By Myra Adams – The Hill contributor

MYRA’S COMPLETE ARCHIVE IS HERE

Reposted from The Hill: Feb. 14, 2025

In 2018, President Trump’s infamous former chief strategist Steve Bannon said that “Democrats don’t matter; the real opposition is the media. And the way to deal with them is to flood the zone with s—.”

Trump’s “flood-the-zone” strategy is working right now about as well as Bannon could have ever imagined. A media so flooded with breaking news faces the prospect of something like reporting on a game of Whack-a-Mole. By design, many of Trump’s significant pronouncements and questionable activities are drowning under layers of excrement, whereas traditionally they would have generated headlines.

Trump’s extreme conflicts of interest are one such story. It is completely lost on the public that Trump is enriching himself daily with millions — potentially even billions — of dollars through his vast, diverse, growing domestic and international business empire.

And the 47th president is only just getting started.

Trump is the first president to own a controlling stake in a publicly traded company. Trump Media and Technology Group (symbol DJT) debuted on NASDAQ in March. Its home page exclaims, “A Uniting Force For Freedom of Expression — No Political Discrimination, Canceling Cancel Culture, Standing Up to Big Tech and Follow the TRUTH.”

Barron’s, a respected financial news source, reported on Inauguration Day that this company “is largely a cipher with scant disclosures, hardly any revenue, and no coverage on Wall Street. The stock has meme-like qualities, trading on presidential utterances and spikes in volume that vanish as quickly as they arise.”

Not only is Trump Media a shaky investment, but it represents a political-financial alternative universe that has become “normalized.” Consider that the president owns approximately 53 percent of the company’s stock, and that its communication platform, Truth Social, is the president’s mouthpiece.

Trump utilizes Truth Social 24/7 to make official government announcements, inject controversy, spew misinformation, hurl insults and rant against his enemies. As of January 2025, Truth Social had only 6.3 million active users, but media amplification keeps it top of mind. Truth’s home page reads, “Your Voice — Your Freedom,” language that could have been ripped from George Orwell’s classic “1984.”

Trump Media’s stock has settled at around $30 a share nearly a year after it went public with its $79.38 opening day 52-week high and low of $11.75. According to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing from December, Trump transferred 115 million shares of stock, worth approximately $3.4 billion, to a Trust controlled by his son, Donald Jr. However, the fine print states that Trump is still the Trust’s “settlor and sole beneficiary.”  

Because it is a public company, Trump Media’s stock can be purchased by anyone, anywhere, including governments. Through its Swiss National Banks, Switzerland was the first to own 157,000 shares of DJT stock valued at $5.37 million. Switzerland is benign, but it represents what CREW — a longtime watchdog organization — warned could “open Trump up to endless potential conflicts of interest, national security threats and potential violations of the Constitution’s Emoluments clauses.”

Such conflicts of interest include the company’s board of directors, which is full of familiar names: Kash Patel, nominated as FBI director, and Linda McMahon, nominee for secretary of Education. Two post-inauguration SEC filings dated from last month show that both Patel and McMahon received 25,946 shares of stock valued at approximately $778,380 “as consideration for services rendered.” Was that a lucrative payout for future cooperation with the Big Boss?

Former Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) is Trump Media and Technology Group’s chairman and chief executive officer. He served on the House Intelligence Committee when Patel was a staffer. As FBI director, Patel will nicely dovetail with Nunes, whom Trump appointed chairman of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board to “ensure that the Intelligence Community is working to advance the president’s America First agenda.”

Another intelligence advisory board member is Scott Glabe, the company’s general counsel. Nunes and Glabe will have access to national secrets for strategic planning and investment purposes, which could be used to enrich themselves and Trump. Where is the outrage?

Potentially most egregious is that even more lucrative presidential business conflicts are on the horizon for Trump Media. Its recent press release stated, “Trump Media Registers Trademarks for Truth.Fi Investment Vehicles.” If Trump’s SEC approves it, you will be able to invest in six financial instruments, such as “Truth.Fi Made in America ETF,” “Truth.Fi U.S. Energy Independence SMA,” and “Truth.Fi Bitcoin Plus ETF.”

“[T]hese are for investors who believe in America First principles,” said Nunes. But Americans should ask what could possibly go wrong when an incumbent president’s public company starts offering investment instruments.

I may have seen the future last Sunday morning while watching Maria Bartiromo’s show on Fox News. Her interview with White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller was followed with an ad for Trump Watches. Pitched by Trump himself, the ad could have been a Saturday Night Live skit.

Thus, we eagerly await Trump’s “Truth.Fi” ads on Fox News for “investments that strengthen the Patriot Economy.”

If those are not enough potential conflicts, the Trump Organization’s website, run by Donald Jr. and Eric Trump, is stacked with business and global entanglements that intertwine with Dad’s conduct of foreign policy. Check out Trump Inc.’s new “global portfolio expansion” to India (four projects), Saudi Arabia (two projects), United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and more.

When Trump meets those nations’ leaders, does he ever discuss Trump Inc.’s business deals? Might the Gaza Strip be renamed “Trump Strip” and added to their “global portfolio expansion”?

In April, the president’s private business will meet Saudi Arabia’s longstanding quest for global recognition through sports when state-owned LIV Golf hosts a tournament at Trump National Doral in Miami — a revenue hole-in-one for Trump Inc.

Trump’s ethics guidelines, announced in January, are rife with loopholes to grow what I call “Trump World Inc.” As the president reigns and “floods the zone” with news, he drowns opposing media along with national outrage over conflicts of interest with business and cryptocurrency deals that could earn him and his family billions of dollars while Trump promotes “America First.”

Myra Adams is an opinion writer who served on the creative team of two Republican presidential campaigns in 2004 and 2008.Tags Devin Nunes Kash Patel Steve Bannon

By Myra Adams – The Hill contributor

MYRA’S COMPLETE ARCHIVE IS HERE

Reposted from The Hill: Jan. 31, 2025

A week after the November 2022 midterm elections, then-former President Donald Trump announced his 2024 presidential campaign. Over the next two years, he systematically steamrolled his primary opponents and triumphed over every imaginable political, electoral and legal obstacle to win a historic non-consecutive second term.

I was reminded of the president’s “start-early” strategy on the morning after Inauguration Day when I received a Trump campaign fundraising email e-signed by Vice President JD Vance — less than 24 hours after taking office. From my perspective, the email silently screamed, “Vance 2028!”

The newly minted vice president chronicled his “I grew up poor in the Rust Belt” biography and the “incredible journey that led me here.” Vance recounted Trump’s words when asking him to join the ticket: ‘I think we’ve gotta go save this country,” Trump had said. “I think you’re the guy who could help me in the best way. You can help me govern, you could help me win.’” 

The closing paragraph read like a typical campaign solicitation: “President Trump and I are ready to keep the American Dream alive for future generations …” followed by a request for “even just $5 — to support our new administration.”

