Trump’s Legacy: The Long-Term Risks to American Democracy

While President Trump was extreme in his contempt for legal and political norms, his presidency was consistent with the direction in which the Republican Party has moved over the past several decades. Strategies put in place by Trump and other Republicans, along with institutional aspects of our country’s “democracy,” assure the Republican Party’s continued, outsized control despite Trump’s failure to achieve a second term. This Article reviews Trump and his Administration’s contempt for political norms, explores the Republican Party’s hard turn to the right, and discusses how the Republicans have been able to hold onto power greater than one would expect considering that it is the distinct minority party. Finally, the Article examines whether the sharp trend to the right might be slowed, proposing reinstituting the filibuster and formalizing the “blue slip” process for judicial appointments.