TRUMP - “THE RESISTANCE” BEGINS

 

It is fair comment that Donald J. Trump the USA’s 47th President is attempting to turn America, a liberal democracy, into a dictatorship with neocolonial ambitions. In his zest to achieve his authoritarian goals he is reversing the American constitutional, political, legal, economic, cultural and moral order. His "executive orders" particularly on tariffs, deportation and flagrant violations of the Constitution have wreaked havoc within 90 days of his Inauguration. His solutions to the genocidal Russian attack on Ukraine have turned the 80 year old world order on its head.

The American Constitution was hammered out to prevent such a crisis but by sheer strength of personality, magnetic charisma, naked intimidation, sophistry, vindictiveness, amoral behavior and paranoia that America is the victim of a global conspiracy that includes penguin islands, bankrupt African states as well as China but not Russia, he has maneuvered himself into a position where he could achieve his stated objectives. 

The question is how can Trump, who has the reins of power, be resisted? The answer has to lie in the Constitutional safeguards, the institutions including non governmental that have evolved since the inception of the Republic and the citizens themselves  -  “We The People”. The latter have to be the basis of “THE RESISTANCE”. 

So off to how we got here and where we are now?

IN THE BEGINNING…….”WE THE PEOPLE” - THE CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC

The American Republic has been out there for 250 years. It is the one British colony that not only won a war of independence it also created its own system of government ignoring the Westminster model. In so doing it created the aspirational “Jefferson democracy”. The subsequent Constitution began with the words, “We The People”. Ironically, it initially only applied to the white slave owners that wrote it as well as excluding the indigenous natives. 

The Constitution’s central aim was for America never to be ruled by a King. The Founders built in several features that distributed power on the Federal and State levels. Both the States and the Federal Government have three co equal branches - Legislative, Executive and Judicial. Their legislatures are divided into two separate chambers - Senate  and the House of Representatives. It needs to be emphasized that States have vast powers as well. 

There were the Constitutional Amendments, Bill of Rights, which include “Freedom of Speech” which allows for all opinions and protests. Americans are enamored with the law and their Judicial System as so many TV series prove. It is after all the basis of the 5th and 14th Amendments to the Constitution in the Bill of Rights that “No person shall be deprived …. of life, liberty or happiness without due process pf law”. Furthermore Jefferson had proclaimed in The Declaration of Independence that “ it is self evident that ALL men, (sic), were endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights”.

 

WHERE MATTERS STAND TODAY

Today there are a 100 Senators and 438 House Representatives in the Federal Government. The latter as well as the 50 States all holding House of Representative elections every 2 years and Senate elections every 4 years. The State officers and legislators elections usually coincide with Federal races. Then City Councils have their determinations every two years in non Federal/State years. School boards, half of their members a year before and  the other half after a presidential election. All these literally thousands of elections preceded by “Primaries” where the two parties elect their representatives Then there are the interminable bye elections in all these constituencies. In sum America is in “status electionius”. “We the People” in addition write, call, protest, demand town halls with their elected representatives.

Currently, the Executive headed by The President, although being extremely powerful. is subject to constitutional limitations  afforded to the citizenry and the institutions that evolved. Within the Federal Government there is the control of the purse and tariffs by The House of Representatives; ratification of the cabinet by The Senate; declaration of war by Congress and the electoral process itself- by the individual states. The tenets of the Constitution such as “all men were created equal” and “due process” are also overriding. Crucially the final arbiter of what is and is not constitutional is up to the Judiciary headed by the Supreme Court.

So how far has “The Resistance” put a brake on Trump’s transparent bid for a dictatorship who has made it quite clear that there is no need for all these separations of power as “he alone can fix it”?

 HOW IS “THE RESISTANCE” FARING?

The Legislature - The Senate. The Republican Senate chamber failed catastrophically in its most important constitutional responsibility by ratifying the most enabling, lawless, callous, incompetent, inexperienced, wealthiest, cabinet whose only common denominator was an undying, loyalty to Donald J. Trump - “their leader right or wrong”. There are stirrings of remorse with 7 Republicans protesting Trump’s illegal tariffs on Canada and a bipartisan request by the Armed Services Committee for an investigation into Defense Secretary Hegseth’s classified information discussions on public internet channels Also there is open strong support for Ukraine in the Senate.

