Hot air or a real threat to democracy by Trump: Vote for him He will fix it so no need to be engaged in the next election?.

Was this hot air or another real threat to democracy by Trump in his recent speech to a Christian right-wing political group on July 27?.   Trump:  If elected, Christian-related agenda will be "fixed" so much so that they would no longer need to be politically engaged."You won’t have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what? It’ll be fixed, it’ll be fine. You won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians."  Is this as bad as it sounds? Yes.  It could be seen as a threat to democracy in a couple of  ways

1)  Trump's "fix" speech was an ear-splitting dog whistle, a way to infer a promise of his implementation of an unpopular Christian right-wing agenda without being so obvious about it or addressing the details that would alarm other voters. 

 2) The votes of those opposing them would be suppressed or overturned.  Does he mean free and fair elections representing the will of the people, the fundamental characteristic of a democracy, will be "fixed" so it would not exist in the future?   This "fix" fits with another quotable slip of his tongue:" I will be a dictator on day one." 

 It is not puffery. Trump has credible plans to"fix"  both implementations of the policies and the election process. Project 2025 contains a plan for Trump to replace career service employees and appointees with loyalists and those who pass a litmus test approved by extremely conservative Christians, as well as implement the public policies they want with or without legislation. Trump's 2024 campaign promises and the Heritage Foundation all have plans for overturning the majority vote by such means as successfully carrying off the fake elector scheme in 2028 (JD Vance pledges to do what Pence failed to do if he is VP in 2028)  while undermining faith in the election's legitimacy with the "big lie", a redux of 2020.  https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/gop-group-project-2025-floats-conspiracy-theory-biden-111863482   The Supreme Court has made these plans even more possible with its bias toward Trump's interests, including granting him immunity from criminal prosecution and election-related rulings. 

The BBC has provided the best, most objective, succinct, and short description of Project 2025. Here is the link. The summary is great except for the reproductive rights part. Yes, it does not specifically propose a federal abortion ban, but elsewhere in the document, it, in effect, does. It is dire...Go to page 428 of the Project 2025 mandate If the link to it does not work, copy and paste in the URL....https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership.. Project 2025 supports the "culture of Life" and fetal personhood, which, if applied, would ban contraception and other related rights and procedures.

The work for the "fix" the Christian right wants is already underway and is well funded. The plan is in black and white in the 900-page document produced by Project 2025. The plan is already being excuted by the Heritage Foundation, Project 2025's mother ship, The Foundation is already screening and taking names of those applying for jobs in the next Trump administration, ready to go on day one.  A compliant Supreme Court giving Trump immunity from criminal prosecution is already in place.to deal with suits and decisions that arise.  If Harris is about the future of democracy, so are Trump's promises that should scare all but the MAGA faithful.

 https://www.npr.org/2024/07/27/nx-s1-5054272/trump-christian-wont-vote-anymore-speech

https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2024/06/project-2025-and-christian-nationalism.html

//www.axios.com/2023/12/01/trump-government-job-applications-2025

https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/11/politics/trump-allies-project-2025/index.html

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/donations-surged-groups-linked-conservative-project-2025-rcna125638

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/20/donald-trump-allies-christian-nationalism-00142086

https://reproductivefreedomforall.org/resources/gutting-abortion-access-under-project-2025/

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/jd-vance-stands-certifying-2020-election-voter-fraud-rcna161984

How Project 2025 plans to destroy consumer and environmental protections beginning Day One

  

How  Project 2025 plans to sabotage and destroy environmental and consumer protections. They do it by replacing the administrative state with their ideological loyalists.; They are poison pills, time releasing for years after Trump is long gone.  The part of the administrative state Project 2025 document contains a plan to dismantle the government mechanism that protects consumers and the environment from unfair, dangerous, fraudulent practices in whatever they buy, the air they breathe, the truth of the advertising they see and hear, the water they drink, the media you access, the financial credit they use, and even access to abortion and birth control..  The mother of Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation, is already taking applicants to replace civil servants and appointees. Lists are prepared to begin on Day One of the second Trump administration. Invoking Schedule F or similar acts will permit 50K civil servants to be replaced by ideological fellow travelers. 

If you breach the New York Times paywall, you will see how the Heritage Foundation screens for ideological purity to their cause and the questions they ask of applicants.  It is similar to how the Supreme Court became the Trump Court by engineering the appointees. Like the Supreme Court, those ideologues will be in power for years after Trump leaves office.  . Look at the job application to stack federal agencies with those ideologically pure to the Project agenda:  It also reveals what plans the Heritage Foundation has for each and every part of the  Federal government. .https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/12/01/us/politics/project2025-heritage-foundation-administration-application-questionnaire.html 

Even if Congress does not revise laws or courts get involved, they still can reach their goal of removing or sabotaging consumer and environmental protections. This is why big businesses love Trump; they resent and detest having to comply. By appointing MAGA loyal flunkies to these regulatory agencies, the proverbial foxes at the hen house door, what we have taken for granted for 50 years, will be crippled if they even survive as agencies. Judgment calls about compliance with existing laws and rules or impact on citizens vs. business interests will not motivate ideologues but whether they support the goals of the one in control, the president, when federal agencies are the designated administrators.  The Constitution requires the executive branch to faithfully carry out the legislation passed by Congress. That means that the priority changes to compliance with the law to comply with their ideology and the demands of the president, Trump, and desire to keep their jobs, which will be in jeopardy if they do not. Project 2025 is designed to take away consumer and environmental protections and influence decisions even on abortion and birth control. by replacing technical experts in these agencies with those pledging loyalty to Trump and the Project ideology rather than abiding by the intent and purpose of the agencies, making judgment calls, ignoring consumer complaints, and sabotaging the enforcement of the laws. If the agencies are open, the result is to stack the cards against the rest of us, normal, common, regular people. The only tool left is to sue on a case-by-case basis...and we know what that means with the Supreme Court firmly in the hands of MAGA and the cost of any litigation.  Like Roe vs Wade, we consumers have had these protections on the books for 50 years. We just take it for granted until we get screwed when they are sabotaged or removed, and then it is too late to fix it until enough get screwed by the thousands of unkind cuts over many years.

A note:. the Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity protects the president from being prosecuted for crimes if they commit them as part of their official duties.  It may or may not extend to those with "executive privilege".  That is subject to definitions and judgment calls and left mostly undetermined..  However, it does not protect all the federal ministers in the executive branch who may commit crimes. "I just was following orders" is not always a sure defense for those not protected by the Supreme Court's presidential immunity decisions by the  Trump-aligned super majority.  

The recent Chevron decision by Trump's dominated Supreme Court further kneecaps the power of agencies that issue rules and regulations now after extensive hearings and public input to interpret the laws Congress passes. Project 2025 throws very technical issues at the courts, where judges are ill-equipped to grasp the arguments' concepts or validity.  This damaging delegation was approved under the banner of laws interpreted and enforced by unelected officials.  Likewise, with Chevron, un-elected judges will be calling the shots. Still, they are not educated or equipped with the technical or scientific knowledge the decisions may require and cannot sort out the BS from the actual situation.

 https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-conservatives-trump-heritage-857eb794e505f1c6710eb03fd5b58981  

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/29/opinion/project-2025-trump-administration.html

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Google summary:"Under Project 2025, agencies such as the U.S. Department of Education would be “eliminated,” and others, like the Federal Trade Commission, Federal Communications Commission, and Justice Department, would be put under the president's control.2 days ago

Does Project 2025 propose eliminating overtime pay? - The Hill

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What departments are already  under control of the federal executive branch

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The Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments — the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, as well as the ...

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