Principled Opposition to Trump and Trumpism Is as Necessary as Ever

With Donald Trump returning to the presidency, it is necessary to oppose him because of his lack of fitness, his unprincipled and non-conservative policies, speech and acts, and to oppose those who enable and support him. Center-right conservatives must now take on the responsibility of serving as the loyal (to the Constitution) opposition, standing for conservative principles while opposing non-conservative policies, whether they are advanced by the left or Trumpist populist far right, while working with anyone to advance conservative policies. Contrary to the opinion of anti-anti-Trumpists, opposition to Trump has never meant opposing policies we conservatives agree with, but we do maintain that any president would have favored certain non-controversial policies, and any qualified principled center-right Republican president would have supported good conservative principles, without the taint of Trump. There is overlap between anti-Trump conservatives and others against some of Trumpism, the populist mix of protectionism, nativism, isolationism and appeasement of aggression, which are policies shared by some on the left and the far right, sometimes for the same, and other times for different reasons. There are additional Trumpist policies and practices that are against conservatism, such as authoritarianism, undermining the independence of the judiciary, violating the rule of law, violating federalism, rewarding and punishing businesses for their political expression, and imperialism. But Trump’s poor character is the root of the problem. It is disturbing that someone who dodged the draft through fraud will become the Commander in Chief, who committed election fraud will hold public office, who inspired an insurrection against the United States will hold federal office, who stole top secret documents will have access to intelligence, and who welcomed and accepted interference from a hostile foreign power will be the Chief Diplomat. Trump’s New York conviction for election fraud and sentencing still stand, but his federal criminal cases for attempting to overthrow his 2020 election loss and stealing classified documents and trying to cover it up have been dismissed for various dubious constitutional interpretations, but without prejudice, meaning they can be raised again after he leaves office. At any point, Congress can vote by a simple majority that Trump is ineligible for federal office under the Insurrection Clause. State prosecutions for Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election may continue, and the several civil judgments against him and his business also still stand. As Trump violated both the domestic and foreign Emoluments Clauses of the Constitution in his first term, there will be a legal effort by at least one private organization devoted to public ethics to force him to disclose his income and at least to disclose, or to divest himself of his conflicts of interest. There will be legal resistance to Trump’s wasteful anti-migrant policies that violate liberty and put peoples’ lives at risk, both from business interests, private secular and religious organizations, as well as federal and state political opposition from across the ideological spectrum. The Catholic Church and other Christian organizations are advocating for refugees seeking asylum, especially from religious persecution. These religious organizations oppose the inhumane treatment of migrants, especially for people who have lived in America for decades and are not a threat, and they especially oppose breaking up families, or deporting parents whose minor children have never seen their parents’ country of origin. They favor fining migrants present illegally, instead of deporting them. Democratic state elected officials are embracing federalism to prevent the concentration of power and to provide a critical check versus an autocratic federal executive with a loyalists in the majority in the other two branches of government. The Democratic state officials will resist Trump’s unconstitutional or illegal policies, and policies they disagree with. Democratic Governors formed an organization to push back against Trump’s policies and to dialogue with Republican State officials, as there is much common ground to oppose violations of federalism and other unconstitutional and illegal policies. There is also some pushback against some of Trump’s policies from Republican federal officials in the Congress, both by anti-Trump conservatives and even Trump supporters, but I shall address my next post to these matters. All these loyal opposition efforts are in addition to those by both organized anti-Trump conservatives that I shall also post about, and public opposition from across the political spectrum. The dangers from such an unfit, unprincipled person in the most powerful office in the world are clear and present and necessitate constant vigilance and civic participation. This blog is among the sources of information and opinion that are as needed as ever to overcome this threat. Please continue to visit it regularly.

Foreign Digest: Hungary, Slovakia, Lebanon and Venezuela

Hungary: The United States imposed economic sanctions last week on a senior Hungarian official for corruption. Hungary, though an American ally as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is led by an autocratic far-right anti-migrant pro-Russian leader, whose administration is corrupt. The European Union had also recently withheld funds to member Hungary for corruption, in addition to its backsling on liberty and representtaive government. Slovakia: Thousands of Slovakians yesterday protested against the pro-Russian far-left populist President. They oppose the Eastern European State turning back toward the Russian orbit and instead favor closer relations with the EU and defending Ukraine against Russian aggression. Slovakia, which as formerly part of Czechoslovakia had been a Soviet satellite state, is a member of both NATO and the EU. Lebanon: Lebanon elected a Maronite Christian last week, as required by the Arab State’s sectarian Constitution, as its President, thereby filling a vacancy in the office since 2022. The new President, a high-ranking general backed by the U.S. and its Western allies and other Arab States, is opposed to Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shi’ite party that is also a terrorist organization. The fall of the Syrian Assad regime has weakened Hezbollah and Iran, its sponsor, which enabled the Lebanese presidential election to take place and for an opponent to be elected. Lebanon will be able to enjoy more political independence, after having been dominated by Syria and influenced by Iran. Venezuela: The Socialist dictator had himself sworn into a second 6-year term late last week, despite the lack of proof of his re-election in July and the evidence from polling place results that the center-right opposition nominee, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, won by a landslide. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was arrested and briefly detained after she came out of hiding to attend a rally in person for the first time in months, while Gonzalez, a former diplomat who has been exiled to Spain, plans a return to Venezuela soon to take office. He has been on a tour of Latin America for recognition of his election. Most Latin American States, along with the United States and its allies, do not recognize the re-election of the Socialist dictator and many of the them recognize Gonzalez as the legitimate President of Venezuela. The Socialists were elected in 2000 and then undermined liberty and representative government to retain power ever since. A record number of political prisoners are being held by the regime. Millions of Venezuelans have fled. Thousands of Venezuelans have been protesting against the dictatorship across the South American State.

