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THE VIEW FROM HERE - The more that power is concentrated within one person, the more likely that society is subject to palace intrigues preparing for or defending against a coup d'état. Thanks to the US Constitution, Americans have never had to think about such a violent overthrow of the government because no single person had enough power to make an overthrow worth the effort. Monarchies and dictatorships, however, have centralized power, and if the nobles or oligarchs become sufficiently dissatisfied, they may decide that the king’s nephew should be in control. Whether or not people are disgruntled with the King, as King’s time in office grows shorter, the more plotting to seize control.
Under Reagan, the absurd, anti-American Unitary Executive Theory began, holding that the President should control all agencies based on the idiotic notion that the US Constitution does not believe in checks and balances. Rather, the President gets to make all decisions for all agencies because his job is to enforce the laws. The UET supporters decided that once Congress passes a law, then the President is free to ignore anything and everything in the legislation since the President’s power is plenary, i.e., without limit. If a Congressional enactment should state that any agency’s commissioners may not be removed by the President, the UET allows the President to remove the commissioners and the agency heads as his will. Also, the President may change the agency’s purpose or abolish it completely. In brief, the President may take over Congress’s role to legislate once an agency has been created.
Not surprisingly, once the President gained such control to alter Congressional legislation, Presidents started to initiate their own legislation through Executive Orders. The problem with Executive Orders is that the next President can nullify them with new executive orders. This practice plays havoc with a stable government since the rules can change every four years.
The logic of Executive Orders is logical: Because the President plenary powers allow him to fire agency heads and change the agencies’ purposes, he should be able to legislate as he wishes through Executive Orders. However, Congress’s refusal to pass needed legislation can leave a President no choice but to act in emergencies via Executive Order.
Trump v. United States Turned the Presidency into a Dictatorship
While the concept of the Unitary Presidency was rapidly gobbling up more and more power at the expense of Congress, Chief Justice Roberts’ opinion in Trump v. United States, 603 U.S. 593 (2024), jumped to the end game and turned the President into dictator with the power to murder any person whom he felt interfered with his core duties.
Trump delusional response to losing the 2020 election shows that he cannot psychologically tolerate another loss. As Susie Wiles told Vanity Fair, Trump thinks that he can “do anything” and has the right to act “without limitation.” Armed with absolute immunity to commit any crime including murder, Trump has no intention to voluntarily leave office. His first attack was to appoint Pig Hegseth Secretary of Defense so that the US military will have allegiance to Trump and not to the Constitution. His second attack was to create a private army within Department of Homeland Security. As Kristin Neom said about Los Angeles, ICE’s purpose was to liberate Angelenos from their burdensome and socialist government. Trump is aggressively grooming Americans to succumb to military rule so that Trump may have the military seize the ballot boxes in November 2026 and declare that the GOP has a super majority in the House and Senate. If that fails, he will run for a third term, and if that fails, he will use the military to stay in power.
Trump’s Mental Instability Coupled with the Right to Murder
Trump seems to be hyperthymic, which is not a disorder. These people need less sleep than normal, are excessively talkative, and optimistic. In Trump’s case, however, this extra energy is coupled with Trump’s serious personality disorders, i.e,. Histrionic and Narcissistic with paranoid features, and with his increasing cognitive deficits. Like Biden’ plummeting polls numbers caused Pelosi to boot him as candidate, it appears that factions within the GOP are positioning themselves to take over the Presidency sooner rather than later. JD Vance is no longer the favorite among the GOP, but Erika Kirk, the CEO of Turning Point USA and widow of its founder Charlie Kirk, has come out in favor of Vance, midst speculation that Vance will divorce his Hindu wife and perhaps hook up with Erika Kirk.
Then, on December 22, 2025, there was a mutiny within the Heritage Foundation with a horde of leaders moving over to Vice President Pence’s Advancing American Freedom. Trump is still in his Narcissistic Rage over VP Pence’s refusal to have Trump declared President in January 6th. To complicate matters, the Heritage Foundation’s disaster over its President Kevin Roberts’ (no relation to Chief Justice Roberts) support of the anti-Semites Nick Fuentes and Tucker Carlson is forcing GOP members to take sides, and so far, JD Vance has sided with anti-Semites. Anti-Semitism is diametrically opposed to Trump’s support of Israel and to the welfare much of Trump’s family.
The elephant in the room is how Trump feels about the vultures picking over his corpse while he still intends to remain in office. If for some reason Trump decides against a third term, Trump wants to name his successor. In his May4, 2025 interview with NBC’s Meet the Press’ moderator Kristen Welker, Trump refused to name Vance as his successor. No King likes it when people are measuring his throne room for new draperies.
Then, A Double Whammy, Chief Justice Roberts Backs Off the Unitary Executive
The day after the Heritage Foundation’s December 22nd blow up, Chief Justice Roberts issued the ruling in Trump v Illinois, stopping Trump’s deployment of the military in Chicago! Although the decision is an interim one, it undercuts Trump’s plan to control the November 2026 elections. If the Robert’s decision is not reversed, Trump cannot seize the ballot boxes. On the other hand, Chief Justice Roberts may issue a superseding decision which allows Trump to use the Marines to seize all ballot boxes. Who expected a halt in Roberts’ enshrining the Unitary Executive Theory?
But for Chief Justice Robert’s granting Trump absolute immunity for murder and all other crimes, the GOP members would not be jockeying for a Coup D'état. The greater the power in one person, the greater the government’s instability.
(Richard Lee Abrams is a former Los Angeles-based attorney, an author, and political commentator. A long-time contributor to CityWatchLA, he is known for his incisive critiques of City Hall and judicial corruption, as well as his analysis of political and constitutional issues. Abrams blends legal insight with historical and philosophical depth to challenge conventional narratives. A passionate defender of civic integrity and transparency, he aims to expose misuse of power and advocate for systemic reform in local government. You may email him at [email protected])