Considering the email’s post-inauguration timing, I took Vance to mean that MAGA Nation must look to the future, since Trump is a lame duck. As the natural 2028 front-runner, he is already doing the work of securing the GOP nomination and looking to extend triumphant Trumpism through Jan. 20, 2037.

That same fundraising email address — a generic one from the Republican National Committee and “Paid for by Trump National Committee” — had sent me six other Vance email blasts just this month. All the emails point to Team Trump and the RNC being invested in promoting and building Vance’s brand as Trump’s worthy successor. The MAGA base is already being conditioned to accept Vance as the 2028 nominee. The party itself may be trying to avoid a contentious primary.

But Trump-world is likely thinking well beyond the 2028 primaries. Before our eyes, Vance is being strategically groomed and sent to battle the traditional media — positioning him to win Trump’s “third term.”

It was a Republican-controlled House of Representatives that passed the 22nd Amendment in 1947, limiting future presidents to only two elected terms. This was a reaction to President Franklin Roosevelt’s four consecutive election victories from 1932 to 1944. Over the next four years after House passage, three-quarters of the states ratified the amendment as required by law. This means Trump can never run again, barring an unlikely new amendment to or an egregious breach of the Constitution.

The continuation of Trumpism without Trump — who turns 82 in 2028 — is among the highest priorities for his family and MAGA-world. Viewed through that lens, you can expect Vance to play a leading role in Trump’s second term.

He could even be the most powerful vice president since Dick Cheney served with President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009. The big difference is that Cheney had no interest in succeeding Bush. (Interestingly, Ronald Reagan’s two-term vice president, George H.W. Bush, was the last VP to win his predecessor’s “third term.” In 1988, Bush won the last bona fide Republican landslide with 426 electoral votes.)

As a powerful vice president, Vance might attempt to land the Republican presidential nomination without a primary ruckus. The GOP could even welcome a Vance “coronation” to contrast with what is sure to be a crowded and brutal fight for the Democratic Party’s future in 2028.

Vance’s most likely opponent is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who terms out of office in January 2027. The governor’s problem is that the MAGA forces who annihilated DeSantis during his 2023 presidential campaign bellyflop are still viable and likely anticipating round two.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio could also be a threat, but Trump chose Vance over Rubio as the vice presidential nominee. And the echoes of Rubio’s disastrous 2016 presidential campaign have never dissipated with Trump loyalists. Moreover, Rubio’s tenure at the State Department could potentially become a MAGA liability.

With the power of incumbency, Vance does not fear DeSantis or Rubio. He likely only fears one potential opponent, from whom Vance milks the money machine and benefits from his campaign infrastructure. That would be the volatile Trump himself, who at any time could turn on him or else unwillingly damage his prospects.

The outcome and ripple effects of the 2026 midterm election could either complicate or enhance Vance’s chances. The worst case is if Trump becomes a liability. How does Vance run for president and carve his political identity with angry and unpopular Trump continually venting or contradicting Vance on Truth Social?

On the other hand, if the Republicans hold Congress and Trump is popular, look to Vice President George Bush’s 1988 victory playbook.

Will Vance, like Trump, announce his campaign a week after the 2026 midterms, to show strength and keep serious opponents at bay? Will Vance “go rogue,” as Mike Pence once did, if he and Trump have significant policy differences or transactional constitutional conflicts? Or will he bite his lip and put on a repeat performance of his recent embarrassing public acquiescence to Trump’s blanket Jan. 6 pardons?

Finally, there is some good news for young Trump-supporters. Vance, who turns 44 in 2028, could end the reign of Baby Boomer presidents — Clinton, Bush, Obama and Trump — permanently.

Imagine if Vance were to choose soon-to-be UN Ambassador Elise Stefanik (born 1984) as his running mate. These two Yale and Harvard graduates could lead a Millennial takeover of the presidency.

If Vance ever writes a second book — “Hillbillly Elegy Part 2: The White House Years” — it will probably have to begin and end with Trump.

Myra Adams is an opinion writer who served on the creative team of two Republican presidential campaigns in 2004 and 2008.Tags George W. Bush Ron DeSantis

By Myra Adams – The Hill contributor

MYRA’S COMPLETE ARCHIVE IS HERE

Reposted from The Hill – Jan.17, 2025

President-elect Trump’s endorsement video for the “God Bless the USA Inauguration Day Bible” looks like a “Saturday Night Live” parody. Still, some Trump supporters are buying them, while others yell “blasphemy!” But in general, Americans are repulsed by the mixing of religion and politics to sell copies of the scriptures.

The Bible costs $69.99 and is “available until January 19.” The edition that “contains President Donald J. Trump’s Hand-Signed Signature” is $1,000, with “Only 1000 Available! While Supplies Last!”

I asked a MAGA insider if he thought Trump would take the oath of office with his right hand on an Inauguration Day Bible. “I hope so,” he replied.

Whether the brand-conscious new president will turn his swearing-in into a marketing event is unknown. However, Trump successfully turned his first assassination attempt into a fundraising bonanza and previously had monetized his mug shot at the Fulton, Georgia, county jail. So anything is possible on Jan. 20.

The “God Bless the USA Bibles,” which also “contain America’s founding documents,” ironically, are printed in China. An AP report estimated the production cost at $3.00 each, but expect a price increase after Trump’s forthcoming tariffs on Chinese imports.

The Trump Bible is just one of many products on what should be called “President Trump’s Home Shopping Network.” Among his “endorsed” featured items are the sounds of victory played on “Trump Guitars,” priced from $1,000 to $11,500.

MAGA cool kids are wearing “Trump Sneakers” to the inaugural balls. The “Commander High Top Inauguration Edition” is only $299 — the same for those emblazoned with Trump’s victorious Electoral College Map. Negotiating rough political terrain is more manageable with “Trump Landslide” boots, but be patient, since all items are “pre-ordered” with “expected shipping in March or April.”

You can smell like the new president with Trump Fragrances. Feel his power with a splash of “Fight Fight Fight” or experience the smell of “Victory 47” cologne, priced at $100. To show loyalty, collect RealTrumpCoins — medallions with his face in silver and gold ranging from $100 to $3,645.47 — note the symbolic incorporation of the numbers “45” and “47” in the price.

All the products scream, “It’s Trump time,” his popular slogan from the television ad for Trump Watches, priced from $699 to $100,000. The “inauguration collection” features the $1,199 “Diamond Commander,” limited to only 500 copies. The maker of these extremely controversial Trump watches is “TheBestWatchesonEarth LLC,” located at an address in Sheridan, Wyo., according to the state’s business database. The initial corporate filing date was July 29, 2024, which must have left little time to make “the best watches on earth” when they debuted on Sept. 27, 2024. The Wyoming address appears connected not only to the Trump watches but to the sneakers and fragrances as well.

