Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) Chief Justice John Roberts must be really proud now of the decision that he wrote for the SCOTUS supermajority granting The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America presidential immunity in Trump v. United States.  Chief Justice Roberts, along with the five other Republican Justices voted to give then presidential candidate Trump presidential immunity: they threw him a lifeline to become president again!  Now that Trump is serving his second term in the Oval Office and is already wreaking havoc by breaking virtually every governmental norm, and some critics even say breaking the law, these Justices must be brimming with pride over their contribution to this unprecedented phenomenon.

Prior to his first term, just like this term, Trump’s election to become The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America was fueled by those who felt like they could control him and get the best out of him while ignoring the irrational rest that is an innate part of him.  America knows how that turned out; “It’s Alive”!; but Americans obviously did not learn.  The “It’s Alive” link is provided as an aside for your reading pleasure, in case you might be interested.  It will link you to a related article that I posted to this site on November 19, 2022.  It incorporates a bit of levity but who couldn’t use a bit of that with the way that Trump’s second term as The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America is impacting on Americans now.

These SCOTUS Republican Justices are intelligent people.  Yet, although they were warned by the three dissenting Democratic Justices that this was a bad decision, which one dissenting Justice said was a 5-alarm fire, the Republican supermajority was obviously comfortable with it.  Will the stench from that decision – coupled with what Trump and his administration are now doing to dismantle the government and, what appears to be, destroy the American democracy impact them in a way that will cause them to correct their course?  It remains to be seen.  Trump is brazenly thumbing his nose at the Judicial branch of government by ignoring rulings by federal judges.  And he is doing this while he, via the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) headed by billionaire Elon Musk, quickly and steadily dismantles America’s governmental systems and calls for the impeachment of judges who make rulings that he does not like.  Will this be enough to cause the supermajority Justices to cease being, as he has called them, his judges, and publicly state the same?

As mentioned immediately above, these SCOTUS Republican Justices are intelligent people so they must know that if Trump is willing to ignore the rulings of lower court judges and attack them when they make rulings that he disagrees with that he will have no qualms about doing the same to them if they do not remain, as he sees it, in line.  The question is, how will they respond, not if but, when that time comes.  Because there is no way that over the remainder of his current term one or more of them will not do or say something that is out of line with what he thinks they should do or say.  Will they kowtow to him and toe the line like the entire Republican congress and his cabinet are doing now or will they honor their oath of office?  The fact that Trump is challenging judges and ignoring their rulings while showing no concern about the consequences of his actions should terrify every American.

Chief Justice John Roberts said that the Supreme Court at times issues controversial decisions and he can understand that some people will be angry about them.  He went on to say that this has nothing to do with confidence in the Court or its credibility.  What!  Sometimes very smart people are so smart that there seems to be no room left for common sense.  Chief Justice Roberts wrote the ruling for the supermajority that granted Trump presidential immunity; the ruling on a request for presidential immunity that many great legal minds had predicted would be quickly denied and, based on how quickly it was denied, be equivalent to being laughed out of the Court.

One would think that, coupled with Trump referring to these six SCOTUS Republican justices as “my judges”, many well-respected legal minds predicting that Trump’s request for presidential immunity did not stand a chance of being granted, the request receiving a favorable ruling along ideological lines, and the SCOTUS slow walking the decision to accept the case, all of which favored Trump, that Chief Justice Roberts would see that this, and other controversial decisions that favored Trump had everything to do with confidence in the Court and its credibility.  Further, the visual of Trump shaking Chief Justice John Robert’s hand and saying “thank you, I won’t forget it,” after his speech to a joint session of congress did not help to boost Americans’ sense of confidence in the Court or reinforce their perception of the Court’s credibility.

Americans really want to believe that the SCOTUS is an honorable and fair arbiter of interpreting U.S. laws, especially since it is the final arbiter of these laws.  However, under these current circumstances it is reasonable to see why many Americans might question whether it truly is.  Hopefully, Chief Justice Roberts and all the other SCOTUS justices can understand this.  Whether they do, of course, is important but even if they do understand it, at this point, it seems necessary for the U.S. government to figure out a way to place effective checks and balances on the SCOTUS so that if it somehow becomes corrupt, it can be reined in and held to account while the problem is addressed and fixed.  Under the current administration, it is unlikely that any thought will be given to a potential situation such as this.  Even if this is the case, as demoralizing as it might be, we the people must remain in the fight if we want to help assure that America will remain a democracy.  Each of us can do this by way of our vote.

So always remember, whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!

Eulus Dennis – author, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop; Operation Rubik’s Cube, and Living Between The Line

Politics; this is just a four-letter word times two when compared to words like honor, principles. and oath.  And at this point in American history, it might be fair, and perhaps even reasonable, to say it is synonymous with the word coward.  And, especially with the way that politicians have been hiding behind it lately, that it can arguably be used as a substitute for words like bulls**t or even the slang version of the word coitus.   Because politics times two is what elected Republicans are doing to America and the American people in real-time.  They use the word “politics” to keep things clean and avoid using the word that truly describes what is being perpetrated upon America and its people.  It sounds much better to them and makes it easier for them to look at themselves in the mirror and sleep at night if they say to themselves that they are politicking America rather than using the profane word that in fact describes what they are doing.

The people on the cable news channels that I watch regularly and all the other reporters who report the news, talk easily and smoothly about politics, and seem to accept that it is a word that fairly describes what Republicans are doing and makes what they are doing reasonable.  All of them likely understand “politics” a lot better than I do and are simply reporting what is happening using the most applicable word available for the situation.  Or, maybe some of them have a different feeling about the meaning and application of this word but are remaining unbiased and just reporting what is happening.  Anyway, I thought that I understood “politics” and, although I understood and begrudgingly accepted that it involved a lot of posturing and some lying (those who “really know” politics seem to view lying as acceptable in politics) at times by politicians, there was a Rubicon for all politicians if any threat to democracy was involved; let alone an existential threat!  Post Trump, that warm and fuzzy feeling that I held about a line that would not be crossed by any politician is no more.  That bubble has been burst.