The good news is that there are Senate elections in 18 months time and the GOP Senate majority is only three.

The Legislature - The House of Representatives. The Republican controlled House is wracked by division and has achieved next to nothing in the first half of the year other than a general agreement that a slightly changed Biden budget continue till September. 2025. There is no way on earth that they can pass a Trump budget without Democratic support. Over 20 Republicans have said that they won’t support drastic cuts to Medicaid while 70 have claimed that that they will not support anything unless it is offset by cuts. 

The good news is that out of a chamber of 438 members the Republicans have majority of only 4 with elections in 18 months. 

The Judiciary - Federal Courts. As Trump hasn’t got working majorities in Congress he has to issue “executive orders” to attempt to implement his coup over the Constitution. His over a hundred orders have been challenged in Court and he has been on the wrong side of the law in all but a few of the cases. Up till now all the courts below the Supreme Court have been scathing at the lawlessness of the Trump administration. There have been judgements including phrases such as "bad faith", "flagrant abuse of power" and "contempt of court". The final arbiter is the Supreme Court - a body that has two thirds of its members nominated by Republican presidents, three of which Trump is personally responsible for.

The Judiciary are supposedly a co - equal branch of government but the Supreme Court is reaping the rewards of the monster they created by giving a President immunity from criminal prosecution for any acts that he does in relation to his office thereby ceding their constitutional responsibility. However it would appear that they, The Executive, ie Trump and his administration, are now on very thin ice. In two Supreme Court rulings where rare majorities of 9 - 0 and 7 - 2 have been recorded in which Trump was enjoined to get the return of a deportee and afford him due process and in the other litigation buses of potential deportees were turned around at 1.00am  on a Saturday morning.

The bad news - this Supreme Court obviously believes in a strong Executive. The good news - on strict interpretation of the actual words of The Constitution they appear they don't want to be messed with. The bad or good news is that the Supreme Court have now a crucial role to play in "The Resistance".

While obviously Trump’s executive orders have to be challenged in Federal Courts they impact individuals in States. This fact gives the Attorney Generals in Democratic controlled States “standing” to be plaintiffs in a litany of Trump’s actions to convert America into an autocracy which they have successfully executed.

HOW ARE “WE THE PEOPLE” AND THEIR INSTITUTIONS IN “THE RESISTANCE” FARING?

Ultimately, as described above, the citizens of America, who are in very close contact with their representatives at every level have to make their voice heard. Those in office are subject to frequent elections, have infrastructures that answer queries and are responsive to calls and complaints. In addition there are several non governmental organizations as well as places of higher learning and the social media where resistance is growing.

As reflected in previous blogs Trump and Musk have evoked spontaneous opposition and the Democrats have arisen from the dead. The latest Pew Poll shows Trump's disapproval rating at 59 percent with 88 percent of those surveyed believing that he should obey a Supreme Court ruling. Even worse for him is that he is deeply under water on the economy. The day to day protests are snowballing throughout America and what is fascinating is that they are not only on financial, tariff and social net issues but include freedom of speech, due process and Ukraine as key priorities. 

What really is interesting from a sociological point of view is that Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Obamacare have become part of the American scene. They are no longer wedge issues. The change was made clear when the left wing flag bearers of the Democrats, Bernie Sanders and Alexandra Occasio - Cortez, drew hundreds of thousands in red and blue constituencies at recent rallies at least 20 percent of whom weren't Democrats.

 Republican Congresspeople  when they show up to Town Halls, are being hammered. So much so have the traditional Town Halls become fodder for anger that the Republican National Committee has issued a memo instructing that Republican members of Congress not to hold them!

There have been two national days of protest. Interestingly neither has attempted to have millions in Washington but rather concentrated in having them held in cities, towns, hamlets throughout America. The protestors held their own home made placards in streets, Federal buildings, town squares and Musk’sTesla dealerships.

