Trump Is Plotting to Blow Up the Constitution

[marmar]

Trump Is Plotting to Blow Up the Constitution

Analysis by Jonathan Bernstein | Bloomberg
July 25, 2022 at 10:21 a.m. EDT


The must-read reporting over the weekend was Jonathan Swan’s series at Axios exploring the efforts of former President Donald Trump’s supporters and other Trump-friendly Republicans to prepare to staff a potential Trump second term.

During the presidential nomination competition in 2015-2016, Republican party actors generally opposed Trump, in part because they considered him a risky general election candidate and in part because they were not convinced he would be reliable on matters of public policy.

When push came to shove, however, the elected officials, party professionals, interest group activists, party-aligned media figures and others who might have prevented his nomination chose not to challenge him, mainly because by the time of the Republican National Convention in July they were convinced he was willing to abide by party preferences in most policy areas. Notably, Trump had shown that he was willing to add conventional Republicans to his campaign, and the pattern continued into the presidency.

Trump’s White House was always a disorganized mess, and he had quite a number of White House staffers and executive branch choices who wouldn’t have been part of a Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio presidency. But there were plenty of conventional choices, and most of the unusual ones were Republicans on the fringes of the party, not (in most cases, at least) Trump’s personal loyalists.

Four years of a Trump presidency, however, have turned the fringes into the party mainstream, and the fringes have evolved in Trump’s direction. ...............(more)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/trump-is-plotting-to-blow-up-the-constitution/2022/07/25/4fc3429e-0c16-11ed-88e8-c58dc3dbaee2_story.html

[Haggard Celine]

1. I wasn't able to read the whole article because of the paywall, but

I think we need a new constitution, or at least we need to amend the hell out of the one we've got. But Trump is going about it in the opposite way it should be done. It's the fundagelical last stand, while there are enough white people still left to eke out a majority (or at least they can fudge it). They want to make the country, or at least a sizeable portion of it, into a theocracy. They have a small window to act, so that's why we're seeing this poisonous radical RW Christian surge right now. They're going to take it as far as they can.

[Hekate]

4. "A new Constitution" is #1 extremely hard to do, and #2 depends on the participants and their...

… dark-money backers. Whenever I read someone wants to do this — well, hell, think of how and why we got the SCOTUS we now have. While the Dems try to herd their diverse group of felines, the radical RW has been patiently playing the long game.

Be careful what you wish for.

[Haggard Celine]

7. Well, it would upend our whole system if we did that.

They would have to start over in the law schools and then we would have all sorts of issues with different interpretations and there would immediately have to be a series of landmark decisions to clarify what the new constitution says and what it doesn't say. So we'll probably never get a new constitution, at least not while we're a united country. But a lot of people think that the Constitution is at the root of the problem of all the injustice and insanity we're dealing with these days, and I happen to agree.

[brush]

5. There's not enough trumper white people to win...

or he would've won in 2020. And trump may see himself as a James Bond-style villain and a threat to world order, but newsflash...he doesn't have the brains. His big ventures always fail (see his multiple bankruptcies and failed businesses). And he won't have Pootie helping him win as in 2016 because Pootie having a hard time himself in Ukraine.

IMO trump won't even get the repub nomination as more and more republicans want to move on from the chaos he brings.

Meanwhile he still singing the same old "big lie" song to contest the 2020 election from nearly two years ago.

[Haggard Celine]

8. There's still enough of them that they can steal it.

They're desperate and will do anything to win this game. I think we're going to see even crazier shit while they're trying to pull this off. They really don't need Trump; they have DeSantis, and he's even more radical that Trump, from what I've seen.

[brush]

9. If there's enough of them why didn't they steal it in 2020?

Let's not overestimate these racist, sexist, fascists.

The J6 committee is revealing more and more of their crimes which lose them voters, and SCOTUS snatching rights from women is going to lose them even more voters.

So no, they're not as huge a threat as some are making them out to be.

[kentuck]

10. Also, we should not assume that Democrats can turn out 81 million votes every election.

It took a monstrous turnout to keep Trump and Repubs out of power in 2020.

