Donald Trump Thinks He's So Powerful He Can Eclipse Our Democracy

One Election Could Wipe Away 247 Years of Checks and Balances

Wow. I launched my Substack last night and didn’t expect this level of response. All day long I’ve been getting notifications of new subscribers. I’m grateful. And a little intimidated.

Were you able to look up and see the eclipse from where you live? I’m in Montana, far outside the path of totality, and clouds were blocking any view I would have gotten.

Today reminded me that during the last time the eclipse passed over the United States, Donald Trump did this:

Again, I was reminded of the perennial question: Is Trump an idiot, arrogant, or evil? Perhaps all three. It’s no secret Trump thinks he’s powerful enough to eclipse our system of checks and balances, designed to keep one person from amassing too much power. After centuries of abusive monarchies in Europe, the framers of the constitution prioritized three separate but equal branches of government.

Trump wants to eliminate that.

Even more frightening: conservatives are on board, publishing Project 2025 — their plan to restructure the U.S. government to ensure Trump has penultimate power if he reaches the White House again. In a remarkable demonstration of hubris rivaled only by Trump staring directly into an eclipse, they’ve put it out there for all to see.

They don’t think we are paying attention. Let’s prove them wrong.

I’ve outlined some of the main objectives to Project 2025. Here are the Tiffs Notes:

• Dismantle the federal government and give Trump the authority to replace career civil servants with yes men and women. Instead of the experienced communicators, directors, organizers, lawyers, scientists, military officers, accountants, educators, prosecutors, etc., who make up our government workforce now, the United States would be paying people whose only qualifications are their allegiance to Trump. Don’t believe me? They are already building a database of possible candidates.

• Outlaw reproductive care. “Dobbs was just the beginning” according to Project 2025. This isn’t just about abortion, which they would ban in any and all circumstances. They want to make decisions for you regarding birth control and IVF, which many conservatives consider “morally dubious.” Project 2025 is supported by the Susan B. Anthony Foundation, which wants to limit all forms of fertility treatment. Have a sister who takes hormonal birth control to cope with endometriosis? This will affect her too.

• Roll back the hard-fought rights of LGBTQ+ people. Perhaps no single group is more targeted by Project 2025 than queer Americans. From attacking gender-affirming care for minors to eliminating same-sex marriage to reinstating the transgender military ban, the impact on the community would be devastating.

• Remove worker protections and quash labor unions. Project 2025 would roll the United States backward to pre-New Deal days. The recent progress and success we’ve seen unions make would be eliminated. Companies would be free to designate employees as independent contractors, doing away with employee rights and benefits altogether.

• Ban anything the MAGA-right considers “woke.” We all know when it comes from the mouth of a conservative, the word woke is a dog-whistle. Indeed, if Project 2025 comes to fruition, anti-racist education and civil rights progress comes to a standstill. Trump wants to infect the Department of Education with his version of “patriotism” and fire any educator who objects to the revisionist history.

This election, let’s look at Taylor Swift’s Anti-Hero as a cautionary tale. She sings, “I'll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror.” If you were to look in the mirror, would you see someone who is too cowardly to have hard conversations with your friends and loved ones? Even if it would mean saving the world from the dystopian nightmare that is another Trump presidency? Make a plan, stay connected with people you don’t agree with, and spread the word. It is not hyperbolic to say all of these things are not only possible but likely if we lose this November.

Let’s save democracy!