r/politics • u/thenationmagazine The Nation Magazine • 25d ago

Soft Paywall Mahmoud Khalil Is the First Activist to Be Disappeared by Trump

https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/trump-arrest-detention-mahmoud-khalil/?nc=1
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342

u/EthicsGradient009 25d ago

It will only get worse. Wait until they stop the midterms from happening.

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u/mmmmm_pancakes Connecticut 25d ago

Run by the states.

They can stop midterms in red states, but without using the army (and directly starting a civil war) they can’t stop the midterms in purple or blue states.

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u/prince_of_cannock 25d ago

You can keep saying this, but norms haven't saved us so far.

If the President says, "We're postponing the elections, and that's it," a lot of states will cave immediately even if they think it's wrong.

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u/GoMustard North Carolina 25d ago

Then, the states that don't cave in will elect their representatives for Congress, and the states that do won't. And maybe we end up with disputed congresses. But at that point, we're at Civil War at best, and with a downturned economy, Americans don't have much stomach for such things. The first person to forge a compromise wins.

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u/prince_of_cannock 25d ago

I don't think any part of that is realistic.

States have no means of engaging in warfare against the nation. That's like saying a foot will engage in civil war against the leg.

If an "imperial edict" came out saying that the elections just aren't happening, then I don't think the elections would happen. There would be demonstrations and court cases instead. But there wouldn't be a civil war because there is only one military force and it would be under the command of the federal government. Even if the military refused to act against American cities or civilians, it wouldn't suddenly fall under the command of the states.

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u/GoMustard North Carolina 25d ago

Let's be clear: I don't think Civil War looks like states' militias facing off against the army. I think it looks like widespread violence, civil resistance, with certain states refusing to hold elections and others proceeding to hold elections since they are conducted by the states.

If an "imperial edict" came out saying that the elections just aren't happening, then I don't think the elections would happen.

This is what I don't think is realistic. I think in such a scenario, you might have some states that would comply and many that would not, and I think overwhelmingly the people would be on the side of holding elections, especially if the economy has turned. The resistance to that kind of disruption to life would be serious.

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u/Bugsy_Girl California 24d ago

People would still need food and have the internet to entertain them, so few would do anything about it. People will be thinking about when they’ll get to watch the next episode of their favorite show as they’re escorted to the camps for saying “Trump sucks” online once

-4

u/RectalSpawn Wisconsin 25d ago

I love your optimism that the politicians won't just fall in line or that they won't just run their own candidates as Democrats, like they've already been...

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u/GoMustard North Carolina 25d ago

I'm sorry, I don't understand what you mean. Can you explain? How, in the scenario I described, would politicians "just fall in line" or run their own candidates as Democrats? Maybe I need to clarify.

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u/EthicsGradient009 25d ago

Love your points. Interesting thought exercise though. What would be required? Some sort of federal emergency? The Insurrection Act?

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u/HansTheAxolotl 25d ago edited 24d ago

he’d declare martial law and claim the radical left is out of control or something. then start shooting protestors in the streets

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u/Turbulent_Tailor_983 25d ago

US presidents do not have the authority to declare martial law.

It is unknown at this time whether he actually will be able to get the army to follow commands to start shooting protestors.

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u/HansTheAxolotl 25d ago

do you think it matters that he doesn’t have the authority? because it doesn’t

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u/Turbulent_Tailor_983 25d ago

It very much matters.

For example, some of the people that Trump fired were rehired because he did not have the authority to fire them.

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u/ZachTheCommie 25d ago

Until Trump removes the people that are challenging him.

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u/Turbulent_Tailor_983 25d ago

Trump does not have the authority to fire members of the judiciary

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u/ZachTheCommie 25d ago

He doesn't have the authority to do a lot of shit he's doing.

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u/Mr_Clod New Jersey 25d ago

"Trump does not have the authority" can go next to every single action from this administration so far. It doesn't matter. Dictators don't tend to start out having the authority. They make it and take it.

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u/thefeistypineapple 25d ago

JAGs in the pentagon have been replaced already. There are no safeguards like the first term.

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u/RisingChaos 25d ago

It matters to the point it will cause some percentage of people to go “Wait a minute…” and push back against him. It’s not going to stop him from trying, claiming he has the authority, and causing a lot of harm before the push back half-assedly partially undoes the shit he fucked up.

1

u/thefeistypineapple 25d ago

He can if he feels our borders aren’t secure. In the EO he passed in January, there’s a provision that states he has 90 days to feel our borders are secure and if he does not feel they are, he will enact the Insurrection Act. It’s why he’s been going so hard against Canada and fentanyl. I think some dumb senator went on Fox and declared the cartels have taken Canada.

More troops are quietly being sent to the borders.

The 90 day deadline is on 4/21.

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u/bobprobert24 25d ago

do you think the military would follow that order?

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u/thefeistypineapple 25d ago

Pentagon officials were replaced on Friday and previous JAGs were moved and/or removed.

Trans service men and women are also being removed from the military. The DoD, DHA and Pentagon are all following the executive orders to a T. Some are even taking them further.

1

u/parariddle 25d ago

Who’s Marshall?

0

u/142978 25d ago

I'd rather he declared Marshall mathers

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u/mmmmm_pancakes Connecticut 25d ago

They can claim whatever they want, but I can’t imagine either would cause the state of California to not hold elections…!

