For two and a half months, Donald Trump has been given free rein. The result has been an endless stream of stupid tariffs, terrible appointments, mindless slash-and-burn attacks on the Federal government, and heartless treatment of citizens and non-citizens alike. Laws are being broken, judges ignored, and war plans are being made in a frat-boy chat room. A once-booming economy is grinding to a halt, former allies are rightly treating the US with fear and suspicion, and dictators around the world are toasting the disaster.
With few exceptions, members of the GOP have sat by and watched as the crash has occurred. They have been told not to hold town halls with their constituents so as to avoid made-for-YouTube shouting matches and protests. The Democratic reaction has been relatively muted, as well. Aside for some symbolic gestures and votes in Congress, the Democratic Party appears to be counting on a blue wave in 2026, as happened in 2018. They also seem to want Trumpism to play out to its illogical conclusion.
Donald Trump has been an albatross around the neck of the GOP since he rode down the gilded staircase in 2015. The only way that they can rid themselves of him is to convince even his most loyal cultists that he will hurt them personally with his insanity. Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, Federal support for rural populations, emergency relief, all are being attacked.
And who will rise from the rubble of Trump? Why, Vice-President J.D. Vance, of course. A man who could never be elected on the basis of his own charm rode into the second seat on Trump’s back, and is conveniently positioned to take over once Trump is gone. How Trump goes is immaterial. It could be the 25th amendment, or Trump could suffer a “heart attack”. In either case, Vance will be greeted as a savior. He is not. When Trump goes, Vance needs to go with him.
The best feature of parliamentary democracies is their ability to call for snap elections. Leaders can be replaced quickly when necessary. Impeachment is ponderous and ineffective. Replacing impeachment with a Congressional power to call for special elections requires a constitutional amendment, and should be a primary goal of the movement gathering momentum across the USA. Leaders in a democracy should be answerable to their constituents more often than every four years, especially since our collective memory appears to be considerably shorter than that.