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Trump Bets America and Loses [1]

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Date: 2025-04-13

Trump’s erratic behavior is turning the United States into a casino—his own Taj Mahal America. Every policy decision is a bet, every press conference a spin of the wheel, and every executive order a roll of the dice. He’s not governing—he’s gambling. One day it’s poker, the next it’s craps, blackjack, or roulette. And just like in his real-life casinos, the house always wins. At least, that’s what he believes. But this isn’t Atlantic City—it’s America. And the odds? They’re not in our favor.

Tariffs are like slot machines. From the beginning of his second term, Trump kept pulling the lever and imposing tariffs based on whatever result he imagined. One pull brought tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China. Another pull granted a one-month exemption to the auto industry. Yet another used a bizarre formula to apply tariffs on virtually every country in the world—including Heard Island, home to little more than King Penguins.

He kept playing, and with each spin, he raised tariffs on China. Maybe he wanted to tell us we’d get tired of winning, but all he kept hitting was three lemons. They offer a small payout—just enough to keep you playing. Then came the no-matches—Cherry – Bell – Lemon—costly moves. Every time, the stock market dropped. Down and down and down. It didn’t faze Trump, convinced as he was that he’d eventually hit the jackpot—despite a little “pain.”

But the losses kept mounting. Eventually, even the bond market began to fall.

That’s when he pulled the lever again, announcing a flat 10% tariff rate—except for China, where he jacked it up to 145%. He claimed he’d stop playing for 90 days. No more exceptions, he said. But within days, he pulled the handle yet again, exempting a swath of Chinese electronics. He’s addicted to the game.

The only question left: What happens when he pulls the lever next?

Trump then moved to the poker table. This time, his opponents were law firms. Each hand he played was backed by an Executive Order. He bluffed through the first two hands—law firms called his bluff, filed lawsuits, and won. But then, one firm after another began to fold. Some others stayed in the game, confident in the strength of their hands, and they, too, filed suit, hoping for a win. Keep in mind the people watching each law firm play—their corporate clients. The stakes off of the table were almost as high as the stakes on the table.

Still, poker at Trump’s casino is rigged—the house wins most of the time. It’s puzzling how many top law firms keep sitting down at the table but aren’t good at playing poker. Each of these lost millions of dollars in pro bono work—high rollers in their imaginations.

This time, Trump really did get tired of winning—so he headed to a table with even higher stakes: the Craps table. Each roll of the dice became a bet on a global move; his bold and destabilizing foreign policy decisions cast like dice across the felt.

He threw the dice on annexing Canada—snake eyes. Then he gambled on purchasing Greenland—a three—and crapped out again. Still, Trump kept playing, because in his casino, he’s always the shooter.

Next, he rolled the dice on Russia and Ukraine. Trump hadn’t invited Ukraine, but Russia was at the table. Russia placed a huge bet, and Trump rolled a seven. Were the dice loaded? Of course they were. There was no chance Trump or Russia would lose that round.

Then came a throw on withdrawing troops from Europe. He rolled an eleven—out they go.

The next bet was the Panama Canal. Trump rolled a ten, setting the point. Now, everything depends on whether he can roll another ten before hitting a seven. We’ll have to wait and see. But in the meantime, Trump ordered Defense Secretary Hegseth to draw up a plan for a military incursion to seize control of the canal.

Panama is betting on a seven—hoping Trump will “seven out” and lose the game. The Craps table was closed so Trump could play blackjack or some other games before throwing the dice again.

Trump likes to play blackjack with his immigration policy. As always, his options are to hit, stand, or double down. On most hands, he’s quick to double down—doubling his bet and hoping for one more card to seal the deal. He doubled down on building more border wall—and won. He doubled down on revoking student visas—and won again.

Then came a high-stakes hand. Trump was betting on Marco Rubio to deport non-citizens based on what they’ve said or what they “might” say and think in the future. It was a risky bet, but Trump drew the Ace of Spades and the Ten of Diamonds—blackjack—a perfect hand.

For his final hand, Trump placed a big bet on the Alien Enemies Act, targeting the deportation of undocumented immigrants, including Kilmar Armando Abrego-Garcia, who was sent back to El Salvador by accident, and many innocent Venezuelans with no criminal record. He went all-in on this move, then doubled down again. Now, we wait for his final card—what will it be?

In the final game, Trump headed to the roulette table. Here, he likes to bet on his brand of economic populism. He’s placed a corner bet on reviving manufacturing, reducing inflation, growing good-paying jobs, and protecting the bond market. His chips are stacked on 17, 18, 20, and 21. But manufacturing—that’s his favorite. He’s piled extra chips on 17, hoping that number hits. The catch? In roulette, you can only win on one number. The other three are losers.

So, what number do you want the ball to land on? Most Americans elected him to bring down the cost of living—but so far, the wheel is still spinning, and nothing’s dropped.

Overall, at least to this point, Trump is winning. Of course, he cheats here and there, but here’s the problem: Trump’s two other casinos went bankrupt.

The house may still look shiny. The music may still be playing. But if Taj Mahal America keeps running like this—game after game, spin after spin—the chips will eventually be lost. And when they are, it won’t just be Trump who goes broke. It’ll be all of us.

Day 83: days left to January 20, 2029:1,378 days

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