The watch-seller’s state-registered agent is “Cloud Peak Law LLC,” rated poorly on Lawyers.com. Listed as the Best Watches on Earth “organizer” is Andrew Pierce, with a preponderance of one-star Yelp reviews that point to WyomingLLCAttorney. That site’s headline is, “Form a Wyoming LLC.” Scroll down to the long disclaimer, beginning with, “WyomingLLCAttorney.com is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.” But WyomingLLC Attorney shares its address with TheBestWatchesonEarth, which heavily advertises on the Fox News Channel, with the president-elect as the proud spokesman. And “45footwear LLC,” which sells the Trump Sneakers and Fragrances, also uses that same Coffen Ave. address.

“Buyer beware” since there is no information about the entities that actually make the watches, sneakers and fragrances. Suspiciously, on the “GetTrumpWatches” site and for such a luxury item, “WyomingLLC Attorney” fails to mention the name or location of its manufacturing arm. Before purchasing, take some “Trump time” to absorb the disclosure, which reads in part: “Trump Watches are not designed, manufactured, distributed or sold by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization or any of their respective affiliates or principals.”

TheBestWatchesonEarth LLC “uses the ‘Trump’ name, image and likeness under a license agreement which may be terminated or revoked according to its terms.”

Translation: President Trump won’t care if your “pre-ordered” $799 “Trump Crypto President Watch 47” does not arrive as advertised, because as another warning states: “The images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of the product.”

Whether or not you are pleased with your purchase, know that Trump was handsomely paid under a licensing agreement, and all Trump-endorsed products use similar disclosures. For example, the Trump Bible states: “GodBlessTheUSABible.com uses Donald J. Trump’s name, likeness and image under paid license from CIC Ventures LLC…”

Are you curious about that holy “paid license” from CIC Ventures LLC? Florida corporate data records a location in West Palm Beach, FL. — coincidentally, the address is that of Trump International Golf Club. The “authorized person” for CIC Ventures is John B. Marion IV, a Florida lawyer whose long bio fails to mention his connection to the company.

Will Trump’s “White House Shopping Network” continue during his presidency? Most certainly, if the products generate cash without too much blowback for high prices, poor reviews or likely connections to manufacturing in China and India.

Although Trump-licensed products might generate millions of dollars, that is chump change compared to the current and potential revenue streams from The Trump Organization, their cryptocurrency platform named World Liberty Financial — and Trump Media and Technology Group, a public company that owns Truth Social, of which the new president owns 58.7 percent.

Last Friday, the Trump organization released a voluntary ethics pledge to help avoid conflicts of interest, which specifies no new transactions or contracts with foreign governments. Nonetheless, Team Trump was heavily criticized for not addressing “potential new contracts with private foreign companies” where the big money can be made.

Does anyone care that domestic or international branding and licensing of the president is undignified and demeaning to the nation?  And who will stop Trump from monetizing the office even more than before?

Meanwhile, legions of fans will be buying what Trump’s “Home Shopping Network” is selling. MAGA loyalists believe that makes America great.

Tags Donald J. Trump Donald Trump The Trump Organization Trump bible Trump inauguration Trump Organization trump organization Trump Transition

By Myra Adams – The Hill contributor

MYRA’S COMPLETE ARCHIVE IS HERE

Reposted from The Hill – Jan. 3, 2025

On Jan. 20, President Donald J. Trump will swear to “preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Half the voters (49.7 percent) will celebrate Trump’s declaration that America “will experience a golden age.”  The other half (48.4 percent) are aghast, fearing his erratic governing style and a break-all-the-rules presidency. Most recognize the devastating irony of President Trump again swearing to “preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution,” given the events of Jan. 6, 2021.

Although Inauguration Day cheers may successfully “nullify” Trump’s impeachment for “Incitement of Insurrection,” American history will not. Furthermore, the Jan. 25, 2021, House of Representatives impeachment resolution also stated that “section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution prohibits any person who has ‘engaged in insurrection or rebellion against’ the United States from ‘hold[ing] any office … under the United States.’” That “discarded” prohibition recently emerged as a hot-button issue, since rejected by the Supreme Court in March 2024.

Nevertheless, recall the evening of Jan. 6, when then-Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) proclaimed the Capitol attack a “failed insurrection” as he addressed a reconvened joint session of Congress. Yet, four years later, McConnell will likely attend the president’s inauguration who triggered that “insurrection.”

Although McConnell’s contentious relationship with Trump is well documented, in this speech, if Trump were humble, he would thank McConnell, who recently stepped down as the longest-serving Senate leader. After all, McConnell helped orchestrate an unprecedented series of years-long events culminating in Trump’s latest electoral triumph with Republicans controlling the House, Senate and a friendly, conservative majority Supreme Court.

McConnell dramatically helped save Trump from two Senate impeachment trial convictions. However, it was Trump’s second trial on Feb. 13, 2021, when he was charged with “incitement of insurrection,” which presented McConnell with a more constitutionally torturous, history-altering decision.

Consequently, McConnell “did not rule out” voting for Trump’s conviction, but, always the political strategist, he chose party over country. McConnell eyed retaking the Senate in 2022, surmising a Trump conviction would hurt the effort since the GOP base was pro-Trump — essentially believing that the 2020 election had been stolen. McConnell also feared Trump would become a martyr.

Ultimately, McConnell rejected siding with the new Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who said, “If the president is convicted, there will be a vote on barring him from running again.” While some Republican senators found that premise appealing, the majority followed McConnell’s “not guilty” vote, with only seven brave ones voting to convict the former president.

Minutes after Trump’s acquittal, McConnell began a floor speech that sounded like he had voted to convict. Tormented by his constitutionally defying decision, McConnell tap-danced around why a conviction was unconstitutional since Trump was now out of office. Yet, McConnell orchestrated the delay while he was the majority leader.

His speech became an echo chamber of legal irony due to the outcomes and events for which he was directly responsible, that legally and politically benefited Trump. McConnell said, “President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office, as an ordinary citizen, unless the statute of limitations has run, …[he] didn’t get away with anything yet — yet. We have a criminal justice system in this country. We have civil litigation. And former presidents are not immune from being held accountable by either one.”

On the cusp of Trump’s inauguration, that paragraph deserves historical attention, illustrating a judicial meltdown that utterly failed the American people with a system built on impartial justice where “no man is above the law.”

Largely to blame is Attorney General Merrick Garland, who botched and delayed bringing Trump to justice for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack and related criminal schemes. Not until Aug. 1, 2023, did Garland’s DOJ announce a four-count indictment against the former president. However, McConnell was 100 percent responsible for why Judge Merrick Garland, from the United States Court of Appeals in D.C., was available to serve as Biden’s attorney general.

The legal drama began in March 2016, when President Obama nominated Judge Garland to the Supreme Court after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. Boldy and prophetically, then-Senate Majority Leader McConnell blocked Garland from a Senate confirmation vote since he wanted the winner of the 2016 presidential election to replace Scalia. McConnell got his wish when Trump nominated conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch on Jan. 31, 2017, and confirmed in April.

