This Is What A War On Democracy Looks Like
HuffPost
The focus on executive action in a president's second term isn't unusual, but how Trump is going about it is.
This article is part of HuffPost’s biweekly politics newsletter. Click here to subscribe.
To understand the dangers of Donald Trump’s second term, pay attention to the way that it is already different from his first.
The early weeks of Trump’s presidency back in 2017 felt like a jolt, but mainly because his bombastic, unpredictable public appearances were like nothing Washington had seen before. Substantively it unfolded in a relatively typical way, with a combination of executive action and planning for legislation he hoped to pass. On any given day, Trump was as likely to be appearing alongside congressional leaders as he was to be signing an order in the Oval Office.
This time around, congressional action seems to be an afterthought, except insofar as Trump is trying to get the Senate to confirm his nominees. The story of his second administration so far has been the furious flurry of executive orders ― some meaningless but some already transforming what the government does (by freezing large swaths of international aid, for example) or the way the government operates (like wiping out diversity, equity and inclusion efforts).
One reason for the shift is a change in political reality. At the start of 2017, Trump had a 47-seat Republican majority in the House. Now that margin is three measly seats.
The case had frustrated authorities for years as they had failed to identify the person responsible for placing the bombs.
Sydney Sweeney entered the Fox News conversation that came to an eye-rolling conclusion.
The lawsuit accuses the Defense Department of violating reporters' First Amendment rights.
“It’s become quite a messy and toxic situation,” a Eurovision expert said.
The Duke of Sussex jabbed the president during a Hallmark-inspired comedy bit with host Stephen Colbert.
The illustrated image is... something.
“These are serious charges, and that’s the reason we’re going to have special oversight,” said Sen. Roger Wicker, the Republican chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The network's senior medical analyst put an inventive twist on the president's drowsy appearance during his Cabinet meeting.
Many blasted the House minority leader's reaction to Trump pardoning a Democrat who was indicted on charges of bribery and acting as a foreign agent.
The Pentagon knew there were survivors after a September attack on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean Sea and the U.S. military still carried out a follow-up strike.
In a deal with federal prosecutors entered Tuesday, former Florissant Officer Julian Alcala pleaded guilty to 20 counts of willfully depriving someone of their right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure.
The initial findings ramp up the pressure on the former Fox News Channel host after lawmakers had called for the independent inquiry into his use of the commercially available app.
Perry had been taking the drug legally as a treatment for depression. But his regular doctor wouldn't prescribe it in the amounts he wanted.