Richardson lays out the fact that Trump and his minions have suffered a really remarkable sustained string of court defeats. It doesn't really matter if the judge is a Republican or a Democrat or even if Trump appointed them. His actions are so blatantly illegal and unconstitutional that courts have little problem ruling against him.
In Congress, the Big Ugly Bill is waddling into the threshing blades of the Senate, a process that I would guess a few House Republicans are hoping will strip the bill of some of its uglier aspects. The reality in Congress though is that Trump has passed almost no significant legislation. While the Republican Congress has obliged him with approximately zero oversight, they aren't willing to address or pass laws to validate some of his worst decisions.
In short, despite the flurry of executive orders, despite the DOGE assault on governance, despite the outrageous corruption of his pardons, despite the evisceration of our role in the world...Trump really hasn't changed much. Not in a permanent way.
Let's posit a hypothetical. Ten House Republicans die from drinking raw milk at RFK's bear barbecue. That makes Hakeem Jeffries Speaker of the House.
Trump chokes on a Big Mac and Vance - attempting to give him the Heimlich - is crushed when Trump falls on him. Jeffries becomes President.
Immediately, all of Trump's EOs are rescinded. Like within 24 hours. All the threats, all the attack dog bullshit...gone. Yes, it will take years maybe decades to restore the world's faith in US governance. There is real lasting damage there. But so much of what Trump has done - while awful and truly terrible in equal measure - is not lawful and is therefore not permanent.
Which is why we are all worried about the 2026 midterms. If they happen, Democrats win the House. They might even win the Senate if we are in a recession then, despite the map.
The worry remains whether we will have free and fair elections. However, given current Republican contempt for legislating, maybe they just don't care.
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