In a June 2021 interview, McConnell called his 2016 decision to deny Garland even a Senate hearing “the single most consequential thing I’ve done in my time as majority leader of the Senate.”

Five years later and pleasing to pro-Trump voters, Attorney General Garland’s delay in pursuing charges allowed the former president to avoid McConnell’s Jan. 6 speech predictions. Trump did “get away with” and was never “held accountable” in a court trial for trying to overturn the 2020 election that prompted Capitol violence.

A CNN poll from February 2024 found that voters favored a Trump Jan. 6 verdict before the 2024 election, which could have impacted the election results. Even President Biden recently acknowledged that he regrets appointing Garland for his slow prosecution of Trump.

In addition to how the Garland saga benefited Trump, McConnell’s role was critical in confirming two more conservative Supreme Court justices. Then, fulfilling a Trump campaign promise, the conservative 6-3 majority in the June 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling ended the constitutional right to an abortion, allowing states to make their own policies.

McConnell’s Supreme Court’s conservative justices also voted for a presidency-changing landmark decision. On July 1, 2024, they “ruled Presidents and former presidents have broad immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts they took while in office.” That ruling froze Trump’s federal indictments on which Garland could have acted sooner. 

Ironically, as Trump takes office, he will likely trample over a frail, weakened McConnell, who helped position Trump’s presidency and shape the conservative Supreme Court majority, so critical to his legal and political triumphs. However, it is doubtful that Trump will ever acknowledge or thank him.

Myra Adams is an opinion writer who served on the creative team of two Republican presidential campaigns in 2004 and 2008.

Tags: Attorney General Merrick Garland house of representatives Merrick Garland Mitch McConnell President Donald J. Trump President Joe Biden Supreme Court

By Myra Adams – The Hill contributor

MYRA’S COMPLETE ARCHIVE IS HERE

Reposted from The Hill – Dec. 20, 2024

Throughout American history, no president has demanded personal loyalty more overtly than Donald Trump. Loyalty over expertise is a hallmark of his nontraditional governing style, and its effectiveness will be tested more than ever in his second term.

Trump’s MAGA forces are warming up during his “blitzkrieg” presidential transition. Strategically, they are weaponizing loyalty to soften the attitudes of Republican senators on the 2026 ballot who, with a majority of Americans, consider Trump’s most controversial cabinet nominees as unqualified by traditional standards of experience and expertise.

Beyond the usual threats to primary less loyal officeholders, influential MAGA lawyer Mike Davis even threatened during an interview to unleash private detectives on vulnerable senators.

Trump loyalists are masters at applying non-traditional media assets and mobilizing activists down to the precinct level. A shell-shocked Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) experienced a barrage of coordinated attacks after questioning Pete Hegseth’s nomination for Secretary of Defense. Having seen how loyalty can be weaponized against them, reluctant GOP senators are now more open to giving Trump the cabinet he wants. 

Loyalty enforced by fear is the MAGA way. It sets a dangerous precedent that could consolidate power in the executive branch, unbalancing the equally powerful constitutionally mandated legislative and judicial branches.

To maintain this three-pronged delicate balance of power, the Founders devised a system of checks and balances. The Senate is tasked, in part, with “advice and consent” to confirm or reject the president’s nominees.

The high hurdle of Senate confirmation has tempered presidents’ worst instincts of appointing cronies and payback nominees. Once achieved, confirmation is a career milestone with “The Honorable” as a lifetime title.

All confirmed, appointed, and elected officials take a loyalty oath swearing to “support and defend the Constitution.” There is no oath to “support and defend” or be loyal to the president — a purposeful omission reflecting the Founders’ fear of the president becoming a king.

President-elect Trump will take office with the dubious distinction of having been twice impeached by the House but not convicted by the Senate. Last December, he famously said that if reelected, he would not be a dictator “except for day one.” That day is one month away. 

Reports from Mar-a-Lago say Trump feels “unassailable” and that starting on Inauguration Day, he could be the most powerful president in generations.  

To remain “unassailable,” Trump has a “Loyalty Enforcement Trio” comprising his eldest son, Don Jr.; Vice President-elect JD Vance; and billionaire Elon Musk. The Trio is his first line of defense and offense against anyone deemed insufficiently loyal. This Loyalty Enforcement Trio often collaborates with major MAGA influencers such as Steve Bannon, Charlie Kirk, and Tucker Carlson to chastise wobbly Republicans.

During Trump’s reign, expect the Trio to grow in power and stature, emboldened to obliterate any roadblock to the president’s agenda. Since power and money create more money and power, the Trio could rally support from administration officials to bust through legal limits and shatter traditional norms of executive power — always justified by loyalty to Trump and his electoral “mandate” to make America great again. 

All members of the House and Senate from both parties, be warned that you might bow to Trump, as did the nation’s most powerful CEOs. They quickly recognized that sitting at Trump’s table is wiser than being carved up and served on his plate.

The tentacles of Trump Junior, Vance, and Musk are virtually ubiquitous. They represent the promise of the present that Trump calls the “Golden Age” — and a future where nothing is impossible with the full power of the U.S. government aligned with the world’s richest man who grows richer by associating with Trump.

The Loyalty Enforcement Trio lords over diverse spheres of influence.

Don Jr. is the family’s political protector and leads the “Trump 47” brand. (He replaced sister Ivanka and brother-in-law Jared Kushner, who are consigned to the rearview mirror of Trump 45.) Don Jr. has long been a stand-in for his dad on the campaign trail and fundraising circuit. With his ear to the ground, Junior senses any disloyalty among the ranks and sends the rabid dogs. 

The first son is especially attuned to the MAGA-bro base and is credited with convincing Dad to nominate the young, untested Vance as his running mate.

And Vance is the MAGA empire’s heir apparent, positioned as the 2028 front-runner to keep Trumpism thriving into the next decade. During the transition, he has been Trump’s loyalty enforcer on Capitol Hill, tasked with turning unpopular nominees into successful Cabinet conferees.

After that mission is accomplished, Vance will flash Trump loyalty cards to ensure the passage of legislation requiring bent or broken knees. If the Trump-Vance team is successful, Trump’s 2028 trajectory will be unstoppable, and Junior will be a “political visionary.”

Elon Musk’s power is growing. Expect blowback. He is now rivaling the President-elect well beyond his status as a mercurial wild card and DOGE leader. He uses his “X” platform to enforce loyalty, promote pro-Trump messages, and intervene with government funding bills. Musk spent “at least” $277 million to elect Trump and GOP candidates and is looking for a return on investment.

This week, he was named the news media’s most influential person. Elon’s futuristic businesses open doors at home and around the globe. He can spread the gospel of Trump anywhere and, as needed, buy loyalty funding primary campaigns against mushy GOP officeholders.

Does the Loyalty Enforcement Trio care if Trump expands presidential power and potentially tramples the Constitution to accomplish his aggressive agenda? Probably not.

However, Trump’s 77 million voters could raise that question, and the answer will depend on perceived results.

