Donald Trump was never destined to be everyone's cup of tea. But there was cause for cautious optimism when he staged a remarkable comeback to become the 47th President of the United States.
Despite the mercurial personality, crude tongue and CV tainted by criminal convictions, there were pluses. He had overseen impressive economic growth during his first presidential term and, following the torpor of the Biden years, offered the prospect of dynamic leadership and a resurgent America.
Yet Mr Trump's second spell in the White House has been an absolute disaster. Even his remaining admirers must now realise that launching war on Iran earlier this year was a misjudgment of calamitous proportions.
Not that it should require the benefit of hindsight. Regardless of growing tensions with the Tehran regime, it defies logic that no one in the President's inner circle anticipated the almost inevitable consequences of unleashing full-scale hostilities.
The fall-out has been nothing less than seismic, not least in terms of Mr Trump's current electoral woes. Even to the most politically naïve, the link between Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz, the resulting global fuel crisis and the Republican Party's midterms meltdown could hardly be clearer.
Donald Trump's second spell in the White House has been an absolute disaster. Even his remaining admirers must now realise that launching war on Iran earlier this year was a misjudgment of calamitous proportions
Nor has Mr Trump covered himself in glory over Ukraine. While his position on the conflict has veered wildly since the beginning of last year, his treatment of Volodymyr Zelensky has ranged from merely discourteous to plain offensive.
Yet particularly galling to right-minded observers has been the spectacle of the supposed leader of the free world cosying up to Vladimir Putin. Whether Trump connived with Elon Musk to restrict Ukraine's access to military-grade satellite networks remains a moot point. But his cynical deal to import millions of tons of Putin's diesel - less than a month after signing measures into law aimed at strengthening sanctions on companies buying Russian oil and gas - won't be quickly forgotten.
Even Mr Trump - not generally known for self-examination or an introspective nature - must be aware that his social media habits are something of an international joke.
To many eyes, his frequently contradictory posts - often spelt out in block capitals for added emphasis - border on the deranged. Their content routinely includes claims and assertions known to be untrue.
Yet the coming months and years will see Mr Trump - who could ultimately face impeachment - under intense pressure for the truth about his political and personal manoeuvres. With the Democrats now taking control of both the House of Representatives and Senate, he is expected to face committee inquiries about lucrative government contracts linked to family members and allies.
His elder sons Donald Jr and Eric, as well as his son-in-law Jared Kushner, are likely be investigated for corruption. Areas set to come under scrutiny are the family's cryptocurrency dealings, funding of the White House ballroom and the President's acceptance of a Qatari jet to use as Air Force One.
The more immediate problems will come in the form of Mr Trump's power being severely curtailed by a Democrat-controlled legislature. For the remaining two years of his presidential term, he is poised for almost constant war with Congress.
It is, by any reckoning, a complete and utter mess. For Britons, the chaos might even fire up memories of the worst elements of the Tories' last days in power. And we all know what that ultimately led to…
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