TEHRAN – The United States is increasingly being seen, even by its allies, as sliding toward authoritarianism fueled by fear, anger, and corruption.

As the United States marked the 250th anniversary of its founding, the country appeared less like a nation preparing for celebrations and more like a republic facing a historic reckoning. The image America sees in the mirror today reflects the depth of a political, social, and moral crisis eating away at the foundations of the country.

America was founded in 1776 yet after two and a half centuries, the country finds itself facing a political force seeking to redefine those principles around the will of a leader rather than the limits of the constitution.

At the center of this storm stands Donald Trump, not just as a controversial president, but as the embodiment of a deeper political and cultural revolt against the traditional idea of the American republic.

Since Trump’s rise, institutions designed to restrain and check power have increasingly been treated as enemies to be weakened or controlled. The media is portrayed as hostile and fake, the courts as obstacles, and intelligence agencies as legitimate only when they support his preferred narrative.

The danger lies in transforming the U.S. presidency from a constitutional office into a vehicle for personal power, from an institution accountable to the public into a center of authority that constantly tests the boundaries of the system.

Politicians in power once described the United States as a diverse society where people from different backgrounds and cultures came together. Today, it appears increasingly consumed by some of its darkest instincts beneath aggressive nationalist slogans.

Political disagreement has become a battle over identity, dividing society between those considered the “real” representatives of the nation and those portrayed as threats to it.

The country is no longer experiencing ordinary political disagreement. It is witnessing the politics of fear: a system in which immigration, race, religion, and social class are used to create permanent enemies and keep society in a state of conflict.

America is not simply divided; the idea of a shared national identity is under strain, as the country enters an internal crisis between a republic supposedly built on constitutional democracy and one driven by anger, exclusion, and political revenge.

The same crisis extends beyond America’s borders. The United States, which built much of its global colonial rule after World War II, has increasingly abandoned its role as a leader of the world order and embraced that of a power demanding concessions from others.

For decades, Washington tried to present itself as a “defender of democracy and stability”. Under Trump’s vision of “America First” alliances became transactions, partnerships became bills to be paid, and values became bargaining tools. America has moved toward a nation focused on advantage, loyalty, and personal political interests.

That same approach has shaped the use of military power. Trump repeatedly ran his presidential campaign trail as a leader who would end wars and avoid foreign adventures. Yet his presidency and mandate, provided by American voters, revealed a willingness to use aggression when it served political goals, Zionist interests, or reinforced an image of strength.

The contradiction is clear: a leader who condemns wars publicly while relying on military pressure, threats, and strikes when seeking to impose his will. This was seen in the illegal war with Iran and attacks targeting its nuclear facilities, which revived fears of a wider Middle East conflict.

The same approach was seen through escalating pressure against Venezuela through military threats and the use of force under the unproven pretext of fighting narcotics, which ended with the kidnapping of the president of a sovereign state.

The repeated threats toward Cuba and other neighboring countries reinforce the message that “America First” does not mean stepping away from power. Instead, it represents a harsher version of power, one less focused on spreading democracy and more willing to use sanctions, pressure, military force, and regime change when it serves political interests.

At home, economic policy has been used to redirect public anger away from deeper causes. Protectionism, tariffs, and promises to restore manufacturing have been presented as solutions for working-class struggles. But they have also revealed a refusal to confront the deeper failures of an economic system that concentrates wealth among the privileged few, while leaving Americans poorer and anxious about their future.

Instead of addressing inequality, political messaging often directs frustration toward immigrants, foreign workers, and vulnerable groups. Anger has become a tool for political mobilization rather than a means of addressing the deeper problems that created it.

To maintain that anger, the battle over truth itself has become central. The spread of misinformation, attacks on journalism, and the portrayal of the media as “the enemy of the people” have weakened the institutions responsible for holding the current administration accountable.

When truth is based on loyalty to Trump rather than evidence, democracy begins to lose the common understanding of reality that allows people to make informed decisions and hold leaders accountable. A republic cannot survive when citizens are expected to believe a leader over facts, institutions, and independent scrutiny.

As accountability weakens, corruption becomes easier to hide and harder to challenge. Power begins to merge with private interests, political influence, and personal networks. The presidency becomes less a position of public responsibility and more a source of influence, where government decisions, business interests, and personal loyalty become increasingly connected.

The greatest danger is not just financial misconduct or favoritism, but the loss of the moral line between public service and personal power. It is the transformation of government into a constant exchange of favors between a president, his allies, and those closest to him. From corruption to political revenge, the danger of personal rule reaches its most dangerous point when the government itself becomes an extension of the ruler.

When courts are treated as weapons against opponents rather than independent institutions, and when law enforcement becomes a tool of political pressure, the republic loses one of its most important foundations: equal justice. A government that treats institutions only as tools, views opponents as enemies despite no threat to national security, and uses the law selectively is no longer abiding by constitutional principles.

The American experiment was built on several essential ideas: that the constitution should limit power, that diversity should be part of the nation’s identity, that politics should be guided by reasoned debate, and that leaders should serve with responsibility rather than demand personal loyalty.

The greatest question facing the United States after 250 years is whether those principles can survive. The future of the American experiment will not be measured only by whether certain individuals can achieve success but will depend on whether the country can survive foreign military adventures and its ties with a Zionist proxy. It will also depend on whether the constitution remains a document that is not ignored whenever it stands in the way of power.

The 250th anniversary is therefore not a celebration of the past, but a warning about the future. America must either reclaim its original promise as a nation governed by the constitution or enter a new phase as a power still chasing the “dream” that once defined it, only to suffocate that “dream” with its own hands.