'Trump is acting like a gangster emperor': Ex-ambassador warns this will end very badly for Americans

The capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and President Donald Trump's renewed threats to take control of Greenland have triggered fresh alarm among senior US foreign policy figures. Former American ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul on Wednesday warned that Washington's current trajectory risks severe consequences at home and abroad.

Reacting to the developments, McFaul issued his assessment of Trump's conduct on the global stage. "Trump is acting like a gangster emperor around the world right now. If he continues, this will end very badly for the American people," he wrote on X.

Drawing on historical parallels, the former envoy warned that unchecked power has predictable outcomes. "Emperors overreach, eventually weakening, bankrupting, and sometimes even destroying their homelands. That's why there aren't that many left today," he said.

McFaul, who served as US ambassador to Russia from January 2012 to February 2014, further said that if Trump keeps acting like the leader of "an imperial rogue state, more and more countries will begin to lean towards China, which will be perceived as the more rational, peaceful, rules-abiding great power." "What could be worse for long-term American national interests?" he wondered.

He argued that the current crisis is not being driven by popular pressure or institutional consensus. "One man is driving all of this," he said. "That's it. There's no mass movement supporting an invasion of Greenland or blowing up NATO."

McFaul also rejected claims that Trump's agenda reflects public opinion. "Trump is unpopular. He won't be in power much longer. Polls show clearly the majority of Americans don’t support all these crazy Trump ideas," he said.

Earlier, American economist Jeffrey Sachs cautioned that the fallout from Venezuela may not be contained and that Iran could be the next flashpoint. "My fear is that Iran is next," Sachs said in an interview with India Today Global. He warned that such a move would have far-reaching consequences. "And so, this is where I would expect the possibility of a real global explosion," Sachs said.

Comparing scenarios, Sachs added, "And I would give a warning that one will be hotter than Venezuela if it happens." He outlined why Iran presents a fundamentally different risk environment. "It would be potentially disastrous because while Venezuela is in the American geographic neighborhood and China and Russia don't want to take on the United States in the Western Hemisphere, Iran is in the middle of a lot of major powers," he said.

He continued, "And Iran is itself with hypersonic missiles and a capacity to do a lot of harm and a lot of damage, and Israel is a nuclear-armed country. All in all, it's a recipe for potential disaster."

The economist said that sound heads should be saying to the United States right now, "stop it". "This is not a joke. This is not a game. This is not appealing to your base. This is not social media. This is not some play. This is reality, and stop it before things get out of control."