From Senator Chris Murphy via Bluesky, an explanation of Trump’s anti-democratic powerplay (my emphasis):
Those trying to understand the tariffs as economic policy are dangerously naive.
No, the tariffs are a tool to collapse our democracy. A means to compel loyalty from every business that will need to petition Trump for relief.
1/ A 🧵 to explain his plan and how we fight back.
2/ This week you will read many confused economists and political pundits who won’t understand how the tariffs make economic sense.
That’s because they don’t. They aren’t designed as economic policy. The tariffs are simply a new, super dangerous political tool.
3/ You see, our founders created a President with limited and checked powers. They specifically put the power of spending and taxation in the hands of the legislature.
Why? Because they watched how kings and despots used spending and taxes to control their subjects.
4/ British kings used taxation to reward loyalty and punish dissent.
Our own revolution was spurred by the King’s use of heavy taxation of the colonies to punish our push for self governance.
The King’s message was simple: stop protesting and I’ll stop taxing.
5/ Trump knows that he can weaken (and maybe destroy) democracy by using spending and taxation in the same way.
He is using access to government funds to bully universities, law firms and state and local governments into loyalty pledges.
6/ Healthy democracies rely on an independent legal profession to maintain the rule of law, independent universities to guard objective truth and provide forums for dissent to authority, and independent state/local government to counterbalance a powerful federal government.
7/ But the private sector also plays a rule to protect democracy. Independent industry has power.
The tariffs are Trump’s tool to erode that independence. Now, one by one, every industry or company will need to pledge loyalty to Trump in order to get sanctions relief.
8/ What could Trump demand as part of a quiet loyalty pledge?
Public shows of support from executives for all his economic policy. Contributions to his political efforts. Promises to police employees’ support for his political opposition.
9/ The tariffs are DESIGNED to create economic hardship. Why? So that Trump has a straight face rationale for releasing them, business by business or industry by industry.
As he adjusts or grants relief, it’s a win-win: the economy improves and dissent disappears.
10/ And once Trump has the lawyers, colleges and industry under his thumb, it becomes very hard for the opposition to have any viable space to maneuver.
Trump didn’t invent this strategy. It’s the playbook for democratically elected leaders who want to stay in power forever.
11/ The tariffs aren’t economic policy. They are political weapons.
But as long as we see this clearly, we can stop him. Public mobilization is working. Today, a few Republicans joined Democrats to vote against one set of tariffs.
The people still have the power.
[End of thread.]
= = =
Trump’s plan, thus far, is working. The appearance of chaos here-there-and-everywhere has obscured the significance of a relentless crusade against our democratic government. Many people are just starting to pay attention. No one has managed to slow things down. And, for the most part, Democratic leaders have been caught flatfooted.
So, better late than never, what’s the Democratic plan to push back?
Congressional Democrats are locked out of power — a result of losing elections in November 2024. Governors, attorneys general, and other state and local officials have only limited means to block federal policy. What the opposition party has is a challenge — an opportunity — to change public opinion.
The plan for Democrats is to communicate as effectively as possible to Americans about what is going on. Donald Trump is waging a savage assault on American democracy and on the wellbeing of working- and middle-class folks across the country.
In a matter of months the consequences will be clearer, but we can’t afford to wait months. It’s on Democrats — and not just those in Washington or in office — to get the attention of folks who haven’t been paying attention. To speak persuasively to people who haven’t yet caught on to the damage that’s being directed by Trump and company. (Addendum: Let’s say, rather, it’s on democrats to persuade others. We can work through a political party, even though we can’t rely on the Democrats to lead the way. See the following post.)
At this stage, we still possess an arsenal of freedoms. While billionaires, CEOs, law firms, universities, media companies, and others are bending the knee — and paying tribute to Trump — it’s up to the rest of us who don’t want to live in an autocratic version of America to push back.
Not the plan you wanted? Sorry, but there’s no magic bullet. Welcome to our imperfect democracy, which will be preserved — if at all — by the efforts of those of us who treasure it. By raising our voices, individually and collectively.