unfortunately, the door to paradise advertised by political messiahs often opens into something resembling a sewer. Human history is filled with variations of the same gigantic pyramid scheme. Different countries, different slogans, different costumes, but the business model never changes: surrender your judgment, worship the leader, and wait for your miraculous reward. In Russia, millions have convinced themselves that the reflection from Putin's polished bald head illuminates the road to a glorious future. In reality, it illuminates little more than the ruins of their own country. In America, Trump's most devoted followers appear convinced that beneath his carefully engineered hairstyle lies a treasure chest of extraordinary wisdom. Judging by the endless spectacle of political absurdity, one might suspect the treasure chest has been empty for quite some time. Yet the faithful remain unmoved. Facts become conspiracies. Criticism becomes persecution. Evidence becomes enemy propaganda. Every failure is someone else's sabotage, and every absurd statement from the leader is transformed into another demonstration of genius. The more obvious the contradictions become, the more desperately the believers defend their faith. And when that faith is built upon historical grievances, wounded national pride, and the conviction that greatness has somehow been stolen from them, it becomes particularly dangerous. Because the promise is no longer simply a better future. It is revenge. Revenge against immigrants, intellectuals, journalists, political opponents, neighboring countries, or anyone else conveniently designated as responsible for their disappointment. The tragedy is that people who surrender their independence to a political savior often imagine themselves to be the freest people alive. They mistake obedience for patriotism, resentment for strength, and blind devotion for courage. And perhaps the darkest irony is this: the people who believe they have discovered the road to national greatness may end up marching enthusiastically toward their own destruction. All while thanking the man leading the procession.

Until today, I thought Donald Trump was a businessman blessed by God. A world-class bullshitter, certainly, but a businessman nonetheless. Elon Musk also seemed relatively sane, even after he and Vivek Ramaswamy supposedly “optimized” the US government — or, more accurately, paralyzed much of it. But this Starlink scandal? This is an entire bucket of shit dumped straight onto their own heads. Bravo, gentlemen! The late Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin once famously said: “We wanted the best, but it turned out as usual.” Apparently, his words have found some very enthusiastic admirers in Washington. Because two idiots are always worse than one. Especially when they're riding the same bicycle. And at this point, it hardly matters whether Musk suggested slowing down Starlink or Trump ordered him to do it. The political damage is done. First, these two geniuses have managed to alienate Europe. And they've done it so spectacularly that Washington now has to explain why it supposedly won't be selling weapons to Europe next year: America needs everything it can manufacture for itself. So, smiling politely at one another, the United States and Europe appear to be heading down increasingly separate paths. Second, who in their right mind would trust Musk's technology with their national security after this? Today, he can threaten Poland over its financing of Starlink services for Ukraine. Tomorrow, he might decide to punish another customer for some equally ridiculous reason. Buying strategically important technology from Musk increasingly looks like gambling on which side of the bed the billionaire wakes up on. Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers must be applauding. Well done, Elon! Good boy! And let's not forget that Musk has shareholders. Their arms must be getting tired from desperately trying to keep their visionary genius from pulling his own pants down in public. But there's an even bigger problem. If Trump personally ordered restrictions on Starlink, the consequences could extend far beyond Musk's companies. The reliability of American military technology itself would come under scrutiny. Imagine being a country spending billions on US weapons while wondering whether the American president might suddenly decide to interfere with their operation. Congratulations, Donald. You've just handed your own defense-industry supporters a magnificent headache. And that's only the beginning. Trump seems increasingly desperate, stumbling from one political disaster into another. His controversial diesel arrangements have raised questions about whose economic interests he is actually serving — including those of the oil industry, traditionally a powerful Republican financial constituency. Meanwhile, the MAGA movement appears to be developing cracks of its own. JD Vance has become entangled in controversy surrounding his political ally Vivek Ramaswamy, potentially damaging his ambitions for 2028. Marco Rubio, who once presented himself as the only adult in the room, increasingly looks like another politician forced to defend the indefensible actions of his boss. And Trump's family circle faces its own political and reputational questions as the November 3 elections approach. Then there's Melania. She appears increasingly interested in establishing a political identity independent of her husband's. Reports of humanitarian initiatives involving Ukraine, along with talk of a possible visit, have fueled speculation about her future ambitions. It almost reminds me of Hillary Clinton building her own political identity during Bill Clinton's scandals. History doesn't repeat itself exactly, but sometimes the similarities are delicious. The larger picture is becoming increasingly absurd. Trump seems determined to step on every rake lying in his path. Every single one. His supporters keep describing him as a political genius. At this point, I'm beginning to suspect that the genius exists primarily in their imagination.