I believe that there are plenty of Americans, regardless of party affiliation, who feel as I do that America must remain a democracy and it is shameful what elected Republicans are allowing to happen to America!  Although in the past I would disagree with Republicans point of view and become angry when Democrats and Republicans would do battle about how America should be run and which direction she should take moving forward, that anger could be fairly defined as righteous indignation.  For elected Democrats to do battle with the likes of former Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger and the late Senator John McCain, who obviously had a Rubicon when honor, principles, and oath were involved, was a privilege.  I felt that it was even a privilege for me even though I was involved only as someone whom these elected officials were representing.

Prominent senators like Susan Collins, Lindsey Graham, Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, Tommy Tuberville, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, Tom Cotton, Tim Scott, Rick Scott, Chuck Grassley, Joni Ernst, Bill Cassidy, John Kennedy, Josh Hawley, Tom Tillis, James Lankford, John Cornyn, Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, and Ron Johnson:  And Representatives like Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Tom Emmer, Jim Jordan, Majorie Taylor Greene, Byron Donalds, Elise Stefanik (Soon to be U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations), and James Comer need to be called out.  Although there are many other Republican senators and representatives in the Senate and House, these senators and representatives get the bulk of publicity when things are going well for Republicans so they should get it as well when things are going badly.

The fact at this point is that Trump, his Republican Party, and his Supreme Court are trouncing Democrats.  They are certainly breaking almost all the norms in government that the American people have become accustomed to and many critics believe they are breaking many of America’s laws.  Democrats are leaderless and without a rudder while Trump is attempting to remake America and reset the world order.  American voters put Trump and the Republican Party in charge of all three branches of government in the 2024 election and many of them like what he is doing even if it means that America is marching towards a dictatorship.  But it is reasonable to believe that the majority of Americans do not feel this way.  I am an American and I want America to remain a democracy and the leader of the free world!  I hope that I am a part of the majority and that this change that Trump envisions for America and the world will not occur.

As DOGE storms its way through virtually every department in the federal government while spouting words about savings through the elimination of fraud and waste, many regular Americans are beginning to feel the pain.  They are mounting protests.  Whether this will apply enough pressure on Republicans in congress to cause them to reverse course remains to be seen.  So far, however, although privately Republicans may be grumbling and showing signs of revolt, they are continuing to throw their support behind Trump in public.  They are defending his actions to their constituents who are bitterly complaining about what is happening to them and demanding that those that they elected represent them and give them a voice in Washington.  Since Democrats are aware that Republican senators and representatives are doing this, it is hard to understand why Democrats, rather than strongly and regularly condemning Republicans for their mealy-mouthed public responses despite what they are saying in private, are coddling them.

Democrats are saying things like, “some of my Republican colleagues, like Lisa Murkowski and Tom Tillis are publicly calling Putin out for who he is; a murderous dictator and war criminal, and saying that the U.S. should get right with Ukraine.  If Democrats are going to defend Republicans at all, they should be saying things more along the line of what former Democratic senator Claire McCaskill said.  Former senator McCaskill said, and I paraphrase, “We should be asking these few Republicans, “what else are you doing instead of occasionally disagreeing with Trump and criticizing Putin in public?”  During Trump’s speech to congress on March 4^th, almost every Republican in attendance gave Trump multiple standing ovations no matter how ridiculous the things he said, even his comments about acquiring Canada, reclaiming the Panama Canal, and acquiring Greenland “one way or another.”  Based on how Republicans reacted to Trump’s speech, former Senator McCaskill was right!  Democrats must find a way, real soon, to go on offense if democracy is to have any chance to survive.

My takeaway from Democrats’ response by Senator Elissa Slotkin to Trump’s speech is that democracy is at times messy but it is, without doubt, worth fighting for.  Freedom is not free; it comes at a price and we the people must be willing to fight for it.  In addition to my agreement with what former Senator McCaskill said about how Democrats should deal with Republicans’ mealy-mouthed responses about whether they agree with the things that Trump is doing, I also agree with Democratic Representative Maxwell Alejandro Frost, the young representative from Florda.  Representative Frost said, and once again, I paraphrase, “we can be the minority Party or we can be the opposition Party.  An authoritarian can take hold when it is just a minority but when it’s a strong opposition we can fight back and come back stronger than ever.”  The overall takeaway for me from both Senator Slotkin and Representative Frost is that we can’t do everything so we should pick one thing that we are passionate about and work that issue.  So, pick one and let’s get to work!

While we are working, though, we must not lose sight of the upcoming midterm elections.  Just like the American people put Republicans in charge of all three branches of government in the 2024 presidential election, voters can begin to change this in the midterm elections and completely clean it up by the close of voting in the 2028 presidential election.  So always remember, whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!

Eulus Dennis – author, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube, and Living Between The Line

Tyranny requires your fear, silence, and compliance.  Democracy requires your courage.  I recently heard these words quoted by a cable news host; I think it was MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow.  I was struck by her words so I decided to use them in this article.  These words had an encouraging effect on me because, many times, I have been hesitant to write negative things about Trump even when it is blatantly obvious that he is wrong and knows it but is daring anyone to say that he is wrong.  I have had the same hesitancy in writing negative things about his sycophants, other powerful people, and institutions that he controls: other powerful people, many of whom are also sycophants, like senators and representatives, and institutions like the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS).  And although I will likely continue to experience these feelings of a buried fear to be silent and comply without encouraging all the American people to speak truth to power via this blog, I will continue to write and post.

I am one person.  I do not have the slightest idea of how many people read the articles that I post to this blog.  But if even one person reads them and is moved to stand and fight for democracy, even if they harbor fear, I have achieved success!  Why do I consider moving just one person to stand and fight for democracy success?  Because the American democracy is right now involved in a battle to the death.  It is an existential battle and it needs all hands on deck if it is to have any chance to survive!  That means that every American; every one person, must grab their one bucket of water and contribute to containing this 5-alarm democracy fire until we the people can put it out…permanently.  Then, and only then, will we be able to get back to reasonable discourse among reasonable people, govern, and do the business of America for the American people.

