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So the record currently stands at...
Zelensky - Let's try a deal, we just need security guarantees
Trump - Why are you so Disrespectful?
Zelensky - Let's try a deal, we just need security guarantees
Trump - Putin is a victim we're undoing sanctions
Zelensky - Let's try a deal, we just need security guarantees
Trump - Why won't Zelensky do a deal?
Zelensky - Let's try a deal, we just need security guarantees
Trump - We're stopping Aid.
I kinda wonder what people in the 3 letter agencies are thinking right now. I would hope that enough of these agencies actually view Trump as a fundamental threat to democracy, because he actually is. People have warned for this to happen, for a while now, even though many are surprised at the speed at which it happens. But still, you would kind of hope for some of these agencies to actually stand for the constitution, instead of for the ruling party and his current president.
The US is so much more than just the current political ruling class. It's sad that there seems at least, to be so little visible opposition to their efforts to derail the US geopolitical power and to overthrow the system of law and order. One who the Republicans should hold deep, and definitely the people who pledge their allegiance to the constitution. I wonder if it would have gone different if someone like Saunders or Obama would have tried a similar play.
I have not a lot of knowledge how American politics work, but isn't this for congress to decide? how is Trump so powerful? (sorry for my daft question)
It is for Congress to decide such matters. It says so right in our constitution, but our Legislative branch has been ceding their ability to check Executive overreach for decades. Now, with a complicit Congress as the majority, they will never challenge Trump on anything he does, no matter how unconstitutional or illegal it might be. Same goes for the Judiciary as well, chock full of partisan hacks who bend and twist their interpretation of the language of the constitution to cherry pick a favorable ruling for anything that Trump does.
Basically, our system of checks and balances that are meant to keep one aspect of the government from becoming too powerful has been completely subsumed by ideologues who prefer monarchy to democracy. The executive now essentially has unchecked authority and is in full control of the government apparatus.
We are entering a "yeah and who's going to stop me era of US politics"
It's very illegal. He has already been impeached once for withdrawing military aid to Ukraine in his first term.
And you see where that got us.
Yeah indeed, but now he has got the full backing and more Trump tronies?!
The president was always able to stop aid under certain conditions. Trump is just going to certify that one of those conditions exist no matter how ridiculous it is.
It isn't daft. The Republicans since Reagan have pushed a fringe legal theory called the Unitary Executive Theory. Basically, they want the president to fully control the executive branch and military such that theirs is the only voice that matters for much of the government. Not unlike a king, but partially checked by congress and the courts. They have been taking (illegal) actions to try to get sued, and also have been suing others/other branches of government, to try to get the Supreme Court to hear cases that will support this fringe legal theory so that it becomes the law of the land.
I am not a lawyer, but this is possibly something Trump can legally do since he is Commander in Chief of the armed forces. However, this seems more like an apportionment thing, which is Congress' responsibility. Congress has allocated funds to send military aid to Ukraine. So, even if Trump as Commander in Chief could say "no more weapons to ukraine", it seems doubtful to me that he could (legally) stop weapons shipments currently en route.
But, by the time whatever government office sues the office of the president to get a judge to enjoin them to send the agreed upon weapons that were already apportioned, it will already have hurt Ukraine somewhat. Trump often weaponizes inefficiency. And these sort of illegal acts aren't crimes per se - they're just procedural breaches - the legal remedy is just to reverse the action.
So, probably not legal. But Trump gets to weaponize his administration's incompetence (or feigned incompetence) to at least delay aid. More competent people may support these actions, knowing they're illegal, to try and strengthen the president's role even further.
Wow! Thanks so much for this reply! this is very helpful, thnx a lot
The answer is simpler than that: the "checks and balances" system is a facade created to prevent meaningful progressive policy from passing. There's a reason why Trump can modify a billion laws from day 1, but poor Biden couldn't possibly do anything to codify abortion as a right or prevent the bombing of children in Gaza.
This isn't quite right. Trump didn't really modify laws. That isn't even something he can claim to do since he is the head of the Executive branch, not the Legislative one. He issued executive orders, many of which were illegal, and he had some cronies who enacted some of them anyway - others did not enact some of these. He did rescind many policies, but he can't just make laws go away on his own. There are literally hundreds of court cases currently challenging these executive orders - seeing as how the judiciary is the primary check on the executive branch, that is the system working to check presidential power.
However, I am not a liberal, I am a socialist and do not think this is working well - there are many problems here. The highest levels of the judiciary have been largely captured by far-right judges, many of whom are specifically aligned with Trump's goals and support the unitary executive theory. Also, this method of checking presidential power is extremely slow. For every illegal action Trump's administration takes, a court case has to be crafted, filed, heard, and adjudicated. Every one. And invariably, some will not reach the correct outcome and others will never actually be taken to court - there are just too many.
Basically, the administration is using the fact that they control every branch of government to dismantle or capture core government agencies and to provide cover for various illegal actions - forcing them through if only temporarily for various political and structural ends. A soft coup, basically. So yeah, the fact that something like this is possible is proof of the flaws inherent in this system of government.
That's a lot of words to say that I'm right in practice even if not in principle lmao.
I'm a commie too, BTW. You're way too charitable to the US institutions IMO.
Republicans hold the majority in congress, so they're refusing to push back and are just allowing him to usurp power from them.
Thnx for your reply! i understand that, but it seems nothing goes via congress?!
Congress is a check and balance to executive power, just like the judicial.
They are not checking or balancing his power. So they are in effect, impotent.
And they don't care because the White House is occupied by someone on their team. This country fucking sickens me.
I would love to see everyone just start ignoring Trump and everything he says and just keeps doing their job.
The way it should be
And very seriously listen and write down his commands and say of course sir then just not do it. For years and report back to him that he is hailed as the best president ever for his orders, and let him live his fantasy, we can even hold parades and stuff and the fun thing is that people would actually genuinely be glad when he comes because they know it's going to be a festival and their job is just to pretend to be awed by his senile ramblings, which honestly sounds so much fun
https://www.itamilradar.com/2025/03/04/look-who-we-have-here/
"The ambiguous American behavior continues: on the one hand, they (verbally) threaten to withdraw support for Ukraine, including intelligence assistance, while on the other hand, they are increasing SIGINT flights over the Black Sea."
Who says those SIGNT flights are for Ukraine anymore?
At best they won't share, at worst it's for russia
The US wouldn’t stop military aid to Israel while the IDF destroyed hospitals and killed children and journalists among many other war crimes. They will freeze aid to Ukraine as it defends itself in a war of conquest. Evidence suggests the USA would rather align with criminals like Putin and Netanyahu than war victims.