V1.14
My Morning Rant
Direct Observation of a Fascist Cult
After a fifteen year sabbatical in the woods I returned to my hometown. A local sports bar/ pool hall became my social club for several days of the week. The weekly experience at this venue has become the most fascinating sociological experience of my life. The direct observation of a political cult is illuminating and terrifying at the same time.
I regularly describe this experience as "the best entertainment in town" and at the same time it exists side-by-side with disturbing racism, closed-mindedness and the ignorance of a well defined cult. This is America today.
The most interesting aspect to me is the dichotomy between behavior at the local level and the expression of their world views. With few exceptions these people are fine examples of the promise of America. They are responsible, hard-working folks who treat those around them with respect and comity. They are not stupid, evil bigots. But when expressing world view opinions, the comity and thoughtfulness ends and the hateful narrow-mindedness of a cult takes over.
Another interesting feature of the MAGA cult is the awareness of the problems, but the solutions proposed are misdirected. A perfect example of this is the understanding that our representatives (both parties) are bought hook-line-and-sinker by the corrupting influence of big money. But at the same time the MAGA cultists support a billionaire president surrounded by billionaire pay-to-play sycophants.
On Campaign Finance Reform
It should be noted that the word "cult" in this article refers to "the cult of personality" such as Stalinist and Maoist cults, not Jim Jones or Heavens Gate cults.
The following are my conclusions based on four years of observation of the MAGA cult.
The Economy
The MAGA cult leader sites GDP and stock market figures to prove a falsehood. The MAGA cultists have no inkling of what these figures mean. This economy looks good because of spending by the uber wealthy and incredible investment in A.I., data centers and investment in top corporations that have no intrinsic value. The rest of us suffer.
On the Economy
Inflation blame
The word is thrown around a lot, mostly put onto Democrats. Once again however the MAGA cult makes no effort to look up the history, instead simply believing what they are told by the cult leader.
Inflation History
Inflation chart
Inflation data
Note the post war peaks, the oil embargo peaks and the Covid peak.
Immigration
Fear and hatred of "the other" is a tool used by fascist cult leaders. The cultists do not bother to consider that, in their own life, they are not inconvenienced or harmed any more by immigrants than they are by people of their own kind. The Haitians are loud and obnoxious, they are inexperienced, dangerous drivers just like many of the cultists.
The hatred from the MAGA cult leader is all that matters.
Immigrant crime vs the general public chart
Immigrant crime vs the general public discussion
Educational failures
I've heard it repeatedly stated that "illegal immigrants have no rights". A cursory reading of the Constitution and the Bill of rights shows this statement to be false. Our founding fathers understood from hard experience the danger of a government with the power to arrest and imprison without judicial review. The MAGA cult is blinded by constant propaganda that is contrary to these fundamental American values. One guy continued, "you support the criminals" by standing up for our rights.
The Fourth Amendment
Habeas Corpus
Expedited Removal
Education
The first target of a fascist regime is education. It is much easier to lead an ignorant population. Knowledge of history, civics and critical thinking (the fundamental characteristics of a liberal education) does not serve the cult leader well. The MAGA cult leader has put our Education Department in the hands of an MMA executive with no educational experience. Liberal institutions have had their grants withheld at the bidding of Dear cult leader. For the MAGA cultists it is easier to follow Dear Leader than it is to think for themselves.
The Demise of the Education Department
Liberal education
All of the MAGA cultists use the words "liberal", "socialist" and "Marxist" without understanding the meaning of the words. A public issues forum cannot succeed if there is no common definition of terms. A fundamental part of a good liberal education is to question everything in detail.
What is Socialism?
What is a Liberal Education?
What is Fascism?
Closed minds
Many times I've heard the expression "I won't change your mind, you won't change mine". This expression is the definition of closed-mindedness. It is only used by the cultists. It is an indication of a poor liberal education.
What is a Liberal Education?
DEI and Woke
The cultists would rather remain asleep in the fevered dream of their hero MAGA cult leader. What's interesting to me is that the same people speaking against diversity, equity and inclusion are also those who ARE diverse, and deserve equity and inclusion.