Americans want change, and expectations are high that Trump’s more effective government will solve the immigration crisis, bring prices down, cut waste and taxes, and make peace through his America First agenda. But again, how far will Trump bend or break the Constitution to achieve those goals?

Will the people ultimately choose loyalty to Trump over the Constitution? Let’s hope those circumstances for such a choice do not arise. But if so, expect a nationally defining moment with chaotic foundational consequences.

Myra Adams is an opinion writer who served on the creative team of two Republican presidential campaigns in 2004 and 2008.

By Myra Adams – The Hill contributor

MYRA’S COMPLETE ARCHIVE IS HERE

Reposted from The Hill: Dec. 6, 2024

My Trump-supporting friends celebrate the president-elect’s broad mandate to “Make America Great Again.” They are confident he will successfully resolve a super-sized list of domestic and international problems inherited from the Biden-Harris administration, which, according to Trump, is responsible for “a nation in decline, a failing nation.”

Not so fast.

While Trump voters brag about his decisive 312 to 226 Electoral College victory over Vice President Harris, they conveniently ignore that he won the national popular vote by only a slim margin of 1.5 percentage points. This is a reality check for his touted “mandate,” especially since Republican control of the House of Representatives is razor-thin.

I write as a former Republican who wants Trump to succeed for the good of the nation. But like millions of Americans, I was disturbed by the Trump-Harris choice and did not vote for either. In the long term, my concern is irreversible national decline, and here are five reasons I fear it will accelerate when “Trump 47” governs like no president in American history.

First, “Trump versus the Constitution” will likely be a continuous fight. In his first term, Trump was twice impeached but not convicted. In his second term, Trump’s bravado-filled “dare-me” attitude could again result in a grievous assault on the Constitution to achieve his political agenda, facilitated by the Supreme Court’s controversial ruling on presidential immunity.

Ironically, the court’s landmark decision, wherein a very wide range of acts by presidents are considered “official,” was issued three days before the nation celebrated the Founders’ July 4, 1776, Declaration of Independence from an oppressive British crown.   

Trump 47 is constitutionally limited to one term and thus incentivized to break traditional norms and laws. He could bust through established guardrails without pushback from the co-equal legislative and judicial branches meant to stop presidential power grabs.

The first Trump norm-busting act could be installing some of his more controversial Cabinet officials through Senate recess appointments — testing the limits of his constitutional authority.

Second, Trump 47 is saddled with more multi-layered business conflicts of interest than Trump 45. Worse, he has not promised to divest or withdraw from any of his companies or partnerships that could generate millions or even billions in profits from his administration’s policy decisions.

For example, Trump will be the first president to own a controlling stake (nearly 57 percent) in a publicly traded company — Trump Media & Technology Group — symbol DJT. The company presents an unusual opportunity for investors, including foreigners. They can support Trump by pumping the stock’s value and growing Truth Social into a more powerful, robust media platform and presidential communication tool for official announcements, personal spin and misinformation.

Equally advantageous is Trump’s family stake in World Liberty Financial. Announced in September, this crypto platform is well-timed for investment, with Trump promising to be the nation’s first crypto-friendly president. Priming the pump, crypto-industry PACS donated $131 million to elect Trump and dozens of pro-crypto lawmakers.

Additionally, Trump’s traditional hotel, condo and golf projects with foreign governments, especially Saudi Arabia, should be scrutinized when international dealings could favor Trump’s holdings.

Then there is the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, arguably Trump’s most influential adviser, supporter, largest donor, crypto-investor, and now government efficiency chairman. Musk has Herculean conflicts of interest. Over the last decade, just two of Musk’s companies, Tesla and Space X, were awarded at least $15.4 billion in government contracts. Musk and Trump’s mutually beneficial relationship will surely make headlines.

A more comical conflict of interest will be evident if Trump continues to personally promote Trump watches, gold sneakers, coins, and Bibles after taking office.

Third, Trump’s rule is based on fear, and steadfast loyalty determines access and influence. The latter is a primary qualification for employment, especially if the nominee is an “America First Fighter” or “MAGA warrior” who insists the 2020 election was “rigged.”

At the Pentagon, Trump’s “purge plan” is to institute loyalty tests for generals and within promotion boards. Symbolically, it means red MAGA caps will be uniform headgear. In the military, fostering loyalty to the president rather than the Constitution is a troubling trend that weakens the armed forces and should alarm all Americans.

As usual, Trump is threatening to primary elected leaders who vote against his wishes. He enjoys intimidating the legacy media and denigrating anyone who blocks his agenda on Truth Social and allied media platforms, most notably Elon Musk’s “X,” Steve Bannon’s “War Room,” Tucker Carlson’s and Joe Rogan’s podcasts.

Then, traditionally, on Fox News and Newsmax, Trump surrogates swing into action when someone either needs to be chastised or promoted.

Fourth, Trump believes he was elected in part to “destroy the deep state.” Let’s call this a hostile takeover of government. It means reducing or replacing the permanent bureaucracy of career civil servants who run the day-to-day federal government and provide continuity. Trump firmly believes they are not loyal to him and lax in enforcing his agenda. If Trump’s plan is implemented through “Schedule F,” thousands of senior civil service positions could shift to “loyal” political appointees.

Trump also aims to enlarge the executive branch’s power and “pro-Trump proof” all levels of government to prevent unethical actions from surfacing. Thus, Trump is expected to fire numerous government inspector general watchdogs who independently investigate agency wrongdoing.

Fifth, Trump enters office with a uniquely macho, “fight-fight-fight” presidential attitude of revenge and retribution against anyone perceived as anti-Trump. He could unleash the federal government’s power through the IRS and by denying or offering security clearances, contracts, mergers, communications licenses, etc. — rewarding friends and punishing those not in lockstep.

Ultimately, will Americans care if President Trump bends or tramples the Constitution and rules more like an authoritarian? Maybe not, if his aggressive social and economic policies are “making America great again” with low inflation and interest rates. Will voters applaud Trump’s iron hand if he ends the immigration crisis and is credited with making the world more peaceful?

Expect Trump to govern like no president in American history, breaking whatever can be broken to fulfill his “mandate.” If successful, he will forever change the government, military, the executive branch, the nation, and even the world.

By Myra Adams – The Hill contributor

MYRA’S COMPLETE ARCHIVE IS HERE

Reposted from The Hill: Nov. 22, 2024

Pressure, pressure — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is feeling it from Team Trump.

Unfolding is a Shakespearean power struggle between President-elect Donald Trump and DeSantis’s political future. The conflict was triggered when Trump nominated Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) as secretary of State. Lara Trump, his daughter-in-law and current Republican National Committee co-chair, instantly emerged as his replacement.

Rubio won his third reelection in November 2022, so DeSantis must appoint someone to fill his seat for the next two years. In November 2026, the winner of a special election will finish the remaining two years of Rubio’s term. In 2028, Florida voters will elect a senator for a new six-year term.

