A recent report by the Financial Times, by national editor and columnist Edward Luce, revealed that President Donald Trump's "supremacy" is so significant that he has managed to scare some of the most powerful people in America.
"What has changed is simple: people are scared of crossing Trump this time," Luce wrote. "In researching this piece, I interviewed dozens of figures, including lawmakers, private sector executives, retired senior military figures and intelligence chiefs, current and former Trump officials, Washington lawyers and foreign government officials. Such is the fear of jail, bankruptcy or professional reprisal, that most of these people insisted on anonymity. This was in spite of the fact that many of the same people also wanted to emphasise that Trump would only be restrained by powerful voices opposing him publicly. At times, it has felt like trying to report on politics in Turkey or Hungary."
That one excerpt prompted significant backlash from those who have been unafraid to stand up to Trump and reinforce their beliefs.
"I cannot make this clear enough," began national security lawyer Bradley P. Moss. "I have not stayed silent. Others, who face far greater and graver threats than me, have not stayed silent. There are plenty who are standing up, from everyday Americans to the expert 'elites'. Those who are caving shall be shamed for all time."
"Approximately seven million people were out in the streets protesting last week. These people need to grow a spine," Atlantic law and democracy writer Quinta Jurecic wrote on Bluesky.
"Important piece from Ed Luce in the FT today. From today’s vantage point, Trump’s first term looks like a model of constitutional restraint," Tech Policy Press editor and CEO Justin Hendrix wrote.
"Tough and chilling, but important read here," pointed out UMBC political scientist Tom Schaller.
Jaso Sattler, longtime progressive influencer and political satirist LOLGOP, commented, "This, from Ed Luce, is such clarity on what our current crisis has in common with the War on Terror and the Great Recession: the elites suck at assessing the real risks to their comfort. And they'd rather go down with Trump than be caught opposing him."