Колумнист предупреждает: президентство Трампа превращается в период беззакония и попытки захвата власти

( The Gazette ) – As a passionate University of Iowa journalism student in 1961, I veered into political science for a promising course on the presidency. Its focus: U.S. presidents’ lusting after powers not spelled out in the often-fuzzy Constitution. What a letdown it seems today. Neither the professor nor the books I had to buy envisioned a President Donald Thump. Neither did the Founders in 1789 when creating the presidency and the Constitution. Sure, they acknowledged George Washington’s warnings about dangers posed by “ambitious and unprincipled men.” But they thought U.S. presidents would be exemplars. Just consider soon-to-be Presidents Adams and Jefferson. The Founders knew the untamed frontier abounded with bullies. They also knew about felons and cheats. But you can bet they never imagined a devious, half-literate bully/lawbreaker/cheat could be elected president — not just once, but a second time (with a large plurality of voters approving) following a criminal conviction. About that conviction: “All political — a bum rap!” MAGA loyalists shouted. No, it wasn’t. One of four cases brought against then-private citizen Trump, it was a 34-count unanimous jury decision for falsifying business records to hide payments to a porn actress right before the 2016 election. The commonly shortened description, “hush money,” hardly captures the crime’s gravity and epoch-making result: being elected president. Still, the Founders apparently thought, any miscreant in office would be bound by constitutional restrictions. Here, from several sources, are the 10 things a president cannot do while in office. Trump has played hob with all of them. He cannot rule without limits. “Limits” are supposedly applied by other players in the checks-and-balances setup — the Judiciary (Supreme Court) and Congress. Trump has ignored one-third of federal court rulings he considers nuisances. The Supreme Court has freed up Trump to do virtually anything he wants. Congressional Republicans are too servile to object. He cannot suspend elections or cancel the transfer of power. In 2021, Trump tried to withhold power from his elected successor. Result: the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol. Trump pardoned imprisoned insurrectionists the first day he regained office. “Patriots,” he calls them. He cannot override the Constitution. Trump’s attempts are numerous. They include trying to end birthright citizenship in the U.S. He cannot use the military against civilians without reason. Trump has tried this in several cities, including Chicago. Surprisingly, the usually supine Supreme Court ordered it halted. Good thing too. The ruling should keep Trump from stationing soldiers at election places next November. As for the immigrants Trump has ordered pushed around, they apparently don’t qualify as protected civilians. He cannot get rich from public office. Trump’s corruption is breathtaking. Since January 2025, he and his family have raked in an estimated $4 billion. He cannot fire anyone without cause. Trump seldom does this. He has lackeys do it. He cannot declare war without congressional approval. Trump doesn’t declare war; he starts and conducts it unilaterally — most recently against Iran. Congress’ GOP branch remains silent. Their retreat from war-making responsibility long preceded Trump. He cannot ignore court rulings. Again, Trump has ignored one-third of the rulings against him. He cannot stay in office indefinitely. Trump’s attempt to overthrow the 2020 election reflects his insatiable power lust. Turning 80 this month, he seems to know a third term is physically and constitutionally unreachable. He cannot criminalize political dissent. Trump repeatedly sues political foes and news people, calling them “traitors.” His Justice Department is conducting a “revenge tour,” seeking indictments against some of his more prominent critics. The charges are laughably frivolous. Not funny, however, was Trump’s ominous 2023 candidacy declaration: “I am your retribution.” Getting even with whom and for what — those disloyal to him in the 2020 election? Or punishing the entire country? His stick-in-the-eye Cabinet appointees and the damage they have wrought show the breadth of his vengeance. So if would-be autocrat Trump hasn’t knocked over all checks and balances like tenpins, it isn’t from lack of trying. His Supreme Court designer panel has provided at least one surprise beyond the “no military in cities” decision. Justices ruled that it’s up to Congress to impose tariffs — not the president. Legal scholars listing presidential no-no’s note that violations can bring protests, court reversals or impeachment. Major protests so far have included “No Kings” days. One result: AI-generated simulations such as intrepid Trump in a fighter plane, dumping feces on demonstrators. Court reversal invariably finds Trump disparaging the judge. As for impeachment, it requires a House majority vote, which is possible, but conviction by two-thirds of the Senate seems the stuff of dreams. A vote to convict and remove following the two first-term impeachments would have left Trump ineligible to hold public office again. But that would have required a show of GOP backbone. My presidential history class of six decades ago began with a war hero whose troops wanted to make him king. Updating ends with a draft avoider who’d like to make himself king. And no matter what happens on Election Day 2026, it will still portend 27 more months of a lawless Trump and all the chaos he foments. Reprinted from The Gazette with the athor’s permission.