I can’t remember a year that started with more trepidation than this one.
Donald Trump had not taken the oath of office yet, but he had already made it clear that all of the guardrails that had hemmed him in during his first term would be removed. Gen. Milley was out. Pete Hegseth was in.
Donald Trump had not taken the oath of office yet, but he had already made it clear that all of the guardrails that had hemmed him in during his first term would be removed. Gen. Milley was out. Pete Hegseth was in.
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Trump came flying into office at a million miles an hour, trying to do a hundred different things all at once in an apparent attempt to make good on all those campaign promises to cure our nation’s most vexing problems “on day one.”
An irrational slate of tariffs based entirely on the president’s ever-changing whims and including uninhabited islands near Antarctica. An immigration policy that has terrorized our communities, accompanied by a law enforcement policy that envisions sending U.S. Marines into American cities for training. A foreign policy where bribes are accepted in the open, Congress no longer has a say in when we go to war and the Uniform Code of Military Justice no longer applies. It all started with Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, deciding that America can no longer afford to feed starving children in other nations. It is estimated that more than 91 million deaths were prevented by USAID programs between 2001 and 2021. DOGE cuts are expected to result in 14 million deaths by the year 2030, including 4.5 million children under the age of 5. It’s been exhausting. But, one year later, I feel like we’ve taken his best punch and are starting to fight back.. The slate of tariffs were ruled illegal in federal district court and are now pending a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. Even if the court rules for the president, as it so often does, consumers will also get to have a say in the matter. The courts are also taking a stand against heavy-handed immigration enforcement tactics that rely on racial profiling; relish in violence and cruelty; and show disdain for the concept of due process. But, it is average, everyday Americans armed with cell phone cameras who are playing the largest role in exposing these unconstitutional and inhumane policies. One year later, the president appears to be a spent force. All of the special elections that have been held this year suggest that Republicans are likely to lose the House next year, putting an end to the blank check the president has been operating under. And it appears to be dawning on some of them that the president himself will be gone in three years. Then what? For all of my life Republicans have been arguing for state’s rights; now they favor a strong federal government with power concentrated in the hands of one person. They feared federal takeover and upheld the Posse Comitatus Act. Now they cheer the use of federal troops in local law enforcement. They demanded that the government keep its nose out of private business. Now they’re OK with the president demanding a piece of Nvidia. They understood the importance of a strong military. Now they stay silent as the president demands the surrender of Ukraine. Do they honestly think the next Democrat to win the office will just give up those new powers that have been transferred to the executive branch by the Congress and the courts? Walter Rubel can be reached at [email protected] |
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