Trump’s actions are proving the Democrats right
What can we do in the face of a fire hose of threats to national and international institutions, including democracy itself?
Democrats spent most of 2024 sounding the alarm: reelecting Donald Trump was a threat to American international leadership, American prosperity, and especially to American democracy.
Were these fears realistic? As we write this, two weeks into the second Trump presidency, the answer is a resounding "yes."
The unrelenting wall of news Trump generates makes it hard to find the signal in the noise, but it’s clear that "Team Trump’s" calls for a “post-Constitutional” America were not just sound and fury.
Trump has already:
Unconstitutionally usurped Congress’ power of the purse by freezing federal money that is not going to his priorities.
Disingenuously declared a state of emergency.
Illegally fired 18 inspectors general, whose jobs were to identify government corruption.
Unconstitutionally attempted to disband the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Pardoned 1,500 Jan. 6 insurrectionists − 170 of whom assaulted law enforcement officers with deadly weapons–including the leading conspirators.
Fired or threatened to fire thousands of apolitical civil servants for doing their jobs, notably including agencies devoted to public safety such as the FBI, TSA, and FAA.
Violated or threatened to violate U.S. treaties–including one he personally made–with our allies: Canada, Mexico, Columbia, Panama, and Denmark.
Unconstitutionally (and unsuccessfully) declared an end to birthright citizenship.
And that’s just a sample of his first two weeks.
Some of these clearly illegal or unconstitutional actions are being challenged in the courts, and some will be stopped or partially stopped. But the guardrails are weak.
The main one, Congress, should be both protecting its power and fulfilling its duty to protect the Constitution. Congressional Democrats have been opinionated but lack power. Congressional Republicans are ceding power by the day. They could hold up or disapprove unqualified Cabinet appointees. They have not. They could stand up for the ability of apolitical civil servants to do their jobs. They have not. A case in point: our Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst launched an Inspector General Caucus last month. They have been conspicuously quiet since the illegal mass firing of IGs, even though Grassley co-authored the law that Trump violated by firing them.
And the courts? Between overt corruption at the Supreme Court and blatantly political rulings like those on Presidential immunity, relying on the courts to rein in this President would be optimism bordering on naivete.
It’s easy to despair for the future. Trade wars usually make their participants poorer and less productive. Eroding oversight enables escalating corruption. Neglecting problems abroad invites them to find us at home. Discarding soft power means taking up hard power when adversaries move against us. And all of this raises more fundamental questions, ones we thought we’d settled as a country decades ago: do we believe in friendship between nations? Will our government be a force for good? Will we be a nation of laws or of robber barons?
Fortunately, this danger is not our destiny. It’s easy to imagine the U.S. going downhill fast as the new administration races to make us the next Russia. But this is America. We will oppose this administration’s authoritarian impulses, and adversity can spur resolve and revitalization. Those are what we need now and for the future.
And what to do if you find the news difficult to absorb these days?
Consider the wisdom of the Serenity Prayer: let go of what you cannot change and decide on two or three things you can do to contribute to American revitalization. That might be supporting independent news, caring for refugees, helping your neighbors, or anything that makes your community shine. And the next time you see something awful in the news (and the next, and the next…), don’t get mad, and don’t despair. Instead, remember your choice, and resolve to do a little more to support it. Your focus and love for your community are what will help us all to not just survive, but thrive in the long run.
Kelcey Patrick-Ferree and Shannon Patrick live in Iowa.
Originally published in the Iowa City Press-Citizen on February 8, 2025.