Its because he isn’t held accountable
It has a self-reinforcing effect: it enforces the idea that this is normal and that the system is working as intended. Even though most of us know that this is only the case because the people who are supposed to hold him accountable are beholden to him, from the outside, it looks as though this is how things should be. This makes change seem hopeless and normalises tyranny, resulting in lasting damage and a chilling effect that will persist for years.
As long as there is no threat of accountability, there is no incentive to conceal corruption. By performing the act without defence in plain sight, it is legitimised and societal expectations are shifted.
I’m convinced my grandmother believes Trump can’t be as bad as I say he is because she has too much faith in the system. She doesn’t like Trump, she knows he’s bad, but she doesn’t seem to understand the extent of how bad he is. She thinks whatever he does must be justified on some level or else the president wouldn’t do it. She thinks he can’t be doing things that are that blatantly illegal because then something would be done about it
Everyone who isn’t terminally online thinks like this. People who aren’t exposed to the deluge of shit that is actually happening all think “He’s a pretty bad president, but if he was as bad as these people say he is, he would have been impeached by now.”
As corrosive as the corruption is the impunity with which the corruption is committed. Impunity – the expectation of unaccountability – is not only a stance. It is a tactic. It breeds cynicism, and popular cynicism is a necessary ingredient of autocracy and kleptocracy.
The autocrat does not just flout the law; he renders it so fungible that as social or moral framework, it becomes meaningless. There is no use trying to stay on the right side of the law when you don’t know from day to day which side is right.
The autocrat does not just defy the popular will; he dismisses it. Trump’s impunity once rested on confidence of his unconditional adoration: “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters,” he crowed during the first campaign. Ten years later, as his policies repel voters from his party, he is discovering that he needs neither party nor votes nor love to exercise power, and power is more gratifying, and remunerative, than any of these.
Make no mistake, though, he desperately does seek adoration. Part of being a narcissist.
I guess I’m happy some media is talking about this. When they no longer can stop you, then exercise corruption openly to show everyone the opposition’s helplessness, or to counterintuitively kindle anger against that opposition which appears feckless and powerless.
It’s the reason Putin poisons people in ways obviously traceable to Russia.
It also directly contributes to hypernormalization, since the autocrat will then deny - with obvious lies - the truth of that corruption, which further exhausts the populace who eventually gets tired of trying to keep track of what is true and what is a lie, thereby handing more power to the autocrat to shape reality.
Trump, of course, is speedrunning every step of this.
He could rape kids on national tv while doing coke and shooting immigrants, AT LEAST 40% of americans would support him.
Because those are American values and always have been.
He even famously said he could shoot someone in broad daylight without losing support. This was during his campaign before the first time he was elected
He’s confident he will be able to successfully coup the government and become president for life.
Unfortunately, the Dems are so limp dicked about it that he might be right.
Because nobody is doing anything to stop him. If nobody prosecuted ordinary criminals, the crime rate would go up. People would freely and openly shoplift if there were no consequences
I think a lot of comments are missing the obvious. The right spent so much time and energy convincing everybody that everybody else was corrupt that their base and the ingrained whataboutism mindset makes it okay. And on the left we’re afraid to follow their lead and do what they did, openly accuse and do the performative endless investigations that the right engaged in for so long. Instead, the left stands by and allows it to happen because they know they don’t have the votes to do anything substantial. Even with the mountains of evidence of corruption, the left knows the right will fall in line and never impeach or hold anyone accountable.
You don’t build a ballroom if you are leaving. He’s not leaving at the end of this term. It’s clear as day.
Because Republicans admit that they don’t give a shit how nakedly corrupt their guy is, as long as he’s not some Democrat trying to trans their children with vaccines or whatever Joe Rogan said people left of “Hunting the Homeless for sport.” were doing
We need to rise up and take this fucker down.
They’re just gonna block mail in ballots from predominately democrat areas like they did last time since nobody stopped them. They’ll just keep doing it.
The midterms are already rigged in his favor, just like it was rigged when he “won” in 2024.
Removed by mod
I remember when trolls used to try— there was an art to it. This is just sad.
It’s too late for you buddy, your ass is already corrupted and it has spread to your brain. Assbrain, although not usually fatal, makes you appear dumb as fuck to all around you.
Thoughts and prayers…
How them boots taste? Fuckin inbred
His best corruption was in his previous administration and it was never addressed:
He routed military personnel out of their way in order to funnel money into his failing golf property in Scotland.
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/06/air-force-trump-scottish-retreat-1484337
https://abcnews.com/Politics/pentagon-spent-184000-trump-turnberry-resort-scotland/story?id=65701897