14

u/yoloswagrofl Ohio 25d ago

I know that the White House and the Heritage Foundation are running game simulations right now to figure out how they can stop midterms from happening and/or ignore the results. I'm not looking forward to whatever Trump's "Big surprise" will be that he promised was coming for the midterm elections.

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u/NPRdude Canada 25d ago

The US has never cancelled an election, not even during the Civil War. So they can try and make excuses but they will be treading on the flimsiest unconstitutional ground so far if they attempt it.

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u/ERedfieldh 25d ago

The US has not had anything like this before, where the corruption is so fully saturated at every level. Even during the Civil War, it was fairly equal.

1

u/Casual_OCD Canada 25d ago

flimsiest unconstitutional ground

"SCOTUS rules cancelling elections is a Constitutional protected right of the President"

WHOMP WHOMP

5

u/BJYeti 25d ago

I don't know why people keep thinking the SC is just instantly in Trumps pocket, they literally just ruled against his freeze on foreign aid, ruled against Trump's firing of a whistle blower and kept him in his job and shot down red states attempts to block blue state lawsuits on climate change.

1

u/Casual_OCD Canada 24d ago

They just announced even more foreign aid freezing and cuts. Unless SCOTUS walks the money overseas and delivers it,.Trump and Musk ain't sending it

2

u/arrownyc 25d ago

Pretty sure he'd just use the same playbook he always does, scream about election fraud and declare the outcomes illegitimate, except this time there's no one left to stop him.

The states could certainly hold their midterms and elect new state leadership, but Trump could probably get away with keeping them out of federal buildings in Washington, and insisting upon the legitimacy of the incumbent.

1

u/Th3Trashkin 25d ago

And what if both sides don't back down? Have a de jure powerless incumbent sitting in Washington and a de facto elected official elsewhere?

1

u/arrownyc 25d ago

I mean, the one in Washington would be casting votes. The one elsewhere would just be a figurehead or focus on state legislation.

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u/ThisOtterBehemoth 24d ago

Stage bombings for instance. Create  evidence that it was a liberal bombing. Make it in blue states and declare martial law. Connect the evidence with political opposition. Arrest. Voila.

1

u/_BeatsByKWAZARR 22d ago

Nope. Trump could likely just pass a few bills and its done. I cannot see how a Civil War does not pop off. Maga is a cult and the rest of us need to cleanse the country of their sickness 

7

u/kawhi21 25d ago

Well not until Trump signs an executive order saying midterms in blue states is illegal, and despite "He can't legally do that", everyone bends over and does whatever he says. Like everything else that has happened the last two months.

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u/mmmmm_pancakes Connecticut 25d ago

Your cynicism is definitely warranted at this point.

I guess we’ll just have to see what happens.

5

u/kawhi21 25d ago

I mean look at the post we're interacting in. The government can't legally kidnap someone for exercising their first amendment rights either.

0

u/BJYeti 25d ago

I mean not advocating for what occurred but he was taken by ICE since they declared his visa and green card revoked, now I don't know if there is a legal basis for revoking a green card or visa based on what someone says but my guess is if there is it is flimsy at best.

3

u/Maybe_Julia 25d ago

Trump's wet dream would be releasing the army on dissenting American's he already thinks he's a king.

Also the national guard already has a kill count on college protestors.

"Tin soldier's and Nixon's coming, where finally on our own , this Summer I hear the drumming, four dead in Ohio. "

2

u/WhileUpbeat9893 25d ago

They've killed strikers, too. Not just protesters.

2

u/Suedocode 25d ago

Wait red states can just permanently lock in reps without elections? That can't be right

I'm expecting martial law. Dunno what this other kind of shenanigans is.

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u/yeetedandfleeted 25d ago

They can stop the purple states. They control enough to not need any blue.

2

u/v_a_n_d_e_l_a_y 25d ago

Even if that were true, it would severely limit the impact of the midterms. 

There are also some purple or blue states with Republicans in power or with split power. Virginia, Wisconsin, Georgia off the top of my head.

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u/[deleted] 25d ago

[deleted]

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u/mmmmm_pancakes Connecticut 25d ago

Nope, sounds like you’ve pretty much got it.

Unless some red states flip/revolt, they regrettably appear to have a lock now on the presidency and majorities in both houses of Congress. The Republican plan to control state governments seemingly has worked out for them, and their propaganda machine’s effectiveness means revolts seem unlikely.

The midterms still decide which folks get sent to Congress, though, so blue states would still elect and send representatives to DC to attempt to assist with governance.

1

u/Comfortable_Prize750 25d ago

Federalizing the police and mobilizing the National Guard is the next step. They're just looking for a pretext, and they'll find one soon enough. Then they invoke the Insurrection Act indefinitely, and bye bye elections.

1

u/thefeistypineapple 25d ago

I wish this was true but even EO’s, which are not law, are being treated as law and are being enacted in ways sometimes further than what the EO even calls for. If that isn’t even following precedent, I can’t imagine anything is following precedent.

1

u/upnorth906 24d ago

man what world have you been living in lol, the current regime does not care about norms or previous expectations.

1

u/rnarkus 25d ago

Please stop with this. this is the making apathy. I’m serious. We can’t just pretend or joke these are going to be realities

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u/EthicsGradient009 25d ago

I am not pretending or joking. Calm your passion buddy.

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u/ayoholdup 24d ago

Maybe they thought you meant college midterms, because Columbia University. I made the same mistake haha