The first national protest was organized by a new movement, “Hands Off”, in at least 1400 venues with an estimated 800,000 to 2,000,000 attending. The second a fortnight later was put together by another new organization, “50501”. This was to signify 50 protests in the capitals of all 50 states with one message. There were at least 700 gatherings through out the country. Jay H. Ell attended both rallies at the same center and the second one had double the participants.

 In the background of all this opposition is the organization “Indivisible”.which has been going since Trump 1. In 2017 it had nearly 4,000 affiliates. It has grown exponentially since, and was founded by Ezra Levin. “Run for Something”, was established at the same time but has really taken off since Trump 2, reporting that they have had 40,000 requests for advice to do just that. David Hogg at 25 years old is a veteran of protest having been a survivor of the 2018 Parkland School massacre. He has led marches of up to a million people. He now is the founder of the influential “Leaders We Deserve” and a Vice Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Both Hogg and Levin were named by Time as two of the 100 most influential people in America.

What really is glaring is that there aren’t demonstrations or at least counter demonstrations in support of the cult leader. Even the freed members of The Proud Boys and Oath Keepers are staying at home.

With regard to the media it is really only the social internet that matters. The traditional outlets are largely echo chambers with dwindling audiences. Some of them have already sold out in the erroneous belief that they would be the recipients of largesse. All they received were front row seats to Trump’s inaugural where if they had any shame they would have dropped dead on the spot. So the “Meidas Touch”  team are going gangbusters with literally up to the minute commentaries. They have overtaken Bro Joe Rogan in viewership. Not far behind is Brian Taylor Cohen and several others. 

AT THE END OF THE DAY

The Resistance  has only begun and has a long way to go. The Democrats to seal the deal have to create a relatable platform and bring in fresh young blood. The Democrats have to present a manifesto that is in tune with the times. Essentially they need a leader who can weld a coalition together. If the polls are right Americans are generally happy with the America that exists. They believe in fairness, a country that works, a social safety net and a law and order liberal society where there is controlled fair immigration. The majority want better lives which simplistically could be achieved by spread of the wealth they have helped create, affordable health care and an opportunity for an education that won’t cripple them financially for life . 

Regardless the country and the world is in for a chaotic ride for the next few years. America’s international position has been degraded as it can no longer be trusted as the leader of the free world which honors it’s commitments and treaties.The brain drain is reversing. A small University in France advertised 20 posts for scientists and received 400 applications, mainly from the USA. 

The skills and finesse needed to avoid a recession as a result of these scatterbrained, ever-changing, ill thought out policies, DOGE and tariffs are not currently in evidence in Trump and his cabinet.

The public arrest by FBI Director, Kash Patel, of a Wisconsin State Judge for allegedly not handing over in court an undocumented immigrant only has to have had an equal in Nazi Germany. The lack of insight of the defenders of this thuggery, particularly Fox News, who are using the argument that no one is above the law, is stunning.

Perhaps the only criticism that Trump would understand is the words of his billionaire supporter Ken Griffin, "Trump is bad for  America's brand. Can be a lifetime to repair the damage".

THE DEMOCRATS - A PULSE DETECTED

In the aftermath of the Democrats’ sterling performances in interim elections, finally a pulse is detectable on the lifeless body. Three elections held on April 1 reflected large gains by the party that had been given up for dead. In dark red Florida Republicans had their majorities slashed in two Congressional bye elections from over 30 percent to 14 percent. The cherry on the top was the convincing 10 percent victory of a democratic Supreme Court Judge in Wisconsin which State had been won by Trump by a few thousand votes. What made the triumph so significant was that the Trump/Musk team had inexplicably gone full court press on this clash, risking all on a office race in a State. These victories have occurred while there is a debate as to which the direction the Democratic Party should be taking at the moment.

The Trump crowd had crowed that the MAGA king’s endorsement and zooming in support in favor of the Republican backed candidate put the President himself on the ballot. Musk went even further out on a limb - spent 26 million dollars in support, gave million dollar checks to two “lucky” fellow travelers, paid for canvassers and advertisements and claimed that this election “Would determine the fate of Western Civilization”. As a backdrop to this drama Corrie Booker the African American Democratic Senator spoke in the Senate for 25 hours 5 minutes breaking the record of Strum Thurmond, the segregationist, who at the time was opposing the Civil Rights Bill. 

