It’s terrifying to think that all that’s necessary to make his batshit crazy and transparently ridiculous accusations effectively true, and his threatened and attempted countermeasures lawful and effective, is enough judges and justices to say that it’s so. A relative handful of far-right judges and justices are all that stands between us and actual fascism, as opposed to Trump’s fascist language and efforts, that have so far MOSTLY not taken root, but could, if these people say they can.
If he declares “Martian Law” and orders the immediate shutdown of say all inner city hospitals, the federalization of local and state cops, the imposition of a 24 curfew, and that anyone with a dark skin complexion seen outside be shot on site merely for being outside, the courts say it’s ok, and the cops comply, there’s no lawful mechanism to stop him or them, and it’s open fascism, the only conceivable remedies being of a Jeffersonian nature, and we all know what that means.
I don’t think that anything quite this radical is likely any time soon, but in theory, it’s possible, and my larger point is that whatever the courts say he can do, he can do, whether or not it’s actually lawful or constitutional. And that’s part of why he’s saying these crazy and terrifying things, not just to vent, beat his chest and intimidate, although that too, but to establish legal “facts” that he hopes will someday be rubber stamped by the courts, which he and his GOP predecessors have stacked with far-right fascists.
This is where it’s all headed, if not now, then eventually. And, given the increasing likelihood of his electoral loss this fall, due to the human and economic effects of the pandemic and his egregious mishandling of it, I see no reason to believe that he won’t go for it, if he feels there’s no other way to stay in office, the only real question being to what extent the courts go along with it. Will they pull that trigger, knowing what it means, and with THIS guy in charge?