The stakes are high. Among Florida Republicans, “America is now Florida,” reflecting how the state has morphed into the epicenter of GOP political power. On Nov. 5, Trump won the former swing state by a jaw-dropping 13 percentage points, solidifying its status as one of America’s reddest large states.

Therefore, whomever DeSantis appoints to the Senate could become a major Republican player. And as an incumbent, the appointed senator would stand a strong chance of winning the 2026 special election and full term in 2028.

That reality presents a potentially career-altering roadblock for DeSantis, a presidentially ambitious 46-year-old who will be term-limited out of office in early January 2027. DeSantis is now paying for his failed overzealous aspirations.

After winning his 2022 reelection in a 19-point landslide, the impatient DeSantis announced for president in May 2023. By every metric, his disastrous primary campaign was a case study in what not to do. After Trump crushed him to take the 2024 Republican nomination, DeSantis brushed himself off and returned as the successful governor of the nation’s third most populous state.

Once DeSantis leaves the governor’s mansion, he will need another high-profile office or Fox News show to remain relevant. The most obvious path is through the Senate, where he could park until the next opportunity arises. In theory, DeSantis could run for president anytime until 2056, when he would be 78 — Trump’s current age.

This is what makes DeSantis’s appointment so essential to his political dreams. From stage right, enter Lara, Eric Trump’s wife and MAGA “It Girl.” After the Rubio announcement, she made it abundantly clear throughout all Fox News programming that she wanted the title “Senator Trump.” 

Lara has political momentum after successfully co-chairing the Republican National Committee to a White House, Senate and House trifecta. During the campaign, she was always the sculpted-to-perfection, camera-ready spokeswoman for the Trump agenda. Lara told Sean Hannity, for example, that she “would love to serve the people of Florida.”

Cue the flood of high-profile endorsements: Senators Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.),  Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), and Pam Bondi — Trump’s new pick for attorney general — with more expected.

Adding family heft, on Sunday at Fox News, Lara’s brother-in-law, Donald Trump Jr., proclaimed, “I think she would be great.” Earlier this week on News Nation, Scott (DeSantis’s predecessor as governor) boldly predicted, “I think he’s going to pick Lara Trump, because he knows she is clearly qualified.”

Why all the “Senator Trump” rah-rah? A beneficial MAGA incentive forces DeSantis to show “loyalty” to King Donald for his “disloyal” presidential run. Will DeSantis play “sacrificial lamb,” surrendering the Senate seat he had been eyeing for his future?

Lara would keep the seat warm and likely win in 2026 and 2028. After all, Florida is Trump Country, and America is now Florida. Furthermore, she could be Trump’s eyes and ears in the Senate, reporting any hint of disloyalty among the troops newly led by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), who bested the MAGA-backed Scott to get his new post.

DeSantis’s impending decision has garnered attention and speculation. On Nov. 18, the governor said he “would decide in January” and announced his criteria in a post on X: “Florida deserves a senator who will help President Trump deliver on his election mandate, be strong on immigration and border security, take on the entrenched bureaucracy and administrative state, reverse the nation’s fiscal decline, be animated by conservative principles, and has a proven record of results.”

Was DeSantis describing himself? It sounds like a future “DeSantis for Senate” campaign ad. And maybe it was since no Florida law prohibits the governor from appointing himself. Moreover, DeSantis is a native “Florida man,” so anything is possible and acceptable and then forgotten.

Still, appointing himself would be risky. It worked out well for only one of the nine governors who tried it previously — all the others went on to lose, no matter how popular they had been as governor. In addition to that, DeSantis could expect category-five winds from an outraged Team Trump.

A similar bold course of action, albeit one with identical consequences, would be for DeSantis to resign from office and let Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez — upon becoming governor — appoint him to Rubio’s seat.

There is also the “keep it in the family” option where DeSantis appoints his wife Casey, who is popular and equally ambitious, as the placeholder senator until the 2026 special election. Then, from the governor’s mansion throughout 2026, DeSantis could launch his Senate campaign — a playbook successfully used in 2018 by then-governor now-Sen. Scott.

This “placeholder” option continues to be widely discussed, with DeSantis’s Chief of Staff James Uthmeier mentioned most frequently.

DeSantis knows this two-year Senate appointment reflects an ongoing battle with Trump forces working against his future, which explains the orchestrated exuberance for Sen. Lara Trump. To that point, in July, an influential Trump insider texted me, “Ron is finished. He will never hold public office again. I will do whatever is necessary to ensure that that is the case. Loyalty matters. He is a devoid of character.”

“Loyalty matters,” as reflected already in Trump’s Cabinet appointments. DeSantis showed disloyalty when he launched his ill-fated presidential campaign. But now he can show sacrificial loyalty by “kissing the ring” and appointing Sen. Lara Trump.

DeSantis has a choice. He can do what is best for himself, or he can acquiesce to Team Trump’s pressure campaign and hope there’s a reward for his loyalty.

Myra Adams is an opinion writer who served on the creative team of two Republican presidential campaigns in 2004 and 2008.Tags Donald Trump Jr. Lara Trump Marco Rubio Rick Scott Ron DeSantis

By Myra Adams – The Hill contributor

MYRA’S COMPLETE ARCHIVE IS HERE

Reposted from The Hill: Nov. 8, 2024

Two convoluted, unrelated political events paved the way for Donald Trump’s decisive victory. Ultimately, both contributed to the creation of the Trump vs. Taylor Swift Era — two mega-powerful people who know how to “Shake It Off,” representing gender battles from opposite ends of the political playing field.

Both are skilled in the art of media domination and influencing their untold millions of followers.

The first set of events occurred when then-Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell used partisan political rationalization to discourage his Senate caucus from achieving the two-thirds vote needed to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial. At that time, McConnell and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) could have drawn up legislation prohibiting Trump from holding future public office. McConnell’s history-altering inaction made Trump’s resurgence possible.

The second circumstance was Biden’s wrong-headed, ego-driven strategic decision to seek reelection. This prevented a competitive Democratic primary, wherein a stronger candidate could have emerged to contest a then-weak and legally challenged Trump. Fate intervened over the summer. Biden, already fading in the polls after his feeble debate performance in late June, was forced out of the race three months before Election Day. Vice President Kamala Harris stepped in overnight. Not only was she soundly defeated, but she failed to outperform Biden’s 2020 performance in any state.

But one area where Harris did outshine Biden and Trump was with celebrity endorsements. True to form, Trump turned Harris’s star power advantage into a liability when he exclaimed,  “We don’t need a star because we have a policy.” 

Enter Taylor Swift, arguably the most famous star in the world. On Sept. 10, the singer dropped a pop-culture-meets-politics bombshell on her 280 million Instagram followers when she endorsed Kamala Harris, writing, “I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader, and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.”

Nevertheless, Trump’s victorious “unprecedented mandate” proved that Americans prefer a machismo leadership style that embraces chaos over calm.

