Arthur E. Sowers is a resident of Harbeson.
This letter is about how Donald Trump is changing political “overreach” into “beyond overreach.” This letter cites article titles, so you can read details for yourself by “cutting and pasting” the title into your web browser on your computer or smartphone.
In his first 100 days, Trump has issued a flood of extremist executive actions. Many lawsuits were filed against these executive actions. Courts blocked or delayed some of them. In a May 18 article titled “DOGE uncoils a brain drain,” it was explained that 75,000 government workers agreed to quit after being given an earlier, coercive-sounding resignation offer. I wonder how that will affect the future functioning of vital programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, not to mention the U.S. National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, NASA, etc. For another example, an April 29 article appeared with the title, “220 lawsuits in 100 days: Trump administration faces unprecedented legal blitz.” In still another example, a May 8 article came out with the title, “In court, Trump is losing more than he’s winning.” It said that, as of May 1, Trump was facing at least 328 lawsuits. That article said that, in 128 cases, the courts gave 200 orders against Trump. It said some 140 cases were waiting for review. All these cases will probably end up at the U.S. Supreme Court.
SCOTUS might end up like “Custer’s last stand.” The battle has already started. A May 2 article came out with the title, “Trump allies sue John Roberts to give White House control of court system.” Yes, you read that right. Trump is suing the chief justice of the Supreme Court! From what the article said, it looks like Trump is trying to ultimately pressure and rig the court to come up with Trump-favored rulings. Leaks and other gossip say that some guys in Trump’s inner circle have been pushing Trump to just ignore both Congress, the courts and SCOTUS! Not itemized here is a growing number of executive-ordered deportations in violation of court orders, including those of the Supreme Court.
Trump could — sooner or later — throw SCOTUS totally under the bus by using, in some combination, the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, or just by ignoring the court. Here are the dots to connect: A May 19 article is titled “70% of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division are leaving because of Trump’s reshaping.” It says 250 lawyers “have left or will have left (by) the end of May.” The new mission was said to be “enforcing the president’s executive orders”! In other words, ignoring the Supreme Court’s orders. A May 6 article is titled “Critics warn DOJ is being politicized despite vows to end its purported weaponization.” Then, a May 14 article said, “(Tulsi) Gabbard fires intel officials who oversaw memo contradicting White House claims on Venezuelan gang.” A May 15 article came out titled “FCC commissioner rips a ‘weaponized’ agency punishing news outlets Trump dislikes.” It shows another way that repression and retribution — rather than fairness and justice — will come down on our media. A May 16 article titled “The Trump DOJ Tells SCOTUS Its Plan to Ignore the Courts” shows how it will happen. A May 17 article came out titled “Trump suggests Supreme Court is ‘illegally’ blocking his lawless deportations.” It explains how Trump and his buddies are “spinning” lines of thought back and forth between legal terms and Trump’s reinterpretations of those terms. Collectively, these are all pieces of the “machine” — now coming together — that will be a Trump-controlled gestapo. And loyalists who obey only Trump, and not SCOTUS or Congress, will eventually have complete control of the full force of our government. I think a properly worded executive order could self-justify a need to “reform” a Supreme Court that is not in full compliance with prior executive orders. Or, in other words, just send marshals over and arrest the justices who are not in compliance with Trump and directly appoint new loyalist justices by another executive order.
The next big worry is how our free press and our citizens will lose their freedom. Trump has always been intolerant of all opinions that he does not like. And those opinions came from people who now have to worry about retribution from the FBI, the DHS and the DOJ. As he has been doing all along, he will surely continue to initiate more lawsuits, investigations, persecutions and prosecutions against private individuals and various organizations that present viewpoints that are in opposition to his. An April 29 article explains how “Trump has used government powers to target more than 100 perceived enemies.” Judges, and their families, have received threats from Trump, as well as from anonymous persons. A May 19 article is titled “Trump says he’ll call for ‘major investigation’ into performers at Harris events.”
I would not be surprised if Trump’s “beyond overreach” actions eventually get total control of Congress. It looks like the end of “checks and balances” is near.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