Shooting protesters in our cities and illegals at the border.
We have laws in a civil society. If the laws do not match our cultural preferences we change them. The cultists forget this simple fact and instead yield to the violent lawless desires of the cult leader. We are told to not believe what we can see with our own eyes.
Expedited Removal
The 2020 election fraud
We have the freedom in our country to say anything that we want, but in court, evidence is required. The MAGA cult leader continues to claim fraud after five years of litigation demonstrating otherwise. To question free elections is also a tool of fascists.
2020 Election Lawsuits
Russia, Russia, Russia
No MAGA cultists read the Muller Report. None listened to testimony in the impeachment trials. None read the court testimony and filings that led to the cult leader's conviction on 34 counts of financial fraud. None paid any attention to the prosecution of their Dear Leader for election interference. Evidence means nothing to a fascist cult.
Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election
Trump Properties and Fraudulent Schemes
Final Report of the Special Counsel
Our children and major corporations
Our children walk around with their faces to screens, exposed to all of the commercialism, propaganda and ugliness of the world, spewed forth by top corporate media. Yet somehow the MAGA cult believes educators are "grooming" our kids.
Climate change hoax
The cult leader is believed despite overwhelming consensus to the contrary. If 99 car mechanics told these folks that their brakes were failing they would believe the one clown who says they are OK.
Climate Change
Eating our pets
National MAGA cult leaders put this one out there causing great social discord and expense to our city. Rational people did image searches, the MAGA cultists believed their cult leaders.
Cat boxes in schools
This one has come from MAGA cultists and Christian nationalist cultists. It is particularly disturbing because of how easy it is to debunk. 50 million students and 4 million teachers as witnesses make it pretty easy to get consensus.
The Memes
The MAGA cultists are not alone in confirmation bias. An image of Trump in a diaper or Kamala Harris in a Nazi uniform may inspire giggles but it get us nowhere. This is all social media slop, and it must stop.
Equivalence
The "Biden crime family" is a common phrase among MAGA cultists. It's true that Hunter Biden took advantage of his father's presidency to enrich himself by a few million dollars. What the MAGA cultists ignore is the billions of dollars of grift that the Trump family is benefiting from. Liberty Financial, and the other crypto scams are funneling vast sums of untraceable money into the Trump cult. There is no equivalence here.
Trump Corruption
Facts don't matter
I mentioned one night that Alan Porter is the best MLB umpire. The response was "in your opinion". The data was right there at his fingertips but no effort was made to find it. This is common among cultists and is a tool of fascists.
Facts
The Cult of Personality and steps to fascism
The cult of the charismatic leader portends death and oppression.
What Is Fascism?
Personality Cult or a Mere Matter of Popularity?
Cults of Personality
Personality cults in modern politics
The Authoritarian Personality
Fox News headline -
The far-left network that helped put Alex Pretti in harm's way, then made him a martyr
The Fox News network continues to encourage the MAGA cult with headline stories like that. They go on:
"The skirmish that led to Saturday's fatal shooting of an agitator by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis and the response that followed were driven by a complex network of far-left organizations with a wide range of causes, a national network of socialist, communist and Marxist-Leninist cells in the United States"
It is no wonder that this country is in turmoil when clap-trap like this is called journalism. It is the fascist playbook that blames the victim.
Every day tens of thousands violent criminals are arrested by our local police forces without violating our Constitutional rights. It is rare that violence or killing occurs.
But in the MAGA cult world Constitutional rights, policing policies and the rule of law does not matter. We are told that what we can see with our own eyes is false and to only believe what the MAGA cult leader and his toadies say.
Minnesotans do not want these out-of-control thugs on their streets. The governor and mayors do not want these out-of-control thugs on their streets. Protesting results in assigning names like "antifa", " Marxist-Leninist", and "domestic terrorists" further justifying a lawless military response.
The schism in logic is extraordinary in the MAGA cult. What is the risk/benefit of immigration (legal and illegal) vs the loss of our fundamental Constitutional rights granted to ALL people within our borders by the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. Summary executions and warrant-less arrests put us all at risk.
