An assault on democracy at home and abroad

Donald Trump’s second presidency dismantles this argument and reveals how fragile democracy becomes when power is wielded without restraint, writes Dr Norm Sanders.

In his frantic efforts to keep Epstein files Beyond the headlines, the US President Donald Trump released the mother of all fiascos.

HE threatening Iran in retaliation for killing demonstrators, while special Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) military shooting protesters in faces and legs in Minneapolis.

His moves capture greenland It prompted NATO to send troops to defend the island against an invasion by another NATO member.

He has turned to piracy to seize Venezuelan oil tankers on the high seas and has been blowing up boats and their crews in international waters in the Caribbean. After kidnapping the President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro and his wife DJT declared himself the new ruler of this country.

on January 11 Real Social Following the post, Trump shared a doctored screenshot. Wikipedia listing page ‘Vice President of Venezuela will take office in January 2026’ below his official portrait.

(Source: Real Social)

When he returned home, his overheated brain came up with the idea of tearing down the East Wing of the White House (and its famous rose garden) for a magnificent ballroom.

In his spare time DJT tries to push Jerome PowellFederal Reserve Board Chairman Trump was fired for refusing to cut interest rates to make his economy look better. Trump orders Justice Department to launch investigation criminal investigation Powell allegedly lied to Congress about renovating the aging Federal Reserve building.

Trump then attacked the Senator with absolutely no concern for his own popularity. Mark Kelly for to say publicly A widely seen video states that no US soldier is obliged to obey illegal orders. The statement was made due to the bloody (and illegal) boat attacks in the Caribbean. Embers explained the video as provocative behavior punishable by death.

In fact, US soldiers and women absolute failure to comply with illegal orders as required by law Uniform Code of Military Justice. Trump, who evaded the draft due to “bone injuries” during the Vietnam War, instructed the Secretary of War (formerly of Defense) Pete Hegseth To punish Mark Kelly. Kelly filed a lawsuit against the Pentagon in January 2026, stating that its efforts to punish him were unconstitutional and that he would not back down.

Poor target selection, Donald. Senator Mark Kelly is an American hero. The 61-year-old Arizona Democrat is a U.S. Navy veteran who served in 39 combat missions in Iraq. He became an astronaut and flew into space four times. The fight with Trump raised Kelly’s national profile, especially in military and Democratic circles. Observers suggest that he could become a candidate in the 2028 Presidential elections.

The first time DJT was in the Oval Office, there were still people who could stop him from doing whatever came to mind during his 2 a.m. tweets. This time, there is no one but carefully selected yes men and women. Men are chosen for their absolute loyalty. In addition to being handsome, women also need to be loyal. Blondes are particularly in favor of Trump.

The most notable was the Attorney General Pam Bondi (or “Pam Blondie” as an internet phenomenon) calls him). Bondi is one of DJT’s favorite attack dogs. Iconoclastic (and bold) south park The television series always depicts Bondi with a brown spot on her nose. The once completely apolitical Justice Department has been repeatedly used under Trump as a tool to exact revenge on anyone he doesn’t like.

ABC reports:

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other officials obstructed federal immigration enforcement.

The investigation is based on statements made by Mr. Walz and Mr. Frey about the thousands of ICE officers assigned to Minneapolis in recent weeks at the behest of President Donald Trump.

In response to the investigative reports, Mr. Walz said the federal justice system had been weaponized to intimidate the president’s perceived political enemies.

Another notable resident of Trump World is the Vice President J.D. Vance. Originally from a poor background in Ohio, he became a staunch right-winger. Vance opposes immigration, abortion, gay marriage, gun control and U.S. support for Ukraine. Considering all this, it is worth noting that the Second Lady of the United States Usha ChilukuriA woman of South Asian descent.

Vance’s passion led him to earn a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State and a law degree from Yale. Early in his career he associated himself with venture capitalists. Peter Thiel. Now Vance is waiting in the wings for Trump’s morbidly obese body to surrender. Don’t expect things to change for the better under Vance’s presidency.

It takes a long time to attract the attention of American voters, for whom going to the polls is not mandatory.

Trump has achieved this to the point that USA Today in question:

Democrats’ chances Win back the House of Representatives This year it got even better.

non-partisan Cook Political Report 18 shifted intermediate races towards a direction more suitable for them. According to an analysis released Jan. 15, eight picks moved from a “Likely Democrat” outlook to a “Solid Democrat” outlook, while seven other picks moved into “Atar” or “Most Likely Democrat” territory. The other three went from “Solid Republican” to “Probably Republican.”

Republicans currently have razor-thin leads in both the House and the Senate, and the party in power traditionally loses members in a normal midterm election. This cannot be called a normal midterm by any stretch of the imagination. Americans are facing increasing economic difficulties and are alarmed about the government’s tactics. They witness events that cause a smug smile when they occur abroad. “It could never happen here.”

Awakening is indicated by ratings south park. Highly derogatory and at times salacious criticisms of Trump and his team are rated higher than CNN in the same time period.

Meanwhile, the Trump regime is behaving like a regime that doesn’t seem concerned or constrained by what voters might do in the future. Here is one Ben Worthy’s analysis The London School of Economics explains why they’re not worried. They are just planning to manipulate the midterm elections.

Worthy writes:

Manipulation occurs in two forms: controlling the process and controlling the narrative. From a process perspective, if you want to undermine a democratic election, the easiest way to do so is to interfere with procedures and systems to make it harder for certain groups and individuals to vote.

Trump’s 2026 strategy massive, all-pronged attack. On a day-to-day level, it will be harder for some to vote by ending mail-in voting and making ID checks mandatory, if legislated. The Brennan Center predicts: “More than 9 percent of voting-age American citizens, or 21.3 million people, do not have proof of citizenshipIt will also be harder to protect the vote, as many of the bodies and systems that protect security or prosecute cases to strengthen voter rights have been weakened or eliminated.

Even more worrying, there are underlying plans to control the voting system itself. Looks like General Secretary Joseph Stalin didn’t say“Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the votes decide everything.” One of the most used voting machines in 27 states was recently sold to an individual. Company owned by a Republican supporter.

Department of Justice (DOJ) has requested access to voter files in several states and is suing six others Who will not provide these?. DOJ “confirmed this” sharing voter registration data “Collects together with the Department of Homeland Security.”

At a broader level, Republican-controlled legislatures such as Texas, North Carolina, encouraged Undeterred redistricting is being sought by Trump in favor of Republicans.

No wonder DJT doesn’t care about its declining ratings and doesn’t hesitate to attack American icons like Astronaut Mark Kelly. He also sees no public relations problem with the private ICE army shooting US citizens in the street.

benjamin franklin he said afterwards Constitutional Convention In 1787, a republic could not sustain itself; It relies on informed, virtuous, and engaged citizens to prevent it from degenerating into despotism or monarchy. HE added their creations “A republic if you can keep it”.