All United States senators and representatives swore the following oath before they took office:

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely; without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.”

After having read this oath, does it appear to you, the reader, that it is what U.S. Republican senators and representatives are adhering to?!  I assume that your answer is no.  Common sense demands it!  It seems that their oaths are anathema to them because honoring it would require that they put country above Party; honoring it would prevent them from giving Trump everything that he wants!  This is reflected in how they are allowing The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America to run roughshod over them and the American people while showing little to no respect for the Constitution or the law of the land.  While they express anger and concern in private about the things that Trump is doing, in public they smile and express strong support of him.  Many of these congresspersons then return to their home districts and lie to their constituents about what is happening to America.

Trump is moving forward at lightening speed in destroying many of the things that it has taken America more than two centuries to build.  And he is doing it literally via executive orders, many of which he has immediately rescinded each time, and as soon as, the American people have mounted protests in objection to them.  It is important that all Americans realize that even when Trump rescinds these orders, they still do great damage.  Although the damage might not be as great as that done by those executive orders that are left standing, both destroy the very fiber of American society and will require years to repair.  Some of this damage may never be fully repaired.

As of the posting of this article, Trump has been in office a little more than a month.  During that time, he has cozied up to Russian President Putin, alienated all our allies and thrown Ukraine under the bus while appearing to have changed sides in the middle of the war that Russia started with Ukraine.  Most of what Trump is doing is wrong and a slap in the face of the American people.  Yet, far too many Americans are waiting in hope that Trump is not who he has shown the world that he is all his life before they decide to fight back against him and the tyrannical things he is doing.  Why wait and hope?  Trump has already said that he would be a dictator, but only on day one of his current term as president.  He told the world what he would do if he was elected to a second term as president…and he is doing it.  As to whether he will be true to his word that he would be a dictator only on day one, remains to be seen.  But with the way that things have gone so far, he has continued to show the world that he is exactly who he has shown the world that he is all his life.  What are these Americans waiting for?!  What more proof do they need!

Let me be clear, the paragraph immediately above is not meant to suggest that people cannot or should not have any differences of opinion.  America is a melting pot; of course, her people are going to have differences of opinion.  What it is meant to suggest, however, is that only when we can get back to reasonable discourse among reasonable people will we be able to govern and do the business of America for the American people.  Trump, his sycophants, and the other powerful people that he controls are not conducive to returning to civil discourse.  Neither Trump nor his enablers who are trying to destroy the American democracy should ever be allowed the privilege to govern America again: they should all be voted out of office.

But herein lies the rub.  Who am I to say that all these politicians should be voted out of office and never allowed to govern America again, that any reasonable and responsible American would feel this way, and then be the soul individual to determine that this will be the case?  But that is my opinion and I have every right to have it; and you have every right to have yours!  That is why we must have reasonable people who can have reasonable discourse to solve our differences of opinion; to find common ground!  Again, Trump, his sycophants, and the other powerful people that he controls are not conducive to finding these kinds of people.  We can end this conundrum that we find ourselves in with our vote.  Let’s do that.

So always remember, whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!

Eulus Dennis – author, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube, and Living Between The Line

Democracy is now under a full-frontal attack.  All Americans should be wary of this.  We must not assume that democracy in America is invincible, wink at this attack, and assume that our elected officials will straighten things out after they have given Trump and the Trump Republican Party time to publicly make fools of themselves, tire of their antics and, at least, try to govern.  We cannot depend on our elected officials to fight for democracy and work to rein in Trump and his Party because far too many of them are more focused on keeping their jobs than they are on keeping the American democracy.  This includes some Democrats.  I agree with MSNBC contributor and former Republican David Jolly when he says that Democrats are being blamed for the current Constitutional crisis but should not be: That they are not to blame for the Republicans’ lawlessness.  However, I do blame Democrats for being caught completely flatfooted in this situation!

Donald Trump told Democrats and the world before his election to his current term exactly what he was going to do.  And as for Republicans in congress, they have been showing Democrats for years who they are!  Republicans can read Democrats like a book.  They know exactly what Democrats are going to do and depend upon them to do it no matter how shameless and lawless Republicans are.  Democrats must stop being so goody-two-shoes and play by the same rules that Republicans play by!  E.g., Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins.  Take note of how they have voted on Trump’s cabinet nominees, especially those who are obviously unqualified!  They know better!  It is shameful and they know it; their oath of office is meaningless to them.  It seems that they place their left hand on the bible, lift their right hand and simply repeat the obligatory words to keep their jobs.

I recently heard an MSNBC contributor say “some people say that Republicans are shameless, but Democrats are spineless.”  It matters whether Democrats are spineless because the American people need them to get engaged and remain engaged in the fight to save democracy.  Without a spine, this task would be impossible for them.  What matters just as much though, is that many working-class Americans believe that the Democratic Party is no longer fighting for them and so is no longer their Party.  Hypothetically speaking – since we are all aware that I am referring to a political spine, even if x-rays could reveal that Democrats do have political spines, it would not matter if their constituents, even after viewing these x-rays, still do not believe that they do.  Perception!  Perception is extremely important!

So, if working-class Americans perceive that the Democratic Party is no longer their Party, then it does not matter whether they have a spine because perception counts!  Under the current circumstances, this cannot be overemphasized.  Democrats must demonstrate to working-class Americans and convince them that they are still fighting for them!  At the speed that Trump is inundating the system with trumped-up executive orders and obtaining confirmations for his unqualified cabinet nominees, whose only real requirement is that they be unquestionably loyal to him, it is obvious that Democrats are not keeping up.  Notwithstanding the reason as to why they are not keeping up, they are not convincing working-class Americans that they are up to the task and, therefore, deserve their continued loyalty and support.  If what Democrats are doing thus far is the best that they can do, then democracy and the American people are in dire circumstances!