None of us are safe now from the MAGA cult.
Donald Trump has found and is exploiting a weakness in our system of government and our culture. We all want to be secure from threats of crime and economic oppression, but at what cost?
The question is a simple one...are you being personally threatened more by immigrants (legal and illegal) or are you being threatened more by the actions of Donald Trump and the corporate oligarchy?
Who is breaking more laws, Donald Trump or immigrants, and how does it affect you now and in the future?
Step 1 to a Fascist Dictatorship
McCarran–Walter Act, the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952
This act revised and recodified a patchwork of laws, creating a
comprehensive U.S. immigration policy. Congress enacted the bill over
President Truman’s veto.
The President acknowledged that a revision to the nation’s immigration laws was “long overdue,” but he had fundamental concerns with various provisions of the bill. In particular, he noted that “changes made by the bill . . . would result in empowering minor immigration officials to act as prosecutor, judge, and jury.” He cautioned against granting of such authority, finding it to pose a “serious risk of unreasonable invasions of privacy.”
Since that time the Executive Branch was judicious in the use of this expanded power. By policy the subsequent administrations required warrants and judicial review of INS arrests.
Step 2 to a Fascist Dictatorship
The expedited removal process was enacted as part of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA), passed by the 104th Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton.
By this law, INS could expedite removal, without the right of Habeas Corpus, against noncitizens seeking admission without proper documentation, at designated ports of entry (such as airports and seaports). It is rational to assume that someone at the border without proper documentation should be escorted back over the border.
This policy of expedited removal was accomplished with a simple replacement of the word "deportation" with the word "removal" in various sections of 8 U.S.C. code (see references).
This comprehensive bill addressed many of the immigration problems AT the border but also was a terrible failure that resulted in a massive increase of illegal entry due to new entry requirements. It became easier to enter illegally than to meet these new requirements.
As a long-time Texas rancher, George W. Bush was in a good position to suggest improvements in immigration Law. He recognized the value of immigrant labor as "a blessing and a strength", and he had an appreciation for Latin culture (he spoke Spanish). His "Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007" was debated in Congress in 2007.
Intense lobbying of Congress by big business interests who benefit from a cheap, easily abused illegal workforce prevented these changes. The bill was voted down in both houses.
Step 3 to a Fascist Dictatorship
In response to the failure of the bill the Bush administration expanded the policy of expedited removal to those who crossed a land border without inspection, and were encountered by immigration authorities both within two weeks of their arrival and within 100 miles of the border. This 100 mile range included large cities around the border.
Step 4 to a Fascist Dictatorship
The second change allowed, by policy, the interviewing immigration officer sole discretion in determining the status of the person being encountered. No investigation was needed, and no evidence was required.
Step 5 to a Fascist Dictatorship
On January 20, 2025 an Executive Action by Donald Trump extended expedited removal to include the entire United States.
Step 6 and final step to a Fascist Dictatorship
Donald Trump supports and commands ICE. Donald Trump supports expedited removal without a warrant or judicial review.
This is where it stands today:
Local police could arrest ICE agents but 28 US Code Section § 1442 would refer the case to federal court to be prosecuted at the determination of the Attorney General. Considering that Trump pardoned 1500 January 6 insurrectionists it is unlikely that any charges would be filed.
With few checks on the authority of immigration officers, ANYONE can be arrested without warrant and subject to expedited removal without judicial review. This permits a low-level immigration officer to serve as police, prosecutor, judge, jury, AND (recently) executioner as well.
History shows us the risk
The Hitler SA
The Sturmabteilung or SA, "stormtroopers", was the original paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party of Germany. It was formed from citizens bitter about the collapsed economy post WWI. They loyally served only the will of Adolf Hitler. They terrorized and murdered political opponents. They spread propaganda about Jews and others. They projected the virility and power of Adolf Hitler.
The Mussolini OVRA
On 30 October 1922, the King handed power to Benito Mussolini.
