When Donald Trump gained power, he began signing sundry, legally dubious executive orders that challenge the foundational principles of American democracy. Congress is responsible for passing laws, the judiciary is an independent arbiter of their legality and a president’s duty is to either enforce or reject legislation. Under Trump’s administration, these checks and balances are increasingly ignored. Instead of adhering to the separation of powers, we find a steward who dismisses the role of both Congress and the courts.

I long believed that Congress, the primary legislative body, would resist any president’s attempt to usurp its authority, regardless of party affiliation. My faith in our representatives to uphold their constitutional oaths has been shattered. The Democrats, while vocal in opposition, prove disorganized and ineffective, engaging in symbolic gestures with minimal impact. The Republican Party has become either mesmerized by their cultist leader or too craven to challenge him, fearing retribution should they dare object.

Equally concerning is Trump’s disregard for the law. Courts, the supposed arbiters of justice, are dismissed. “Piffle,” the president says, “I am the law.” “Necessity knows no law.” Effectively, he operates with few checks on his active pen. And Congress’s response? A shrug — a whimper — an implicit endorsement of executive encroachment.

The judiciary itself has come under attack with individual lawyers and judges braving political and financial pressure, counter actions, and even disbarment. Courts that rule against Trump face closure or loss of funding. These attacks erode judiciary’s independence, pushing the nation closer to authoritarian rule. The equilibrium of power between the three branches has been restricted, leaving me profoundly discouraged. (And let’s not mention threats to the media individually and as a body!)

In two years, the country will experience another election. Ideally, this should offer us an opportunity to restore balance and curb the autocratic pursuits of this president. However, my hope is tempered by plans to increasing suppression. Who controls the election process? Trump’s MAGA party, no longer Republican, is exerting its power to reshape the electoral landscape, installing regulations that impede voter access. The basic principle of democracy is that every American citizen has the right to choose their representatives. Yet, to address nonexistent fraud, voting rights are being curtailed, disproportionately affecting marginal communities, which often lack the mental and physical resources to navigate purposefully difficult and onerous voter regulations.

My own case highlights one problem: a birth certificate. I was born in China to American parents. My certificate exists (or not) in Peking. I possess a photostatic pinyin copy. I have a driver’s license, an ID and a series of passports issued from 1946–2018, each reliant on the one preceding. Will my documents be accepted? Will I be ICE-ed, imprisoned and/or deported for voting, protesting … ?

What about citizens whose records are unavailable, never recorded, name changed, etc.? The lack of an acceptable ID could purge an estimated 21 million from the voting roles!

The control of the voting process is no longer a bipartisan or state matter. Voting directives are increasingly dictated by a single faction: the president’s MAGA officials. Who determines who can vote? MAGA. Who openly buys votes? MAGA. Who decides where voting takes place? MAGA. Who sets the voting hours and regulations? MAGA. Who oversees redistricting, ballot counting, election security and the verification of results? MAGA. The movement that claims to stand for “making America great” is, in reality, laying the framework for authoritarianism — and a 3rd term in office. It is not about strengthening democracy; it is about dismantling it — a dystopian reality — “making America mine”!

We are not witnessing the values of freedom. We are watching the unfortunate rise of an old ideology — one that prioritizes power over principle, dominion over democracy and homage to a man over the republic. Historically, a one-party state does not bode well. The United States has long prided itself on being a bastion of egalitarianism, of freedom and plurality, willingly accepting or critical of government. If we do not curb Trump’s despotic forces, we risk becoming something else entirely: not a nation of principles but a state openly ruled by a prince, by a single ideology. Not a pluralistic democracy but a totalitarian state.

Hubbard C. Goodrich is a Harpswell resident.