United States Sanctions for Russian and Iranian Election Interference; Chief Justice Cites Threats to Judicial Independence

The United States imposed economic sanctions last week on Russian and Iranian government entities for election interference during the 2024 General Election. The U.S. noted hostile foreign actors seek to sow divisions and undermine confidence in elections. The Russia supported Donald Trump’s presidential candidacy again, while the Islamic Republic of Iran opposed him. Russia’s efforts, which were far more extensive and effective, included the generation of fake news (the posing as reporters working for phony news outlets with stories that are fabrications). As I have posted, Russia successfully interfered on Trump’s behalf in the 2016 Republican Primary and General Election, for which the U.S. sanctioned Russian government entities and private individuals affiliated with the Kremlin, and indicted many Russians. The success of Russia has inspired other hostile state actors, like Iran, to copy their methods to promote their own image and damage that of critics. Russia continued its interference on behalf of Trump in 2020 and again in 2024, although not quite to the same degree as in 2016 because it had already successfully altered enough of the opinions of Americans. Chief Justice John Roberts, a conservative Republican, as also cited the interference by “hostile foreign state actors” and “bots (robotic social media accounts that impersonate ordinary people) distort judicial decisions, using fake or exaggerated narrative to foment discord.” The Supreme Court appointee of Republican President George W. Bush also cited threats of violence and the calls by some on both the far left and the Trumpist far right to ignore court rulings as undermining judicial independence. Judicial independence, which is a fundamental principle of equal justice and the separation of powers, is undermined if the other Branches do not exercise their responsibility to enforce the Court’s decrees, as some have threatened to do. Roberts observed the Courts are frequently blamed for bias, which is an accusation amplified by foreign interference, instead of the recognition of reasonable differences of opinion, as demonstrated in the written opinions issued by judges, including those opinions issued in dissent. With the incoming Trump Administration threatened to persecute its critics, judicial independence is ever an essential principle and one that autocrats around the world always prioritize targeting for weakening.

Foreign Digest: Ukraine, Slovakia and Moldova; the European Union and Hungary

Ukraine, Slovakia and Moldova: Ukraine last week cut off the last flow of Russian natural gas to the rest of Europe that had transited through its pipelines, despite a threat from Slovakia’s populist leftwing pro-Russian President to cut off defensive aid to Ukraine against Russian aggression. The pipeline flowed from Ukraine to Slovakia. Meanwhile, Russia cut off Moldova from its supply of gas, but the former Soviet Republic will be able to purchase electricity from Ukraine, although the pro-Russian separatist Transnistria region, where Russia keeps troops against Moldova’s wishes, has been left in the cold. Europeans have been largely successful of weaning themselves off Russian energy, which Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin uses for extortion. The Transnistrian separatists, like Armenia and Syria’s Assad regime, have been let down by their alliance with Russia. The European Union and Hungary: The six-month duty presidency of the European Union’s European Commission (the body of the heads of government of each of the 27 members) is passing from the far-right anti-migrant pro-Russian autocratic Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to the center-right pro-American pro-Ukrainian Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. As I had posted, EU leaders had boycotted Orban’s official meetings and distanced the body from his personal diplomatic efforts of appeasement of Russia, which is trying to restore the Soviet Union/Russian Empire Meanwhile, the EU cut off additional funds to Hungary for its backsliding on liberty and representative government.

Happy New Year 2025!

I wish you all a Happy New Year! This year, which has already been marred by an Islamist terrorist attack the night before in New Orleans, Louisiana, seems especially challenging, as it begins not only with the continued threat of Islamism and militancy from various ideologies, but with continued Russian aggression against Ukraine and with the prospect of an incoming United States administration that is populist, protectionist, nativist, isolationist and exhibits alarming authoritarian tendencies. Threats to peace, security, liberty and representative governemnt are dangerously present both without and within, which will necessitate even more vigilance than usual. But there are hopeful trends. To counter the growing menace of the Axis of Rogues, an ad hoc alliance of liberty-lovers has arisen to confront it. As Russia cooperates more with Communist China, North Korea, Iran, among the other members of the Axis, such as Belarus, Venzuela, Cuba and Nicaragua, not only are the U.S. and its allies opposing it with all the necessary means short of war, but the peoples directly threatened by this menace, particularly in Moldova, Syria, Romania and Georgia, have been courageously rising up to defeat it, often in solidarity for each other. Americans, who should be inspired by these brave foreign peoples, are again preparing to rely on the various checks and balances under the Constitution, States' rights, litigation, public pressure and elections to mitigate or defeat the most serious threats, as Americans will be called upon to fulfill their duty to defend the Republic, equality, liberty and representative government. I shall continue to post to this blog, as such means of jounarlism and expression are ever more necessary. Thank you for visiting it. Please visit regularly.