Trump, the United States chaos emperor, is much more dangerous this time: the Irish era

“Remember, I can do what I want whoever wants.”

Sounds like President TrumpTo the world. But it was Caligula, for his grandmother.

At least the US chaos emperor has not made his horse a consul. Still.

A horse could be better than some of the incomplete characters that surround Triumph.

After looting and giving the United States government, the Western Alliance and our relationship with Volodymyr ZelenskiyTrump is considering a king and living in a third term. It is enough in the magnilocative rhetoric of the acolytes that genufate an instrument of the divine providence.

At this week’s conservative political action conference, a group called the “Third Term project” erected a sign that represents Trump as César. A wire in X wondered if they knew what happened to César.

The United States was forged in the blood and fire of rejecting tyranny; Its institutions were meticulously formed around the beginning that we would never be governed by a king.

However, Trump delights in re -publishing memes of himself as king and as Napoleon, with a line attributed to the emperor: “He who saves his country does not violate any law.”

After getting tangled up with a legal system, he said he was willing to get it, Trump is above the law. (The Supreme Court responded on Friday, at least temporarily, for saying goodbye to a government guard dog).

His dictatorial impulses were clear when he refused to accept the results of the 2020 elections and a mafia was incited to interrupt the certification of the elections, even if that meant that his own vice president could be hung.

And now he added imperialist impulses, reflecting on assuming the Panama Canal, Greenland, Canada, Gaza, DC and mineral rights in Ukraine.

His megalomania has multiplied. His mocking behavior towards Zelenskiy: How can a modestly talented reality veteran simulate Zelenskiy as “a modestly successful comedian”? – Shows that Trump can’t fulfill anyone saying he’s doing something wrong.

When Associated Press refused to accompany his Diktat to call the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America, the news organization was prevented from covering some events with the president in the Oval office and on Air Force One.

The AP defendant Friday afternoon. “The press and all people in the United States have the right to choose their own words and not be retaliated by the Government.” sayingAdd: “Allowing such control and government retaliations to be maintained is a threat to the freedom of each American.”

Also on Friday, at a meeting with governors at the White House, Trump stopped abruptly to rebuke Governor Janet Mills of Maine for resisting his executive order that prohibits the transgender athletes of women’s sports.

“It will be better than complying, because otherwise it is not obtaining federal funds,” the president warned to the Democratic governor.

“See you in court,” he replied.

Of course, Trump needed the last word. Of course, it had to be unpleasant. “Enjoy your life after the governor,” he said, “because I don’t think you are in the chosen policy.”

Like Shawn McCreesh wrote In the New York Times, no one had seen that moment since Trump returned to the oval: “Someone challenged President Trump. Right on his face.

I’ve been reading a book called How to Be a Bad Emperor: An ancient guide to truly terrible leaders, written by Suetonio and translated by Josiah Osgood. Osgood writes about the “propensity of Caligula to give in to each whim and the taste he took by leaving others with cruel comments.”

As Suetonio pointed out about Caligula, “the Senate showed no more mercy or respect. He allowed some who had reached the highest offices ran next to their car in their togas for several miles or stopping, dressed in a linen fabric, on the head or foot of their sofa while having dinner. ”

Does it sound familiar?

Some Republican legislators talked about Trump, JD Vance and Pete Hegesh Caven to Russia, going against a long history of Republicans who treat Russia as the “evil empire”, or at least with healthy skepticism.

When George W. Bush, as president, said he could look into the eyes of Vladimir Putin and see his soul, John McCain warned that Putin was a “thug” and a “murderer”, pointing out that when he looked into Putin’s eyes, He saw “” AK, AG and AB “.

But those who talked against Trump did not seem ready to do much about it. They still shrink in front of him.

As political reportedTrump Allized moved quickly to quell the dissent with the party’s defense hawks: “Vice President JD Vance and several administration officials who are close to Donald Trump JR have been fundamental to set aside those with opinions of conservative foreign policy traditional “.

After Trump stripped that Ukraine had “started” war and that Zelenskiy was a “dictator”, the abnormally affectionate New York Post felt the need to put Putin on the cover with the holder: President Trump: This It is a dictator.

The most vivid image of the week was an Elon Musk of Elon who agitates a chainsaw at the Conservative Conference of Political Action. That joy of pain can chase Trump again. Like the Washington Post reportedMany legislators obtained an ear of the constituents angry on layoffs, freezing and irregular cuts, a vacuum outside the meaningless government, heart or security.

Many who hoped to disconnect to Trump this time realize that they don’t have that luxury. It is much more dangerous now. There are terrifying moments in which our 236 -year -old institutions do not admire the challenge.

With flaccid and Republican Democrats Craven, King Donald can do whatever he wants.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times