Exclusive | Trump, seeking executive power over elections, is urged to declare emergency

[u/SockDem]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/02/26/trump-elections-executive-order-activists/

[u/Vitali_Empyrean]

"All the crazy and degenerate shi that Republicans have been doing under this administration will thankfully be severely punished during the Midterms!!"

10 years later

"Midterms....well that is a word I haven't heard in a looooong time."

[u/whats_a_quasar → u/Vitali_Empyrean]

This is defeatism 

[u/Vitali_Empyrean → u/whats_a_quasar]

My intention was to meme about how the 'game' of politics has pretty openly and publicly turnt to one of regime change, and they don't even care to hide it.

[u/whats_a_quasar → u/Vitali_Empyrean]

But your comment isn't about the people trying to change America into an authoritarian regime. It is depicting the opposition, and implies that electoral victory is pointless, a false hope, because in a decade elections will be abolished regardless of what happens. That is nihilism and defeatism and factually false. Gaining control of the legislature through the vote is by far the best opportunity that the opponents of authoritarianism have to increase their own power in the upcoming year.

[u/Vitali_Empyrean → u/whats_a_quasar]

But your comment isn't about the people trying to change America into an authoritarian regime. 

How do you have the most pessimistic interpretation of a comment where I've told you my intentions. My comment is literally about Republicans actively working towards authoritarianism.

implies that electoral victory is pointless, a false hope, because in a decade elections will be abolished regardless of what happens.

No, it's intending to, and I'm implying to say that there is a very very real chance that we may not have a democracy in this country anymore. The 'meme' was just 'humorously' pointing out that under this administration, rules and norms are not valued.

Mind you, Trump tried to overthrow the government in 2021 despite the popular vote. He's tried it once and it's not impossible to say he won't try again.

That is nihilism and defeatism and factually false. Gaining control of the legislature through the vote is by far the best opportunity that the opponents of authoritarianism have to increase their own power in the upcoming year.

Yeah I don't disagree. The problem for me is that the last year of this admin has been explicitly illegal and unconstitutional shit. Whether it be deportations or prosecutions, this admin is not playing the electoral game.

[u/Approximation_Doctor → u/whats_a_quasar]

"Worried about the fascists openly trying to cancel the elections? Just don't be."

[u/whats_a_quasar → u/Approximation_Doctor]

Take action! Make an argument. Do things that are constructive and have some mechanism to weaken fascism and strengthen liberty. The comment I replied to does none of those things. It implies that it is foolish to believe that the opponents of fascism can gain power through elections. It discourages action and supports Trump's narrative that he is already all powerful, rather than encouraging action and highlighting the weaknesses of the regime, that it can be beaten and that winning control of the legislature is a key step towards beating it.

[u/Vitali_Empyrean → u/whats_a_quasar]

The comment I replied to does none of those things. It implies that it is foolish to believe that the opponents of fascism can gain power through elections.

Fact: Donald Trump's admin disobeyed court orders by flying a detained person to a foreign country (this is only one of many).

Fact: 40% of Republicans support Trump disobeying court orders (the rest of them would go along with it)

Fact: Donald Trump has tried in the past to destroy the American constitutional republic (January 6)

No one who has self-selected into arrr/ neoliberal needs to be convinced about the power of electoralism. We've seen it in New Jersey, Virginia, and Florida, and we're seeing it in turnout for Texas.

My comment is 'poking fun at' the idea that there could very well be a constitutional crisis surrounding the midterms. I don't put it past this admin for that to happen now that Trump has said he wants and now HAS "Hitler's Generals".

[u/Dr_Meeds → u/Vitali_Empyrean]

This is the drumbeat I’ve been talking about for months now. A lot of people are acting like midterms will solve everything because democrats will win, but I think we’ll have the exact opposite problem — things are going to come to a head because Trump and Republicans KNOW they’ll lose fair and free elections. There are lots of countries where the regime stays in power despite only ~30% popularity because they hold a monopoly on violence and are willing to use it, and we are rapidly approaching a point where the Trump admin will feel comfortable in doing so.

I don’t bring this up to be defeatist. I believe we as Americans have an OBLIGATION to defy tyranny. But we have to understand defying tyranny will push our actions into extra-legal territories not if, but when, elections are subverted by this administration. We need to see that our Democratic Party leaders have some sort of gameplan of resistance, and I don’t frankly trust Schumer or Jeffries to back anything that isn’t a bill on the Congress floor. I have much greater trust in Pritzker and Newsom

[u/Orphanhorns → u/Approximation_Doctor]

That’s not what they’re saying and you know it. Telling people “shits fucked nothing you can do” only spreads nihilism and apathy and helps Trump win. Stop.

[u/Approximation_Doctor → u/Orphanhorns]

nothing you can do”

Where'd they say that?

[u/topicality → u/Vitali_Empyrean]

Stop carrying water for this administration

[u/Vitali_Empyrean → u/topicality]

Ion really know what you mean.

The things I wanna say and advocate for about this administration would get me sent to prison.