Having said that, we the people must do our part too to save democracy and, by extension, ourselves.  We, too, must do everything that we can, short of violence, to prevent Trump and his enablers from achieving any of their lawless and antidemocratic goals; or barring that, as few of those goals as possible.  Since Trump took office on January 20, 2025, he has signed more than 60 executive orders, some of which blatantly ignore the law and are obviously illegal.  Despite this, no one in the Republican Party has shown outrage, protested, and strongly pushed back on this.  Trump has made outrageous statements suggesting that Canada become the 51^st state, taking back the Panama Canal, purchasing Greenland, taking over and owning the Gaza Strip, and more.  Still, all these Republican House members and senators, many of whom were once held in high esteem, continue to enable Trump and remain loyal to him.  Trump is loving it!  Cloaked in the presidential immunity of his Supreme Court, he is taking a wrecking ball to American institutions with the aid of his billionaire friends.  He has also questioned the authority of judges and the White House is placing blame for any Constitutional crisis on the Judicial Branch.  This should even make his Supreme Court a bit jittery.

Trump is a convicted felon.  And as such, he seems to be bound-and-determined to fill his cabinet with people who will do whatever he asks of them so that he can run the American government, the peoples’ government, as he sees fit.  He has placed Elon Musk, who was not elected by anybody to do anything, in charge of his new made-up agency called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).  In this capacity, Musk and his team of young assistants have gained access to the records of many government departments that are crucial to running America and serving the American people.  Chief among those departments is the Treasury Department which houses The Bureau of the Fiscal Service which, in turn, oversees a payment system known as the nation’s checkbook.  Checks paid from the nation’s checkbook include tax refunds, payments to contractors, Social Security Payments and more.  An American kleptocracy government might be unwanted by Americans but with the superrich having such power and such proximity to this president, it is neither inconceivable nor a stretch to find ourselves as victims of one.

Even if it is not intended, Musk is doing a lot of damage to departments and systems that are vital to keeping the government running and some of what he is doing is negatively impacting America’s national security. During his 2025 presidential campaign, Trump disavowed Project 2025 saying that he did not know anything about it and did not want to know anything about it.  Yet, since he became president again his agenda seems to be closely following what was laid out in Project 2025.  And although during his presidential campaign he disavowed it, he has made Russell Vought, an author of Project 2025, a member of his cabinet by getting him confirmed as Director of the Office of Management and Budget.  If Americans become fatigued and decide to disengage, this is exactly what Trump wants and that is why he is flooding the zone with executive orders, it becomes easier to allow for manufactured excuses: excuses like, the good billionaires will help the government to stave off a kleptocracy until the next presidential election.

This is Flawed thinking.  The cavalry is not coming to rescue the American people because it no longer exists.  It has been decimated by Trump, his Republican Party, and his Supreme Court.  No one knows how many American institutions, or people, have been taken over by Trump and are now under his control.  This should behoove all of us to be wary of categorizing the previously mentioned superrich folks as billionaires and “good billionaires.”  Although SCOTUS Chief Justice John Roberts has warned Americans about the potential of court orders being ignored and the consequences that Americans would face if court orders are ignored, his warning should not be taken out of context.  When Chief Justice Roberts gave this warning, he gave it in reaction to how Americans were reacting to court rulings that Americans did not like or agree with, including the SCOTUS’s presidential immunity ruling.  So, Americans should not automatically assume that he feels the same way about Trump and the Trump administration’s recent negative remarks about judges’ rulings that relate to unconstitutional actions that Trump is taking.  They should not take comfort from this and think that this SCOTUS will automatically stand up for the rule of law!

The Republican Party has collapsed on itself so, in essence, the congress has collapsed as a check-and-balance on the executive branch of government.  That leaves only the courts as a check-and-balance on Trump.  The lower courts are trying to hold the executive branch accountable and prevent it from running roughshod over the Constitution and the rule of law.  These rulings against the executive branch are bound to make their way to the SCOTUS.  Under the current circumstances, Americans cannot be confident as to how the SCOTUS will rule: will it rule without fear or favor and based on the rule of law?!  Only time will tell.  Regardless of how the SCOTUS will rule, at this point, the Judicial branch is the last line of defense in trying to ensure that no one is above the law.  Of course, as previously mentioned, we the people – short of violence, must do our part too to assure that America remains a land that operates based on laws.  In the meantime, we must be sure to get out and vote in the 2026 midterm and 2028 presidential elections.

So always remember, whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!  Make your voices heard.  It is not too late…yet.

Eulus Dennis – author, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube, and Living Between The Line

Time has quickly ticked down to Trump’s inauguration day; tick tock, tick tock, tick tock…  Oh, perhaps I should not mention tick tock because Trump is already really lathered up about that subject; TikTok, that is.  So, it might be better to avoid mentioning anything that sounds like the application.  Trump wanted to halt all things TikTok until after he was sworn into office.  Well, he is once again The Occupier of the Oval Office so all things TikTok can proceed under his auspices.  After all, all the brouhaha about TikTok is just another step down the endless path of Trump’s “it’s about me” obsession.  “it’s about me” is present in all things Trump.  And he has plenty of enablers who help him along the way and encourage him to continue down this path.  They are mesmerized by Trump so have lost their way: from the conservative supermajority Supreme Court of the United States down to all those everyday American people whom he has gaslighted and enchanted.

There is no need to take a trip down memory lane and review the past “it’s about me” Trump occasions because the world will see many of them over the next four years.  In essence, they will be no different from those of the past.  But this time it will be “it’s about me” on steroids with the once again The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America knowing how to avoid the pitfalls that hampered his progress and prevented him from achieving most of his goals during his first term.  Not only that, but he will be armed with the presidential immunity gifted him by Chief Justice John Roberts and the conservative supermajority Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS).  It is disconcerting and frightening to even contemplate how Trump will wield this power!

