I took a two week vacation with Gilda to visit her sister in Tucson. Anything of interest happen during my silence?
In advocating the absorption of Canada as our 51st state, the reoccupation and annexation of the Panama Canal, the forced takeover of Greenland and the seizure and development of Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East,” including the permanent muscular displacement of its Palestinian residents, Trump is telegraphing his intention to be more than a two-term president.
These musings-turned-into-must-have policies are not turn-of-a-switch realities. They will take years to fulfill. Doubtful Trump the Magnificent would relinquish control of these projects despite a constitutional limit on his legal, electoral ability to serve beyond January 20, 2029. I recently wrote I thought Trump would designate his son Don Jr., not Vice President JD Vance, as his preferred, designated successor. Based on his recent pronouncements, I’m amending my prediction.
Don’t rely on the Supreme Court to muzzle Trump’s trumpeting. His presidential power enhanced by the Court during his hiatus from the Oval Office, Trump acts now with knowledge he cannot be chained by precedent or public outcry or legislative prohibition. Even if the Court rules against him there is no enforcement power to make Trump bend his knee to its judgement.
Trump is immune from prosecution. Only an impeachment and Senate trial with a guilty verdict could unseat him. But don’t count on that happening anytime in the next few years.
The only recourse to stop his gutting of the American government may be to sue acolytes who carry out his directives as they would have no immunity from court orders. But these would be drawn out processes during which time programs affected would shrivel while federal workers and recipients of aid would have to make do for months, if not years, without federal funds. And besides, Trump would pardon them, so they have nothing to fear.
It’s a bleak picture, one that politicians and media are talking about (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/10/us/politics/trump-third-term.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare).
No doubt, Trump’s opponents would demonstrate against any third term campaign. And that, dear friends, would play directly into Trump’s trump card—his ability to declare a national emergency to institute martial law.
“Martial law,” according to Wikipedia, “is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers. Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time, or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties may be suspended for as long as martial law continues.”
“Or indefinitely.”
Oy!