All in all a welcome big day for the Democrats after eons of agony. Trump’s response to all this was to attempt to turn the clock back by morphing America into an industrial economy from the service economy that has literally made it rich and great. In so doing he carried on with the lie that the exporting countries pay the tariffs he imposes, not the American electorate.

All this begs the question as to whether the Democrats can win the real thing, what their tactics should be now and do they have the leadership to get them across the line? But to start with Trump’s victory in 2024 and what it does and does not reflect. 

DOES THE USA 2024 ELECTION REFLECT AN IRREVERSIBLE  CHANGE OF THE AMERICAN AND WORLD ORDER?

Delusional Trump has proceeded as If he had received a life long paradigm changing mandate for the ordering of America and the world. His 2024 victory, however was not an overarching seismic shift in the American political scene. The Democrats gained in The House and won seats in the Senate where Trump had won the State. He won the popular vote by 0.5 percent of the electorate which apparently is “the greatest majority of any President.”

What the Orange God is trying to achieve may be a revolution and the beginning the American Weimar Republic but he and his unhinged clown show of a cabinet have misread the American electorate as the town halls of the Republican legislators are showing, the massive turnouts every time a Democrat appears publicly, and as the post 2024 election results have indicated. Also his wing man Elon Musk who has gleefully taken on the task to dismantle the American institutions is the target of even the MAGA base. He is meeting with unprecedented protests throughout the country and a universal boycott of his car.

The fact that Zelensky has a higher approval rating than both Trump and Vance tells it all. So if Jay H. Ell is right, what happened in November 2024 and how can this be rectified.?

Jay H. Ell believes that the 2024 election was a vote of no confidence in government per se. The turnout was 3 percent less than 2020 in spite of all the money Musk and the others spent to drive up the numbers. The Democrats were successfully portrayed as the status quo. Despite Trump’s braggadocio his vote tally in 2024 was 4 million less than “Sleepy Joe Biden’s” record breaking 81 million in 2020. But how did the Democrats assist the deeply flawed Trump?

Why Trump happened to win the three crucial Mid Western states by 220,000 votes which deprived Kamala Harris of the Presidency is largely the fault of the Democrats led by Joe Biden and his inner circle. They hid his loss of cognition and then saddled the relatively unknown Harris with a limited time to persuade the electorate that she could be entrusted with the Presidency. Harris was burdened with Biden’s campaign team who tried to hide her even from the conventional media let alone the internet bros, like she was Biden. She was also a woman who “happened” to be black. In addition she was “crowned” not having the legitimacy of winning a primary. Harris was made to be defending the status quo tied to Biden. When she answered that she was unable to recall one mistake of the Biden administration it was obvious she hadn’t been given permission, for example to reflect on such obvious answers as -“improve on the border policy, that inflation was a problem or that we didn’t message our achievements that well”. 

But enough already with the handwringing and the wailing of what could have been. Also enough already with the Democrats wallowing in self pity and hopelessness. It is time to move on.

HOW CAN THE DEMOCRATS WIN AND REGAIN THE NARRATIVE?

How can the Democrats can win? Firstly. Broadly speaking there are two schools of thought as to what they need to do. The first is the approach advocated by famed Democratic operative, James Carville, “Just stand there and do nothing and watch Trump disintegrate”.  The other is start promoting an agenda that represents their roots - the party of the American worker. The answer is to do both. The way Trump and Musk are sucking all the oxygen from the room allows the Democrats to do what they are just doing and let the Trump MAGA implode. And implode they will big time as they tank the economy. 

The Trump/Musk efforts alone will make the Republicans the underdogs in 2026, and put 60 House members at risk. Nevertheless the party of Franklyn Roosevelt needs to come up with policy proposals that separate them from Trump. Being the party of identities and social issues rather than that of the people doesn’t’ cut it. Roosevelt didn’t just run against Hebert Hoover’s failures he initiated the American welfare state. They need to run on an overall package that addresses the needs of the citizenry, that provides a social net, maintains the institutions and increases the taxes of the rich. In other words do all they can to distribute the massive wealth in the USA and restore the dignity of those abandoned in the service age.