The OVRA, unofficially known as the Organization for Vigilance and Repression of Anti-Fascism was the secret police of the Kingdom of Italy during the reign of King Victor Emmanuel III. It was founded in 1927 under the regime of Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.
On 25 November 1926, the new Legge di Difesa dello Stato (State Defense Law) instituted a Tribunale Speciale (Special Court) to try those who were accused of being "enemies of the state". The OVRA executed the rulings of this court in brutal fashion. The OVRA was under the full command of Mussolini.
The Trump ICE force
Police training in the US typically requires the equivalent of a 2 year Associates Degree at a state sanctioned police academy. Police are often required to attend supplementary education as well.
Trump has hired approximately 12,000 new ICE agents in the last year. ICE training has been reduced to six weeks.
The DHS (and ICE) use-of-force-policy was redacted almost in its entirety within hours of the Renee Good killing.
The Original Use-of-force policy
But now there's nothing on ICE's website but a single paragraph. WHY?
The Redacted ICE Use-of-force policy
It's not the 1940s anymore
Hitler and Mussolini got away with their violations in secret. Today there are cameras everywhere. The violation of our rights as citizens and the People within our borders are being documented daily. Thousands of videos do not lie. These violations are the very definition of a fascist dictatorship.
This is a police state under the command of one man, Donald J. Trump.
This draconian power by the Executive Branch exists because of the feckless inaction by Congress under the influence of big business lobbying and a large degree of racism.
What could possibly go wrong?
The Fourth Amendment violated
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
The Fourteenth Amendment Due Process violated
"nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
You may think that you are safe, but ask the people of Russia, China and North Korea what this kind of power does.
I am anti-fascist and so are you. But we are all domestic terrorists according to Donald Trump. Executive Order of September 22, 2025 and a National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 (NSPM-7) of September 25, 2025 made this quite clear. NONE OF US ARE SAFE.
See:
Trump Corruption
How you can help
More Information
References and links
https://www.congress.gov/committee-report/104th-congress/house-report/828/1 ( IIRIRA)
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/statement-signing-the-immigration-act-1990
https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2006/05/20060515-8.html
https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/stateoftheunion/2007/initiatives/immigration.html
https://www.congress.gov/bill/110th-congress/senate-bill/1348 Bush failed reform act
https://www.congress.gov/82/statute/STATUTE-66/STATUTE-66-Pg26.pdf 25 mile reasonable distance.
https://ballotpedia.org/Immigration_and_Nationality_Act_of_1952
United States v. Peralta-Sanchez, 847 F.3d 1124, 1143–44 (Pregerson, J., dissenting), aff’d, 705 F. App’x 542 (9th Cir. 2017)
8 U.S.C. § 1252a(d) defines the complicated process of deportation.
IIRIRA sec. 301 through 309 defines "removal".
IIRIRA sec. 101 provided for removal without Habeas Corpus.
IIRIRA sec. 241 Gives the Attorney General full discretion.
MTB 1-23-26
None of us are safe in a police state of lies and the lack of the Rule of Law.
Simple observable facts about the Renee Good killing:
1) The ICE officer walked away after shooting Good in the face.
2) Hospitals DO NOT treat and release someone with internal bleeding.
3) Good backed her car AWAY from the ICE officers.
4) Good was turning her car right, AWAY from the officers.
5) Good was NOT blocking anything. Another vehicle passed right by.
6) The officer fired two more shots when there was no further danger.
7) ICE officers are not permitted by Law and policy to put themselves in danger and then claim self-defense. (see below)
8) Good was not a "domestic terrorist".
9) Good was unarmed and has no criminal record.
10) These Trump despots have already decided the case.
The DHS (and ICE) use-of-force-policy was redacted almost in its entirety within hours of the Renee Good killing.
The Original Use-of-force policy
But now there's nothing on ICE's website but a single paragraph. WHY?
The Redacted ICE Use-of-force policy
These monsters must be stopped.
On January 13, 2026 in an interview with "CBS Evening News" anchor Tony Dokoupil in Minneapolis on Tuesday, Donald Trump said
"And I would bet you that she, under normal circumstances, was a very solid, wonderful person. But her actions were pretty tough."
