The opinion of this writer does not align with the opinions and beliefs of the Ridgeview News in any way, shape or form. In the spirit of the freedom of the press, differing opinions are welcome.
On January 20, 2017, Donald Trump had never held political office and was not prepared to govern. He put people experienced in government into advisory roles; they repeatedly thwarted his autocratic impulses.
If Trump is elected again, this time will be different. He has learned the possibilities for personal power inherent in the presidency. MAGA Republicans, conservative think tanks, and right-wing personnel are eager to aid Trump becoming a dictator so long as Republicans rule.
Trump’s Agenda 47 and the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 are developing elaborate plans to turn the power of the federal government to their undemocratic ends as quickly as possible by putting in offices and agencies MAGA Republicans who promise to be loyal to Trump rather than the Constitution.
Project 2025 (what an innocuous title) is providing the theory and manpower for Trump’s agenda, recruiting and training people to implement it. They propose using expanded executive power to dismantle, disrupt, and replace the federal governmentwith a “strong executive” (dictator).
Trump claimed he was joking when he said he would only be a dictator on Day One. But the amount of dictatorship that could be instituted on One Day could send democracy into a tailspin that might be impossible to pull out of.
If Trump is elected, there will be massive protests. That’s the perfect opportunity for him to declare a national emergency or invoke martial law – or both – giving him sweeping powers. Even if Congress disagreed, how long would it take for them to act?
Trump plans to use the National guard and local police to round people up. If anyone objects to domestic use of the military, Trump can invoke the Insurrection Act, a vaguely worded 18thcentury relic that would allow him to deploy the armed forces to aid local law enforcement to quell civil unrest or against anyoneTrump declares obstructs the execution of laws.
As Trump says at every campaign rally, “On Day One, we will begin the largest domestic deportation operation in American history.” He recently told Time magazine that he would target between 15 and 20 million people, whom he claims are undocumented in the US.
Immigrants will be the first to be rounded up. Stephen Miller, Trump’s evil immigration genius, has said there will be massive deportation camps.
Imagine the destruction of domestic tranquility and the American economy when millions of residents and their families are sent to detention camps and no one is left to do the workthey were doing.
Under Trump’s plan to ban homelessness, the homeless will also be rounded up and moved to “tent camps” on “large parcels of inexpensive land” under threat of arrest. Rounding up designated “undesirables” is a prime characteristic of fascism.
Once the military is engaged in rounding people up, there is no reason why other “enemies of the State” cannot be quickly added. Recently Trump’s named pro-Palestinian student protestors to the list of those to be rounded up and deported. “I will throw them out.”
In 2020, Trump issued Schedule F, a plan to remove civil service protections for appointed federal government employees (the “deep state”) and replace them with right-wing political appointees and other partisan agents who would be required to be loyal to the president rather than the Constitution.
Biden rescinded Schedule F immediately upon taking office, but Trump will surely reissue it on Day One. Project 2025 is already interviewing (doing loyalty tests) for replacements.
With a loyal attorney general, Trump has promised he willimmediately take revenge on his political enemies. Biden is first on the list because Trump ignorantly believes the President has caused him to be prosecuted for his many state and federal crimes. Believing that the Democrats have “weaponized” the justice department “means I [Trump] can do it too.” On hisshort list are Jack Smith, Merrick Garland, Christopher Wray, Alvin Bragg, and as one advisor said, “almost too many targets to keep track of.”
Executive orders are being prepared for Trump’s Day One signature. If oil executives give Trump a billion dollars, he has agreed to sign whatever executive orders they prepare for him, ending the fight against climate change.
Any media outlets not all-MAGA will be prosecuted and shut down. “Our so-called ‘government’ should come down hard on them and make them pay for their illegal political activity.” About mainstream media, Trump says, “They’re crooked, they’re dishonest, and frankly they should have their licenses taken away.”
Ending birthright citizenship is still another Day One promise. The 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to anyone “born or naturalized” in the United States regardless of the citizenship of their parents. This should require amending the Constitution, but since Trump controls 2/3 of the highly partisan Supreme Court, an executive order is worth a try.
Day One promises to be busy, but with Project 2025 having the pile of executive orders, declarations of national emergency or martial law, and invocation of the Insurrection Act all ready to be signed, a few hours with a pen could smash American democracy.
Once Day One dictatorship is in place, there will be plenty of time to deploy the National Guard to “Democrat-run” inner cities with high crime rates; sign a national abortion ban; make stop and frisk the law of the land; defund the EPA, OSHA, IRS, Labor Department, DOJ and numerous other government agencies; institute the death penalty for drug dealers; withdraw from NATO; use military force in Mexico to attack drug cartels; and impose a universal 10% baseline tariff on every good imported into the US. These are other Trump promises – just not for Day One – a roster of bad ideas.
Democracy or Dictatorship? Vote Biden/Harris and give them a Democratic Congress so none of this can happen.
WOW, Look at how many people disagree with you Deirdre (if that is your real name). People are waking up to how much damage this administration and its political lawfare is doing to the social fabric of our country. This administration and its record deficit spending is the source of the inflation in the economy that is stealing our prosperity. We the people disagree with you.