@thedailybeast: Driving through Baghdad in the days before the Gulf War in January 1991, I was struck by the giant pictures of Saddam Hussein that lined the streets. Iraqi troops were on every corner, writes David Gardner. We couldn’t go anywhere without an escort. Phone calls were bugged.⁠ ⁠ Saddam’s presence was everywhere. It was a disconcerting feeling. I was staying with the foreign media contingent in the Sheraton, but that was the only familiar thing. The freedoms of America seemed a world away.⁠ ⁠ The disinformation didn’t stop when the bombs started falling and the murals of Saddam were hit. There was no independent media, and there were plenty more pictures of Saddam.⁠ ⁠ Fast forward to Washington in 2025, and that sense of unease is back. Troops loiter outside Union Station and along the National Mall. The White House is being ripped apart and refurbished in the president’s image. The 47th presidency, and, no doubt, the 45th, will be celebrated with a giant arch for the city. You wouldn’t bet against an enormous marble face. It will likely be inlaid with gold. Donald Trump’s presence is everywhere.⁠ ⁠ But this week, perhaps more than ever, the Oval Office ambiance is laced with malice.⁠ ⁠ Read the full story at the link in bio.⁠ __⁠ ⁠ ⁠ Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty⁠ #trump #donaldtrump #maga #politics #saddam

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Friday 17 October 2025 19:30:00 GMT