Yep, " pretty tough" is grounds for summary execution by the police state.
The Justice Department has already decided that Renee Good was a 'Terrorist" and was "weaponizing" her car resulting in her "justifiable" summary execution by an agent of our government.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem labeled the incident “domestic terrorism” within minutes of the murder.
Our vice president has explained that Renee Good was a “deranged leftist”; our president has explained that Renee Good “violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE officer.”
The head of the Department of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, has explained that Renee Good had been “stalking and impeding” law enforcement officers throughout the day and that she tried to “weaponize her vehicle” by trying to run over one of them, adding that the ICE agent fired “defensive shots” at someone who appeared to be perpetrating “an attempt to kill or to cause bodily harm to agents, an act of domestic terrorism.”
All LIES
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, informed the Criminal Section that it would not be investigating the case at all.
Yep, that is justice under $TRUMP.
The threat should be clear to all of us; do not oppose or protest the policies of this administration or risk extrajudicial execution at the hands of Trump's police state.
IMPEACH TRUMP NOW!
See:
Trump Corruption
How you can help
More Information
MTB 1-17-26
A recent post sighted the "good economic news" of the Trump administration. The figures are well researched and accurate but are no indication of an improvement for middle class Americans. For example:
Strong U.S. GDP Growth: The formula for GDP is:
GDP = Consumption + Investment + Government Spending + Net Exports
In detail:
- Increased consumption in 2025 was driven by affluent consumers with asset wealth.
- Increased investment was primarily driven by massive investment in A.I. and new data centers. Also companies increased inventory in advance of the draconian Trump tariffs.
- Government spending increased due to military exercises, and weapons systems purchases despite cuts in social programs that actually benefit people.
- Net Exports improved with the effects of the new tariff structure. The effects of these tariffs will be paid by the US consumer in 2026 and beyond. Business is shifting to other countries as "America First" is implemented.
Stabilized Labor Market: The federal government employment purges have forced these people to work in lower paying jobs to support their families. The labor market is stagnant due to uncertainty about A.I. and tariffs.
Record Stock Market Milestones: Once again this boom is driven by massive investment in tech stocks due to A.I. and data centers. Job loss due to replacement by A.I. and automation increases anticipated corporate profits. It should be noted which corporations are driving this stock market boom.
Global Growth Forecasts: Countries have shifted their economies from the US due to the cost of doing business with the US. For example our soybean farmers suffer as China shifts purchases to Brazil and Argentina because of the Trump tariffs. Great for Brazil and Argentina, bad for us.
Minimum Wage Increases: This is a result of Biden era initiatives that Republicans vociferously opposed.
Inflation Cooling:
- Gasoline cost decreased due to the glut of oil on the markets. Brent crude averaged around $70/barrel, (lowest in five years).
- AEP Ohio: Residential rates saw a significant jump in mid-2025, while businesses faced bill increases of up to 29% due to capacity charges.
- Natural gas prices jumped nearly 40% due to data center demand and LNG exports.
- Overall food price increased around 3%,
- Housing costs remain high due to high interest rates and private equity buyouts.
- The cost of services such as internet, phone, and car repair all increased in 2025.
- Credit card debt rose by 5.8% in 2025.
- Savings rate fell to 4.1% (lowest in 2 years) in 2025.
- Average new car costs remain at record highs due to the tariffs and increased demand for upscale vehicles by the wealthy.
- Health care costs and availability continue to suffer after years of broken promises.
To summarize: The price of everything that middle class Americans need to live has increased. The oligarchs on the other hand are living high-on-the-hog.
None of this should come as a surprise considering the pay-to-play corruption of this administration and the Trump family:
- $291 million from Musk to the Trump 2024 campaign.
- $251.4 million from the oligarchs for Trump's 2025 inauguration.
- Over $250 million from the oligarchs for Trump's ballroom.
- $802 million in crypto income for the Trump family in the first half of 2025 alone.
