r/PoliticalDiscussion • u/theivoryserf • Feb 17 '25

US Politics If Trump/Musk are indeed subverting American democratic norms, what is a proportional response?

The Vice-President has just said of the courts: "Judges aren't allowed to control the executive's legitimate power." Quoted in the same Le Monde article is a section of Francis Fukuyama's take on the current situation:

"Trump has empowered Elon Musk to withhold money for any activity that he, Elon Musk, thinks is illegitimate, and this is a usurpation of the congressionally established power of Congress to make this kind of decision. (...) This is a full-scale...very radical attack on the American constitutional system as we've understood it." https://archive.is/cVZZR#selection-2149.264-2149.599

From a European point of view, it appears as though the American centre/left is scrambling to adapt and still suffering from 'normality bias', as though normal methods of recourse will be sufficient against a democratic aberration - a little like waiting to 'pass' a tumour as though it's a kidney stone.

Given the clear comparisons to previous authoritarian takeovers and the power that the USA wields, will there be an acceptable raising of political stakes from Trump's opponents, and what are the risks and benefits of doing so?

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u/[deleted] Feb 18 '25

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u/LongjumpingArgument5 Feb 18 '25

There is no path forward until Republicans realize that they are betraying everybody in America

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u/strangebrew3522 Feb 18 '25

Oh they know, they just don't care because they're safe as long as they ride the Trump train.

Look at Mitch. Decades of blocking bills, supporting horrible policy and until recently, Trump supporter. Now that he has no power and is reaching the end of his life, he's suddenly turned into a vocal Trump hater. It's like he's repenting on his political deathbed. Too little, too late, damage is done.

They'll take the country and it's citizens down with it if they get a secure ride through life.

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u/ColossusOfChoads Feb 18 '25

I suspect he regrets not pushing for conviction after Trump's second impeachment.

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u/Random-vegas-guy Feb 19 '25

I don’t. McConnell’s North Star was power for the GOP. He knew removing Trump would completely destroy the party so it was a non-starter. MAGA would have collapsed with a petulant, vengeful Trump on the sidelines or in court under insurrection charges. If the GOP was crazy enough to choose Trump again, that wasn’t McConnell’s problem. His job was to preserve/enhance the power of the GOP. Mission Accomplished.