On February 3 I posted here that “A coup has begun in the US.” A big part of that was creating the Department of Government Efficiency, which by subsuming another department, was able to waltz into many governmental departments and start slashing and destroying projects that had taken years to build up and were appropriated by Congress. Eventually Elon Musk, who was heading DOGE, left in disgrace, and it has been shown that DOGE actually made things worse instead of better. But now, almost 7 months later, how goes the coup?
At this point, I don’t think you can call it a coup as much as an attempt at a complete takeover of the entire society. Trump has influenced both the Legislative and Judicial branches of the federal government, thus weakening the Constitutional tri-partate system. He has super-charged a paramilitary service called Immigration and Customs Enforcement that was originally touted as going after illegal immigrants and criminals but has somehow managed to deport immigrants here legally and even US citizens. He has taken over the police department of Washington DC. He has forced our most venerable universities to kow tow to his demands. He has weakened science in many ways, including a current attempt to destroy satellites that he thinks are too woke. He is trying to force the Smithsonian Institute to alter its displays so they are more to Trump’s liking. He has deeply cut into solar and wind energy programs and tried to push us back into burning coal for electricity.
Anyway, it’s not looking good. People need to push back. However, many of the people in power who could conceivably push back are under Trump’s spell somehow. Congress, the Supreme Court, some media, and of course his avid MAGA followers are all praising these moves as “Making America Great Again.” A minority of people are speaking out, holding rallies, and attempting to counter what is happening. But so far, the Trump wagon is moving steadily forward toward complete oligarchy.
I don’t think, though, that MAGA people have thought this through. Trump is 79 years old. He will not be capable that much longer (there is evidence his faculties are fading now). So what happens after the US has turned into an autocracy, and the autocrat you put in place is gone? Who comes next? Will it be someone you like? If not, how do you then get rid of that autocrat? The Constitution was specifically designed to handle that, but Trumpism is making the Constitution less relevant every day.
It’s not too late. I haven’t fled the country yet. There is hope. But it will take a lot of work and effort to save us from what is happening.
