Tyranny is the usurpation of power by a single individual or group, or th circumvention of law by rulers for their own benefit…Timothy Synder
The number of laws Trump and his sycophants have broken during 100 days in office is stunning. It’s hard to respond to one shocking act when 10 come at you one day, and another 10 the next. The fire hose of abuses keeps piling up. Most can be categorized under the headings of curtailing free speech, lack of due process, retaliation against those who disagree with him, and just plain stupidity and ineptitude.
Here are a few low-lights;
• Trump has up-ended relations with other nations. This was said in the French Senate on March 4: “Washington has become the court of Nero…there is no point in being Trump’s ally since he will not defend you, he will impose more duties on you than his enemies…never has anyone supported an aggressor against an ally…trampled the Constitution, issued so many illegal decrees, dismissed judges who could have prevented him from doing so, dismissed military staff in one fell swoop, and weakened checks and balances…we are at war with a dictator.” Canada’s new Prime Minister said, “Trump wants to break us so America can own us. The old US-Canada relationship is over.”
• Trump illegally implemented tariffs. Article 1, Sec 10 of the Constitution states Congress is the branch of government responsible for imposing tariffs. Wimpy Republicans in the House and Senate are too fearful of Trump’s wrath to stop him. The daily changes of how much, what, and who, have sent markets reeling. Trump said the cost of tariff would be paid for by other countries. He lied. He also said there would be 90 deals in 90 days. There are none. Zero. Billions have been lost in the markets.
• Another accomplishment: There have been 212 law suits filed against this administration, especially related to the crackdown on immigration and efforts to shrink the federal workforce.
• Trump has ruled by Executive Order—from renaming the Gulf of Mexico, withdrawing from the World Health Organization, and very importantly, requiring that truckers speak English. He signed 141 Executive Orders in his first 100 days, more than any president in history. One of those executive orders pardoned 1,500 January 6 insurrectionists. And he, who was found guilty of 34 felonies—wants to reduce crime? Seriously? He also achieved another milestone—the fewest laws signed by any president in the first 100 days—just 5—one of which was passed before he took office.
• DOGE has been a disaster. Hundreds of thousands of public servants fired, careers ruined, agencies left in turmoil. That’s the point. When experts leave agencies to be replaced by incompetents or positions are left empty, services to the public suffer. What better reason to shutter agencies then the fact they can no longer respond efficiently.
• Speech is punished if it doesn’t support Trump’s agenda. Just ask the Associated Press who had the chutzpah to continue to use the name of the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in their journalists being kicked out of the White House press corp. Students have been summarily deported for exercising their constitutional right to protest. Universities have lost billions in federal research funds for refusing to comply with orders regarding the hiring of staff, choosing criteria for admittance, and determining curricula. Law firms who sued Trump, or otherwise displeased him, have been excluded from federal buildings, unable to take on and defend clients. Federal agencies and public institutions are reeling from toxic environments and a culture of fear. Trump is obsessed with punishing anyone who tries to hold him accountable. He has threatened to revoke licenses of media companies he doesn’t like, and menaces judicial independence.
• Due Process for everyone, a hallmark of the Constitution, has ceased. There is no universal rule of law. People are arrested and deported, without a hearing or due process. That’s what dictators do. Trump has shredded the Constitution and he’s defying the courts.
• Security is a joke. The Secretary of Defense is one of our biggest threats. Hegseth’s incompetence and flagrant disregard for security, puts us all at risk. This is the result of appointing inexperienced, incompetent, self-serving flunkies whose qualifications require constant praise of the dear leader and looking good on TV.
We are in trouble. Trump has exceeded all expectations when it comes to governing. And Americans know it. Polls show Trump has an approval rating of 39% – the worst in modern history for a first 100 days. He’s under water on every single issue including immigration and the economy. The war in Ukraine is still raging, inflation up and the GDP is down. Economists predict an increased likelihood of a recession. The world is falling apart.
Well, not everyone’s. Donald Jr. has opened a club near the White House called “The Executive Branch.” Membership is ‘invitation only’ plus an annual fee of $500,000. Good thing Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill is up for renewal so the top 1% of Washington suck-ups can afford the dues.
David Brooks, journalist and lifelong Republican, said “Since January 20, as I have watched America behave vilely—towards our friends in Canada and Mexico, towards our friends in Europe, towards the heroes in Ukraine and President Selenskyy in the Oval Office—I’ve had trouble describing the anguish I’ve experienced…maybe the best description for what I’m feeling is moral shame…”
Finally, the warning from John Adams: “There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.”
100 days down. 1,260 days to go.
Marsha Shearer is a resident of The Villages and the author of “America in Crisis: Essays on the Failed Presidency of Donald J. Trump.”