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06-13-2017, 12:03 PM
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"In just 100 days, President Donald Trump has damaged American democracy while simultaneously accelerating democracy's global decline.
No, Trump is not a dictator or a fascist, as some wrongly claimed. But he certainly has authoritarian tendencies and a baffling admiration for despots. He has a penchant for attacking democratic institutions and appears willing to sacrifice them in a heartbeat on the altar of his ego. And he has spouted several dangerous lies that a sizable portion of his political base unfortunately believes to be true. As a result, he has already managed to do major damage to democracy at home and abroad...."
The threat Donald Trump poses to democracy is not overblown - Chicago Tribune
"Since his inauguration on Jan. 20, Trump has governed in a way that poses a unique threat to the integrity of American democracy.
Democracy is bigger than partisanship. Therefore, this is not a critique of Trump’s policy proposals. Rather, it’s a sober assessment of American democracy at a pivotal moment — and a call for Americans of all political stripes to press all politicians to agree, at minimum, on preserving the bedrock principles that make the United States a democracy."
How President Trump has already hurt American democracy — in just 50 days - The Washington Post
"The attorneys-general of Maryland and the District of Columbia have filed a federal lawsuit against US President Donald Trump, alleging he violated the constitution by retaining ties to his sprawling global business empire and by accepting foreign payments while in office.
Key points:
The constitution prevents the president and other government employees from accepting foreign gifts and payments without congressional approval
Trump already facing a similar lawsuit filed by a government watchdog
Latest suit filed by Democrats in Maryland and Columbia who say other attorneys-general, including Republicans, welcome to join
Much of the case is focused on allegations Mr Trump's real estate and business holdings violate a little-known emoluments clause of the constitution.
The provision bars the president and other government employees from accepting foreign gifts and payments without congressional approval.
"The President's conflicts of interest threaten our democracy," Maryland Attorney-General Brian Frosh said at a press conference announcing the lawsuit with District counterpart Karl Racine.
"We cannot treat the President's ongoing violations of the constitution and his disregard of the rights of the American people as the new acceptable status quo."
ABC.net.au: Page Not Found
"When President Donald Trump fired FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday, he shattered yet another long-standing political rule in what has become a series of rock throwing at American institutions. But this one threatens to transform the face of U.S. democracy, experts say.
“Trump absolutely has the legal authority to remove the director of the FBI,” says Jacob Parakilas, who researches U.S. national security at the international affairs think tank Chatham House. “But to do so without citing a particular violation of practice or violation of law is highly irregular and really shatters numerous political norms about FBI independence.”
In an interview with NBC News anchor Lester Holt Thursday Trump called Comey “a showboat” and “a grand stander.” He said he was going to fire Comey “regardless” of a rationale outlined by deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein in a letter that the White House first used to defend the firing.
Trump Firing James Comey Could Permanently Alter American Democracy, Experts Say
"Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said Thursday that President Donald Trump posed a threat "to our system" of democracy through his "assaults on our institutions."
"The president himself has undertaken, whether intentionally or not, assaults on our institutions,"
A retired Air Force lieutenant general, he served under Presidents Barack Obama, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush.
"To our system, the assaults on the institutions starting with my own, the intelligence community, and his characterization of us as Nazis," Clapper said, referring to Trump's attacks shortly before taking office in January.
Ex-DNI Chief Clapper: Trump Threatens 'Our System'
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