From the very beginning of the 2024 Presidential campaign, opponents of Donald Trump warned that democracy itself was on the chopping block if he were re-elected. To many voters, though, this sounded like the political equivalent of shouting “fire” in a crowded theater—especially when Democrats failed to present, an actual plan to fix the economy, housing, or literally anything else people cared about. Instead of offering solutions, their main campaign strategy was “We’re Not Trump.” And it didn’t work. Trump waltzed back into the White House with a win in both the electoral and popular vote, leaving political pundits scrambling to figure out how the Democrats managed to fumble so spectacularly.
Now, just weeks into Trump’s second term, those dire warnings about democracy aren’t looking so melodramatic after all. If January 6th, 2021, was Trump dipping his toes into the autocracy pool, then the Supreme Court’s July 1st, 2024, ruling granting presidents absolute immunity was him cannonballing straight in. While the ruling is wrapped in legalese, the bottom line is this: if a president does something while in office, it’s basically impossible to prosecute them. Convenient, huh?
This ruling immediately threw a wrench into Trump’s many, many legal troubles. His ongoing election interference cases had to be re-examined under this new legal shield, effectively guaranteeing that nothing would move forward before the election. And when you combine that with a decisive electoral victory and Republican control of Congress, Trump got the message loud and clear: he can do whatever he wants. Checks and balances? It’s a great idea, but not really his thing.
Trump and his inner circle—including his cheerleaders JD Vance, Elon Musk, and Karoline Leavitt—keep throwing around the word “mandate” like confetti at a rally. And sure, winning an election does mean you get to govern, but the way they’re using the term makes it sound like he won 90% of the vote and was carried into office on a golden throne. In reality, Trump won with 49.9% of the popular vote (77 million votes) to Kamala Harris’ 48.4% (75 million votes). That’s barely a coin flip. And let’s not forget that the U.S., unlike Australia, doesn’t have mandatory voting. If we account for the estimated 240 million voting-eligible citizens out of a total population of 340 million, that 49.9% of votes cast quickly drops into the mid-30s as a percentage of eligible voters. In what world is that an overwhelming mandate?
Another phrase getting a serious workout from the Trump team is “restoring the will of the people through the president.” Sounds noble, right? But let’s be real—that “will of the people” they’re referring to is just the 49.9% who voted for him. To be more honest, I’m convinced a percentage of those votes were because he’s not Biden. This isn’t some divine proclamation from the masses; it’s just a very loud, very strategic talking point used to justify whatever power grab comes next. Honestly, this phrase would’ve fit right in with some 1930s European regimes, but I digress. I’ve got a whole separate theory on the hypnotic speech tactics, but that’s a rant for another day.
Since taking office (again), Trump has been on an executive order signing spree. Some, like renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America (because it will make America great again?), are just distractions. But others have a more sinister edge. Orders creating the Department of Government Efficiency and axing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs are sold as efforts to eliminate “waste, fraud, and abuse”-more hypnotic speech. Who doesn’t want to cut government waste? The problem is, buried under that feel-good rhetoric is a not-so-subtle plan to slash federal jobs and purge anyone who isn’t loyal to the Trump agenda. I’ll get more into the particulars on my thoughts on DOGE in the future.
Federal employees are supposed to serve the country, not a political party. But the administration’s approach makes it clear that the goal isn’t just efficiency—it’s ideological control. If you don’t toe the line, you’re out. This is how autocrats tighten their grip: not with dramatic takeovers, but through slow, systematic erosion of institutions until one day you wake up and realize democracy has been quietly suffocated.
The Supreme Court ruling shielding Trump from accountability, the exaggerated claims of a sweeping “mandate,” the restructuring of federal agencies, and the not-so-subtle purge of government employees—these aren’t just signs of an aggressive conservative administration. These are the warning lights flashing on the flight panel of democracy (and unfortunately thanks to DOGE the FAA is short staffed). History tells us that autocracies don’t usually emerge overnight. Even the most infamous strongmen in history were, at some point, elected. And once in power, they didn’t destroy democracy in a dramatic explosion—it rotted from within, one calculated move at a time.
So, yeah. Everything’s totally normal. Nothing to see here.