Most Americans, including many Republicans, do not support the onslaught of executive orders that President Donald Trump has enacted since returning to the Oval Office. Many are appalled by the indiscriminate, chaotic, and precipitous firing of tens of thousands of federal workers, many of them veterans.

And decimating the staffs of the Social Security Administration, NOAA, our national parks, the IRS and other agencies will result in longer wait times and worse service.

If Medicaid is cut, many low-income Americans, including those in red states, will lose their health insurance. In addition, the stock market is in free fall due to Trump’s reckless tariffs and constant reversals, hurting the two-thirds of Americans who have investments. Elon Musk has said that he’s going to go after Social Security and Medicare, to fund tax breaks for billionaires.

Given that all congressional seats are up for reelection in two years, most politicians would worry about alienating the electorate. That Trump doesn’t seem to care suggests that he may not plan to hold elections in two years if he believes that the Republicans will lose the House in 2026. While campaigning, he specifically told a group of evangelicals that they only need to “vote once” in 2024, because after that things will be “fixed.”

Since taking office, he has trampled on the separation of powers built into the Constitution and referred to himself as “king.” He could declare a national emergency under the Insurrection Act and cancel the elections. Hard to imagine? Perhaps it’s time to imagine the unimaginable. The threat is all too real.

David Arbeitman

Florence