The 2025 Republican Issues Conference held in Doral, Florida, set the stage for US President Donald Trump to once again dictate his controversial take on legality. His views oddly resonate with Richard Nixon’s infamous declaration – If a president does it, it is not illegal. Nixon, once enveloped in the whirlwind of the Watergate scandal, spoke these words, but ultimately caved under impeachment threats from his party, showcasing the laughable nature of this argument.
However, such a ludicrous statement found validation when a predominantly conservative Supreme Court backed Trump amidst his multiple indictments, including incitement of the attack on the Capitol in 2021. The sweeping judicial endorsement challenged the notions of presidential boundaries and alluded to a gross disregard for democratic principles.
Trump’s unrestrained actions, empowered by the Supreme Court majority, gasped the nation as he unsheathed yet another weapon – his unabashed disregard for the 1974 Impoundment Control Act. The law, which resulted from Nixon’s misconduct, refuted the then-president’s attempts to redirect appropriate funds. Trump, following a similar approach, unabashedly displays his lawlessness, positioning himself as a figure even more audacious than Nixon.
In continuation of the shocking revelations, the Office of Management and Budget announced the halting of a staggering $3 trillion of federal agency spending. The decision stemmed from the intention to politically scrutinize the expenditure and align it with presidential prerogatives. An inept justification cited how federal resources were squandered on so-called Marxist policies, transgenderism, and eco-friendly initiatives — an opinion unlikely to align with the majority.
The White House further showed its unabashed power display with a broader agenda designed to overhaul the U.S. government establishment. This audacious act signals an unheralded upheaval within the government structures, striking with an intensity eerily akin to a revolution.
Meanwhile, instead of presenting a united front against this outrageous dictatorship, some Democrats are surprisingly cozying up to Trump. A few Senate Democrats even confirmed the entirely underqualified South Dakota Governor, Kristi Noem, as Homeland Security secretary. One such wavering Democrat, Senator John Fetterman, expressed unsettling openness towards nominating the unconventional Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services Secretary.
Moreover, Fetterman, along with several other Senate Democrats, vouched for the controversial Laken Riley act. The unsettling law permits the deportation of undocumented residents under arrest for nonviolent offenses, further demonstrating the bewildering stance of these Democrats. Likewise, Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse’s indecisiveness over Kennedy mirrors these shaky stances.
While Democrats teeter on their stand, progressives like Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Ro Khanna seemed to collaborate with Elon Musk for his questionable DOGE project for reducing federal spending. These partnerships with controversial figures further hint at the Democrats’ ambiguity rather than responding to Trump’s misguided moves.
Trump’s autocratic maneuvers, unfortunately, aren’t limited to grand declarations. On Monday, he dismissed several prosecutors working on the January 6 and classified documents cases, some of whom enjoy civil servant protection. In addition, he ordered an investigation into the January 6 investigation, thumbing his nose at justice.
At the Agency for International Development, numerous senior staff members were forcefully put on leave. This came as an apparent retaliation against them for alleged attempts to bypass Trump’s harsh halt on international aid and health spending.
More repercussions became evident across the globe following Trump’s global health aid freeze. The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, a significant initiative by former President George W. Bush widely acknowledged for saving countless lives, faced an abrupt halt in funding. The fallout of this reckless action is stark – medical supplies already delivered to the clinics remain undistributed and critical research funds dry up, exposing countless lives to unnecessary risks.
Further domestic repercussions included accelerated roundups of undocumented immigrants by ICE, many of whom have no criminal charges. Predictably unhappy with the initial numbers, Trump is expected to escalate these oppressive tactics.
The extreme measure of impoundment initiated by Trump is speculated to test even the conservative Supreme Court’s limits. The argument that it is simply a suspension falters against the provisions of the ICA which prohibit such delay or withholding of budget expenditures for specified projects or activities.
His actions flagrantly undermine the principles of checks and balances designed to guard American democracy. With voter disillusionment and suppression plaguing the nation, it’s crucial to remember that a majority of registered voters did not vote for Trump, and neither his actions nor his standing represents the voice of the American people.