Trump’s Tactics Pay Off
Published in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
(Germany) on 23 March 2025
by Andreas Ross (link to original)
It’s still there, the American judicial system. But its wheels turn slowly — too slowly to effectively rein Trump in. What’s left is submission.
Even for federal institutions, Donald Trump’s scorched earth policy far exceeds what is just and equitable in a democracy. Yes, voters wanted change, and the general election, however close the result, gives the U.S. president a strong mandate. But it does not give him the right to destroy everything that politicians have spent decades building to appease a sick need for vengeance.
Still, the Republican majority in Congress remains docile, the Democratic opposition is divided — and dominoes are falling even outside the narrowly defined political sphere. Following the major internet platforms, now universities and major law firms are capitulating to Trump.
Trump Considered Capable of Anything
The president is profiting domestically from what his people are selling internationally as his major strength: He is considered capable of anything.
The judicial system, in contrast, is considered capable of increasingly less. But we should not write it off yet. It is telling, however, that lawyers at one of the best legal firms in the country, who know every trick in the book, prefer to defend themselves from Trump’s attacks not in court but by groveling in mud before the wannabe dictator and make deals.
The wheels of justice turn slowly, but Trump is moving quickly, and his intimidation campaign won’t spare anyone. Trump’s tactics are paying off.
Even for federal institutions, Donald Trump’s scorched earth policy far exceeds what is just and equitable in a democracy. Yes, voters wanted change, and the general election, however close the result, gives the U.S. president a strong mandate. But it does not give him the right to destroy everything that politicians have spent decades building to appease a sick need for vengeance.
Still, the Republican majority in Congress remains docile, the Democratic opposition is divided — and dominoes are falling even outside the narrowly defined political sphere. Following the major internet platforms, now universities and major law firms are capitulating to Trump.
Trump Considered Capable of Anything
The president is profiting domestically from what his people are selling internationally as his major strength: He is considered capable of anything.
The judicial system, in contrast, is considered capable of increasingly less. But we should not write it off yet. It is telling, however, that lawyers at one of the best legal firms in the country, who know every trick in the book, prefer to defend themselves from Trump’s attacks not in court but by groveling in mud before the wannabe dictator and make deals.
The wheels of justice turn slowly, but Trump is moving quickly, and his intimidation campaign won’t spare anyone. Trump’s tactics are paying off.
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