Donald Trump has never worked for the government or held an elected position. That could be a good thing but, it means he has never been forced to appreciate, or understand, the primacy of the Constitution. Even interns in my agency are required to take an oath of allegiance to the Constitution. The Director administers the oath and explains the awesome importance of what is transpiring - nothing reins more supreme. While too many of our leaders have tried to evade constitutional limitations, almost all of them understood the critical importance and necessary preservation of the document.
Donald Trump has no respect for the Constitution. Time and time again he has demonstrated his intolerance towards free speech, the press, the Court, honoring the outcome of a democratic election, limitations on torture, you name it. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a….
It was somewhere between scary, sad and nauseating to see the media’s collective sigh of relief when they gobbled up Trump’s acceptance speech. As if we were now getting a clear insight into the “real Donald Trump.” GROW UP! There will be no responsible gauging of responses, there will only be grossly disproportionate counterattacks. As Trump demanded during his rallies, free speech in opposition should be met with people being “carried out on stretchers.” When his supporters punched protesters in the face his response was to foot the attackers’ legal bills.
If someone wants to take Trump’s acceptance speech and meeting with Obama as a salve they are delusional. Did someone forget Trump’s mentor? Roy Cohn! Trump has praised Putin, Kim Jong-un, al Assad, etc. The cabinet? Christie, Giuliani, Bannon, Gingrich, Sessions, Conway, David Clark, Myron Ebell – Gobel would be on the list if he was not dead.
And the Sturmabteilung? During his busiest of years, Obama deported approximately 400,000 undocumented aliens per year. Trump has promised to begin mass deportations of the remaining 11.4 million. If this was to take place in 4 years it would mean that ICE would have to grow by almost a thousand percent. ICE presently has approximately 20,000 employees and that number would need to swell past recognition. It would require a growth in excess of four to five fold. Men and women who join the legions of deportation enforcers would be predisposed to only one thing – an act which lacks sympathy, humanity and kindness to those who are viewed as “un-American.” These soldiers, and their disposition, would all owe their jobs to Trump. Trump would create loyalty and allegiance by providing jobs, handsome compensation and power. As this newly formed army completed their task of mass deportation they would not simply be disbanded. Instead they would be deployed to police Americans.
As the president of the United States, Trump will have the best funded, most sophisticated, and most powerful enforcement portfolio know to mankind. The FBI, CIA, DOJ, etc. will all quickly come to his aid and execute his whim. If you doubt this just consider the unprecedented and repulsive FBI (Comey) participation in effecting our recent elections. Lastly, consider your smartphones, your computers, your blogs, you amazing connectivity. Your privacy will only depend on your constitutional rights. The ones which Trump will shred. The Orwellian reality may not be denied.
Before Trump entered the race, Jeffrey Kluger published a book titled The Narcissist Next Door: Understanding the Monster in Your Family, In Your Office, In Your Bed – In Your World. Prophetically, Kluger used Trump in a host of examples to demonstrate extreme narcissism. At the farthest end of the narcissistic spectrum, Trump demonstrates a startling lack empathy towards anyone who dares disagree with him, rules apply to others but not to him, he refuses to accept other view points, never takes “no” for an answer, facts are irrelevant when he narrates his version of history, and he will respond violently to people who confront him. A quick read of what to expect from our new president (well.blogs.nytimes.com/...).
Trump’s new world will be met with stiff opposition. As he has always done, Trump will apply his mentor's, Roy Cohn, model and mount a violent disproportionate response. He will employ his new army and a multitude of sophisticated law enforcement agencies. If you are counting on winning the 2020 election you are making an assumption that Trump, and his constitutional blind spot, will allow such an exercise. From the get-go, he has already told us he will not honor the outcome of our silly elections.
As citizens we must come together and act. If we wait for more, we will be too late. I have no idea how or what to do. There should be no mistake, Trump’s resistance will be violent, extensive and complex. You will be facing a newly formed, ideological, army who will be loyal to their commander in chief. The Constitution will be ignored. The FBI will be happy to serve at the President’s command. All of us were sure Trump would never be president. We were wrong. For any of you who doubt the future, look to the President’s staff and cabinet. Best of luck. Many of you could not be bothered with voting. Or just couldn’t vote for HRC. I understand. Many of you ignored Sanders and went for HRC. Yet, you best put on your big girl/boy pants and come up with a plan.