What is Happening in Politics?

Capitol Building for the 2016 presidential inauguration

What is happening? I don't mean this as a request for you to explain how the world works or to provoke deep thoughts that could lead you into an existential spiral (though the topic I'm about to discuss may indeed touch on both of those issues).

I feel like I’m witnessing two distinct presidential transitions. One is the professional version, filled with pomp, pageantry, and protocols. It is a peaceful transition of power, just like previous presidential transitions. I watched Vice President Kamala Harris confirm the certification of the election results in which she lost. I saw President Biden welcome his successor, President Trump, back to the White House. I witnessed every former living president take a seat to honor Trump’s second inauguration. It's strange to reflect on how different this inauguration was compared to four years ago.

Four years ago, a mob stormed the Capitol building (Capitol Riots Timeline). In his efforts to overturn the election results, Trump chose not to attend Joe Biden's inauguration. In contrast to this year’s inauguration, the transition of power has been orderly.

But there has been another transition amongst all the rest—a transition not of power but of the political system. This transition is a paradigm shift in the rules and expectations of power.

That power and expectation began in Biden's presidency. Hunter Biden, the son of Joe Biden, had become a particular focus of the Trump-ist right. He had been found guilty of various crimes (PBS News). The notion that Trump supporters would seek revenge on him individually felt very real at that moment. Joe Biden had already endured the loss of two children, raising a moral question about the extent of empathy for his determination not to lose a third.

Numerous pardons followed, culminating in a pardon for Anthony Fauci and several members of Biden’s family. Not only did Biden issue these pardons, but he also chose not to enforce a ban on TikTok, despite having signed the ban into law. In addition, he announced that the Equal Rights Amendment was now ratified (New York Times). 

The amendment was not valid and ultimately not ratified. The Biden Administration was aware of this. This effort seemed aimed at portraying the president as more robust and consequential than he truly was. Why did he wait until the final days of his presidency to act? Changing the Constitution based on a controversial theory is not the appropriate approach for a president at the end of their term.

The powers of the president are whatever the president can get away with. We, as Americans, are not naive; we understand that presidents have long tested the boundaries of authority since the inception of our nation.

The Biden of 2020 would not have taken these actions. He previously stated he would not grant family pardons, yet he did. This final act seems like Biden’s acquiescence to the new regime.

Biden’s overall closing message focused on the importance of preserving America’s constitutional democracy, along with the informal norms, values, and behaviors that support it. In his recent speeches to the American public, he warned against the rise of oligarchy and reminded citizens of the oath they have taken (NBC News). However, how he left office made a significant statement.

The message may convey cynicism or acceptance, but democracy will change from now on.

At the start of Trump’s second term, he revealed intentions to govern based on a strategy of pushing boundaries. He immediately announced that he would declare birthright citizenship invalid, seeking to alter the clear language of the Constitution and challenging the courts to intervene. He interrupted the TikTok ban, sidestepping established legal language to find a way to preserve it. Additionally, he issued pardons for the January 6 rioters, renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and changed Denali back to Mount McKinley (NBC Washington). Throughout these actions, he exhibited a theatrical flair, even tossing pens into the crowd.

In Trump's inaugural address, it was notable that most of the topics he discussed centered around executive actions he intended to pursue, leaving the courts to determine their acceptance or rejection. He mentioned very little regarding laws he hoped to convince Congress to pass. Ultimately, it appears that what interests Trump is what he can do alone. 

Taking the oath of office from the side seats, Trump were the CEOs of the major platforms controlling America’s attention. There was Elon Musk (owner of X and Tesla), Mark Zuckerberg (CEO of Meta), Sundar Pichai (CEO of Alphabet), Jeff Bezos (founder of Amazon), Tim Cook (CEO of Apple), and a few rows back was Shou Chew (CEO of TikTok). For all of Trump’s talk of manufacturing jobs, auto plants, and infrastructure, the CEOs of GM, GE, Ford, and Caterpillar were noticeably absent (USA Today). It was not just an assembly of America’s wealthy, but our attentional oligarchy assembled before Trump. 

All of this came just days after the Trump family launched a crypto coin in their name, a mem coin. You cannot spend it; it is a way to invest in Trump’s fortunes and to invest in Trump. To make him richer. The meme coin shot to over $70, and the Trump family and its partners seemed to own about 80% of the coins, making their holdings worth tens of billions of dollars. Melania Trump did the same, which also shot up her wealth. Her crypto came after she sold her biopic and another project, she is an executive producer on Amazon for $40 million (NPR). 

Politics were not free of corruption in 2018 or 2022; however, the current level of brazenness is unprecedented. It represents an open exploitation of power. We often describe America’s system of government as a solid framework bound by the Constitution and established institutions, but in reality, it resembles a collection of norms held together precariously. If we undermine these norms, everything could change drastically. The current situation, characterized by an oligarchy and corruption, does not accurately reflect American politics. This could lead to backlash, insecurity, and a further consolidation of power, particularly as Trump and his allies unite to protect their interests, similar to what we have observed in various countries throughout history.

Whether you're a Democrat or Republican, on the left or right, supporting Trump or opposing him, we are entering a new era. This transition represents more than just a change in presidents; it signifies a shift from one regime to another, along with a new set of rules. We can recognize this change clearly because the old regime ended well before the new one officially began.