The idea that no one person is “above the law” is ingrained deep into American democracy; it’s more than a law–a promise that justice is afforded to everyone equally, regardless of their wealth, power or political positions. But over the past few years, that promise has been tested, twisted, and in many cases, totally abandoned. Our country is in a state where the president operates above the Constitution, disregarding the rule of law, statute by statute, while most elected officials have looked away.
Trump’s actions during his previous term and those he has displayed thus far have revealed a shocking truth: his total disregard for democratic principles has evolved into public contempt for the law since his first term. Take, for instance, the Trump administration’s unlawful deportations and repeated attempts to deny migrants the due process they’re legally entitled to. Under Trump’s zero-tolerance immigration policy, thousands of families were ripped apart, most given no clear plan or timeline for reunification. Children were left in cages at the border, parents were deported with virtually no trace and the most fundamental of human rights were ignored in favor of optics.
Trump’s actions echo a sense of nationalism rooted in xenophobia, and he’s only pushing this idea further. He has discussed overturning birthright citizenship, a right protected by the 14th Amendment, through executive action. Legal scholars, including conservatives, have widely agreed that this move is beyond unconstitutional. Yet Trump’s willingness to suggest ideas like this signals a dangerous readiness to abandon constitutional protections if they are inconvenient or don’t align with his agenda.
Potentially even more alarming are reports that Trump has discussed deporting U.S. citizens. This action doesn’t just cross into authoritarian territory, but would confirm this country’s dissent from law and order. Under what system could an American-born citizen be stripped of their nationality and forcibly removed from this country? The only answer is one where the president governs by decree, not law.
It doesn’t stop there. Trump has consistently used federal funding as a political weapon, threatening to cut off support for universities he deems too “liberal.” He has repeatedly tried to fund ideological conformity, directing the Department of Education to investigate institutions that have supposedly discriminated against conservative voices. These efforts are not subtle policy disagreements; they are overt attempts to coerce higher education to ideologically submit in order to secure funding. A clear violation of free speech and an incredibly dangerous overreach of federal power.
This is not law and order. It is lawlessness and authoritarianism disguised in red, white and blue.
Trump’s disregard for legal precedent isn’t theoretical–it’s practical and ongoing. He has openly discussed the idea of mass deportation camps. He has floated the idea of sending the National Guard into cities without consent. He has repeatedly praised dictators and clarified that he prefers the power they wield individually. His return to the White House has been built on the idea that rules are optional if you’re the president.
This is not normal. This is not democratic. Most importantly, this is not American.
We are taught that we are “one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” But what happens when justice is no longer impartial, when liberty is conditional and when the rule of law bends for one man?
Then we are no longer one nation under law. We are one nation under Trump. The American people and the institutions established to protect our democracy must wake up to the reality that Trump’s agenda is not merely political. It’s anti-constitutional. If Trump’s actions continue to go unchecked, it will mark the end of equal protection, due process and even citizenship as we know it.
Either the law applies to everyone, or it protects no one.
