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An Optimistic Take On The Toxic Trump Presidency
Donald Trump has brought our democracy to its knees. His lack of respect for the rule of law, war against the press, rampant corruption and just plain awful and unethical behavior have stretched our storied system to its breaking point. But history teaches us that there is reason to be optimistic about Post-Trump America. Here’s why.
First, look at what happened in the aftermath of Richard Nixon, our last thoroughly corrupt president. He used the IRS to punish his enemies, tried to cover up the burglary of the Democratic National Committee headquarters that was orchestrated by his top level staff and oversaw the sleaziest political operation in American presidential history (Google Gordon Liddy or Donald Segretti if you want to get a taste).
The Watergate hearings and trials of 1973 and 1974 absolutely repulsed the American public. The result? The years after Nixon resigned in August, 1974, saw a surge in government reforms. Congress passed the most extensive campaign finance reform legislation in American history in 1974, while the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 created the Independent Counsel Office, which was tasked with investigating government officials, and also forced public officials to regularly disclose financial information.