Swift’s endorsement of Harris and her Election Day voting instructions to legions of fans is symbolic and emblematic of a schism that will play out until Trump leaves office. Both Swift and Trump are well-versed in the art of “See What You Made Me Do” — annihilating their enemies and emerging victorious and stronger than ever, even after being down.

In the Trump vs. Taylor Swift Era, there are bound to be political collisions between the pop icon and the president, reflecting the polarized state of America and the fallout from three pre-Election Day showdowns.

Swift’s endorsement of Harris offered clues about Trump’s victory, downplayed or overlooked by the unabashedly pro-Harris media. On Sept. 19, nine days after her endorsement, a major national poll found that Swift was viewed unfavorably by 60 percent of Republicans but favorably by 70 percent of Democrats. Overall, the singer’s favorable rating was only 44 percent. This implied an endorsement backlash which, in hindsight, presaged Harris’s defeat.

Trump swiftly and negatively reacted to Taylor’s Sept. 10 public support of Harris. During a Fox News Channel show on Sept. 11, Trump said Swift would “probably pay a price for it in the marketplace.” Then, in a Sept. 15 Truth Social post, Trump exclaimed in a juvenile four-word all-caps rant, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” That outburst generated universally critical national and international headlines while she continued to sell out stadiums on her record-breaking Eras Tour.

The third pre-Election Day showdown between the two concerned fake images and messages. On Aug. 19, Trump shared a powerful fake of Swift endorsing him, showing her dressed as Uncle Sam, accompanied by the false statement, “Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump.” After seeing more fake images of her fans supporting Trump, he responded, “I accept.”

Studies show that viewers of fake media don’t care if the content they see or hear is bogus as long as its message is compatible with what they want to believe or already believe. In that vein, fake images across communications platforms are a widespread problem that specifically affected Swift’s decision to endorse Harris.

Moving forward, in this new Trump versus Swift Era, where “Everything has Changed,” and both the president and pop queen are “Bigger Than The Whole Sky,” we can expect future deepfake incidents to result in more “Bad Blood.”

Of course, as president, Trump will have the power to inflict secret damage upon her. (See the invasive IRS audit of former FBI Director James Comey.) The question is, will Trump seek revenge for Swift’s disloyalty? Or is his targeted retribution list already long enough?

What if Swift writes a song that Trump perceives to be about him (true or not), or perhaps a protest song aimed at his actions or policies? That makes one wonder how politically involved Swift will become. Will she risk infuriating Trump with all the attention she could garner? For example, suppose Trump begins to make good on what many believe is his controversial vow to round up migrants and build large detention camps before implementing mass deportations. In that case, many Americans may find those images shocking, and Swift might feel pressure to engage. Will Swift be among those who “Speak Now” if Trump pursues his threat “to strip broadcast networks of their licenses because of coverage he disapproves of?”

Never has a president entered office with such an extensive revenge agenda. And Swift is powerful enough to be potentially characterized by Trump as “the enemy within.” Fortunately, she has the resources to fight back and draw massive attention to Trump’s most controversial actions in what many consider a presidency without guard rails after the Supreme Court ruling granted immunity to virtually all presidential acts.

Well-established is that, sometimes, when celebrities get bored with entertainment, they run for public office, and since 1980, Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump have twice won the White House. 

“Are You Ready For It?” Let the Trump vs. Taylor Swift era begin!

Myra Adams is an opinion writer who served on the creative team of two Republican presidential campaigns in 2004 and 2008.Tags Chuck Schumer Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Mitch McConnell, Taylor Swift

By Myra Adams – The Hill contributor

MYRA’S COMPLETE ARCHIVE IS HERE

Reposted from The Hill: Oct. 25, 2024

Alert the MAGA media! On October 29, inmate No. 05635-509 is scheduled for release from a federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut.

The inmate’s name is Stephen Bannon, and the four-month sentence he served for contempt of Congress ends precisely one week before Election Day.

For three years, Bannon, a controversial, pro-Trump warrior and a former White House adviser, waged a legal battle to avoid prison after refusing to comply with congressional subpoenas to testify about the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, in which he had allegedly been a key player and provocateur.

Bannon’s release, with its movie-like timing, will be a Hollywood ending to modern America’s wildest and contentious presidential campaign. In the last week, Bannon could motivate Trump’s base as a “poster child” for his well-versed judicial weaponization and retribution themes.

Furthermore, Bannon will likely juice Trump’s get-out-the-vote effort to “save America” from ruin. In the distorted MAGA mindset, that means only Trump can stop bloated, wasteful government, domestic fascism, economic collapse, the migrant invasion, wokeism and anti-Christianity. Only Trump can reduce inflation and the national debt, increase energy production and end foreign entanglements — with time left over each day for a few hours of Fox News watching, to monitor his loyal subjects.

Bannon, to his credit, is a renowned policy wonk. He speaks “fluent Trumpism” at levels far above the candidate — why Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) called Bannon “the intellectual ringleader of the MAGA circus” — and opponents consider him more dangerous than Trump.

Upon exiting the lockup, Bannon will continue where he left off on July 1, entering prison shouting, “I’m a political prisoner of Nancy Pelosi, I’m a political prisoner of Merrick Garland; I’m a political prisoner of Joe Biden and the corrupt Biden establishment.”

Whether you agree with Bannon’s tirade against the former House Speaker, attorney general or president depends on whether you are a proud member of Team Trump and a loyal “War Room” listener. Bannon’s influential podcast ranks 26th on Apple’s U.S. political list. The show is especially popular with the Proud Boy-Oath Keeper-set of men, to whom Bannon is a hero – especially, after he chose prison over “ratting out” Trump to the House committee investigating Jan. 6.

During Bannon’s last War Room show before incarceration, he said, “It doesn’t matter that I’m in prison. The show will be bigger….They’re making me a martyr….They’re the ones to overplay their hand.”

Proving the strength of Bannon’s brand during this four-month absence, War Room guest hosts have maintained show rankings and will celebrate the 4,000th episode as “General Bannon” makes his triumphal return just in time for the campaign’s grand finale.

One must never underestimate Bannon’s influence on his passionate, gun-owning, Trump-loving audience. They are on guard for when minor voting irregularities — real or contrived — are amplified as “another” rigged election ploy to benefit Democrats. Are MAGA shock troops awaiting their marching orders if Trump loses? Bannon is Trump’s commander in chief of outrage, misinformation and operations from his aptly named “War Room.” Thus, average angst-filled Americans fear Election Day and beyond.

Soon, we will know if Trump plans to go “full Bannon” and send his “Trump Force One” plane to fetch his top influencer from prison. If so, will he land in Washington, D.C., Florida or a battleground state, for Trump to present MAGA political prisoner number one to adoring crowds for maximum media coverage?

At the very least, expect a right-leaning media circus, and expect Trump to use Bannon’s supposed judicial victimhood as a cattle prod for voter turnout.