- $1 billion+ in realized profits from World Liberty Financial by December 2025
- $5 billion in WLFI token holdings (on paper).
- Billions more in unrealized memecoin holdings.
- $2 billion from Abu Dhabi government-backed entities.
Do you really think that these "donations" do not come with strings attached?
IMPEACH NOW
See:
Trump Corruption
How you can help
More Information
MTB 1-11-26
I feel so much safer now that the "lesbian domestic terrorist" has been summarily executed.
She opposed fascism in the USA so she was a domestic terrorist per Executive Order of September 22, 2025 and deserved to be shot in the face.
I should feel safer now that housekeepers, vegetable pickers, meat processors, and roofing guys are being deported. They are all gang members and rapists taking our jobs right? Hey I'll take my turn in the lettuce field.
But hey, I'm a good old white boy and if I keep my mouth shut and just go along then I'll be fine, right?
Well at least until they find out that I brought my gun into a bar and had a few innocent beers.
Or maybe I defrauded the government of a few tax dollars with that little under the table cash deal.
Or maybe I committed a little innocent fraud by shading my tax filings.
Of course I would never drive under the influence.
According to our beloved Trump administration, Democrats are responsible for the "mass criminal invasion of the United States", importing "violent child predators, sex traffickers, rapists, murderers, gang members, and foreign terrorists". But of course we would never vote Democrat, right?
Thousands of good Americans are killed by speeders every year, but I'm a good driver and would never speed, right?
I feel so much safer now.
Oh shit, who is breaking down my door? But it will be OK, this is America and I'll have my day in court to defend myself, right?
Shit, Habeas corpus is long gone and I can be pulled off the street by armed, armored and masked agents and imprisoned without a hearing in court.
See you there. We will be safe there.
See:
Trump Corruption
How you can help
More Information
MTB 1-10-2026
On the 5th anniversary of the January 6th Insurrection, a sample letter to our representatives:
Subject: Stop Donald J. Trump
Dear Representative [name]
Dear Senator [name]
Dear Governor [name]
Please take a strong public stand against the policies of Donald Trump now. Each of these issues would have dire consequences for our Republic:
Unitary Executive power - Multiple court cases if ruled in his favor would plunge us into authoritarianism.
Police state today- Armed, masked agents of the President on our streets. Crime is a civilian policing issue, not a military one.
Spoils System - Trump v. Slaughter would take us back 143 years.
Power of the Purse threatened - Impoundments threatens the power of the Congressional Branch.
Imperialism - Regime change, threats against Canada, Greenland and others.
Civil Service threatened- AFGE v. Trump - Would end our professional Civil Service.
Independent Agencies threatened- Executive Orders 14154, 14169, 14151 and others.
Free Press threatened- the BBC, WSJ, NYT, PBS, NPR lawsuits.
The Lies - Election fraud, our economic state, who pays tariffs.
The grift and corruption - World Liberty Financial (WLFI) and other crypto scams enriching the Trump family. Pay-to-play.
The Rule of Law threatened- Simply put, he is a convicted criminal.
Do not be intimidated by Donald Trump, we will stand behind you if you take a stand.
[your first and last name]
[your street address
[your city, state and zip code]
[your phone number]
See:
Trump Corruption
How you can help
More Information
MTB 1-6-2026
IT IS NOT OUR OIL!
The resources of Venezuela belongs to Venezuelans.
The resources of the Ukraine belongs to Ukrainians.
The resources of the Palestinians belongs to Palestinians.
The resources of Canada belongs to Canadians.
The resources of the USA belongs to us.
We are returning to the days of Imperialism and the Ugly American. Who gives us the right to use our military and economic power over the people and resources of other lands? This will not turn out well.
Actions like these give a green light to Putin invading the Ukraine and China taking over Taiwan and Hong Kong. This is what dictators do.
Trump has threatened Canada, Greenland, and Denmark over their resources. What is next?
Will the Venezuelan people benefit from this when we give American oil corporations control over Venezuelan resources?
Will the American people benefit from an increased glut of polluting fossil fuels?