I considered not watching the Inauguration ceremonies because all Trump’s speeches are filled with so much bluster, hubris, and divisiveness that it is hard to listen to him speak for more than a few minutes.  It also disturbed me that the Inauguration was on the same day that we honor Dr. Martin Luther King for his contributions to America and all Americans.  However, a relentless feeling of obligation as a part of my civic duty to stay informed kept nagging at me so I capitulated: I decided to watch the Inauguration.  As far as Trump’s inauguration taking place on the day that we honor Dr. King is concerned, I choose to view it as being emblematic of the stark difference in how these two men view America, the American people, and the direction in which America should travel.

It’s over.  I watched it and Trump’s inauguration was exactly as I thought it would be.  His speech was filled with bluster, hubris, and blatant divisive language.  A major thing that I did not anticipate though was that he would have a gaggle of millionaires and billionaires on the dais with him.  I was appalled, not just by their presence but by the gall of him to flaunt his complete distain for the long-held norms of this occasion to a worldwide television audience.  This is not normal!  This had never happened before!  And as I alluded to previously, the “it’s about me” began immediately after his inauguration with him resending at least 78 of President Biden’s policies, pardoning or commuting the sentences of everyone involved in the January 6, 2021 insurrection/riot and, according to MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnel, directing the Department of Justice to drop all charges, with prejudice, against all those still facing charges but who have not yet been charged or sentenced, and finally, reclassifying many federal employees to make it easier to fire them.

The next four years are going to be hard for Americans who did not vote for Trump and/or disagree with him, his policies, and his overall vision for America.  They will also be hard for many Americans who voted for him with the expectation that he would make their lives easier by lowering food prices and keeping other promises he made to them.  As Trump’s term in office progresses, they will come to realize this.  That he is floating trial balloons that are tinkering with revising the 14^th Amendment, rendering it toothless, or abolishing it portends his intention to centralize power in the executive branch, i.e. Donald John Trump.  This does not bode well for everyday American people, especially poor people, and people of color.

Harry Dunn and Michael Fanone, two former Capitol police officers who recently appeared on MSNBC cable news shows were obviously angry and filled with frustration as a result of Trump pardoning all those who participated in the January 6, 2021 insurrection/riot.  Both officers said that the American people are responsible for these pardons because they put Trump in a position to grant them.  This is what they wanted, former officer Dunn said angrily.  He told them what he was going to do and now they are shocked that he did it?!  Come on; where were they?!  He told them that he was going to do it!  Former officer Fanone agreed with Mr. Dunn and in essence said this is who we (Americans) are.  He added, “Law enforcement is a microcosm of America…  They are going to do what Trump tells them to do.”  Although both men were frustrated and disappointed with the failure by those in power to hold those who participated in the January 6, 2021 insurrection/riot to account, both said that they would continue to fight.  “What are the options, former officer Dunn asked; quit?!”

The resilience and determination of these two former Capitol police officers is exemplary.  This is exactly the attitude that must be taken by all Americans who love our country and want it to remain a democracy.  All of us are tired and tempted to take a deep breath, stick our heads in the sand, and ride this one out for the next four years.  That is exactly what Trump wants us to do!  That would make his job much easier.  Like former officers Dunn and Fanone, we must not acquiesce!  Just like cowardice, as exhibited by congressional Republicans, is contagious, bravery is also contagious.

So, let’s be brave, stand on our principles, and continue to move forward and fight for what we believe in; our American democracy!  And because the once “Grand Ole Party” that touted itself as the Party of law and order seems to have now become the “Party of Convicts and Thugs,” the Democratic Party and we the people, are the last line of defense.  It is now our turn to stand watch.  Then, through the power of our collective vote, we can replace those politicians who ran for and were elected to office to exploit their personal political ambitions to the fullest instead of serving the American people and protecting the Constitution, with honorable politicians who will abide by their oath of office.

So always remember, whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!

Eulus Dennis – author, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube, and Living Between The Line

A person that you love and care deeply about who is like family to you steals from you while they are in your home.  You discover that they stole from you and so you confront them about it.  That person admits that they stole from you and express remorse.  You forgive them.  The same person comes into your home and steals from you again.  You discover it and so confront them about it.  They admit it and express remorse.  You forgive them.  The same person comes into your home a third time and steals from you yet again.  You discover it and so confront them about it.  They admit, yet again, that they stole from you and, again, you forgive them.  This same thing continues to happen repeatedly until finally, when it happens again, you have had enough and tell this person that they are no longer welcome in your home.  They plead with you to forgive them.  They say “yes, I have stolen from you but this is not who I am; I am not a thief!”

Is this person not a thief?  They have violated your trust and stolen from you numerous times.  How about instead of saying numerous times we replace it with a number.  How about replacing it with the number 248?  That seems like a good solid number.  That’s about how long the United States has been a democracy.  Down through all these years on numerous (you can replace numerous with a number) occasions a majority of voting Americans (at least, via the Electoral College) have chosen to put elected officials in office who do undemocratic things and support and enable those voters who do undemocratic things.  Yet, many American pundits continue to say “this is not who we are” when America is confronted by people, foreign and domestic, for her hypocrisy.

But just like the thief who violated the trust of someone, who loved them dearly and to whom they were like family, and yet stole from them 248 times, then said, “this is not who I am; does this mean that this person is not a thief?  By the same token, simply because American pundits say “this is not who we are,” does this mean that Americans who do or condone the previously mentioned undemocratic things are not hypocrites?!  I choose not to give you my answer to this question because I do not want to create even the slightest bit of bias that might influence your answer.  No matter what your answer to this question is, that still does not change the fact that America is the greatest country in the world.  No disrespect meant to the other democratic countries in the world but I am an American and, despite America’s faults, that is my humble opinion.

America’s faults, even though all of them cannot ultimately be corrected because they are dynamic, those that are not corrected can continue to be mitigated while work to correct them continues…possibly, in perpetuity: That is because as we correct existing problems, new ones will arise and others will reoccur.  However, to even begin this process, Americans must first acknowledge that these faults exist and have existed for the, almost, 250 years that America has existed!