Still, they almost took over the House and almost retained the Senate.

America dodged a bullet.

[brush]

11. Same on their side. Enthusiasm for trump is waning in repub and indie circles.

We have a good a shot a we did in 2020. They are not unbeatable supermen.

[Haggard Celine]

12. Yes.

We shouldn't underestimate those fuckers. A very determined minority can accomplish a great deal, and can take over some sections of a country. These people will do anything. They'll commit any sin as long as the goal is to establish their theocracy.

[Demsrule86]

34. If we turn out we win. And I am trashing this because once again we have a fear the

superbeing Trump OP...and I am sick of that and don't find it helpful...but it is a free country
(sort of) so enjoy.

[wnylib]

21. Since 2020, Republicans have changed election laws

in several states to allow them to overturn election results l which they were unable to successfully do in 2020.

It's a different playing field now than in 2020 and the current field favors Republican overthrows of the people's elected choices.

[brush]

26. This must be "Dems have no shot thread" as most post...

seem to think trump and his sycophants are unbeatable supremen.

[wnylib]

30. ?? Well, that is a switch from the

usual criticisms that I get for being too optimistic that we can win if we keep fighting.

I do NOT believe that we are doomed. But I do believe that we are facing a vicious attempt to prevent us from winning. To me, that definitely does not mean that we give up. It means that we fight back even harder. Democracy depends on us to do that.

[ancianita]

14. We absolutely shouldn't do that until we have a two house majority and have codified voting rights.

I won't get into it, but seriously? an article V convention would get hijacked and turn us into Chile. People can just up and claim we need a constitutional convention without surveying what's been said here about that, but they shouldn't.

DU has discussed this a number of times in recent years, and realize how the Koch-Mercer-Uhlein-Thiel networks are already trying to "sell" such a convention. So far they've "sold" 28 states on holding a convention. But once it were started, what you think woulda/shoulda/coulda happen wouldn't even exist.

We could present all the amendments we wanted and the right wing dominated states would shoot them all down. I believe that having an Article V convention actually WOULD turn this nation into a theocracy.

[wnylib]

24. Absolutely right. This is no time for a constitutional convention.

In the current political climate, we would end up with a fascist theocracy.

[Haggard Celine]

35. I'm not saying we should have a constitutional convention now.

I was just stating that we need a new constitution. We do, but it would be a major mistake to have a convention now. Maybe down the road we can do it. But regardless of when it can be done, the need is still there. I think our Constitution has outlived its relevancy and usefulness. These people who believe the Constitution is holy, like they look at the Bible, don't see all the flaws. Some day it's going to have to be done.

[ancianita]

40. Look at the people who are funding an Article V. They're the same people who want a christo-fascist

dictatorship. They've paid for the last four years of the hellscape we've lived under. And they're only six state legislatures away from their goal.

https://www.commoncause.org/resource/u-s-constitution-threatened-as-article-v-convention-movement-nears-success/

The Convention of States effort has major resources behind it, including at least $500,000 from the Mercer family (known for their support of President Trump and Republican candidates) and numerous large contributions from the Koch-connected Donors Trust.

The well-funded Convention of States campaign is led by Tea Party Patriots co-founder Mark Meckler and former U.S. Sens. Tom Coburn, R-OK, and Jim DeMint, R-SC; DeMint also is a former Heritage Foundation president.

The campaign has garnered major endorsements from other major conservative media personalities, elected officials, and special interest groups, including Senator Marco Rubio, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Senator Rand Paul, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Mark Levin, Sean Hannity, Pete Hegseth, Allen West, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), and others.

Then you're unwittingly joining with these people -- they just saying "we need a new constitution," like you, under the pretext of "just" getting amendments. We need to "just" keep the one we've got. Until trumpism is dead and cremated, dumped in the ash heap of history.

