Trump is armed with a clear agenda against the foundations that support the US government. This institutional crisis was exacerbated by President Biden’s performance in the last televised political debate, which only increased Trump’s chances of winning the presidency again.
But what does a Trump comeback mean? When I left the CIA, I had just completed a non-political rotation at the White House under President Trump, working on the Presidential Daily Briefing team. This team is responsible for briefing the White House and senior officials on global developments of geopolitical, economic, and national security interest. It functions as a compass that tries to be as objective as possible.
It’s not the much-discussed foreign policy decisions that I have the most problems with. – such as imposing a 10% tariff on all goods, a higher tariff on Chinese goods, pressuring Europe over NATO contributions, cutting aid to Ukraine, and supporting conservative social goals – but plans to reshape the foundations of the United States government. Because consequences come first, and my concern is with the cause.
My time at the White House, as a member of the CIA, allowed me to participate in and witness several notable events that underscore the importance of an impartial civil service on an ongoing basis. A non-politicized civil service to advise a president on his decisions. This advice impacts US policy decisions, such as launching missiles into Syria in the wake of Assad’s chemical attacks, targeting Syrian military installations in response to the use of chemical weapons against civilians. I have also been in contact with the US government and allied countries to advise them following the attack by Russian spies on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, UK. However, against all recommendations, Trump has put a possible invasion of Venezuela on the table, with serious military plans for military intervention currently under deliberation.
In all these processes, the advice he provided with other independent colleagues was undermined by Trump. He was tasked with pressuring the Department of Homeland Security to roll back immigration protections, against the advice of the diplomatic and intelligence communities. We faced plans by the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for half a million Central American and Haitian migrants, ending protections for many who had fled violence and were at risk of being expelled. These are not isolated incidents; many insiders have told similar stories of pressure to change intelligence analysis.
What Makes a Second Trump Term a Potential Democratic Attack? It’s called “Project 2025,” a $22 million initiative led by the Heritage Foundation that aims to implement a conservative agenda immediately after Trump returns. She plans to restructure at least 50,000 career civil servants into political appointees based on loyalty to Trump rather than professionalism or experience.
It is important to understand, as we look ahead, that a meteorologist tracking storms should not be influenced by the president’s approval of the district that will be hit by the storm, and that, at the same time, a North Korean ballistic missile expert should have expertise in missile design and operation, regardless of who is in power and who the president meets with. The overhaul, known as Schedule F, would replace skilled professionals with Trump loyalists. That is, fans, rather than technicians.
All this could be formulated by what is an anti-democratic action figure called “impoundment”. This is called impoundment, which gives the president control over Congressional spending. It prevents Congress from accessing funds, thereby overstepping Congress’ authority. This principle was put to the test during Trump’s first term – leading to his impeachment – when he refused to use funds for Ukraine, even though it would have been approved by the Congress, in an effort to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to hand over incriminating evidence regarding the Biden family to Trump. This figure, during his possible next term, could act by overhauling the Justice Department, ending the FBI’s efforts to combat misinformation, rescinding the FDA’s approval of abortion pills, and reducing the media access to the White House.
What the 2025 project threatens is the balance of power. It is democratic control that is at stake and this situation could lead to an authoritarian style of government. While the country was already suffering from a deterioration in the separation of powers – legislative, executive and judicial – new threats to these powers could destabilize the balance of powers. There is precedent: in one term, Trump appointed 75% of the total number of judges Obama was able to appoint in two terms, and three justices to the Supreme Court, tipping the scales in favor of a conservative court and vindictive. At this point, perhaps we should ask ourselves questions such as: what are the limits of the protection of democratic values, the separation of powers and its representative institutions?
From conversations with friends in the Republican Party, it is clear that they are obliged to declare their full support for Trump, and that any deviation puts obstacles in their way. This persecution of dissent and debate within the party is damaging in a two-party system, where difference of opinion is crucial.
The fabric of any democracy is more vulnerable than we realize. It is the foundations of building unitary values beyond ideological differences that enable a nation to succeed in the long term. Institutional integrity is at stake, and this damaging uncertainty is becoming increasingly pervasive. Authoritarianism is not a distant exercise; it must be prevented by taking seriously the plans of those who want to undermine the concept of “democracy” for the sake of power.
Björn Beam, expert in geopolitics and technology
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