While I completely agree with Mr. Diamond in terms of what Trump is attempting and what he has already accomplished, I believe he has omitted the greatest threat we face, those millions of Americans who continue to support all that Trump is doing, often without recognizing anywhere near all that Trump is attempting, or worse agreeing to it. Such a level of misunderstanding of or lack of concern for the nation we were designed to be is, to me, far more frightening than the deranged demagogue whom they re-elected and whose every move they applaud. Without them, Trump would still be little more than a noisy NYC real estate ‘mogul’ and TV celebrity.
I mostly agree with you and with Mr. Diamond, but I'll add that the magnitude of the co-dependency between Trump and his "millions" is rare, even unique, in American history. I'll give Trump this: he's a talented demagogue.
Thanks for this post, with its combination of cautious optimism on the domestic scene and realism about the damage being done to institutions in the move to follow the model of Orban's Hungary. Resistance from the courts, though important, will not be enough; what is really essential is for Congress to reclaim its legislative role as the primary directing force behind national policy, after many years now of declining effectiveness. The Founders assumed that ambition would counteract ambition, and we have seen too little of that.
I agree that the most severe damage being done is international--harm to our standing in the world, with its consequences for the cause of liberty--and I'm looking forward to the next essay.
Trump resistance is a toddler response from the Democrat day-care hive.
The real threat to democracy... the actual threat to foundational Western liberalism... was hopefully defeated by the election of Trump. Previously it was artificially branded as "the resistance" when it's actual label should have been the "collectivist authoritarianism" movement... you know... the one we saw in action during COVID.
One can also discern growing unrest among Congressional Republicans who have to date been nearly completely supine in their unwillingness to challenge the most outrageous of Trump’s nominations and actions. The most recent hint of independence was the recent attempt by a group of Republican fiscal conservatives in the House to block Trump’s “big, beautiful” tax and spending bill because it added way too much to the deficit.” So it’s a good thing that on top of cruel and pointless work requirements for Medicaid and SNAP and a crippling rollback of support for clean energy, we may now see massive cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid that will put the health and well-being of millions of Americans in jeopardy? Mr. Diamond, who works at the conservative Hoover Institution and praised Reagan as among our nation’s greatest Presidents early in the article (perhaps he meant one of our nation’s most influential presidents, not a president who he personally agrees with, but still), is typical of the NeverTrump right: So committed to democracy (just don’t bring up the Kirkpatrick doctrine!), so conciliatory on social issues, and so willing to abandon the poorest and most vulnerable citizens of the United States.
While I completely agree with Mr. Diamond in terms of what Trump is attempting and what he has already accomplished, I believe he has omitted the greatest threat we face, those millions of Americans who continue to support all that Trump is doing, often without recognizing anywhere near all that Trump is attempting, or worse agreeing to it. Such a level of misunderstanding of or lack of concern for the nation we were designed to be is, to me, far more frightening than the deranged demagogue whom they re-elected and whose every move they applaud. Without them, Trump would still be little more than a noisy NYC real estate ‘mogul’ and TV celebrity.
I mostly agree with you and with Mr. Diamond, but I'll add that the magnitude of the co-dependency between Trump and his "millions" is rare, even unique, in American history. I'll give Trump this: he's a talented demagogue.
Thanks for this post, with its combination of cautious optimism on the domestic scene and realism about the damage being done to institutions in the move to follow the model of Orban's Hungary. Resistance from the courts, though important, will not be enough; what is really essential is for Congress to reclaim its legislative role as the primary directing force behind national policy, after many years now of declining effectiveness. The Founders assumed that ambition would counteract ambition, and we have seen too little of that.
I agree that the most severe damage being done is international--harm to our standing in the world, with its consequences for the cause of liberty--and I'm looking forward to the next essay.
Trump resistance is a toddler response from the Democrat day-care hive.
The real threat to democracy... the actual threat to foundational Western liberalism... was hopefully defeated by the election of Trump. Previously it was artificially branded as "the resistance" when it's actual label should have been the "collectivist authoritarianism" movement... you know... the one we saw in action during COVID.
One can also discern growing unrest among Congressional Republicans who have to date been nearly completely supine in their unwillingness to challenge the most outrageous of Trump’s nominations and actions. The most recent hint of independence was the recent attempt by a group of Republican fiscal conservatives in the House to block Trump’s “big, beautiful” tax and spending bill because it added way too much to the deficit.” So it’s a good thing that on top of cruel and pointless work requirements for Medicaid and SNAP and a crippling rollback of support for clean energy, we may now see massive cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid that will put the health and well-being of millions of Americans in jeopardy? Mr. Diamond, who works at the conservative Hoover Institution and praised Reagan as among our nation’s greatest Presidents early in the article (perhaps he meant one of our nation’s most influential presidents, not a president who he personally agrees with, but still), is typical of the NeverTrump right: So committed to democracy (just don’t bring up the Kirkpatrick doctrine!), so conciliatory on social issues, and so willing to abandon the poorest and most vulnerable citizens of the United States.