On the other hand, Vice President Kamala Harris could successfully leverage Trump’s embrace of Bannon and the subsequent media attention to remind voters once again that “Donald Trump tried to throw away your votes. When he failed, he sent an armed mob to the United States Capitol, where they assaulted law enforcement officers.” 

Evidence about Bannon’s involvement with the events surrounding the Capitol riot has yet to be presented in court. However, as Raskin put it, “Bannon seems to have been deeply enmeshed in the planning of the disruption of the peaceful transfer of power and the seizing of the presidency for Donald Trump.”

Bannon’s contempt of Congress indictment, dated Nov. 12, 2021, identified him “as present at the Willard Hotel on Jan. 5, 2021, to persuade Members of Congress to block the certification of the election the next day.” Bannon was also “quoted as stating on January 5, 2021, that ‘all hell is going to break loose tomorrow.’” 

Fortunately, democracy fought back and ultimately prevailed.

According to evidence recently filed by Special Counsel Jack Smith in the federal criminal election interference case against Donald J. Trump, Bannon had first-hand knowledge of the unsuccessful effort to convince Vice President Mike Pence there had been pervasive voter fraud, and therefore to refuse to certify the Electoral College vote.

Although prison time proved Bannon’s allegiance to the former president he had twice served, there has been much conflict between these headstrong characters, who appear to thrive off and need each other.

Election Day war clouds are forming over America, with 62 percent bracing themselves for some kind of post-election violence. That dark apprehension energizes Bannon’s War Room to prepare for a leadership role in any potential election-related upheaval. Such preparations are warranted. An American Values Survey found that “23 percent of Republicans who hold a favorable view of Trump say that if Trump loses the election, he should declare the results invalid and do whatever it takes to assume office.”

Moreover, this week, a Washington Post headline warned, “Over 230 Republican candidates have cast doubt on the 2024 election.” The report explained “a pervasive effort within the GOP to undermine public trust in the vote ahead of Nov. 5.”

Therefore, remember Bannon’s January 5, 2021, warning applied to November 4, 2024: “All hell is going to break loose tomorrow.” If Harris wins, “tomorrow” could stretch for months because, like Trump, Bannon’s War Room will not surrender or seek peace.

By Myra Adams – The Hill contributor

MYRA’S COMPLETE ARCHIVE IS HERE

Reposted from The Hill: Oct. 11, 2024

Keep imagining a president elected by the popular vote after the mysterious and increasingly troublesome Electoral College is eliminated — an election where the presidential candidates would campaign nationwide, not just in seven battleground states needed to reach the crucial 270 electoral votes.

Never again would a presidential candidate lose the election but win the popular vote — an Electoral College quirk that occurred in 2000 and 2016 and could easily happen in November.

Think about increased voter participation for the first presidential election with 50 battleground states. A new political chapter begins when citizens directly cast their ballot for the next president with no “wasted votes” from Republican voters in Democrat majority states and vice versa — an Electoral College curse.

Americans have thought about and imagined all the above, confirmed by a recent Pew Research Center survey. Pew found 63 percent of Americans would rather elect the president through a national popular vote. It is very hard to find anything that 63 percent of Americans agree on.

As usual, a schism exists between parties. Among Democrats, 80 percent favor a popular vote compared to only 46 percent of Republicans.

Given the overwhelming support for a presidential popular vote, “No battleground states by 2028!” could become a rallying cry that resonates on Capitol Hill, beginning the arduous process of amending the Constitution.

Clearly, voters are disgusted with the Electoral College, which makes Pennsylvania — the nation’s fifth most populous state with only 19 electoral votes — the key to the White House. The candidate who loses the Keystone State will need to win a combination of North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin and Arizona’s electoral votes to get to 270.  

Meanwhile, in the warped Electoral College puzzle, the states with the four largest populations – California, Texas, Florida and New York — are practically ignored, except for high dollar fundraising.

Millions of “wasted votes” in these four dominant states illustrate how their residents are disenfranchised by the Electoral College’s winner-take-all system, translating into electoral votes when the state predictably turns red or blue.

In 2020, California had 11.1 million Joe Biden voters, which easily won him the state’s 55 electoral votes (now 54). Donald Trump received 6 million “wasted votes.” The argument often voiced by Republicans who malign the popular vote say, “I don’t want California determining who wins the presidential election.” But that is a mathematical fallacy. If you remove California from the equation completely, Biden beat Trump by 1.9 million votes nationwide anyway.

Look at Texas. In 2020 Trump won 5.8 million votes there, earning him 38 electoral votes (now 40). Biden’s 5.2 million wasted votes in Texas exceeds Georgia’s 4.9 million total presidential voters, in a state with 16 electoral votes.

Florida used to be the quintessential swing state. It turned red in the Trump era when, in 2020, he won 5.6 million votes and 29 electoral votes (now 30). Biden’s 5.29 million wasted votes in the Sunshine State topped the total number of votes cast in Virginia (4.3 million) and New Jersey (4.5 million).

New York, the fourth most populous state, further demonstrates the Electoral College’s warping effect. In 2020, Biden voters numbered 5.2 million, winning him 29 electoral votes. Trump’s 3.2 million wasted votes exceeded the total number of presidential voters in 35 of the 50 states.

Add it all up, and the Electoral College’s anti-democratic “wasted votes” problem discourages presidential voting in the many states with predetermined outcomes, where people know “my vote does not count.” Meanwhile, in battleground states, “one person one vote” counts too much in winner-take-all contests where the next leader of the free world can be decided by the tiniest margin.

Another strong argument for eliminating the Electoral College are controversies over “faithless electors” — that is, electors who vote contrary to the winner of their state’s popular vote. And Trump supporters added to this argument with the attempted corruption of the Electoral College by allegedly scheming to empanel slates of “fake electors.” This is still playing out in federal court, and across several states.

Finally, never forget the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol was about stopping the certification of the Electoral College’s vote.

This year, with the presidential election tied in the polls, a “catastrophic scenario” could occur. If Harris and Trump each win 269 Electoral College votes, the House of Representatives would decide who is president on a one-state, one-vote basis. But before we get there, “even one faithless elector could ostensibly swing the election…The chicanery that would ensue as a result would usher in yet another constitutional crisis that would test the American republic in unprecedented and potentially dangerous ways.”  

My greatest 2024 election fear is a rerun of 2016, when Trump won the Electoral College but lost the popular vote. Due to heightened polarization since then, I believe that such an outcome would also dangerously “test the American republic” and acceptance by the Harris majority.

This week, while on the campaign trail, Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz said, “I think all of us know, the Electoral College needs to go. We need a national popular vote.” True, but not while Republicans believe the Electoral College tilts in their favor.

Nevertheless, if the Harris-Walz ticket wins, the new vice president should call Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), who has twice introduced a constitutional amendment abolishing the Electoral College and establishing direct national voting for president. There is a popular will for it, so there’s no harm in trying: “No battleground states by 2028!”

Myra Adams is an opinion writer who served on the creative team of two Republican presidential campaigns in 2004 and 2008.