Donald Trumps second presidency has stripped away the pretence, revealing how fragile democracy becomes when power is exercised without restraint, writes DrNorm Sanders.

In his frenzied effort to keep theEpstein filesout of the headlines, U.S. PresidentDonald J Trumphas unleashed the mother of all debacles.

He isthreatening Iranwith retaliation for killing demonstrators, while his private Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) army is shooting protestors in the face and legs in Minneapolis.

His moves totake over Greenlandhave prompted NATO to send troops to defend the island against invasion by another NATO member.

He has turned to piracy to capture Venezuelan oil tankers on the high seas and is blowing up boats and their crews in international waters in the Caribbean. After kidnapping Venezuelan PresidentNicols Maduroand his wife, DJT has declared himself the new ruler of that country.

In an 11 JanuaryTruth Socialpost, Trump shared a doctored screenshot of his Wikipedia page that lists Acting President of Venezuela, incumbent January 2026 under his official portrait.

(Source:Truth Social)

Back home, his overheated brain came up with the idea of tearing down the East Wing of the White House (and the famous rose garden) for a grandiose ballroom.

In his spare time, DJT is trying to forceJerome Powell, the Chair of the Federal Reserve Board, out of his position because he refuses to lower interest rates to make the Trump economy look better. Trump has instructed his Department of Justice to start acriminal investigationof Powell for allegedly lying to Congress about the renovation of the ageing Federal Reserve building.

Then, Trump, showing absolutely no concern about his own popularity, attacked SenatorMark Kellyforpublicly sayingin a widely seen video that no U.S. serviceman has to follow illegal orders. The statement was prompted by the murderous (and illegal) Caribbean boat strikes. Trumpdescribed the videoas seditious behaviour punishable by death.

In fact, U.S. servicemen and women must disobey illegal orders as required by theUniform Code of Military Justice. Trump, who dodged the draft during the Vietnam War due to bone spurs, instructed Minister of War (formerly Defence)Pete Hegsethto punish Mark Kelly. Kelly sued the Pentagon in January 2026, calling the efforts to punish him unconstitutional and stating he would not back down.

Bad choice of targets, Donald. Senator Mark Kelly is an American hero. The 61-year-old Arizona Democrat is a U.S. Navy veteran who flew 39 combat missions in Iraq. He became an astronaut and flew into space four times. The fight with Trump has elevated Kellys national profile, especially in military and Democratic circles. Observers are suggesting that he might be a candidate in the 2028 Presidential elections.

During DJTs first time in the Oval Office, there were still people who could stop him from doing whatever popped into his mind during his tweeting sessions at 2 A.M. This time, there is nobody but hand-picked yes men and women. The men are chosen for their absolute loyalty. The women must also be loyal in addition to being good-looking. Blondes are particularly in Trumps favour.

Most conspicuous is Attorney GeneralPam Bondi(or Pam Blondie as one internet influencercalls her). Bondi is one of DJTs favourite attack dogs. The iconoclastic (and brave)South ParkTV series always depicts Bondi with a brown smear on her nose. The Department of Justice, once totally apolitical, has been used repeatedly under Trump as a means of getting even with anyone he doesnt like.

As Trump tightens his grip on America, South Park zooms in on something much, much smaller.

TheABC reports:

Another prominent denizen of Trump World is Vice PresidentJD Vance. Originally from a poor background in Ohio, he became the definitive right-winger. Vance is opposed to immigration, abortion, same sex marriage, gun control and U.S. support for Ukraine. Given all this, it is worth noting that the Second Lady of the United States isUsha Chilukuri, a woman of South Asian descent.

Vances ambition drove him to get a BA from Ohio State and a law degree from Yale. Early in his career ,he associated himself with venture capitalistPeter Thiel. Now Vance is waiting in the wings for Trumps morbidly obese body to give out. Dont expect that things will change much for the better under a Vance presidency.

It takes a lot to get the attention of American voters, where going to the polls is not compulsory.

Trump has managed to do it to the point whereUSA Todaysaid:

The Republicans hold razor-thin margins in both the House and Senate at the moment, and the party in power traditionally loses members in a normal midterm. This could not be called a normal midterm by any stretch of the imagination. Americans are facing increasing economic hardship and are becoming alarmed about government tactics. They are witnessing events which, when they happened overseas, prompted a smug smile. It could never happen here.

From a 900-page plan to expand his power to undermining the Federal Reserve, Trump is pushing America to the brink of authoritarianism.

The awakening is illustrated by the ratings of South Park. The very unflattering and occasionally obscene criticisms of Trump and his team rate higher than CNN in the same time slot.

Meanwhile, the Trump regime behaves like one that does not appear worried or constrained by what voters might do in the future. Here is ananalysis by Ben Worthyof the London School of Economics that explains why they arent concerned. They simply plan to manipulate the midterm elections.

Worthy writes:

No wonder DJT doesnt care about his plummeting ratings and feels free to attack American icons like Astronaut Mark Kelly. He also sees no public relations problem with his private I.C.E. army shooting U.S. citizens in the street.

Benjamin Franklinsaid after theConstitutional Conventionof 1787 that a republic isn't self-sustaining; it relies on an informed, virtuous and engaged citizenry to prevent its decay into despotism or monarchy. Headdedthat they had created A republic, if you can keep it.

DrNorm Sandersis a former commercial pilot, flightinstructor, university professor, Tasmanian State MP and Federal Senator.

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