[Haggard Celine]

41. I'm not joining anybody.

You're not listening. I don't want to have a convention now or in the foreseeable future. I'm just acknowledging the fact that we need a new one. If they were calling for a convention right now, I would oppose it. The assholes have too much power right now. I'm thinking maybe in 20 years, if we have significant change in the power structure. But I'll be eating soft food by then and no one will care what I think, if I'm even alive. But we might get a new one anyway. I think this country will be split up by then and the Dominionists and the regular people will have gone our separate ways, or we'll be at war. Our future as a united country is looking kind of shaky right now. So don't think that I'm going to sit down with Mike Fucking Huckabee and draft a new constitution next week.

[ancianita]

42. Fine. Understood.

I do hear you about when it could be done.

[inthewind21]

2. Well

That's stating the obvious.

[mucifer]

3. meanwhile the democratic party is backing the right wing in primaries with the hopes

that the nutbaggiest people will lose.

Problem is republicans care more about their party than themselves. So they will vote for the nutbaggiest or the moderate one, but not the democrat who is on the ticket.

[empedocles]

6. Some will vote 'con no matter what, however, some may shift/sit out.

Could make a crucial difference.

[wnylib]

25. This movement to run nutters against Dems

is a HUGE mistake.

In the current political divisions, people vote party not individuals. This foolish movement by Dems will backfire on us.

[mucifer]

27. It will work in the Illinois Governor race . But, I'm afraid for other races it won't work

[Maraya1969]

13. No paywall here.

https://archive.ph/VBiXl

[maxrandb]

15. No, not Donnie Dipshit

The entire Retrumplican Party is plotting to blow up the Constitution and they are about halfway there.

I would like to add that they are achieving the destruction of the Constitution with aid and comfort from the media.

[wnylib]

28. True. Trump is only an instrument in their agenda.

[Sky Jewels]

32. This.

Which is, of course, far more terrifying and enraging than even Dump's plans.

[littlemissmartypants]

16. Thanks! GMTA. Here's my post, leads to the Axios article. I suggest skipping the WAPO piece and

Going directly to Axios, no paywall, here...

https://www.axios.com/2022/07/22/trump-2025-radical-plan-second-term?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=editorial

Everyone needs to read it.

My attached DU OP is here...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016327546

Read Inside Trump '25
https://www.axios.com/2022/07/22/trump-2025-radical-plan-second-term?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=editorial

A radical plan for Trump’s second term

Jonathan Swan

Jul 22, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Snip...

Former President Trump’s top allies are preparing to radically reshape the federal government if he is re-elected, purging potentially thousands of civil servants and filling career posts with loyalists to him and his "America First” ideology, people involved in the discussions tell Axios.

The impact could go well beyond typical conservative targets such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Internal Revenue Service. Trump allies are working on plans that would potentially strip layers at the Justice Department — including the FBI, and reaching into national security, intelligence, the State Department and the Pentagon, sources close to the former president say.

During his presidency, Trump often complained about what he called “the deep state.”
The heart of the plan is derived from an executive order known as “Schedule F,” developed and refined in secret over most of the second half of Trump’s term and launched 13 days before the 2020 election.

The reporting for this series draws on extensive interviews over a period of more than three months with more than two dozen people close to the former president, and others who have firsthand knowledge of the work underway to prepare for a potential second term. Most spoke on condition of anonymity to describe sensitive planning and avoid Trump’s ire.

