The day that many of us have dreaded is upon us, as Trump takes control, vowing to be a ‘dictator’ on first day
Here it is, a day we have dreaded for four years, and been forced to prepare for in the last two and a half months.
It’s like knowing you are going to be punched — hard — in the face. There is nothing to do but grit your teeth and accept it. You know it’s going to hurt, and the pain will linger.
That’s how millions of people in the USA and across the globe feel as Donald Trump takes the oath of office to serve a second, nonconsecutive term as president (Editor’s note: Trump's first inauguration in 2017 is pictured above in a public domain image posted on wikimedia commons). Incredibly, after a lifetime of scams, crimes and foul actions, enough voters fell for the convicted felon’s con-man palaver.
On Jan. 10, president-elect was sentenced for 34 felony convictions for falsifying records during his first run for president to hide a tawdry affair with porn star Stormy Daniels. But like all his many illegal actions, there were virtually no consequences.
Rules don’t apply to Trump, for some reason. He can brag about assaulting women, cheat on multiple wives, spew racist and hateful comments, earn felony convictions, cause tremendous upheaval in the United States and across the globe — and still have a firm grasp on the Republican Party and about one-third of Americans.
Somehow, he will once again stain the White House, surrounded by a venal group of henchmen and women. We have little reason to expect sanity or decency, and Trump is sure to exceed our worst expectations.
We cannot hope for rational and patriotic opposition within the federal government. Republicans control the Senate and the House of Representatives, and the Supreme Court has a solid conservative majority that includes three Trump appointees.
Trump has almost complete control over the levers of government. There is little we can do to prevent him from carrying out his plans for the nation and world.
Most Trump supporters thought they were voting for lower grocery prices, a secure border, a stronger economy and a boost in energy production.
Imagine their surprise to hear we may start conflicts — economic or even militarily — with three allies. But that was the startling at a Jan. 7 press conference.
Trump said he wants to acquire Greenland, a massive island in the North Atlantic, from Denmark, even threatening economic or military force to do so. He also wants to take back control of the Panama Canal, reversing an agreement to return it to its native country made during Jimmy Carter’s administration.
Oh, and Trump also has floated the idea of making Canada — all of Canada — the 51st state.
We will ignore his idea of renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. Some of his most faithful worshippers have embraced that stupid proposal.
But let’s move on. There’s only so much we can absorb at a time.
None of these are serious proposals. Greenland has been part of the Kingdom of Denmark for 600 years. But that doesn’t dissuade the orange felon, who is hardly known for his historical knowledge.
“Greenland is an incredible place, and the people will benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our Nation,” Trump said in a Truth Social post on Jan. 6.
Canada has no desire to become part of the USA. Its leaders have treated this like a joke or a typical Trump boast. The reality is, if it was admitted, it would have to be more than one state.
Its liberal social views would likely ally it with the Democratic Party, and that wouldn’t be a happy outcome for Trump and his party. So don’t waste any time worrying about our northern neighbor becoming part of the USA.
The Panama Canal belongs to Panama. Period.
We used warships to create Panama, which had been part of Colombia, so the canal could be built and operated by the USA. It has been controlled by Panama since 1999, and taking it back would surely be difficult and likely bloody.
All that nonsense aside, among the threats Trump made during the 2024 campaign was to impose tariffs that would harm trade with our largest partners. Trump doesn’t seem to grasp the fact that a tariff is a tax.
Imposing a 25-percent on all Canadian imports would spark a reaction, according to Canadian Transport and Internal Trade Minister Anita Anand, who admitted in an interview that it is still unclear what he will do.
“But we do know that at all times, we must protect Canadian industry and Canadian workers, and Canada itself,” Anand said. “And what that means is that we have to employ a strategy of mirroring; not escalating, but responding in kind. And we have planned multiple rounds of counter tariffs against the United States, which we will not hesitate to use, if necessary.”
Mexico, China and other nations would surely follow suit. Voters who supported Trump because of high prices will be devastated by the result of his ill-considered tariffs. The cost of groceries, cars, homes and consumer goods would all rocket upward.
Trump pledged to act as a dictator on “day one.” He intends to impose a series of executive actions and surely will pardon many of the members of his mob who stormed the Capitol and tried to overturn the 2020 election results. After all, who is there to stop him?
The problem is, he may decide to extend that dictatorial period and power, and we are uncertain if there is anyone who can prevent that.
Heaven help us.
Fourth-generation South Dakotan Tom Lawrence has written for several newspapers and websites in South Dakota and other states for four decades. He has contributed to The New York Times, NPR, The London Telegraph, The Daily Beast and other media outlets. Do not republish without permission.
