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Your guide to what the 2024 US elections mean for Washington and the world
Less than three weeks from now, Donald Trump will be sworn in as President of the United States for the second time. Although much of his appeal stems from his disregard for convention, Trump is, at heart, a highly predictable figure. Since his loss in the 2020 elections, he has pledged to continue using the tools of American justice to settle scores with enemies. In this regard, the returning president should be taken seriously. The same applies to his view that officials owe their loyalty to him personally, not to the US Constitution.
In his first term, Trump He often lost his temper when his most reckless desires were blocked by government lawyers, Pentagon officials, intelligence agencies, and others in the so-called departments of power. This time, he was keen to nominate reliable figures to carry out his orders without regard to rules and customs. Former Attorney General Bill Barr claimed that Trump proposed in his first term to “execute” his rivals. Barr said he was not concerned about Trump's motives because he knew they would be thwarted.
Such complacency is no longer deserved. Last July, the Supreme Court significantly strengthened Trump's powers by granting almost blanket immunity for the “official acts” of the US president. In theory This may include assassinating political opponents. In practice, it will almost certainly involve legal witch hunts against Trump's critics in politics, the media, and civil society. He repeatedly referred to some of them, such as Liz Cheney, the former Republican congresswoman, and Mark Milley, the former Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.
It would be reckless to assume that the punitive drive would stop at the water's edge. Even before Trump took office, he did so Threatened with confiscation The Panama Canal, which was returned to Panamanian sovereignty in 1999, and its designs have been expressed GreenlandWhich for a long time remained under Danish sovereignty. Although Democratic and Republican administrations have ignored international law when it suits them, none have come close to Trump's disdain for that very concept. The world should brace itself for a much less conservative Trump in his second term than last time.
Trump caliber Top candidates Minds should be focused internally and externally. Of these, Cash BattleAs head of the FBI, Tulsi Gabbard As Director of National Intelligence, W Pete Hegseth As US Secretary of Defense, he raised the highest alerts. Patel is a staunch Trump loyalist and has published his own list of enemies. Gabbard was an admirer of Bashar al-Assad's brutal, recently ousted regime in Syria, and often parroted Vladimir Putin's propaganda on Ukraine. Hegseth, the Fox News anchor, believes senior US military leaders should be purged and replaced with Trump loyalists.
The US Senate may be the most effective means of controlling Trump's illiberal motives. Republicans have a slim majority of 53-47. All it takes is four Republicans to block a nominee. In fact, Matt Gaetz, Trump's first choice as the next attorney general, He had to withdraw When it became clear that he lacked the votes. Certainly true conservatives realize that the rule of law lies at the heart of the American tradition and market economy. The Senate should block the confirmation of Patel, Gabbard, and Hegseth. The lower court judges, the media, and civil society also have broad latitude to curb Trump's worst impulses.
Like all strongmen, Trump fears the brave and despises sycophants. He threatened to use his presidential powers to target those who stand in his way. Giving in to Trump's desires will only amplify them. The American system is about to receive the mother of all stress tests. Courage, above all, will be the most valuable virtue in the coming months.
