Trump signs new order to vastly expand presidential powers

Journalists really need to provide the context that he's quoting Napoleon, another dictator.

The general public who pays attention sees this and feels absolutely powerless because the opposition party refused to be the opposition.

I see this sentiment a lot. "Why aren't Americans doing anything? Why aren't leftist militias rising up to take back the capital? Etc. Etc. Etc."

First of all, asking "why aren't Americans doing anything" is a highly unaware question. We are doing things, but they aren't going to give any airtime to the protests, marches, boycotts, and legal efforts taking place, because the media is now firmly on the side of those with power, not the common people.

Second of all, it's pretty heartless of you to just casually ask us to "exercise the second amendment", because when you ask that, you're asking for at least some of us to die. Put yourselves in our shoes, and be honest - if you were in our position, would it be so easy and casual to just pick up a gun and join a violent revolution? Would you be willing to risk death in that situation? Personally, I'm not a soldier, I've never had an interest in guns, I'd be less than useless in that capacity. So I'm looking at other things we can do before escalating to that.

I get that everyone's scared because the nation with the most powerful military on earth is falling into fascism. That's terrifying to most Americans as well, and I think a lot of us are still frozen with that fear. I understand and agree that this problem is on Americans to fix. But I hope the rest of the world will be willing to help when we call on them, instead of just sitting idly by wondering when that magical second amendment is gonna kick in.

America, when are you going to stop this? You finally have a chance to exercise the second amendment, to defend your freedom and to show the world you aren’t the bad guys; And you do nothing…

Most of the people who are so in favor of the 2nd amendment are actively supporting this.

And people ask why we aren't doing anything about it as if people can just pick up a gun willy nilly and go join a violent revolution as easily as joining your local church group. What are people supposed to do? Walk up to the Capitol with an AK-47 and start firing while shouting "DOWN WITH TRUMP?". That's a great way to end up dead, in a psych ward, or in ADX-Florence. Trying to organize armed resistance of any size that matters in an era where everybody is carrying around a tracking device in their pockets is a great way to have the whole group rounded up and sent to Gitmo on treason charges.

This isn't the movies.

There were multiple assassination attempts.

No one wants to impress Jodie Foster anymore.

There were 2 confirmed assassination attempts on Donald Trump last year and potentially one more where an armed and suspicious individual was trying to get into a location where Trump was but the individual claims he wasn't planning anything malicious.

Wikipedia reports ~8 more incidents during the years where he was involved in his first presidential term.

I think Biden only had the one with the box truck.

Yeah unfortunately the gun crazies fully support what's happening, and it's a PITA to get a registered firearm if you aren't already a gun nut.

Hey if anyone has a line on unregistered Kalashnikovs, hit me up. I just want it for "display purposes."

The time to have stopped him was long ago. But our law enforcement entities lacked the courage to do their jobs. Especially Meritless Garland.

*Hey look, this guy brought a rifle to a drone fight. *

Americans only punch down, sorry.

See, the thing is, America's been propped up by toothpicks and Santa Claus-esque belief for most of our lifetimes. There were clearly no guardrails, no real systems in place, and no people with the willpower or actual dedication to the country to hold it against any level of dedicated attack. Hell, many of its people are so broken and systematically idiotic that they welcomed the attack as long as the got to guffaw and clap like seals at the people brought down to their god awful level.

It had to fall. It likely won't rise again in any healthy, phoenix sort of way, but if it manages to do so, maybe it won't only have the untested veneer of strength. But for now, it's a corpse. Europe needs to save itself and not add their bodies to the cemetery, because what took down America is actively coming for the world.

If Congress wasn’t filled with feckless lickspittles

If that was the case, trump would've already been convicted of impeachment and been disqualified.

How does that actually work with Musk and his merry band of douchebags in direct control of the mechanism by which the US government pays out money?

What is the next unironic quote!? Oh wait I got it, "if you want to shine like sun first you have to burn like it."

I think it was meant for napoleon.

This has been the first time in my life I've actually considered buying a gun.

I do but saying them gets you put on a list.

that would mitch mcconnel.

