The Chronicle

Louis XIV once said, “The State, it is I.” This phrase, which asserts one man’s absolute and unquestioned control over the nation, goes against all American values. At the moment, this is where we are headed. The currency of the White House is loyalty: the more loyal you are to the president, the higher you will rise. Question him and he will tear you down. In our current corrupt political system, figures such as JD Vance, Karoline Leavitt, Lindsey Graham, and even Ted Cruz once described President Trump as a “sniveling coward,” “crazy,” and a “kook.” Now, they represent Trump’s strongest defenders. Loyalty should not compromise morals in Washington. Even our own Senator Bill Cassidy, who once voted to impeach Trump, now is pandering to him for his endorsement.

Now, the Federal Reserve is under attack as Trump threatens to fire Lisa Cook from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve. Historically, the Federal Reserve was created to be non-political and separate from all other branches of government. Currently, the interest rates are a point of contention for President Trump, as he believes that the interest rates should be lowered. Trump is pressuring the Federal Reserve board of governors to lower the rates even though the executive branch has no jurisdiction over the Federal Reserve. Trump has accused Cook of falsifying mortgage records, but she has not been convicted of any crimes. If Trump can pressure Cook to resign and nominate a governor to the board, then there will be a majority of Trump appointed governors on the board.

Appointing a large number of Supreme Court Justices and federal judges may end up being the largest legacy of Trump’s first term. Trump recently appointed his former personal criminal defense lawyer, Emil Bove. “What’s different about him is that [the] MAGA world is very excited about him because it sees him as someone who has been ruthlessly implementing the White House’s wishes,” said Ed Whelan, a conservative judicial nominations analyst who works at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Trump has made the transition from appointing traditional conservative Republicans who will uphold the Constitution to now putting into place judges with inappropriate loyalties to him. The Federalist Society is a traditional conservative organization which advised President Trump on the selection of judges in his first term. However, when some of those judges disappointed him, he attacked the Federalist Society on social media.

The culture that Trump is breeding in Washington is one where those who question Donald Trump are met with blunt force and retribution. To put it simply, this is the culture of an authoritarian state. Joe Wright, Political Scientist at Penn State wrote, “Instead, the challenge for authoritarian leaders is finding people to do their bidding.” This explains Trump's rampage of unqualified misfits in his cabinet and staff. The secretary of education, Linda McMahon is the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, Pam Bondi, Attorney General, former defense lawyer for Trump, Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, former Fox & Friends host, the commonality of these appointments is their unwavering loyalty to the President. This system allows for the executive branch to go unchecked, and for President Trump’s legacy to be felt far past his presidency.

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