It’s been 254 days since Trump took office, and honestly? The constitutional chaos he’s created makes Nixon look like an amateur.
Let me break it down:
Trump’s Assault on the Constitution
Trump has trampled core constitutional principles with calculated indifference.
He went after Democratic law firms (a federal judge ruled his executive orders violated the First, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments, and the Separation of Powers.). Then there’s the foreign aid freeze without Congress’s okay, firing agency heads left and right, and trying to axe federal agencies on his own. Spoiler alert: that violates statutory protections and due process.
He slapped on tariffs using emergency powers (courts ruled IEEPA doesn’t authorize tariffs and violates Article I and the Major Questions Doctrine), sent troops into LA, Chicago and Portland, Oregon (violates the Posse Comitatus Act and limits under the Insurrection Act), and tried to end birthright citizenship (again). Oh, and let’s not forget giving Elon Musk’s team access to sensitive Treasury data and ordering mass immigrant detentions. Judges cited violations of the Fourth and Fifth Amendments.
Weaponizing Justice: Trump Targets His Critics
Trump’s riding high these days – feeling like he’s bulletproof. And now he’s taking it to the next level by going after his perceived enemies.
First target? James Comey. And what a mess this has turned into.
He picked Lindsey Halligan as his U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia – someone who’s never prosecuted a federal case in her life. But that’s classic Trump, right? Who needs experience when you’ve got loyalty? It was so sketchy that her own office staff wouldn’t touch the grand jury presentation. So, there’s Halligan, flying solo, somehow scraping together 14 votes out of 23 jurors for two counts. They shot down a third one, but hey – you only need 12 votes to indict, so Trump got his wish.
A conviction? Highly unlikely. The indictment’s barely two pages long, and seasoned federal prosecutors are saying it’s such a hack job it might not even make it past the first round of legal challenges. But here’s the kicker. Trump doesn’t care about winning. This is all about flexing his muscles and sending a crystal-clear warning: “Cross me, and see what happens.”
The Hit List Expands: No One Is Safe
Trump claims it’s “not a list,” but come on – we all know exactly what this is. When CNN’s Kevin Liptak pressed him, Trump brushed it off, saying “there will be others” and ranting about “corrupt, radical left Democrats.” Then he added ominously, “I hope, frankly, there are others because you can’t let this happen to a country.”
Let’s drop the pretense. This is a hit list. And look who’s reportedly being “investigated”:
| John Bolton** | Chris Krebs** | Miles Taylor** |
| Letitia James | Adam Schiff | Christopher Wray** |
| Jack Smith | George Soros | Alexander Vindman** |
| John Brennan | President Joe Biden | Fani Willis |
**served in Trump’s first administration
Even if you’re deep inside Trump’s circle, don’t get too comfortable. The dangerous proximity to power doesn’t shield you. It exposes you. That’s the paradox of serving a guy who sees loyalty not as a virtue, but as a weapon.
Loyalty Is No Shield: Allies in the Crosshairs
Think you’ve got job security in Trump’s inner circle? Think again. Like any strongman, his loyalty runs exactly as deep as your usefulness to him. Cross him, challenge him, or simply outlive your value, and you might find yourself in the crosshairs – facing legal troubles, public humiliation, or something darker.
Just look at what’s happened to Putin’s closest allies. One by one, they’ve met bizarre and tragic ends. High-ranking executives mysteriously falling from windows. Suspicious “suicides” with conveniently missing security footage. Deadly “accidents” befalling those who dared speak against the Ukraine war or clash with Kremlin leadership.
Remember Prigozhin? From trusted confidant to a fiery plane crash after his failed rebellion. Or Maganov, who took an unexpected plunge from a hospital window after criticizing Putin’s war. The list goes on – Protosenya, Avayev, Antov – all powerful figures until they weren’t.
The pattern is clear: in the world of autocrats, today’s inner circle becomes tomorrow’s retribution list. Keep that in mind as you pledge undying loyalty to someone who views relationships as purely transactional.
Autocracy in Action: When Loyalty Becomes Liability
Unchecked power is a wildfire. It consumes allies and enemies alike.
First come the obvious enemies. But soon the flames turn on their own. Being loyal becomes dangerous. Staying quiet makes you complicit. And before you know it, everyone’s just trying to survive by staying in line.
Look at what’s happening with Trump going after Comey. This isn’t about right and wrong – it’s about sending a message: “Challenge me and I’ll destroy you.” And that threat isn’t just aimed at Democrats or critics anymore. Even his allies aren’t safe.
We’ve seen this story before. When one person grabs unlimited power, when they twist the rules to serve themselves, when they demand blind loyalty and punish anyone who speaks up. That’s not democracy anymore. That’s just raw power crushing everything in its way.
So if you’re standing close to Trump thinking you’re protected – think again. Dictators don’t keep friends. They use people like tools. And when a tool stops being useful, it gets tossed aside.
The real question isn’t about who’s next on the list. It’s about how long until your name comes up.