this post was submitted on 19 Aug 2025
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The lesser evil gets more evil every cycle. Foreign policy is the least likely to change between administrations. We are watching how an executive can wield power in spite of the courts and legislature.
Let's be clear, the courts and legislature could stop this, they choose not to. They are captured. When/if a Democrat reaches the White House again they will not have half the power that Trump wields.
(The courts are a little iffy, but I'm still confident the legislature could stop it if they wanted)
Could they? By what mechanism?
Most obviously: impeachment.
Less direct: passing laws stating "you can't do that."
Least direct but the final boss: denying funding to whatever department he is using to do things they don't like.
I suppose a full coup could establish funding sources not controlled by congress, but I suspect that things like bond markets would react unfavorably to a government power struggle on that scale. A dictator unconstrained by constitutional safeguards is not a safe bet to lend money to, and economic firestorm would topple even a successful coup as billionaires, pensions, and corporations saw their wealth evaporate and working people lost their jobs.
Impeachment as a tool has been demonstrated to be basically worthless. Trump has demonstrated pretty clearly that our whole system relied almost entirely on everyone respecting the rules. Turns out there isn't really anything preventing full executive power. Ultimately, it comes down to the military. They are really the only force capable of removing the president.