As a German, this is precisely what comes to mind

Musk's and his actions are illegal, or were illegal mostly before the Supreme Court decided there's some sleezy presidential immunity. The problem is they are so firm and quick at changing the rules of the game that no institution can catch up and, most importantly, generally afraid they would be directly attacked by these fuckers. Some commenters preciously said that it's stupid that most of people who could've challenged or straight up dismissed his executive orders are pussies for resigning or being complicit, but, in their defence, all of their personal data was leaked by Muskrat and he and Trump have a pardoned terrorist cell to carbomb them or whatever. And it's snowballing from department to department, and every new one looks at those who already kneed to the maggot.

All these famous checks and balances were DDOSed and frightened into submission. i don't think they were exceptionally and inherently fragile. it's just the rightwing strategists just got the right guy, the right coverage and the right plan to make it all as easy as break-and-enter with absent homeowners.

Think of it like a whole bunch of people standing around a $100 bill left on the ground. Everybody's standing around waiting for the legitimate owner to come by and pick it up. Trump doesn't give a shit about that. He's gonna walk by, shove everyone aside, and grab it. When everyone else tries to stop him and say the money isn't his, he's just going to look at you and say "Who's is it, and why haven't they picked it up yet?" And while everybody else is standing around trying to figure out the answer to that, Trump is walking away with the money and saying "Finders keepers, asshole. It's mine now". Even if the original owner shows up later and tries to lay claim to the money, he'd have to prove that that specific $100 bill was his to begin with or the judge is just going to say that it's Trump's money now.

Think that, except with the power of the US government instead of a c-note. And Trump is hoping that the courts will use the same logic: since nobody else tried to claim the power before, and there's nothing explicitly granting those powers to someone else, Trump is hoping that the courts will just let him keep those powers in a twisted form of finders-keepers. And given this court system, he very well might win.

There are laws against it but the Supreme Court gave the president total immunity so all those laws are now void

I don't think there is a good one. It sounds like this is another one of those things where the rules were mostly relying on the idea that the people wouldn't elect someone who was expected to try to do something like this.

What is the legal argument against this?

None. We stacked the court with Unitary Executive friendly judges a long time ago.

So do the challenges have a leg to stand on?

John Marshall Roberts has made his decision; now let him enforce it!

“He who saves his Country does not violate any Law.” It's literally in the OP bro.

Well the boards are appointed by the President with Senate approval. The President can also remove a board member at any time. The board members are generally in pretty good control of the agency.

This seems like it is at most an attempt to end run the Senate but likely just an order to establish a liaison office once you parse everything. He's passing all these sweeping language orders but also putting in that they should follow all applicable laws.

Also, this time we have fascists with a plan at hand. They even say beforehand what they will do and no one bats an eye, until "wait, they were serious?"

They did their homework and are swiftly taking over.

Trump's abhorrent smug face of late tells everything we need to know if they are succeeding or not.

Biden was an opportunity for the old Republican party to prevail. Instead they rolled out the carpet for MAGA, and now they are rolling it for an authoritarian dictatorship. Frankly, had the democratic stoked more attention, the more bullshit that would have been spun up about them. The root of the problem is that MAGA was getting propped up with control of social networks personality cults and the sort of modern day profile targeting a shitload of money can provide.

Napoleon, actually. So, a different dictator, but still a dictator.

The ammosexuals voted for this shit. They only stroke their guns over the idea of helping put down any uppity {DEI}s that are nearby. All their talk about guns this, guns that, is and always has been a threat meant for others.

They don't give a fuck about democracy and want to be the vanguard of tyranny.

They had already started with that under the guise of DEI hiring nonsense at the stations. Comcast was already being threatened that its DEI hiring practices were cause for the FCC to pull their license somehow. He broadcast (pun intended) his plan to have state run media and to diminish or ban the rest during his campaign, just nobody pays attention.

Edit s/pin/pun

Oh don't worry. It won't end in 4 years.

What a great idea. They have always talked about about starving the beast, now they can actually do it.

Trump to genie: "I wish for infinite wishes."

Genie: "You can't do that! Granted."

You're basically saying both parties are the same. Clearly you want us to stay home and are a Vance supporter. I assume you don't organize locally, so you should go do that instead of impotently criticizing your allies in the DNC. /s

Can't think of a non-violent way for the US to get out of this.

We already tried. His fans are fucking stupid assholes who let it happen.

Once they get what they want and there's no more gay, brown, women, or other religions, it will devolve into a contest of who is MAGA enough.

You're not blonde enough. You need more flag flair pins. You don't have the mandatory 5 trump posters, only 4. It never ends, there always needs to be an out group no matter what.