We cannot pretend that America is perfect and invent some utopian world that says that this is the case by trying to erase American history.  Banning books, putting politicians into office who currently agree with us, and replacing our beloved republic with an authoritarian one headed by a politician who wants to “make America great again” by taking her back to the slavery era is not the answer.  Acknowledging who we were does not make it who we are!  Not if we acknowledge that that is who we WERE and do the work that is required to define who we are now!  Not if we accept that the American democracy is a dynamic democracy and that Americans must work in perpetuity toward forming a more perfect union!

Sadly, many people have become elected politicians, not to protect the Constitution and to serve their country; but instead to exploit their personal and political ambitions to the fullest.  But these kinds of politicians have existed ever since America has existed.  There are just more of them now.  Although it is discouraging to witness so many politicians deserting America when she needs them most, we, the people, must stay in the fight!  We cannot afford to despair!  We must dig deep and find the will to remain engaged no matter how bleak things may appear because the soul of America is at stake!

Under the current circumstances with the open and full-frontal attack on the American democracy and its institutions by Trump’s Republican Party, it is reasonable and appropriate to state out loud what many Americans are obviously thinking.  That is, not only are citizens faced with traditional Republican politicians deserting America when she needs them most but those traditional Republican politicians, who normally conduct official business in suits and ties, appear to have been joined by apolitical partners who conduct official business in long black robes and who have been long accepted as non-partisan.

It appears that the conservative supermajority in the SCOTUS has aligned itself with Trump in this fight.  Whether this is true or not is important; but just as important is that it appears to be the case!  And because among the SCOTUS’ rulings is the ruling in favor of presidential immunity, which heavily impacted on how judges in all the trump cases handled them, this means that the judicial branch of government, headed by SCOTUS Chief Justice John Roberts, and in essence the justice system as a whole, has completely failed the American people.  This is not only damaging to the SCOTUS in the eyes of the public but it makes the job of citizens to remain engaged harder because of its deeply demoralizing impact.

Many signs right now indicate that America is ripe for an authoritarian oligarchy type of government run by a few rich and powerful men.  Fortunately, this is not a foregone conclusion.  Again, if American citizens remain in the fight and remain engaged, we will find a way to successfully pass through the next four years and remain a democracy.  After that, Americans once again will be able to vote in a presidential election.  Trump will not be able to run for office again and maybe, just maybe, Americans will choose a president who will place the interest of the country above his own personal and political interests.

So always remember, whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!

Eulus Dennis – author, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube, and Living Between The Line

For me, Trump Is Like Long COVID.  Since he won the 2024 election, I have really struggled to write and post articles to my website, Political Pawns And Puppets.  Yes, I was able to write and post a couple of articles right after the election but suddenly after that, it was like I fell flat on my face; I felt totally incapacitated.  I mean, when I reflect on it, in terms of how I feel now when I try to motivate myself to write an article and compare how I feel to that of the symptoms of Long COVID, they seem to match perfectly.

Here is how it works.  Kind of like when you first catch COVID, when Trump won the first time back in 2016, I was depressed, disgusted, and discouraged.  I thought, this is a tough pill to swallow but the voters have spoken and I, along with others who did not vote for Trump, will just have to ride this out for four years until the 2020 presidential election.  I further thought, even though these Trump voters should already know who Trump really is based on his track record, this does not seem to be the case.  But if all of us voters just hang in there and stay in the fight for four years – after they see how he conducts himself, surely, he will never hold the office of President of the United States of America again.  I even wrote a few articles back then stating how it would be a rough ride but we must buckle up, hang in there, and keep fighting until his term was over.

And so it was: Trump lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden.  I was elated!  Donald Trump’s time of making America look foolish, become the laughingstock of the world, and, in my opinion, work her way toward becoming the grift capitol of the world, was over.  I felt rejuvenated and motivated to write again; to encourage people to always do their civic duty, which includes voting.  I was fired up and ready to go even though while he was still in office, Trump said that the 2020 election was rigged and stolen from him.  Stop the steal, he said!  Although this rhetoric continued long after the election – I had no idea that it would still be going on during the 2024 election – I continued to feel pretty good.

Then, as timed passed and Trump was indicted in multiple states on various charges, faced and was convicted of 34 felony counts in one of these states, and announced about two years ahead of time that he would run for president in2024, my “pretty good” feeling was waning.  Then, Long COVID-like symptoms set in: I thought that I was over struggling with Trump’s antics and what would he do next.  But it was not to be.  I quickly went from elated to devastated.  Would I already have to start writing again about Trump’s antics and how he was sucking up all the air in the room?  Yes.

At that time my thoughts were, but that is okay.  American voters have a long way to go until the 2024 election.  So, I wrote articles, a lot of them about Trump, and posted them.  I continued to encourage all eligible voters, whether they were Democrats, Republicans, or Independents, to always vote.  As time passed, once again, I began to feel pretty good again.  Trump had been forced to go to court on the numerous charges he was facing and it looked as if he would finally be held to account, for the first time in his life, for at least, all these things he had allegedly done wrong.  Whether he would be proven innocent or guilty remained to be seen.  So, I thought, Faced with all these legal problems, he would ultimately give up on all his crazy thoughts about becoming president in 2024.  Wrong.

Trump continued to say that he had done nothing wrong, that all the negative things that were going on were politically motivated, and that this was just an attempt to interfere with him running for president; it was election interference, he said!  My Long COVID-like symptoms had reached a plateau and I was still writing and posting articles.  It was more of a struggle than before, but it was still somewhat enjoyable and, at least, I was still writing and posting.  While Trump was going through all the court appearances that he was forced to make, it appeared that accountability was inevitable.

