An immigration crackdown appears imminent in a second Trump administration at a time when an APVoteCast survey shows the president-elect’s supporters largely focused on immigration and inflation.
Plus, those camps would all have to be built. We’ve already established that the immigration processing apparatus needs more funding; that’s part of what that immigration reform bill would have done. So he might be able to start the process of building these camps, but eventually he will have to come to Congress for more money. (And he can’t spend money that isn’t there – if he did that, then the whole debt ceiling charade Republicans do is rendered meaningless).
And yes, Republicans will control both houses. But there is a difference between cheering on the fascist head of your party, and actually casting the vote to build the concentration camps. Everyone in the House will be up for election again in two years, with no Presidential election on the ballot, and these people will have to justify their votes back home. Many, many Red districts will cheer them on, but some Republican wins were in close districts where this will make a difference.
(And yes, there will be midterm elections. Congress’s term is set in the Constitution. We can’t just skip an election just because the President says so.)
And yes, Republicans will control both houses. But there is a difference between cheering on the fascist head of your party, and actually casting the vote to build the concentration camps.
You put way too much faith in their ethics.
Everyone in the House will be up for election again in two years
And it will be a sham election.
The elections will be shams from now on.
All of you trying to sell us on “Trump won’t actually be that bad” are not doing a good sales job.
No, I am not saying “Trump won’t be that bad”. He will be that bad. I am hoping that we can avoid the worst of the worst, though, by continuing to hold other politicians accountable to the people.
Elections are managed by individual states, to Federal guidelines. There is only so far that Congress can influence them. I can see Congress enforcing new documentation requirements for registration, and making it easier to “purge” voter rolls, as well as giving states leeway to reduce polling places in urban areas. But the election will still go on, and Blue states will go out of their way to creatively comply with the new mandates while still allowing access.
I simply refuse to believe America is done. We held elections during a Civil War, after all. We can hold them during a fascist tantrum.
I honestly have no idea whether it is or not, but I don’t see any way that giving into hopeless despair and giving up helps us, so I’m going to operate under the assumption that it’s not. If nothing else, let’s make the fascists fight every single step of the way by throwing every inconvenience we can at them.
Speaking of which - Dems still have enough Senate seats to filibuster, right?
Yes, but the funny thing about the filibuster is that while it requires 60 votes to advance legislation, it is just a Senate rule, and Senate rules are established by majority vote. The Senate has kept the rule (and, in fact, have made it easier to use over the years) because Senate terms are so long that most Senators have experienced time in the minority at least once, and want to preserve that tool for when they end up there.
This election cycle was the toughest one for Democrats. The next one will be the toughest for Republicans, with 20 of their seats up for election, and nobody at the top of the ticket to boost their numbers. The math says Republicans will likely not hold on to the Senate in 2026. So the sensible thing to do is keep the filibuster.
OTOH, Republicans may see the things that they want Trump to do to be so transformative that they can get it all done in 2 years, and not have to worry about Democrats undoing it in the next term. In fact, they may welcome it, because if Democrats do take control without a filibuster they can go back to Der Gröpenführer and say “Sorry, we can’t do anything about it, please stop calling”.
My family is emigrating because we will not be taking that risk.
Honestly, good for you, but you can’t blame the people who don’t have that option for trying to come up with some sort of strategy to resist American fascism. I’m not saying Trump won’t be bad, I’m saying here’s what we might be able to throw at him. No idea if it will be effective, but I will not go quietly.
Thanks, good luck to you and your family too. Wherever you go, talk to your neighbors and lawmakers, that’s the only way we can make and maintain societies worth living in.
Plus, those camps would all have to be built. We’ve already established that the immigration processing apparatus needs more funding; that’s part of what that immigration reform bill would have done. So he might be able to start the process of building these camps, but eventually he will have to come to Congress for more money. (And he can’t spend money that isn’t there – if he did that, then the whole debt ceiling charade Republicans do is rendered meaningless).
And yes, Republicans will control both houses. But there is a difference between cheering on the fascist head of your party, and actually casting the vote to build the concentration camps. Everyone in the House will be up for election again in two years, with no Presidential election on the ballot, and these people will have to justify their votes back home. Many, many Red districts will cheer them on, but some Republican wins were in close districts where this will make a difference.
(And yes, there will be midterm elections. Congress’s term is set in the Constitution. We can’t just skip an election just because the President says so.)
You put way too much faith in their ethics.
And it will be a sham election.
The elections will be shams from now on.
All of you trying to sell us on “Trump won’t actually be that bad” are not doing a good sales job.
No, I am not saying “Trump won’t be that bad”. He will be that bad. I am hoping that we can avoid the worst of the worst, though, by continuing to hold other politicians accountable to the people.
Elections are managed by individual states, to Federal guidelines. There is only so far that Congress can influence them. I can see Congress enforcing new documentation requirements for registration, and making it easier to “purge” voter rolls, as well as giving states leeway to reduce polling places in urban areas. But the election will still go on, and Blue states will go out of their way to creatively comply with the new mandates while still allowing access.
I simply refuse to believe America is done. We held elections during a Civil War, after all. We can hold them during a fascist tantrum.
I honestly have no idea whether it is or not, but I don’t see any way that giving into hopeless despair and giving up helps us, so I’m going to operate under the assumption that it’s not. If nothing else, let’s make the fascists fight every single step of the way by throwing every inconvenience we can at them.
Speaking of which - Dems still have enough Senate seats to filibuster, right?
Yes, but the funny thing about the filibuster is that while it requires 60 votes to advance legislation, it is just a Senate rule, and Senate rules are established by majority vote. The Senate has kept the rule (and, in fact, have made it easier to use over the years) because Senate terms are so long that most Senators have experienced time in the minority at least once, and want to preserve that tool for when they end up there.
This election cycle was the toughest one for Democrats. The next one will be the toughest for Republicans, with 20 of their seats up for election, and nobody at the top of the ticket to boost their numbers. The math says Republicans will likely not hold on to the Senate in 2026. So the sensible thing to do is keep the filibuster.
OTOH, Republicans may see the things that they want Trump to do to be so transformative that they can get it all done in 2 years, and not have to worry about Democrats undoing it in the next term. In fact, they may welcome it, because if Democrats do take control without a filibuster they can go back to Der Gröpenführer and say “Sorry, we can’t do anything about it, please stop calling”.
They don’t care about the law. They have made that abundantly clear. On top of that, SCOTUS has given Trump free reign to break any law he feels like.
I hope you’re right for your sake that America is not done. My family is emigrating because we will not be taking that risk.
Honestly, good for you, but you can’t blame the people who don’t have that option for trying to come up with some sort of strategy to resist American fascism. I’m not saying Trump won’t be bad, I’m saying here’s what we might be able to throw at him. No idea if it will be effective, but I will not go quietly.
I honestly wish you luck in resisting it. I just have no optimism left.
Thanks, good luck to you and your family too. Wherever you go, talk to your neighbors and lawmakers, that’s the only way we can make and maintain societies worth living in.
Very true. And thank you.