Allan MacDonald is a retired public school educator and small businessman. The United States Constitution is arguably the greatest political document in human history. It enumerates and seeks to protect basic freedoms to which all people within our borders have a right.
In the words of Chief Justice John Roberts, “By ensuring that no one in government has too much power, the Constitution helps protect ordinary Americans every day against abuse of power by those in authority.” It does so by creating three equal branches of government — the legislative, executive and judicial — which have checks and balances to prevent the accumulation of power in any one branch. The only time the Constitution becomes vulnerable is when one political party controls all three branches, such as now. President Donald Trump and the Republicans, who have all sworn an oath to preserve, protect and defend the U.S. Constitution, are in fact undermining those checks and balances to accumulate power in the executive branch.
The Republican-controlled House has turned over its power of the purse to Trump to exact reckless cost-cutting and firings. The Republican-controlled Senate refuses to do its duty by questioning and confirming an oligarch who is slashing programs and getting federal workers fired. It also failed to perform meaningful “advise and consent” on numerous Trump appointees whose qualifications were questionable at best.
On immigration, Congress has failed in its responsibility to set immigration policy, instead turning it over to an unchecked autocrat, who has no regard for Constitutional due process. Likewise, it has turned foreign trade over to Trump, allowing him to use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to wreak havoc on our allies with chaotic use of tariffs. They refused to ask him to justify his use of this “emergency” action before Congress and even used a parliamentary maneuver to ensure he could not be held accountable.
Freedom of the press? Trump believes that a free and independent media is an “enemy of the people,” preferring information sources that he can control. Trump bullies and threatens independent media constantly with the goal of forcing self-censorship.
Before the 2024 election, he sued a bunch of publishers, platforms and broadcasters for perceived biased coverage. He has denied access to the White House Press Room and Air Force One to “unfriendly” press. Friendly oligarch newspaper owners have meddled in the editorial policies of their papers, causing resignations and staff firings.
Trump also ended the USA Agency for Global Media, putting journalists at Voice of America on leave. Any government requires leaders who are public servants, a concept that Trump doesn’t understand. He’s baffled by military personnel who are willing to die in defense of the freedoms in our Constitution.
He’s contemptuous of federal workers whose job it is to serve the American people. His goal is to privatize government services, where their mission will be subordinated to making a profit. He certainly does not understand that he serves all the American people, not just those who voted for him.
Free speech for the latter only. There are signs of hope, though qualified. The dismantling of our government is being held in check somewhat by the judicial branch, which, in the face of many broken laws and statutes, is ruling on executive overreach.
Also, Roberts called out Trump for threatening to impeach a judge. Two caveats. There are many Trump judicial appointees who have shown a willingness to find ways to rule in his favor (e.g.
Aileen Cannon, secret documents case). The second is that the ultimate arbiter in the justice branch, the U.S. Supreme Court, has been Trump-friendly, having already granted him immunity from prosecution. Article continues after…
Yesterday's Most Read Articles Then there’s the indomitable spirit of the American people, who have made their anger known in town halls, protests and calls to their representatives. In response, Republicans have been instructed to skip town halls or screen the people allowed in (free speech?). Responding to the Constitutional right to peaceful protest, Trump has branded protesters as “domestic terrorists.” The upside of Trump’s attempted dismantling of our government is that Americans are learning the many things the federal government does for them and will therefore be lost.
As the months pass, those losses will become more apparent. In the meantime, chaos reigns and many federal workers have undeservedly lost their livelihoods. What’s obvious is that the Constitution, though consistent with democracy, is not consistent with Trump’s divisive, corrupt and autocratic vision of government.
Trump has been cruel and dishonest in targeting, immigrants, people of color, LGBTQ, federal workers, judges, scientists, the disabled and anyone who opposes him. But there are organizations out there who are putting up a fight: ACLU, Public Citizen, Southern Poverty Law Center, CREW, Democracy Forward, etc. Support them if you value democracy.
Heed this warning from journalist Edward R. Morrow: “A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.”
