"National Security or National Nonsense?"

77 million people, ever eager to still drink the Kool-Aid, continue to defend him; no matter how far he pushes the boundaries of the law.

When 77 million people defend your every action, there’s a sense of invincibility that creeps into your bones. For Donald Trump, this is not just a number, it’s a cult-like, unwavering army of defenders who see him as some sort of unassailable deity. They’ll defend him when he steps over every line, laughs in the face of the law, and pretends that the Constitution is just a vague suggestion written by men in powdered wigs. And to them, that’s not just okay; it’s glorious.

Now, let's talk about a few of these actions. The man has turned the very concept of executive power into a performance art. But hey, when you’re used to people doing whatever it takes to keep you out of trouble, why not play fast and loose with the law? The most recent case is Trump’s clear, deliberate disregard of a judge's ruling denying the deportation of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador. Of course, why let a judge; someone who’s actually paid to interpret the law, get in the way of your immigration agenda? Trump brushed it aside like lint on a suit. His base, in true form, nodded along with their "It’s just another deep-state conspiracy to undermine the greatest president ever" mantra, and everything was okay again. The courts? Irrelevant. The law? A mere inconvenience.

But why stop there when you can defy not just the law, but logic itself? Trump’s recent attempt to invalidate Joe Biden’s pardons was peak Trump. Now, he wants to "void" Biden’s pardons, claiming it’s his right because, well, why the hell not? Claims that “Sleepy” Joe didn’t sign them; they were signed with an auto pen or didn’t even know what he was doing. Others did it without his knowledge. It doesn’t matter that there’s no legal or factual basis for it, or that it’s a direct infringement on the executive powers of the sitting president. If Trump says it, it must be true. And why wouldn’t it be?

Let’s also touch on the insurrection act, shall we? Trump’s ever-popular fixation on his "right" to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1789 is absolutely mesmerizing. Let me repeat…1789! If he gets his way, anyone who opposes him could be arrested and/or deported, with the stroke of his pen; no questions asked. If you’re a foreign student at an American university and decide to engage in protest; nope, sorry, no First Amendment rights for you! Trump claims he can have you deported for illegally protesting. Yes, "illegally protesting"; a term so vague that it can mean literally anything, depending on the mood he’s in. But we all know that no legal definition is necessary for someone who believes he is above the law.

Now, enter a few of the many true believers who fan the flames of this fire. Let’s give a hand to people like Tom Homan and Karoline Levitt, who’ll parrot Trump’s rhetoric like it’s gospel. Homan, for example, is the current ICE director who speaks as if Trump is some sort of messiah when it comes to immigration enforcement policy. It doesn’t matter that Trump’s actions often step on the Constitution like a toddler in a mud puddle; they’re all doing God’s work, as far as they’re concerned. Homan’s perfect understanding of the law? Well, let’s just say it’s as flexible as Trump’s definitions of "illegal", "constitutional", and "presidential power".

And Press Secretary Karoline Levitt? Karoline will parrot Trump’s words with such fervor, you'd think she was military, assigned to the task of defending every nonsensical comment that comes out of his mouth. The beauty of it all is that Trump can count on them to claim; without a shred of irony, that he’s totally justified in all of his actions, and even if courts rule against him, they’ll simply shrug and declare that they’ll never abide by those decisions. The courts? "Who needs ‘em?" The Constitution? "Eh, that’s cute, but not when it comes to Trump." It’s literally out of the movie Taxi Driver where Travis Bickle (Robert DeNiro) looks into the mirror asking, “you talkin to me?”

Trump feels deeply empowered to pursue these extreme actions, and why wouldn’t he? The Supreme Court's decision on presidential immunity has given him a near-golden ticket to operate with reckless abandon. After all, why should he be held accountable when the highest court in the land has essentially given him carte blanche to dodge legal consequences for nearly anything he does in office? With that immunity, Trump has transformed himself into an almost untouchable figure, using national security as his shield. Every decree, every bypass of the law is couched in this vague, nebulous concept of national security. It’s the perfect cover: “I’m doing this for the security of the nation!” sounds so much better than “I’m doing this because I can get away with it.” Whether it’s the deportation of migrants, the manipulation of pardons, or even targeting individuals for protest, he can claim that it’s all in the name of protecting the country from some imaginary threat. And, to the 77 million who follow him, that’s all the justification they need. After all, national security is the ultimate catch-all excuse, isn’t it? It allows him to twist the law into something that bends to his whims, further inflating his belief that no one; not even the courts, has the authority to challenge his “right” to do whatever he wants.

So, what happens when 77 million people defend your every action, no matter how ridiculous? Well, apparently, you get to play emperor. You get to walk around pretending you’re untouchable, rewriting the rules of law and liberty as you go. For Trump, the Constitution is a prop, and the courts are nothing but speed bumps in his race to consolidate power. But the scariest part of all is that those 77 million people, ever eager to still drink the Kool-Aid, continue to defend him; no matter how far he pushes the boundaries of the law. Because in their eyes, he’s above reproach. And that, my friends, is a terrifying thought that Democrats better figure out how to stop.

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