Can We Still Govern?
For about a one-month period after the Jan. 6 everyone seemed truly appalled. At that moment, America was poised to consign Trumpism to the dustbin of history. Instead, Trump will return to the White House.
If Trump’s first impeachment revealed the deep corruption in his mode of governing, the second impeachment revealed the weakness and complacency of American democratic institutions.
After Jan. 6, much of civil society, the media, and Trump’s own party rejected the unprecedented effort by a mob to interfere with the certification of the election. Trump was judged responsible for encouraging this mob, both on the day itself and for months before, with a series of lies about American democracy. Many in the Trump administration resigned, including Cabinet officials. Corporations said they would no longer fund Republicans who voted to overturn the election. Trump was kicked off social media. He seemed to be heading to a status of a political pariah.
The blame largely lies with Republican political leaders. Mitch McConnell punted on ending the career of a guy he detests. Kevin McCarthy decided to resurrect Trump out of pure self-interest. John Roberts and other Republicans on the Supreme Court extended a measure of retroactive legitimacy for Trump’s actions leading up to Jan. 6.
