Tide will turn against Trump

"I'm sorry," as my mother would have said, "but this just won't do." A profoundly dysfunctional primary system followed by an ancient, rickety, election system called "the Electoral College" has dropped on the nation an incompetent, psychologically damaged, ignorant and astonishingly immature president. He is surrounded by fellow billionaires and has buddied up with the leader of a minor, neo-fascist cabal. So, what to do? Fixing the system itself is a necessary goal in the long term but how do we respond to the continuing crisis of an incompetently managed presidency?

The tide of opposition will come in slowly, so for a while we must live with him. Congressional Republicans have long waited for a chance to enact their agenda of tax relief for the rich, deregulation of business, a right-wing Supreme Court and elimination or shrinkage of social programs. Democrats are all for his proposed infrastructure expenditures and may get their cut.

So, what should our loyal delegation in a loyal Trump state push for in this opening interlude? Tax breaks for rich? Repeal of Affordable Care Act? Immigration control?  Heck no, as usual, and especially now in our budget crisis, "We want money!"

[Trump won't last; will we?]

Instead of settling for a piddling budget funding a lane connecting two Aleutian villages, Alaskans should gather round a major infrastructure appropriation; this voter's pick: upgrade the Alaska Railroad to carry commuter traffic from Wasilla to Huffman Road. The recent completion of the New York City Second Avenue subway carries a message for Southcentral Alaska. Build early and you will build your metropolitan region. Build late and the costs will exceed the value received.

While the political parties push for their customary domestic programs, the Trump administration will continue with its destructive efforts to reshape the world through a nationalized, remilitarized America, allied Russian military power and the eradication of global institutions. Tax reductions and increased expenditure, (military if infrastructure is blocked), are a formula for inflation. Reduced social expenditures on health and education will foment unrest among the economic underclasses. As time goes by, a growing percentage of the population (already close to 60 percent), waking as the bungling proceeds, will realize something must be done.

The question is: what in two years? What in four? Anticipating this scenario, the Democrats may congeal around a presidential alternative, possibly Elizabeth Warren. Sen. Warren stands for all that Hillary stood for but with clearer diction and without the baggage carried by poor Hillary. A gathering now around a natural leader avoids the expensive and unnecessarily divisive play of a primary fight. Make the congressional elections of 2018 a referendum on the Trump performance. It's a safe bet that the country will have continued its lurch into disarray.

How bad will those shambles be? Is Donald Trump going to wreck the country in only 18 months or will massive damage take longer? The inflation factor may not move toward double digits before 2019. If he has not replaced its members with lightweights, the Federal Reserve Board will raise interest rates and may be able to stall the inevitable. Congressional leadership and the courts may rise to their constitutional function and tame President Trump, though there are limits to how far each will go. We may soon have a test if Trump takes his reckless executive order on immigration to the Supreme Court — though more likely, we will have a professionally crafted redraft.

Vice President Pence has his own stake in Trump's success and the 2018 election. He has been careful to walk the line. His own concern has been to make American government more responsive to his brand of Evangelical Christianity, particularly with religious education in schools, financial support for private education and public prayers everywhere. To President Trump, he gives the dutiful nod as required. But he is as aware as anybody that a Trump resignation or impeachment gives him the place in the sun.

[Trump's attack on courts undermines rule of law]

Heaven knows, there are plenty of grounds on which President Trump can be impeached. The commercial ventures, which he will not surrender, make for clear violations of the constitutional prohibition barring a president from taking personal benefits from foreign governments. The question is not the violation but the timing of action and congressional will, or alternatively, the extent to which Donald Trump finds the presidency a huge headache. He could (almost) gracefully plea that his family and fortune have made a call on him when he can delegate a subset of his command to the greatest-ever vice president ready to take on the job. Congressional Republicans could find that an attraction, with Pence leading in repairing the party's standing in time for 2020.

There are many imponderables, but the idea that we should, with a sigh, put up with this for eight years? "Nonsense," mother would have said.

John Havelock is a former Alaska attorney general. He lives in Anchorage.

The views expressed here are the writer's and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary@alaskadispatch.com. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to letters@alaskadispatch.com.