«An America not only 'first', but also alone, a big problem for Italy», the comment by Antonio Di Bella

by Marco Sammito

Those who know a lot about America are Antonio Di Bella, a journalist and historical correspondent for Rai from the United States, who has studied and pondered the figure, defined as unique, of the 47th president of the United States of America, Donald Trump.

His work “The Tsars of the White House” is striking because it compares the current American tycoon with his predecessors, highlighting similarities and differences. 

Today, Saturday, March 7, at 6:30 PM, Di Bella will be in Acireale, at the Pinella Musmeci Cultural Center – Villa Belvedere, to present his book. He will be in conversation with Paolo Valentino, an editorialist for Corriere della Sera and an expert on international scenarios.

“Trump is reintroducing - comments Di Bella, with a muscular acceleration, the protectionist models of the past. His doctrine redefines the prevalence of American supremacy over the hemisphere of South America. This is not a new fact for the United States. It is asserted by dividing the world into superpowers, leaving China with dominance over the Pacific and disdaining Europe, leaving it in the hands of a Putin allied with China but in good relations with the United States. All the construction developed after 1945 of the United Nations and Western cooperation is undermined, and we return to an isolationist America. This is not a new fact but a return to ancient models of the past.”

Does Trump want to decide Khamenei's successor, do you think this is a cause for concern regarding the stability of American presidential thinking?

“There is a lot of talk about Trump's psychological instability, I believe these are realistic discussions but they overlook the deeper reason for his choices, which are linked to the crucial challenge between the United States and China. China is an emerging power and the United States is a power in difficulty that sees a decisive battle in the confrontation with Iran. Iran supplies oil to China and Russia, and the goal of the United States is to reaffirm its dominance, to convert Iranian oil into an energy source for the United States and its moderate Middle Eastern allies, as well as for Israel.”

In your opinion, what dangers could there be in Italy and Sicily, where the American military base of Sigonella is located?

“The difference in this crisis is that in previous ones, Bush and the United States had involved the UN, NATO, and Europe with the coalition of the willing, perhaps with fallacious arguments but eager to put together an alliance between the free world against the autocracies of the time. The qualitative leap of Trump is an America that is not just first but is a lonely America, only to realize who needs bases like those in Sigonella. It is a serious problem for Italy. If we are bound by an international agreement to grant the bases, on the other hand, we cannot violate our Constitution, which could not authorize their use to support a unilateral war declared in violation of any international treaty.”

Do you evaluate that Trump's military actions could undermine the support of his hard-core electorate in view of the midterm elections?

“Certainly yes. Polls are declining, the Maga base is irritated. Many Republican figures are criticizing Trump's international adventurism. The price crisis that could be triggered by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz with rising oil and gasoline prices at the pump would cause damage that, combined with revelations about the Epstein case, make a nearly certain defeat for Republicans in the midterm elections in November. For this reason, Trump needs to quickly close the war by declaring a victory.”