Preview of my members-only newsletter

In 2010, then-president Barack Obama coined the phrase “elections have consequences.” Decades earlier, Ronald Reagan explained that “personnel is policy.” Both observations have come into stark focus in the days since the election.

The consequences of this election are already proving to be dramatic. Mass deportations seem inevitable. Large parts of the federal government seem certain to be shuttered, moved or decimated. Elon Musk, one of the largest federal contractors, is being put in charge of government “efficiency.”

If people had any doubt about whether Donald Trump would implement large parts of Project 2025, look at the people he has chosen for his new government. Already, he announced a Fox News host as his Secretary of Defense, a Putin apologist as his Director of National Intelligence, a vaccine skeptic to head Health and Human Services and an accused pedophile to be the Attorney General. That overlooks the fact that a dog-assassin will head Homeland Security.

The removal of guardrails extends beyond government institutions. Other pillars of stability are showing their wear. Election deniers won key county and local offices. Corporate and business leaders have either praised Trump or grown silent in fear. Even some Democratic leaders are showing early signs of accommodation.

You're reading my monthly State of Democracy newsletter, where I share my thoughts and insights on the current trends and stories impacting voters and our democracy. With the incoming Republican trifecta, expect my analysis on Trump and his cronies’ anti-democratic actions — you won't find my thoughts on this anywhere else!

Perhaps most important for the long-term, large chunks of the media are proving incapable or unwilling to stand firmly for anything other than their own self interest. Trump is being normalized even as coverage of him is being scaled back. In many instances that is a result of their corporate owners. In others, it is out of fear of alienating an already shrinking audience.

After the 2016 election, a prominent journalist told me that the media’s main source of power over public officials who lie was shame. He lamented that since Trump was impervious to shame, there was little the press could do. It apparently did not occur to him that the media’s role is to empower the public by telling the truth.

The good news is that even as traditional guardrails fail, new guardrails will emerge. These include new media figures, lawyers and activists.

Here is my bottom line: We need to be clear-eyed but not deterred. Realistic but not pessimists. Most importantly, we need to be committed to fighting hard and not giving up hope. There will be dark days and times we feel like all is lost. Hopelessness is the tool of the aspiring dictator. Trump thrives on chaos and capitulation. We need to keep focused on hardening democracy.

We will get some early signs of how difficult this fight will be. In this edition of State of Democracy I dive into these four questions:

• How many judges get confirmed before January? 

  
  

• Are there any signs of spine fragments in the GOP Senate?

  
  

• What is the final House margin? 

  
  

• Who are the new leaders of the opposition?

Want to read the rest? Upgrade to our premium membership for $120/year to get two monthly newsletters from me (including this one), my weekly tip sheet with the top cases to watch, invites to live events and more. Plus, by becoming a member, you will help support Democracy Docket’s work and ensure everything on our website remains free for all.