However, many times, he would come outside the courtroom, where the press were always eagerly waiting, during breaks and hold mini press conferences.  There were times during these mini conferences when sitting Republican congresspersons would show up and stand behind him in a show of solidarity.  On one occasion, even Speaker of the House Mike Johnson made an appearance.  Teflon Trump seemed to be once again be making progress toward avoiding accountability: My Long COVID-like symptoms got worse.  My motivation was waning and my ability to write and post articles dropped to a new low.

Even with my waning motivation and the drop in my ability to write and post articles, I managed to press forward.  President Biden and Trump agreed to have at least two debates before the election and had scheduled a date for the first one.  When the debate was held, it was a complete disaster for President Biden.  Trump clearly won the debate.  In the eyes of some Democrats President Biden had performed so poorly that many of them began pressuring him to withdraw as the nominee and allow someone else to replace him.  President Biden refused.  Although the pressure for him to withdraw got stronger and continued to rise, he resisted it until about 107 days before Election Day.  When he withdrew, he immediately endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement.  With that endorsement, it did not take long for Vice President Harris to win enough votes to officially become the nominee.

Vice President Harris had about 90 days to get her campaign up-and-running to win the election.  She worked hard and tirelessly to define herself to the American people and present her policies to us.  Vice President Harris and her team did a yeoman’s job and her chances of winning looked great!  Democrats were cautiously optimistic.  But Trump had been campaigning unofficially for four years and officially since he announced that he would run for president in 2024.  Republicans seemed extremely confident that Trump would win.  They were confident to the point of being giddy and this worried many Democrats.

As Election Day 2024 approached, I wrote and posted articles that included an Election Day countdown.  Finally, that day had arrived and votes were starting to be counted.  It wasn’t long before all Democrats found out that those “many Democrats” were right to worry.  As the votes continued to be counted it became clear that Trump would win.  And so it was: Vice President Kamala Harris lost the 2024 election to Donald Trump.  Enter the worse stage of Long COVID-like symptoms.  I was completely devastated!  It was as if all hope was lost.  It was as if I were in a daze.  I knew that I was there but due to the stupor that I was in, I did not feel depressed, disgusted, and discouraged.  I was also devoid of disappointment, hurt, frustration, anger, and all emotions.  It was like I was there but I wasn’t.  This daze phase only lasted for days but it seemed like a lot more than days; it felt like months!

For a long time after the daze phase I did not feel like writing: I was not in the mood for it.  I felt like I needed to write but when I would sit down in front of my keyboard, I couldn’t.  Nothing would come to me… until now.  So, here I am again; writing to encourage you to buckle up, hang in there, and keep fighting.  Trump has begun to assemble his cabinet and his selections indicates that it will be replete with billionaires and other questionable characters that are loyal to him even if they have zero experience.  This is not indicative of a president who has America’s interest at heart and who is dedicated to putting America and the American people above his personal interest and political ambitions.  This is completely unacceptable and can only be stopped by Americans staying engaged in the fight and, ultimately, by our votes.

So always remember, whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!

Eulus Dennis – author, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube, and Living Between The Line

With the collective decision of the majority of the American people in the 2024 presidential election, Trump’s America crystallized and is steadily coming into plain view.  Trump won; and whether Americans will be overcome by unfathomable jubilation or there will be buyers’ remorse remains to be seen.

Either way, Trump is moving forward with his plans of “I am your retribution,” and mine, with as much speed as he can muster while dealing with what little resistance he is faced with thus far.  It is obvious that he has instilled fear into the hearts of most of those so-called powerful politicians, journalist, and regular American people that apposed him before the election.

It will be especially interesting to see if those so-called powerful politicians who had the opportunity to spare America from the need to grapple with the ignominious situation that she is in, had they simply done their job on either occasion when The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America was impeached, will be among those who might have buyers’ remorse.

I say this because these politicians said unequivocally that Trump was guilty but, instead of convicting him, chose to pass this responsibility on to someone else.  In the overall scheme of things, whether they did this because they were more interested in remaining in power than they were in honoring their oath of office and severing the American people does not matter.  The bottom line is, if Trump feels that they crossed him in any way or were not completely loyal to him, he will not hold them guiltless: They will be punished.

When he is inaugurated, this time, Trump will be entering office with almost limitless power.  For this, if he is capable of such a thing, he can thank congress and the Supreme Court.  It seems that Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and Trump share the same vision of what the presidency should be and the powers that the president should hold.  The Supreme Court supermajority, led by Chief Justice Roberts, provided a tremendous amount of help, crowned by their presidential immunity ruling, in returning Trump to the presidency.

During Chief Justice Roberts early years on the Court, he said the job of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) was like that of an umpire calling balls and strikes.  However, in the presidential immunity ruling, it appears that the SCOTUS swung for the fences rather than simply calling balls and strikes.  What a difference that time has made in Chief Justice Roberts.  Or is who he is now who he has always been?

I probed this question in an article that I posted to this site in August of 2015 entitled “Chief Justice John Roberts’ Voting Rights Decision.”  I am no longer conflicted about the answer to this question or who Chief Justice Roberts really is; I now have the answer.  Those who read the article must still decide for themselves with the information that they currently have access to, whether he struggled with his decision to gut the Voting Rights Act back in 2013 and who they believe that Chief Justice John Roberts really is.

With the previously mentioned almost limitless power granted him by the SCOTUS with the assistance of congress, Trump will be seeking to centralize all power in the executive branch of government.  More specifically, he will be seeking to centralize all power in himself.  Chief Justice Roberts and all the other SCOTUS justices are obviously very intelligent people.  And as such, they must be aware, even before his inauguration, of what he is doing.

Ultimately, will the legislative and judicial branches of government maintain their current co-equal powers with the executive branch?  Should the judicial branch be taking careful note of what Trump is demanding that the senate do; allow him to bypass “advice and consent” and allow him to make recess appointments?

If all power is ultimately centralized in the executive branch of government, which will be synonymous with Trump, will Chief Justice Roberts and the rest of the SCOTUS justices be okay with being a rubber stamp branch of government rather than the trusted interpreters of the law, defenders of the Constitution, and strong advocates for the rule of law that they are charged with protecting?  Keep watching.

