2d ago

We Might Have to “Shut Down the Country” - Anthony Romero, the A.C.L.U.’s executive director, talks about what he thinks could happen if the Trump Administration defies the authority of the courts

www.newyorker.com We Might Have to “Shut Down the Country”

Anthony Romero, the A.C.L.U.’s executive director, talks about what he thinks could happen if the Trump Administration defies the authority of the courts.

Archived at https://archive.is/NQSy6

18 comments

how close is the United States to a constitutional crisis: Are we headed toward one, on the brink, or already there?
Since Trump has already declared that only the President can interpret the law, I'd say USA is already there.
Also the administration is taking over offices that are supposed to be controlled by congress.
Finally, the illegal intervention and control extended to Elon Musk where he has has lifted information also illegally, and has CLEAR conflicts of interest, is enough by itself.
So IMO USA is already there on several counts.
Trump is a fascist, and he is REALLY trying to create a totalitarian state this time, and it's evident to have been planned beforehand.
PS: This alone too is a constitutional crisis:
https://thesource.com/2025/02/19/king-trump-official-white-house-social-media-page-sends-long-live-the-king-message/
To declare himself King, might seem like just in bad taste, but it's actually what he see himself as, and he won't stop until he has absolute control.
It's also unconstitutional because Kings are above the law, and the constitution says nobody is above the law.
So the constitutional crises began already BEFORE Trump was president, when a hijacked supreme court declared the President to actually be above the law. (as long as it's a republican)
PS: Quote from the constitution Section 9 clause 8:
No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States.
- Even most kings weren’t above the law. The America Trump wants to create is far more tyrannical than the monarchy we overthrew.
- Yeah but who the hell is going to step up and actually try to stop him? The populace is divided as ever, they can't come together to agree that one guy's totalitarian nature is destroying their livelihoods in all political fields.
  Foreign nations are starting to realize that they may well just be on their own because Trump can't give a single shit to support or engage in peaceful negotiations.
  All republican branches of government are bootlickers who say bold things but will not budge.
  Congress seems to just sit there.
  Democrats seem to only just shout things and threaten authority but to someone who has proven to not address or even acknowledge authority, what good would that all do?
  
  but who the hell is going to step up and actually try to stop him?
  To me it seems that there is no actual hard checks and balances, it's all based on respecting norms, and anyone who doesn't, that has control of the executive branch, will be very hard to stop.
  But that's what I've been warning USA about repeatedly for more than 20 years. USA is a dysfunctional democracy, the 2 party system undermines democracy. Everybody has known that since the constitution was written, but Americans wanted that because they imagine this system to be more "efficient" at making "strong" decisions.
  Maybe so, but if it's at the cost of democracy, those decisions are very likely not good decisions.
  I think we can safely say that the US government has failed the people for decades, despite being richer, when you compare to the superior rights and freedoms and quality of life in Europe.
  As an absolute fan of USA in the 70's when I was young, the decline of American society over the past 50 years has been a sad sight.
  Everything changed when Reagan was elected over Carter, and the humanist ideal have never come back.
  
  Will the military respect their oath or will they fall for a tyranny ? This might be USA's last hope.
  
  You, the people, out in the streets, rioting, en masse. That's how democracy was won, and it's what is needed to maintain it.
  
  Foreign nations are starting to realize that they may well just be on their own because Trump can’t give a single shit to support or engage in peaceful negotiations.
  No, that's not true. Even in the context of decrying people understating the problem, you are also understating the problem.
  (I'm not saying that to attack you, by the way -- it's really hard not to do that, both because of the lag getting over the "denial" stage of grief and the fact that the MAGAs are moving so fast it gets worse by the minute.)
  What's happening re: foreign relations isn't that Trump isn't giving a shit; it's that Trump is actively unilaterally forcing the US to switch sides and ally with Russia.

General Strike, general strike, general strike!
Let's GOOOOOOOO!!!

Continues to defy the authority of the courts.
But maybe not because do they have any authority if it’s an official act? If true is false, anything goes.

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