MAGA Strikes Out

The GOP Believes the Constitution was Written in Pencil

Intro

If the eight nearly nine years of MAGA have taught me anything, it’s that there isn’t a line Donald Trump won’t cross, a guardrail he and his movement won’t remove, and an institution they won’t set aflame if it suits their personal ambitions, political needs, and ideological dictates.

For years now, all three branches of MAGA have displayed behavior that is anti-democratic, unethical, in some cases, illegal, but always un-American. I say un-American because I believe it’s an important to understand that what Trump’s minions want for this country is not what I want, you want, or the vast majority of the citizenry wants. Their vision is that of a small cabal of old white Christian (either Evangelical or Opus Dei Catholic) telling 330 million Americans how they must live their lives.

That is many things, “American” is not one of them.

To that end, I’ve broken down some of their more egregious OFFICIAL actions. I leave this in the realm of government to remind us that past is prelude for MAGA. What they’ve done, and what they’re doing, is the warm-up act for what’s coming in a second Trump White House.

Article I

All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

The 118th Congress is in session until January of next year. To say the Republican House majority has been dysfunctional is an insult to impairment. They started with a lengthy fight to elect a Speaker of the House. Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R-Deliverance,) and Matt Gaetz (R-Not Within 1,000’ of a School) engineered a discharge petition to get rid of Kevin McCarthy, setting off yet another fight.

They’re the College Republicans but in adult form.

In the meantime, the Republicans elected a radical, Christian Evangelical, and did their best Russian agent impressions holding up aid to Ukraine, trying to defund NATO, and convening hearings in which the witnesses made each committee member look more chaotic and corrupt.

We cannot and must not forget that today’s Republican Party has no interest in governing because they hate government. They’ve been condiditoned for 40 years to believe in the “Deep State” and black helicopters. They don’t want to help their constituents; they want to help Donald Trump by spiking a conservative-led immigration bill because didn’t want to give Joe Biden a win. They said that out loud.

A Republican House in 2025 would be more of the same. A Republican Senate in 2025 would move to confirm Trump’s nominees forthwith, or failing that, not put up much of a fuss when MAGA appointees take control of federal agencies in an ‘acting’ (but permanent) capacity.

Article II

The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows.

The Executive Branch is far bigger, more powerful, and more expansive than one paragraph can encapsulate or the Founding Fathers could ever have imagined. If Donald Trump is reelected, we will see not just the expansion of federal executive authority, but its power turned inward on Americans; especially those who will be deemed ‘enemies of the state.’

There have already been many articles, videos, and explainers about Project 2025. They all tell an important piece of the story but we’ve still failed to explain, in simple terms, what it means. I’ll give it a try:

“Project 2025, at its core, is about destroying the parts of government that protect Americans and empowering the parts of government that will control Americans.”

We should call out ‘mass deportations’ for what they are: Ethnic cleansing. Each time they mention throwing the ‘bad people out’ their list expands. First it was the undocumented. Now they’re talking about the end of birthright citizenship. It’s only a matter of time, when, not if, when they come for you or someone you love.

If we expect the worst from Trump and his gang, we won’t be disappointed. Trump doesn’t care about Dobbs, IVF, the environment, the Fed, or any the animating issues of our day. He cares about power, money and (his own) freedom. What his jackals do is fair game so long as they reinforce the three pillars of Trump’s existence.

Article III

The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services, a Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.

“Good behavior.”

“…receive for their Services, a Compensation…”

We’re short on the former and, for Clarence Thomas anyway, long on the latter. Today’s Supreme Court majority is not conservative, as we would understand it. It’s radical, driven by a willigness to deprive of some Americans (women, minorities) at the expense of a smaller, more extreme minority.

When I was still a Republican we decried judicial activism and unelected judges legislating from the bench. Today’s Court, and parts of the Federal judiciary (the 5th Circuit comes to mind) have abandoned any pretense of ‘originalism.’

Samuel Alito, in recently released audio, sees America as divided in two and ‘only one side can win.” He is angry at media outlets for holding him and the Court to account. And this is key: The judiciary is a CO-EQUAL branch. It is not seperate and above as it has been treated for most of our Republic.

That deference is coming home to roost as Alito and his wife espouse wildly undemocractic, and in Martha Ann’s case, ugly views, while Thomas accepts millions in gifts from wealthy benefactors and his wife commits sedition and aids a potential coup. To claim that somehow pillow talk between this four doesn’t equate to judicial decisions is fallacy.

If Trump wins in November, this court will either stand aside as his administration re-orders American government and society, or they will actively assist in his efforts. Neither is acceptable.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin should subpoena the lot of them - immediately. Let them make their arguments, let them defy the subpoena. Let them demonstrate, for all Americans to see, that six people in black robes belive themselves to be seperate, apart, and above accountability.

What Comes Next

The 2016 election was a failure of imagination. Too many of us, including political and business leaders, continue this mistake. Can Trump win? Yes? Should he? No. But retreating to the same confirmation bias that stuck us with this guy in the first place has returned in force.

As a pro-democracy movement, we cannot be less committed than we were four year ago. We must be more united. We must be more organized. We must have the people, assets and yes, resources, we need to ensure we can the work necessary to preserve, protect, and defend The United States of America.

News and Notes:

Quick FYI: Starting this Saturday, I’ll publish The Bulletin Board, a collection of announcements, books, and articles I feel are worth sharing.

You can refresh yourself on The Constitution at the National Archives.

Here is the Rolling Stone article detailing the Alitos comments based on the work of Lauren Windsor.

The good folks over

24sight News

are looking to fund their reporting for this year’s national political conventions. Give them a look, and if you like what you see, throw them a few bucks for their work.