The Democrats need to elect leadership earlier than in two years time. Chuck Schumer has been unfairly criticized for not allowing the Republicans any leeway to blame the Democrats for causing a government shut down. However he is from another era. Charisma and enthusiasm as well as skill and talent is the name of the game and the Party has a deep deep bench. Besides Booker, there is Newsom, Occasio - Cortez, Beasley, Buttigieg, Whitmer, Warnock for starters. Not to mention Harris. All of these need to be speaking to the internet left leaning bros that have sprung up since the election. 

The groups such as Indivisible, Hands Off and Run for Something should be garnering more and more support. Lastly the spontaneous protests that are literally spanning the country whether it be for the closing down of this, that and the other or against the banker of the MAGA crowd, Musk, have to continue to draw attendees with their homemade placards. It will be interesting to note whether any of this will have any impact on the Republicans in their now threatened constituencies.

AT THE END OF THE DAY

Whichever way this is spliced and diced America and the world are in for economic woes. This includes those affected by the callous axing of the USAID programs.

Donald Trump who bankrupted 6 of his companies is using his experience to bankrupt America.

It is just a matter of time before Trump’s newest and best friend Elon is banished from Mar a Lago. The rationale will be that he needs to save Tesla before he saves Western Civilization. 

The insanity of the indiscriminate, reckless, painful, thoughtless, DOGE cuts are beginning to sink in. They are only matched in stupidity by the protectionist tariffs.

There is no truth in the rumor that Trump will run for a fourth term in 2032. 

MUSK/TRUMP - WHAT’S NEW?

With the omnipotent Trump and the genius Musk there is plenty to write about but it is deja vu all over again - every day everything just gets unimaginably worse. The two are hogging  the headlines with politically, morally and economically outrageous, ill thought out destructive actions. Trump seems to be following the Bannon anarchist dictum “flood the zone and crash the world”. Musk is literally going at it with a chain saw smashing the bureaucracy that runs the country. In case he was’t aware, America works. 

MUSK/TRUMP AND THE JUDICIARY

The problem with Trump’s approach, which is to create a revolution by fiat, is that none of his “policies” have been enacted by his narrow legislative majorities in Congress. Rather there are reams of Executive Orders which are immediately challengeable in court.

The terrible twins have had more litigation thrown at them within two months then all the familles in the mob had in a lifetime. Most of their initiatives have come unstuck not before causing destruction and human tragedy in the wake. They are ready to take on the third equal partner of Government, the Judiciary. So far they are losing. (They have already conquered the Legislature who are now card carrying members of the cult). The Judiciary to date have held firm with Temporary Restraining Orders, (TRO’S), one after another thereby hobbling the moves in their tracks. One issue already hit the Supreme Court, resulting in a 5 - 4 loss for Trump. 

Trump was ordered to turn back planes as he was deporting alleged Venezuelan gang members. The latter had received no due process. His rationale was an eighteenth century law which was enacted for war time situations. He publicly abused the Judge arguing that he, Trump, was President and who the hell did he, The Judge that is, think he was. Trump ended by calling for his impeachment. This precipitated a rare public dressing down from the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. This case is turning ugly. Trump’s Department of Justice has virtually told the Judge to go jump in the lake. Elon, bless him, has contributed to the campaigns of any Republican legislator who votes for his impeachment.

Musk lost the first case conclusively, after endless TRO’S, when a Judge ruled that he had acted unconstitutionally by closing the US AID Agency. He was instructed to reinstate the department. In the unkindest cut of all, another Judge has also moved to examine the constitutionality of his dummy organization, DOGE, and the legitimacy of his appointment. And so it goes…. 

All this is gearing up for a major clash between the Executive and Judicial branches of the Government.