Snip...


~~~~~●~~~~~●~~~~~●~~~~~

This is a must read for the serious political junkie. If you think GOTV is the pinnacle of political engagement and all we need to win the future, you might want to sit down and read this, after you prep your nitroglycerin pills.

While some are guffawing at Josh Hawley and posting memes, Trumpworld is amassing an expansive, exceptionally well funded, political machine, ready to take over the United States Government as soon as they retake the White House.

This read is a comprehensive and eye-opening education. The type you might not want to get, but you probably should.

❤ pants

🌻🇺🇦❤🇺🇦🌻 Slava Ukraini! 🌻🇺🇦❤🇺🇦🌻

SO glad you shared this marmar!! It's a real eye opener. It's left me somewhat breathless. Like someone took the wind out of my sails. I sincerely hope our ground game is equally as full of vitality but honestly, within my local Dem organization, I'm not seeing it. The financial support and volunteer commitments are virtually non-existent and that has me very concerned. Nevertheless, we're persistent. Thanks again. ❤ pants

[erronis]

18. Thanks for the link to Axios. Too bad the OP didn't also add it as a reference.

I'll usually try to get to the original article and post it. The aggregators (including WaPo) may interject their own opinions to help justify the subscription cost, but usually the original is the real thing.

[littlemissmartypants]

23. You're welcome. I highly recommend reading the entire thing. It was difficult to do but I pressed

Ahead with it as sick as it left me. I sure hope we're not as f'd as it seems. Whatever the case, I'm not going to stop doing my little part.

Thanks for the reply, erronis.

❤ pants

[ancianita]

29. Perhaps pass print copies for your local org to read and pass around themselves? It might scare some

righteous fear and courage into them?

It's too important to leave online when so many folk just live life 'out there,' imo.

I've got a list I'm hoping to make stacks of for me and my local Dem office to pass around.

We're not as f'd as we feel. Remember feeling this way in the 2018 and 2020 cycles, and how they turned out?

[littlemissmartypants]

31. Good idea but knowing my group I'm not sure It'd get any traction, unfortunately.

Something feels really different this go round. I don't know if it's because I'm bereaved having lost both mom and dad recently or if it's a combination of that and dread. Either way it's worrying. But thanks for the suggestion. It's better than doing nothing. ❤

[ancianita]

33. You might be surprised. They might appreciate your making the first move to inject some

passion into the work. I've had a similar loss like yours in the last six months. It's hard to know how much of out there and in here is causing our worry and dread. I offered the idea because channeling those feelings through action helps.

As a teacher I learned that one never knows where or how far one's influence goes.

[DENVERPOPS]

17. If I had a ton of money

I would send a copy of ANIMAL FARM to every mailing address in the U.S. They couldn't make their way thru 1984, it requires much more than the 50% of people in America that don't read above a third grade level.

Orwell had most of 1984 correct. However he failed to point out that Big Brother Government itself wasn't to fear, it was Big Brother Government controlled entirely by the Corporations........

We are a hair away from Corporate Fascist Tyranny, folks...................

WASF

[CaptainTruth]

19. He won't blow it up, he'll just ignore it, like he's been doing for years.

Three co-equal branches of government with Legislative oversight of Executive? Sorry, Trump tells Executive to ignore Legislative subpoenas. Tear up the Constitution & throw it out.

The Texas GOP is also ignoring the Constitution, saying Texas should secede. They've apparently forgotten Texas v White (1869) where SCOTUS ruled that no state can secede from the union, there's no constitutional provision for it. So, by supporting secession the Texas GOP is telling us two things:
1) They don't care what the Constitution says & they'll ignore it, &
2) They don't care what SCOTUS says & they'll ignore their rulings.

These are the people we're dealing with folks. We keep playing by the rules while they rip up the rulebook & yell "there are no rules."

I'm not sure how we deal with that, other than voting them out.

[FakeNoose]

20. The Dems are plotting to make sure Chump never gets elected to anything again EVER

He's not qualified to be a dogcatcher in Dade County, let alone President of the US. I'm so tired of reading about him and hearing other people talk about him. Just convict this guy and put him in prison already!

[turbinetree]

22. Colorado Fiscal Institute.....

https://www.coloradofiscal.org/a-constitutional-convention-is-closer-than-you-think/blog/

[Kid Berwyn]

36. That's why you don't touch NAZIs.

It rubs off.

Four years of a Trump presidency, however, have turned the fringes into the party mainstream, and the fringes have evolved in Trump’s direction.

[ananda]

37. It's already in shreds as far as I can tell.

...

[Torchlight]

38. Idiots like Trump want to rip up things they don't understand and start over

never fully realizing the consequences of their ignorance and short-sightedness. When I was younger, I would have felt pity for them. These days, I'm surprised they can't physically hear my eyes rolling at them.

[ProfessorGAC]

39. A Quibble

TFG isn't planning anything. The seditious background actors may be, using TFG as a headpiece.
But, there's no evidence TFG knows how to plan anything.