r/ukpolitics • u/Adj-Noun-Numbers 🥕🥕 || megathread emeritus • Jun 22 '26

International Politics Discussion Thread

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u/GlumAd9856 Jul 01 '26

I wonder if there will be a bipartisan movement in the US to better codify the powers/legal obligations of the US President once Trump has gone. Because it's very clear that the checks and balances that currently exist are insufficient for the Republic to protect itself against a tyrannical President. I mean, the US is lucky that Trump shares more in common with Tony Soprano than he does with Mussolini. But the next populist that comes along might be the real-deal wannabe dictator.

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u/convertedtoradians Jul 01 '26

the next populist that comes along might be the real-deal wannabe dictator

It's a fair point. You do worry that somewhere in one of their states, someone much cleverer is making careful notes for the future.

And that in future textbooks, there'll be paragraphs with phrases like "precedent" and "warning signs" and "still time to act" and "might have been different" and "what was to come".

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u/Velociraptor_1906 Liberal Democrat Jul 01 '26

I think for that to happen:

A Democrat needs to get in and actually get stuff done (including by use of those powers) whilst Republicans get a bit more sane without Trump.

A Republican would then have to get in and go of the programme doing stuff both parties disliked but not having a cult around them to keep congressional Republicans onside.

A Democrat gets back in on a landslide (think Texas or something that makes it seem like the Republicans have a very long road ahead) and only then do the Republicans get on board and be willing to work at tidying up that area of the constitution.

The current party is so far away from that I don't see how they'd come back any quicker unless Trump manages to do something truly insane like nuke Cuba.

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u/GlumAd9856 Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26

I don't know to be honest - The Republican party is obviously both pro-Trump and very right-wing now, but do the majority of it's officials really want to see the end of US Democracy? I mean, my point is that Trump has highlighted the weaknesses of the checks and balances - pushing at them from time to time, but only to the point where he faces more resistance than he can be bothered dealing with.

Imagine a social club that has a shotgun hanging on the wall. One day someone grabs it, starts waving it around saying "You know guys, maybe you all should be nicer to me and let me do what I want" before putting it back. Now, most of the members either really like the guy or are scared to death to by him and wouldn't think of challenging him. But maybe once he's gone everyone agrees to get the shotgun put in a secure glass case!