Trumpism is officially the new fourth branch of government
Who exactly is Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.)? Yes, she is a member of the House of Representatives from Georgia serving her second term. She is also one of the few people so far who has done at least much or even more damage to Ukraine than the soldiers in Russia’s invasion force by refusing to allow aid to flow to that besieged country.
Whether she is a “useful idiot” in blindly supporting Russia or playing a more sinister role is unknowable.
Greene is also the source of an unusually large number of conspiracy theories from “Jewish space lasers” to a child trafficking pizza parlor. She has told a well-respected British journalist “to f…k off” in an interview. And she told British Foreign and former Prime Minister Lord David Cameron to “kiss my ass.” One wonders if that would be accomplished in the Capitol Rotunda or perhaps in the Oval Office depending on who wins the next election.
But, in fact, Greene’s real role is as lead hit woman for Donald Trump in the vanguard of an imaginary, unconstitutional and dangerous fourth branch of government that is dominating the other three. This is the Trump branch. And it wields more raw power than the legislative, judicial and executive branches combined.
Trump has a whim and the Senate compromise bill on funding the border, Ukraine and Israel evaporates in a micro-second. One of the Senate’s most senior and long-standing leaders of his party, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), expresses a disagreement with Trump and he is politically toast, exiled to a Republican Siberia. Congress wants to and must extend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act but waits for Trump’s blessing.
A majority of members of Congress recognize the need to support Ukraine at a time when the war is hanging in the balance. Trump has given Marie Antoinette’s response to “let them eat cake”: Ukraine can cede Crimea, Donbas and Luhansk to Russia and the war ends happily. But does it?
The question is not so much how did we get here. The question is why no one is alert to the emergence of an all-powerful fourth branch. Oh and about the judiciary: Who appointed the majority that seems destined to follow the great leader’s every wish?
Indeed, Trump has had the good luck or divine intervention of having one of his appointees, a very junior judge, preside over the classified materials case in Florida. Will it be any surprise if that case is dismissed or deferred indefinitely?
FDR was accused of being a dictator. So was Andrew Jackson. Compared with Trump, both were minor leaguers. At no time in America’s history has anyone outside the government had such power with the possible exception of J. P. Morgan when he bailed the country out of the financial crisis of 1907. However, it was a one-shot affair. Now what will happen if Trump wins or loses the election? One can make the argument that his power may only increase.
Speculation about a second Trump administration is rife with predictions of calamity and chaos. Trump is a good learner. And he learned in his first term how to be an even more authoritative leader in a second. While The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 does not speak for Trump, many of its authors served or supported Trump the first time around, and no doubt, would become part of a Trump II regime.
With heavy hitters such as Greene spreading the most malicious, nonsensical and dangerous messages, along with deceptive “deepfake” AI videos and a complete disregard for truth, facts or reality, the Trump branch of government will become supercharged if it takes over the executive. With the Supreme Court in his pocket and no need to control the remaining legislature, it is not difficult to imagine less-than-happy outcomes. Still, his supporters will be in denial about how the Trump branch has managed a silent coup.
If Trump loses, he still will be in charge of his party and 2028 will not be out of the question. After all, the Donald will only be Biden’s age then — 81. If healthy and dynamic, perhaps the Trump branch will find that the third time brings luck.
What is so extraordinary is, that if this column were written in 2021, it would be dismissed as delusional. Today, it may actually be prescient.
Harlan Ullman Ph.D. is a senior advisor at the Atlantic Council and the prime author of the “shock and awe” military doctrine. His 12th book, “The Fifth Horseman and the New MAD: How Massive Attacks of Disruption Became the Looming Existential Danger to a Divided Nation and the World at Large,” is available on Amazon. He can be reached on Twitter @harlankullman.
Date: | |
Tag: | Donald Trump |
Filter
-
New Haiti government sworn in during secret ceremony
‘Transitional council’ takes oath of office after prime minister formally resigns as gang violence continues to rock capital. Haiti’s prime minister, Ariel Henry, has formally resigned and a new provisional government has been sworn in during a ...The Guardian - World -
Ariel Henry resigns as prime minister of Haiti, paving the way for a new government
Haiti has opened a new political chapter with the installation of a transitional council tasked with picking a new prime minister and preparing for eventual presidential elections, in hopes of quelling spiraling gang violence that has killed ...ABC News - World -
Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigns, paving way for new government
Haiti's embattled leader Ariel Henry has resigned as prime minister weeks after agreeing to step aside in a bid to quell months of bloodshed.CBS News - Top stories -
Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigns, paving way for new government
Haiti's embattled leader Ariel Henry has resigned as prime minister weeks after agreeing to step aside in a bid to quell months of bloodshed.CBS News - World -
Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigns as new government takes shape
Haiti’s prime minister Ariel Henry officially resigned Thursday as a transitional government is sworn in and a new leader, Michael Patrick Boisvert, will become the country’s interim president.NBC News - Top stories -
San Diego official says city is ‘new epicenter’ of border crisis
A San Diego official on Thursday dubbed his city the “new epicenter” for the border crisis and criticized California for “inflicting this upon ourselves.” “San Diego is the new epicenter for migrants and illegal immigration,” San Diego District 5 ...The Hill - Politics -
Minecraft 1.21 Update Officially Named Tricky Trials, Adds A New Weapon
Mojang has revealed the name of its much-anticipated 1.21 update. Tricky Trials, as it's named, will come with a host of new content, some of which the studio has shared alongside the name reveal.. But players don't have to wait until Tricky ...GameSpot - Tech -
Ariel Henry resigns as prime minister of Haiti, paving the way for a new government in the Caribbean country
Ariel Henry resigns as prime minister of Haiti, paving the way for a new government in the Caribbean countryABC News - World -
The federal government granted Micron Technology $6.1 billion to build two chip-making facilities in New York and one in Idaho.
The federal government granted Micron Technology $6.1 billion to build two chip-making facilities in New York and one in Idaho.The Wall Street Journal - World - New York -
FX's The Veil Shows Two Government Agents Arguing Over A Cell Phone In A New Clip
FX's The Veil takes the audience into the world of international espionage on a personal and global scale. The series follows CIA agent Imogen Salter (Elisabeth Moss), who is tasked with taking Adilah El Idrissi (Yumna Marwan) on a trip from ...GameSpot - Tech
More from The Hill
-
Riot police drag away protesters at University of Texas as Gaza tensions flare
State troopers in riot gear moved on Monday afternoon to clear out students attempting to occupy a quad at the University of Texas at Austin. Dozens of protesters were arrested on site, escalating tensions that began on Wednesday when the ...The Hill - Politics -
Jill Stein accuses police of assaulting her at protest
Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein on Sunday alleged police assaulted her and other demonstrators shortly before being arrested at a pro-Palestinian protest on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis. “Basically, the police ...The Hill - Politics -
US finds Israeli military units violated human rights
Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security The Big Story US finds Israeli military units violated human rights The State Department has determined that at least five Israeli ...The Hill - Politics - Israel -
Evening Report — Protests continue to spread on college campuses
A quick recap of the day and what to look forward to tomorrow {beacon} Evening Report © AP Pro-Palestinian protests escalate on college campuses Hundreds of students have been arrested on college campuses across the country as ...The Hill - Politics -
FCC fines wireless carriers
Presented by Microsoft — {beacon} Technology Technology PRESENTED BY The Big Story FCC fines major mobile carriers $200M The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a fine totaling $200 million to the nation’s four largest mobile ...The Hill - Politics