Trump second term would leave Constitution and rule of law a 'dead letter': columnist

Former President Donald Trump's plans for a second term would go far beyond the boundaries of normal presidential behavior, warned columnist Jamelle Bouie in The New York Times — indeed, he wrote that his goals are designed to transform American democracy into a strongman regime.

This comes amid a number of reports that show Trump is planning to remake the civil service in his image, with the help of legacy far-right think tanks like the Heritage Foundation as his recruiter — and as he is telegraphing his plans to root out his political critics, whom he dehumanized as "vermin" in a recent speech.

"With the help of these unscrupulous allies, Trump plans to turn the Department of Justice against his political opponents, prosecuting his critics and rivals. He would use the military to crush protests under the Insurrection Act — which he hoped to do during the summer of 2020 — and turn the power of the federal government against his perceived enemies," wrote Bouie.

And those are far from his only plans, he noted: "He hopes to institute a program of mass detainment and deportation of undocumented immigrants. His aides have already drawn up plans for new detention centers at the U.S.-Mexico border, where anyone suspected of illegal entry would be held until authorities have settled the person’s immigration status."

At the same time, he's promised to root out and deport "jihadists" among those who hold legal status, and simply ignore the 14th Amendment rights of the children of undocumented immigrants, stripping them of citizenship.

Some of these things Trump already toyed with doing in his first term, only to be thwarted by career officials — whom he intends to get rid of this time around, with the help of a Christian nationalist playbook.

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"It might be tempting to dismiss the former president’s rhetoric and plans as either jokes or the ravings of a lunatic who may eventually find himself in jail. But to borrow an overused phrase, it is important to take the words of both presidents and presidential candidates seriously as well as literally," wrote Bouie.

He's also suggested that, after serving a second term, he will try to run for a third.

"This too would violate the Constitution," Bouie wrote.

"But then, in a world in which Trump gets his way on his authoritarian agenda, the Constitution — and the rule of law — would already be a dead letter."