During the campaign, I repeatedly asked what happens when you elect an autocrat who doesn’t know his ass from a hole in the ground? What does the man on horseback do when he turns out to be just a man on golf cart? So far, the answer is that he just lies about his record, complains about the crooked media, and relies on his base to get by. As a result, many commentators are concluding that the concerns about Trump’s illiberalism were unfounded, and that the only threat to the republic is his incompetence.
It’s too early to tell. Yes, our checks and balances are holding under normal circumstances. Will they continue to hold in a crisis–most notably a war or a major terrorist attack? That will be a far greater test, and I’m sure it’s coming.