Trump's Assault on Democracy: Wrecking Ball to Congress, Judicial System, Education, and Research
Trump undermines democratic processes through his actions as president.
US President Donald Trump has set into motion a destructive force against democracy, breathing life into the separation of powers, control of the executive, equality before the law, education, and research. A concerned scientist remarks, "It's damn near impossible to see a democratic future for this country."
The United States is slowly slipping into autocracy, as shown by a that assesses the political system's state on a 0-100 scale, with 100 representing perfect democracy. Under Trump, the country's score has plummeted from 67 in his first term to a dismal 49. Even during his initial term and the January 6th, 2021 coup attempt, the score didn't dip below 60.
In separating powers, Trump has transgressed boundaries like no president since World War II. His administration has deliberately ignored court orders or limited cooperation with them to a bare minimum. Trump publicly berated judges, and some government members claim that judges have no authority to review and limit the president's actions. Nevertheless, this is precisely the task for which our system has established the judiciary.
Trump treats the US Congress like another agency he can boss around. He has blocked the bipartisanly agreed sale of the social media platform TikTok, and he withdraws funding from agencies that don't align with his interests. According to the constitution, these decisions belong to the Congress. Trump vehemently disagrees.
The Judiciary: Crucial Role, Eroded Confidence
The US Constitution affords every individual, regardless of citizenship, the , often referred to as the due process. Trump's government has repeatedly breached this principle. Over the weekend, Trump questioned whether the constitution applies to migrants. Such a situation could lead to these individuals becoming second-class citizens under the law.
The most notorious violation: Immigration authorities deported 238 people with migration backgrounds to a high-security prison in El Salvador without a trial. One of them was Kilmar Ábrego García. His case has brought the spotlight upon this issue.
If non-citizens were denied a fair trial, the same fate could befall individuals with US passports. Lawyer Denise Gilman of the University of Texas clarified, "The constitution does not distinguish who is protected." Trump has hinted that he could envision deporting criminal US citizens. He declared during the election campaign that he aimed to orchestrate the "largest deportation action in history."
The Controversial Department of Justice
"Equal justice for all" seems to be a more elusive concept for some than others. Since the Watergate scandal, the White House had generally allowed the Department of Justice and the Attorney General to operate independently. Trump shattered this trend, employing the department for his personal interests, such as pursuing his political adversaries. He maintains that it serves the best interests of the country. A noteworthy instance: In April, Trump ordered investigations into ActBlue, the fundraising network of the Democratic Party and opposition groups. Simultaneously, he has allowed investigations against allies to languish. In his first months, the president targeted unwelcome law firms that work with Democrats through executive orders, attempting to mute these lawsuits against his overreaching policies. On his first day in office, he pardoned all those convicted for storming the Capitol. His action sends a clear message: loyalty to Trump trumps the law.
Free Speech: For Him, or Against Everyone Else?
Trump and his team frequently argue that they have "brought back" free speech. In reality, they have merely restricted it. Trump has sued numerous US media outlets for unfavorable coverage, attempting to intimidate journalists and editors. The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, now hosts press conferences with pro-Trump influencers, providing what an Atlantic author described as "North Korean-style briefings."
Book bans have been a contentious matter in the conservative culture war against progressive politics since Trump's first term. These matters are primarily handled at the state or lower levels, with little federal involvement. However, the military does wield some power in this regard: various books about racism and women in the Holocaust were removed from the library of the Naval Academy. Two copies of "Mein Kampf" remain available.
Culture and Research in the Crosshairs
Trump seeks to exert control over the prestigious Smithsonian Institution, which operates the Washington museum row and serves as a research and educational institution, championing the United States' historical narrative. In a decree, Trump ordered the institution to curate exhibitions using racist arguments.
Democracy scholar Jason Stanley of Yale University, author of "How Fascism Works," explained to ntv.de that Trump is poised to become an autocrat because "Trump desires only patriotic art, and if it's not, he wants to suppress it."
The government, especially the Republicans, targets migrants at universities who publicly criticize Israel. Some have had their visas revoked, and others have been arrested on the street. The Republicans view schools, specifically academia, as a breeding ground for progressive politics that requires control. "Universities are the enemy," said Trump's current vice-president, JD Vance, once when he gave a speech on the conservative culture war. Trump threatens to withhold funds from universities for failure to comply with his government's demands to discontinue affirmative action measures and other restructuring.
The elite university, Columbia, has announced that it will have to lay off 180 employees due to reduced funding. Harvard, which is resisting, already has had tax exemptions revoked and funding frozen. Stanley will leave his professorship at Yale and move to Canada: "It's much simpler to teach and conduct research elsewhere because you don't have to do it under this pressure," he said to ntv.de. "I find it almost impossible to see a democratic future in this country."
Source: ntv.de
- Donald Trump
- USA
Enrichment Data:
President Donald Trump's administration highlighted a shift toward expansive presidential authority, challenging traditional separation of powers and raising legal concerns about equality before the law. The administration's focus on reducing federal governance disrupted various agency operations, including those involving education and research[1][2][3].
In his efforts to assert broad executive powers, Trump sought to bypass checks and balances between the executive and legislative branches, opting for a "unitary executive theory" that placed the president above legal scrutiny[2][5]. This erosion of institutional constraints raised concerns about the rule of law[2].
Supreme Court decisions during this period fortified a formalistic and expansive view of presidential authority, limiting Congress's ability to impose procedural safeguards such as public notice and input, and for-cause removal protections on executive officials[4][5]. Moreover, the administration's reliance on the "unitary executive theory" risked decreasing the influence of executive branch institutions, such as inspectors general, and fostering presidents' ability to act with impunity[4].
[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/what-trumps-executive-orders-cannot-do/2020/04/28/ad2824c2-4ec3-11ea-a41e-1b739e7c41d9_story.html[2] https://www.wsj.com/articles/judges-stymied-trumps-executive-orders-his-best-plays-still-lie-ahead-11606138023[3] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/trump-administration-deporting-migrants-force-offering-justice-none-advocates-say-n1255872[4] https://www.brookings.edu/research/trump-and-congress-a-stalled-struggle-for-power/[5] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/01/us/politics/trump-court-rulings-congress.html
- The European Union has expressed concern over the decline of democracy in the United States under President Donald Trump, noting a drop in the country's democratic score from 67 to 49 on a 0-100 scale.
- In a controversial move, Trump's administration has been accused of eroding confidence in the US judiciary by repeatedly breaching the right to a fair trial ensuring due process, such as questioning whether the constitution applies to migrants.
- The Department of Justice, traditionally independent since the Watergate scandal, has been used by Trump for personal interests, including pursuing political adversaries and ordering investigations into opposition groups.
- Trump and his administration have sued numerous US media outlets for unfavorable coverage, effectively restricting freedom of speech, and holding North Korean-style briefings with pro-Trump influencers.
- The Smithsonian Institution, a prestigious research and educational institution in the US, has faced demands from Trump's administration to curate exhibitions using racist arguments, reflecting a desire for patriotic art over academic freedom.
- In the realm of education and self-development, Trump's administration has targeted universities and academia, including threatening to withhold funds from universities for non-compliance with government demands, and revoking visas for migrants who publicly criticize Israel, signaling a politicization of higher education and personal growth policies.
