Many of our institutions are more held together by 'un-written social norms' and someone like Trump can just ignore them. Do laws even matter now? Just like in Rome, the positions of power do 'what they can get away with', not what any 'law' says they can do.
The US has had past 'coup' plots. Even going back to Washington. Really if Washington hadn't been such boy scout, true believer, would we even have a US Republic?
Basically, the US has been more fragile than we would like to acknowledge.
Unwritten social norm #251: it is wholly acceptable to lie under oath to the secret FISA intelligence court to get permission for surveillance on one's political enemies.
Many of our institutions are more held together by 'un-written social norms' and someone like Trump can just ignore them. Do laws even matter now? Just like in Rome, the positions of power do 'what they can get away with', not what any 'law' says they can do.
The US has had past 'coup' plots. Even going back to Washington. Really if Washington hadn't been such boy scout, true believer, would we even have a US Republic?
Basically, the US has been more fragile than we would like to acknowledge.