TRUMP

Trump has literally turned America and the world on its head. Trump promised a million activities on Day One. So far he has delivered big time on one pledge namely that he would be a dictator on day one. When challenged that he promised to bring down food prices on Day One he simply shrugged his shoulders musing unapologetically that America could go into recession. Another commitment was to enforce tariffs, he “loves the word”. He then went manic with his madcap slapping 25 percent on long time neighbors Mexico and Canada and threatening two hundred percent tariffs on European wine and champagne. The outcome of his changing his mind every other day was precipitating the America stock market into a ten percent "correction" in record time. All this rapidly altered the consumers" perception of the economy resulting in a sharp drop in spending adding to the gloom. As he cannot expel the eleven million “illegals” that he promised - he has not the money or manpower - there are high profile expulsions and arrests of individuals. 

Internationally he has changed the ballgame. Russia has become our “noble ally” and Europe is on the outs. His bizarre totalitarian associations have sent the South Asian and Australasian partners questioning the reliability of their long time ally.  America has abandoned its role as leader of the free world to assume the headship of the autocracies. The Middle East is caught up in Trump’s domestic politics, a promise to a high stakes donor to get the hostages out and axe Netanyahu. For the rest he has abandoned his commitment never to get involved in a war by going full tilt at the Houthis. While he is about it he has set his eyes on taking over Gaza together with, Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal. His real allies in the Middle East are the Saudis and they have a joint enemy Iran. As to how this all pans out keep an eye on “Truth Social”.

Trump is ignoring the polls. The disconnect on issues the surveys show that he has with even his own electorate who are disillusioned at the nonchalance that he has abandoned the promises he made to get elected including passing legislation to dispense with taxation on tips and social security. His largest disconnect has been on the issue of Putin and Russia both of who have single digit approval numbers. Apparently even his base can recognize totalitarians outside America.

However he has left real heavy lifting of dismantling America to his newest and richest best friend, Elon Musk. 

MUSK

Elon Musk has lost an estimated 25 percent of his 400 billion dollar fortune while simultaneously decimating America’s fortune in the past few months. His daddy, Errol, whose guts he hates, cautioned him to give up his gig with Trump, as his companies were going to hell in a hand basket. His Spacex company is not without major detractors. The argument is that he is creating chaos in the stratosphere with his indiscriminate shooting rockets that disintegrate and create calamity in space and on the ground which has occurred in the Caribbean. Without a doubt, the richest and the second most powerful man in the world, still controls the skies but no longer the ground.  In advancing the MAGA cause in and out of America he has made possessing a Tesla akin to owning a Mercedes in England in 1942. 

While axing every government contract and subsidy he forgets that Tesla and Spacex would not have happened without heavy administration subsidy. 

Just in case collapsing the American Institutions doesn't keep him busy enough he verbally harasses the two hundred million people world wide on his social media feed x.

Besides his made for media campaign for Trump in 2020 he has also intervened in the German and UK, elections happy to help them support a right wing government. He also persuaded Trump to offer swift entry to South Africans whom he perceived to have been supporters of apartheid. Presumably the one thing America is short of, is fascists. Musk is now intervening in a state election for a judge, in Wisconsin, so far spending 13 million dollars. No election is too small to show them who is the boss around here. 

Americans soon will feel the impact of his “chain sawing” approach to it’s infrastructure. The country is already reeling from him and his newest best friend’s attempts at restructuring the economy. He has fired indiscriminately tens of thousands of Federal Employees. Every other day the courts reinstate them. However even if he fired all three million Federal workers, the total workforce, his aim to decrease the budget by two trillion would fail as that would only bring in 271 billion dollars, less than he is even worth at the moment. 

The most valuable contribution Musk has made is that he has become the obvious focus of the anti regime protests.Musk’s approval rate is in between 40 and 29 percent. You can also purchase a second hand Tesla for next to nothing,

AT THE END OF THE DAY

So far the Judiciary has held up its side of the deal but ultimately it will be up to the wobbly Supreme Court.The big unknown is whether the regime will actually defy the courts causing a real constitutional crisis. 

The judiciary cannot stop this juggernaut. Encouraging is the anger the Republican Legislators are facing at the town hall and the widespread protests in the streets, 

So with Musk/Trump there is nothing new. Tomorrow will be worse as it has been every day since January 20... the education department will be shut....watch out for when they take on the Federal Reserve......

Jay H. Ell supposes the Haitians are still "eating the dogs and the cats".