What Trump is doing looks like a mirror image of what Hungarian president Viktor Orban has already done in his country.  Far too many of the American people have been lulled to sleep by Trump and his dynamic custom made pablum.  Unfortunately, this has not only negatively impacted on Trump supporters but has caused all Americans to become the proverbial frog in the pot.

Those Americans who recognize that this is the situation and desperately want to climb out of the pot before the slowly rising temperature, disguised by Trump pablum and gaslighting, incapacitates us, either do not know how or simply cannot do it because we are leaderless.  And like a submarine that has neither rudder nor propulsion we cannot rise or correct our course; we can only sink.

Trump can neither suppress nor hide his admiration for Viktor Orban.  He is completely enamored and mesmerized by him.  So, like sweat from engaging in vigorous exercise it oozes out of his pores. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that he will not be satisfied until he reflects perfectly in every aspect the image of the object of his admiration.

Hopefully, congress and the SCOTUS will recognize this, correct their course and resist Trump’s attempt to destroy America’s institutions and democracy itself before it is too late to stop him.  If they do this, America will stand a chance of remaining a democracy through our future votes.  If they do not, who knows what will happen?  Only time will tell.

So always remember, whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!  Or…

Maybe as Trump said to his constituents during his 2024 campaign for president, you will never have to vote again.

Eulus Dennis – author, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube, and Living Between The Line

Trump won!  The American people have spoken: The majority has won.  They have decided which path America will take moving forward from here.  They have decided which direction she will travel; forward toward the future, backwards toward the past, to the right, to the left, or a combination of those directions.  But exactly where to from here?  The majority already know the answer to this question and the minority, if we do not know the answer, should know it.  For those who do not know the answer, it is laid out in stark detail in “Project 2025”, that more than 900-page document, also known as the 2025 Presidential Transition Project, crafted by Republicans prior to Trump’s election.

Those of us in that previously mentioned minority who have a different vision for America going forward from that laid out in Project 2025, must accept the decision of the American people, and make the necessary adjustments in our lives to abide by that decision while we continue to make our voices heard, stand on our long-held principles, and fight – without violence, for our ideals for America and the American way of life.  As of the writing of this article, I know Vice President Kamala Harris has called Trump and congratulated him on his win.  And after having done that, she gave her concession speech at her alma mater, Howard University.  I am sure that this task was extremely difficult for her.

Per an article in ALJAZEERA, according to a CNN exit poll, Trump won 45% of the Latino vote nationally and 13% of the Black vote.  Further, ALJAZEERA said that young Black voters who voted for Trump, unlike older Black voters, viewed the Civil Rights Movement simply as history and not legacy because they do not really know and understand this movement.  This sounds reasonable since social studies and history are no longer taught in many U.S. schools and Republicans are trying to rewrite history via sugarcoating slavery in America and/or banning books that reveal the bigotry and hate that existed in America during slavery and that still exist just beneath the surface today.  There is no doubt that White parents have a legitimate concern about how these things impact their children but trying to change history and banning books is not the answer.

But lest I lose sight of the point that I want to make, I must make it clear that this article is not about who voted for Trump and why they voted for him; there was a large swath of voters – men and women of different races, that moved away from Democrats and to Trump.  Instead, it is about the voice of the majority of the American people and the decision they have made.  Whether we like it or not, Trump won and we in the minority lost.  And although foreign countries tried to influence who would be elected – other than that, the election was fair and all Americans must move forward with this in mind.

There will always be winners and losers; and elections will always have consequences.  While encouraging all eligible voters to vote, I encouraged all who visit and read articles on this website to vote for the democratic presidential candidate and vote for Democrats from the top to the bottom of their ballot.  That is because I believed that Democrats were more in line with Americans way of thinking.  The election results indicate that I misjudged; I failed.

Notwithstanding, I will take this opportunity to continue to encourage all the American people to continue to make your voices heard.  Without doubt, I will continue to make mine heard.  I will go nurse my wounds now which were sustained from the Red shellacking I just received compliments of the Trump win.  I am under no illusion that Republicans will let any Democrat forget this anytime soon: yet, I will press forward, my head bloodied but not bowed.  I urge my fellow Democrats and all Republicans who were a part of the minority to do the same.  I mentioned that I would take this opportunity to continue to encourage all the American people to continue to make your voices heard, So…

Always remember, whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!

Eulus Dennis – author, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube, and Living Between The Line

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

In the 2024 presidential election…

Like your life depends upon it…

It does!

It’s Go Time!

It’s go time for all American voters.  This is your last day to vote in this election.  VOTE BEFORE THE POLLS CLOSE IN YOUR STATE!  No matter which candidates you vote for – Democrat or Republican, if you have not voted already, you must get out and vote!  It is important that you vote for either the Democrat or Republican candidates on the ballot!  Do not write in a name or vote for a third-party candidate; they cannot win.  You are wasting your vote if you do this: You are giving away your power!  This is arguably the most important election in the history of America!  America needs you so make your vote mean something; make it count!

Your Party affiliation must take a back seat in this election because the American democracy is at stake; we must vote for country.  We must vote for the candidate at the top of the ticket who, without equivocation, respects the Constitution, wants America to remain a democracy, is not focused on self and self-aggrandizement, and wants to serve the American people.  That candidate is Kamala Harris.  We must vote for this kind of candidate from the top to the bottom of the ticket.  Down ballot candidates will be extremely important in determining who will control the U.S. House and Senate.  In this election, this control is vital to the overall effort to keep America a thriving democracy and shining example to the rest of the world!

So, make voting your priority today.  Do your part in this historical election to continue the experiment of this young democratic republic, America.  You must not sit this one out.  Stop whatever you are doing and get out and vote.  Vote in this presidential election like your life depends upon it; it does!  And always remember, whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!

Eulus Dennis – author, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube, and Living Between The Line