After Donald Trump’s attack on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in favor of Russia, the United States can no longer claim to be the leader or “defender of the free world.” This shift signals a dangerous drift toward authoritarianism, drawing unsettling parallels to Germany in 1933.

MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell captured the gravity of the situation, stating:

And so the President of the United States is no longer the leader of the free world or even a defender of the free world. The free world has rallied around the leader, who through struggling with the language barrier, tried to cut through Donald Trump’s lies on Friday. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy might never be called the leader of the free world, but he is without a doubt the bravest leader in the free world.

It is a sobering reality that America is now led by a man weakened by his own inadequacies and a wounded ego. What was once a beacon of democracy and strength is now marred by insecurity and self-interest. This is indeed a profoundly sad day for the United States.