Donald Trump didn’t emerge from a vacuum. He’s the product of systems—­corrupt, corroded, and increasingly anti-democratic, yes, but systems nonetheless—­that made his rise not just possible but inevitable. If we only focus on removing Trump without addressing the deep corruption of Citizens United and other events and systems that produced him, we’re simply setting the stage for the next authoritarian, who may be smarter, more disciplined, and ultimately more dangerous. As a result, the deep question that our media almost never mentions is this: can democracy survive when it’s for sale?

A quick note to my MAGA acquaintance... Dear MAGA voter, I'm not writing this to mock you. I'm writing because you were lied to. And it wasn't by the people you were told to hate, but by the man you trusted the most. You were pissed off when you voted in 2024. Honestly, rightfully angry. Your town lost its factory. Your kids can't afford the house they've been dreaming of for years. The politicians in Washington kept promising you things and delivering nothing; in fact, Republicans even took away your Medicaid and food stamps as well as your kids' school lunches. You wanted someone who'd finally blow the whole damn thing up and put regular people first. So did I and millions of other Americans. The difference is who we trusted to do it. Let's talk about what actually happened.

History shows how suddenly national tragedy can transform a struggling leader into a wartime commander, and why that precedent should make Americans uneasy today… History doesn't repeat, as Mark Twain allegedly said, but it sure does seem to rhyme. And right now, the rhyme between the first year of the George W. Bush presidency and the first year of Donald Trump's second term is staring us in the face and it's getting scary. After "Poppy" George H.W. Bush finished his 1991 "little war" against Iraq, he left American troops stationed at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. Those soldiers on what Osama bin Laden considered sacred Muslim soil — the home to Mecca — became his primary grievance against America. He said so publicly, raving at The New York Times and anyone else who'd listen. American men were drinking alcohol and looking at pornography and thus defiling Saudi holy land, he said, and American women were showing their bare arms and driving cars in a country where such things are absolutely forbidden. When Bin Laden declared war on us, he meant it as part of a religious and moral crusade. That war came home on September 11, 2001, and it arrived at a miraculously convenient moment for an otherwise hapless George W. Bush. The new president had taken office under a cloud of illegitimacy after five Republicans on the Supreme Court, two of them appointed by his own father, stopped the Florida recount — that would have handed the election to Al Gore — and thus gave Bush the presidency.

Madison and the Founders of his generation had it right: what Trump is doing violates both the Constitution and the foundational norms of democracy… Operation Epstein Fury — with a bonus to help Bibi get re-elected so he doesn't have to face charges for his criminal behavior — is rolling on as Trump ignores the constitutional requirement that only Congress can declare war. He's also violating the War Powers Resolution of 1973 that dictates the president, if he reacts to an actual attack on America like Pearl Harbor, must notify Congress within 48 hours and have authorization within 60 days. In this case there was no actual or even imminent attack against America. To further confuse things, Trump is throwing the Iranian protestors under the bus by saying that he's willing to talk with the Iranian regime now that Kahmenei is dead, much like he crapped on pro-democracy voters and protestors in Venezuela when he kept that repressive regime intact after illegally removing Maduro and promising democracy.