Trump is simply distracting us from Epstein and a failing K-shaped economy.
The kid gloves must come off now. Trump is a danger to us and the world.
Anyone who still supports this STUPID bastard is flat out ignorant. You can fix ignorance, but you can't fix stupid.
Impeach this STUPID bastard NOW before it is too late.
See:
Trump Corruption
How you can help
More Information
MTB 1-3-2026
Click here to Skip to the Crux of the Argument
The data for this document is drawn from the Constitution and US Law as supporting evidence. Many of these subjects are not covered well in right-leaning media so there are sources drawn from left-leaning media as well. The supporting evidence however is drawn from court filings, Presidential Executive Orders, and established Law.
The "How You Can Help" page is not completed.
How the Unitary Executive Theory Threatens American Democracy
A Constitutional Safeguard Under Attack
Our Legislative and Judicial Branches of the federal government command no army or police force.
Our founding fathers recognized this vulnerability and provided protection through Article 2, Section 2 of the Constitution:
but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.
This provision grants Congress the power to decide who appoints inferior officers—whether the President, the courts, department heads or Congress itself. Through this authority, Congress has established independent agencies with removal protections and civil service merit systems that limit Executive power and prevent a return to the corrupt "Spoils System" of political patronage of the 1800s.
The Unitary Executive Power Grab
President Trump is pursuing Unitary Executive power through multiple legal and administrative actions that would fundamentally concentrate authority in the President, dismantling the checks and balances that protect our democracy.
Trump v. Slaughter: Seeks to overturn 90 years of precedent protecting independent agencies like the FTC, FCC and the SEC, allowing the President to fire commissioners at will and eliminate agency independence.
AFGE v. Trump: Challenges efforts to politicize the entire federal civil service through Schedule F (now "Schedule Policy/Career"), which reclassifies tens of thousands of career civil servants as at-will employees who can be fired for political reasons and replaced with loyalists.
Trump vs the media: The numerous lawsuits against media outlets like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, BBC, ABC News, and Paramount/CBS threatens our free press.
Trump vs Habeas corpus: The daily violations of our Constitutional right to Due Process by this administration. The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments grant due process right to all Persons regardless of status.
The consequences would be catastrophic:
- End of Independent Agencies: The Justice Dpartment, FEC, FBI, NLRB, and other independent watchdogs would cease to exist as independent entities, becoming tools of presidential will. (click for details)
- Destruction of Professional Civil Service: Up to 50,000+ experienced career federal employees—scientists, economists, policy experts—could be fired and replaced with political loyalists lacking expertise. (click for details)
- Return to the Spoils System:A resurrection of the corrupt patronage system of the 1800s, where personal loyalty to the President trumps competence, merit, and dedication to public service by civilian servants. (click for details)
- Loss of Congressional Power of the Purse: If the President can unilaterally impound funds appropriated by Congress and reorganize agencies at will, a fundamental check on executive power disappears. (click for details)
- Military in Civilian Roles: Emergency Declarations in Executive Orders have put the military into civilian policing roles, further concentrating Executive power. (click for details)
- Habeas corpus: When our Constitutionally guaranteed rights are violated none of us are safe. (click for details)
- We the People, Persons, and Citizens: Our Constitution differenciates the Rights of each. (click for details)
- Rampant Corruption: Corruption of the Trump family. (click for details)
These Are the Powers of Dictators
Our Founding Father intended for our representatives to be citizen servants. Instead our representatives are today selected by big money interests. The civil service is all that is left of this original concept.
The concentration of executive authority being pursued by this president mirrors the governmental structures of authoritarian regimes.
Vladimir Putin · Xi Jinping
These are the very powers that dictators like Putin and Xi Jinping possess—unchecked executive authority free from meaningful congressional or judicial oversight.
The Time to Act Is Now
Our constitutional system of checks and balances stands at a precipice. We are running out of time. Supreme Court decisions come in the summer. The conservative justices appear poised to grant Unitary Executive power to the president.
Other cases are advancing through lower courts.
See:
Trump Corruption
How you can help
More Information