The Rise of a Political King: Trump’s Sense of Invincibility
In a chilling interview with MSNBC, former Representative Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) issued a stark warning about President Donald Trump’s perceived invincibility. Walsh argued that Trump feels "untouchable," suggesting that the president may attempt actions previously unimaginable, even to his critics. "The biggest failure of all of us during this Trump era has been the failure of imagination," Walsh told Michael Steele. "We have not imagined how bad and how low he’d go." He pointed to Trump’s history of pushing boundaries, including his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and expressed concern that the president might even try to interfere with the upcoming midterm elections. Walsh’s comments underscored a growing fear that Trump’s behavior could escalate in ways that threaten the foundational principles of American democracy.
Walsh’s concerns were echoed by Michael Steele, the former chair of the Republican National Committee. Steele described Trump as a figure who "sees himself as a king," with the Republican Party increasingly alignment with this perspective. He highlighted the troubling trend of GOP lawmakers lining up to pay tribute to Trump, from proposals to place his face on U.S. currency and declare his birthday a federal holiday to adding his likeness to Mount Rushmore. Even more alarmingly, Sen. Lindsey Graham has floated the idea of a third term for Trump, despite the clear constitutional limits on presidential terms. These gestures, Steele suggested, reveal a party deeply under Trump’s influence, willing to bend norms, traditions, and even the law to accommodate his ambitions.
The Erosion of Checks and Balances
Walsh and Steele’s conversation painted a worrying picture of a president who believes he operates above the law and beyond accountability. Walsh stressed that Trump’s sense of invincibility stems from his ability to act with impunity. "Look at all he’s gotten away with, and no one’s ever held him accountable," Walsh said. He pointed to the lack of consequences for Trump’s actions, from his efforts to overturn the 2020 election to his controversial policies and rhetoric. With the legislative branch effectively under his control and the Republican Party firmly in his corner, Walsh argued that Trump feels unconstrained by the traditional checks and balances of the U.S. government. "Who’s gonna stop him? The courts? The people? He feels untouchable right now," Walsh warned.
This sense of untouchability, Steele added, has emboldened Trump to pursue increasingly authoritarian measures. Walsh speculated that Trump might even defy a Supreme Court order, a move that would represent a direct challenge to the rule of law. "And then what does the Republican Party do?" Walsh asked rhetorically, implying that the party might fail to act decisively against such a brazen overstep. The scenario paints a grim picture of a president willing to push the boundaries of his power, with few institutional safeguards in place to rein him in.
The Republican Party’s Complicity in Trump’s Rise
A central theme of Walsh’s and Steele’s discussion was the complicity of the Republican Party in enabling Trump’s behavior. Steele noted that GOP lawmakers have gone to great lengths to curry favor with the president, often at the expense of their own principles and the integrity of the political process. From proposing absurd tributes like placing Trump’s face on currency to endorsing unconstitutional ideas like a third presidential term, these actions reflect a party deeply in thrall to Trump’s personality and influence. Walsh warned that this deference has created an environment in which Trump feels increasingly empowered to act without regard for the law or democratic norms.
The implications of this dynamic are profound. A political party that once championed limited government and constitutional conservatism has become a vehicle for Trump’s personal ambitions, often at the expense of those very principles. Steele and Walsh both emphasized that this transformation has not happened by accident but is the result of a deliberate choice by Republican leaders to align themselves with Trump in pursuit of power. The result is a party that increasingly resembles a personality cult, with little room for dissent or independent thought.
The Dangers of Underestimating Trump
Walsh repeatedly stressed the importance of taking Trump’s actions and ambitions seriously. While some might dismiss talk of a third term or defiance of the Supreme Court as absurd or hyperbolic, Walsh cautioned against underestimating Trump’s willingness to push the envelope. "It’s too easy to have fun with this," he said, referencing the almost surreal quality of some of the proposals and ideas surrounding Trump. "But Michael, this is scary shit." Walsh’s comments reflected a broader concern that the gravity of Trump’s actions is often downplayed or dismissed, even as the stakes for American democracy grow higher.
This warning was not merely about Trump’s specific actions but about the broader erosion of democratic norms and institutions that his presidency has accelerated. Walsh and Steele both suggested that Trump’s behavior is not an aberration but a symptom of a deeper rot within the political system. The Republican Party’s willingness to enable Trump’s antics, combined with the president’s own sense of invincibility, has created a perfect storm of challenges to the rule of law and democratic governance.
Taking the Threat Seriously: The Path Forward
In the face of these challenges, Walsh and Steele called for a renewed sense of urgency and seriousness in addressing Trump’s actions and their implications for the future of American democracy. Walsh emphasized that the threats posed by Trump are not merely theoretical but tangible and immediate, requiring a swift and decisive response from both lawmakers and the American people. While the path forward is uncertain, one thing is clear: the stakes could not be higher. As Walsh so bluntly put it, "this is scary shit," and it demands to be taken with the gravity it deserves.
