This Is Happening - Now: The Coming Collapse of American Democracy
Donald Trump is back in power. And, in just a few short weeks, his administration has begun systematically dismantling the legal and institutional guardrails meant to restrain executive power. This isn't speculation. It’s happening right now.
This isn't just about revenge. This isn't just about getting back at those who have offended Trump. This is a planned and coordinated step-by-step effort to seize near complete power for the executive branch.
From purging federal agencies to undermining judicial review, Trump and his allies are proving that they no longer see the courts - or the rule of law - as an obstacle. The frightening reality? They might be right.
Four Clear Signs That Rule of Law Is Collapsing
Each action Trump takes has a clear signal and an even clearer consequence. These aren’t just policy decisions; they’re tests to see how much power he can grab - and how little resistance he’ll face.
1. Pardoning January 6 Rioters (Even the Violent Ones)
Signal: Break the law for Trump? You get a pardon.
Consequence: The message is loud and clear - Breaking the law, even political violence, in Trump’s name, isn’t just forgiven, it’s encouraged.
Trump is rewarding the foot soldiers of his coup attempt. This is how authoritarian regimes solidify control: criminality is excused if it serves the regime’s interests.
This sends a clear signal to anyone in the administration, especially Elon Musk, that if you do something illegal while furthering this administration's goals, you will get a pardon. If you break the law for Trump, you are protected.
The Trump Administration is using the pardon power to take over the government and to overturn democracy.
"Democracy is the system that gives its enemies the means to destroy it.” - Joseph Goebbels
And it’s not just about pardons - it's also about retribution. His Attorney General, Pam Bondi, is purging the FBI of agents who investigated January 6. Those who exposed Trump’s insurrection are being erased.
2. Ending USAID and Seizing Control of Federal Money
Signal: The executive branch alone controls institutions and funding.
Consequence: This sets up a legal battle over the Unitary Executive Theory, which argues that Congress has no real authority over executive agencies once created.
Killing USAID isn’t just about gutting international aid. It’s about setting a precedent that Trump alone decides how money is spent - not Congress or the courts.
This legal fight isn’t just theoretical. Trump’s allies are already arguing that once Congress funds an agency, the president should have total control over its budget, policy, and personnel. If the courts go along with this, Congress loses one of its core powers - oversight of federal spending.
3. Purging Federal Employees (Especially in the FBI & CIA)
Signal: Disobedience will not be tolerated. Trump chooses who serves - not the law.
Consequence: The end of progressive-era civil service reforms. This is an early implementation of Project 2025’s Schedule F - Trump’s plan to replace nonpartisan civil servants with personal loyalists.
This isn’t just some bureaucratic reshuffle. Trump and Bondi are targeting intelligence officials, FBI agents, and DOJ prosecutors who opposed his first-term corruption.
FBI agents who investigated January 6? Fired.
CIA officials who briefed against Russian election interference? Purged.
DOJ attorneys who refused to push bogus election fraud cases? Replaced.
This is state capture - the process of turning a neutral government into a tool of personal power. And once it’s done, the rule of law dies because there’s no one left to enforce it.
4. Ignoring Court Orders
Signal: The executive branch enforces laws at will - or not at all.
Consequence: If courts rule against Trump, but he refuses to comply, what happens next?
Trump has already started defying federal court rulings. And if his Justice Department refuses to enforce those rulings, the courts are powerless to do anything about it.
Because here’s the terrifying truth: judicial review - the power of courts to overturn unconstitutional laws - is just a norm, not a law.
Judicial Review Is Not Codified in Law. Trump Knows It.
Most people assume the Supreme Court has the final say on what’s constitutional. But that power - judicial review - is not written anywhere in the Constitution. It was established by Marbury v. Madison (1803) and has been upheld purely by tradition.
That means if Trump simply ignores the courts, the only thing stopping him is… nothing.
This has happened before:
Andrew Jackson (1832) – The Supreme Court ruled against him in Worcester v. Georgia. His response? “John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it.” The ruling was ignored.
Abraham Lincoln (1861) – Ignored Chief Justice Taney’s ruling against his suspension of habeas corpus.
Trump (2020-2021) – Ignored subpoenas, flouted court rulings, and suffered no real consequences.
Now, in 2025, he’s openly testing whether the courts can stop him at all.
What Happens When the Courts Are Powerless?
Trump defies a ruling.
Congress refuses to act. (Because MAGA Republicans either agree with him or fear political retaliation.)
The courts have no way to enforce their ruling.
And then what?
Once the precedent is set that court rulings don’t apply to Trump, they stop applying to anyone with power.
The judiciary - one of the last independent checks on authoritarianism - collapses.
This Is a Constitutional Crisis in Real Time
If you think this is alarmist, look around.
Trump isn’t waiting until 2026 or 2027 to consolidate power. He’s doing it now.
He is:
Pardoning political criminals
Purging intelligence and law enforcement agencies
Consolidating executive power over federal funding
Testing whether court rulings apply to him
This isn’t the beginning of an authoritarian power grab.
This is what the endgame looks like.
What Can Be Done?
State governments must prepare for federal noncompliance.
Congressional Democrats must go on full offense.
Federal judges must be willing to issue contempt rulings - and force the issue.
Civil society must organize at levels we haven’t seen before.
Every single one of us must take a stand today.
What is happening is not just about policy differences. It’s about whether laws still matter in the United States.
This is happening - now. And if we don’t fight back, it won’t stop.
The only question now is - What will you do?
