this post was submitted on 18 Mar 2025
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[–] foggy@lemmy.world 45 points 1 day ago (1 children)

We're still pretending he's not gonna skip them with a declaration of war in Canada, Panama, or Greenland?

[–] usernamesAreTricky@lemmy.ml 22 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Elections are run by the states including for federal office. They are not run by the federal government

Nor are there is no provision anywhere to cancel elections due to war. They still happened during the US Civil war

Hell even if in a hypothetical that it was just blue states that held elections, that would be enough to potentially flip the house. California and New York have enough potential and realistic house flips to change the US from red to blue

Declaring that they won't happen just plays into Trump's hands. It makes people more cynical and less inclined to fight back

[–] MuskyMelon@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago

You speak sensibly.

Trump is without sense and will act without sense.

[–] zbyte64@awful.systems 16 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Good thing the majority of state Governors are not Republican and would not welcome interventions from a fascist federal government. Oh wait...

[–] usernamesAreTricky@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 day ago (2 children)

even if in a hypothetical that it was just blue states that held elections, that would be enough to potentially flip the house. California and New York have enough potential and realistic house flips to change the US from red to blue

[–] sorrybookbroke@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

OK. That's a wild thing to say. If you're willing to say that the red states may illegally fail to hold elections can you not recognize the likelyhood that they'd stop, by force, blue states from doing the same?

Do you seriously think blue states wouldn't fold if pressured to stop elections?

I'm not convinced that any of this will come to pass and elections will be stopped but if they want to they can and will.

[–] usernamesAreTricky@lemmy.ml 9 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

That requires much more than just red states republican legislatures being complicit. That's just a straight up military coup at that point. That's not the scenario the earlier people were laying out

We've had hybrid senarios before. During Lincoln's elections, many southern states didn't even let him put his name on the ballot. He still won the election

[–] sorrybookbroke@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Not really if it's threatened and the dems instantly fold. A dozen or so congress members and few senate members in support of freezing elections, the threat of violence, and a continuation of what see we now. That's about all that's needed.

Still, though it'd argue it unlikely, military intervention cannot be ruled out

On this being a separate situation it's not really. It's just an expansion of your own hypothetical. In a world where red states halt elections they would also pressure blue states to do the same. Blue states would likely fold as they have to many of the more important issues recently.

[–] usernamesAreTricky@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Don't conflate national dems and state dem parties. The state dems are fighting back far stronger

Hell many are defying trump straight to his face such as Maine's governor who told him in person that they'd not comply with his anti-trans stuff

Kathy Hochul is still enforcing NYC's congestion pricing despite Trump directly telling her to stop and threatning federal funding

And so on

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[–] earphone843@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Why do you think flipping the house matters? We're living in a dictatorship.

[–] usernamesAreTricky@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 day ago (6 children)

Because they do have power if they're willing to use it. It can slow them down. For instance,

They have subpoenas. Make republicans have to spend all their time talking about all the horrible things they're doing to the floor. Remove all their time to do said horrible things because they're too busy testifying

If they don't testify, they can put people in contempt of congress which can be enforced by the Sergeant at Arms. This is something that did happen to Steve Bannon when he refuesed to testify for the Jan 6th committee. Not just a hypothetical power

[–] Nightwingdragon@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Because they do have power if they’re willing to use it. It can slow them down. For instance,

Chuck Schumer had that power last week. Look how well that turned out. That's what you're basing your hopes on?

They have subpoenas. Make republicans have to spend all their time talking about all the horrible things they’re doing to the floor. Remove all their time to do said horrible things because they’re too busy testifying

Actually, no. Democrats have no subpoena power or ability to hold official hearings while in the minority.

If they don’t testify, they can put people in contempt of congress which can be enforced by the Sergeant at Arms. This is something that did happen to Steve Bannon when he refuesed to testify for the Jan 6th committee. Not just a hypothetical power

I wouldn't exactly use Steve Bannon as a prime example. It took years for him to see any consequence at all, and he got a bare minimum. He got, what, 4 months? For the amount of money Bannon is making off of riding Trump's dick, I'd sit in a jail cell for 4 months too.

And I'll counter your argument with Jim Jordan. Ignored subpoenas. Didn't even get so much as a censure in the house for ignoring their own subpoena, let alone any form of punishment at all. If you for half a second think a Republican-led House is going to charge a prominent, full-throated MAGA member and chair of the Judiciary Committee with contempt, order his arrest, and have him jailed for non-compliance, I have beachfront property on Mars you may be interested in.

Your rationale goes on the premise that traditional norms and laws still apply. They do not. When the people who are in charge of enforcing those laws and norms are actively telling you that they're not going to enforce them, those laws aren't worth the paper they're printed on.

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[–] Azal@pawb.social 3 points 21 hours ago

Elections are run by the states including for federal office. They are not run by the federal government

This sounds like someone who doesn't live in a red state...

I'm waiting for Missouri to just go ahead and decide that we don't need to vote. They've just overturned votes we passed.

[–] MuskyMelon@lemmy.world 39 points 1 day ago (4 children)

There'll be a war before the midterms, martial law will be declared and elections will be suspended. That's what I suspect he'll do.

[–] afronaut@slrpnk.net 15 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Yea, I’m no doomer. But, I read a lot of history. Trump getting inaugurated and Elon throwing a seig heil twice solidified my belief that there will be no 2028 presidential election.

Trump will manufacture a “Reichstag Fire” moment which will be used to blame “antifa”, “leftists”, “trans”, “immigrants”, etc. and then martial law will be implemented. However, this will only come after Trump feels satisfied that the military has been purged of any high ranking officials that may dissent.

Once martial law is enforced, they will continue to purge anti-Trump dissenters and any marginalized groups.

Trump could very well pull all of this off by 2026 midterms let alone 3 years from now before the next presidential election.

[–] BassTurd@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago (3 children)

He is old and getting older. Hopefully he doesn't make it to 2026, naturally or not.

[–] afronaut@slrpnk.net 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

There’s still JD Vance. Trump will be the scapegoat for all of the dirty work that was done to usher in a fascist regime. Vance will be presented as the calmer and more focused dictator.

[–] BassTurd@lemmy.world 8 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

I don't know that Vance has that stupid charisma Trump has that his base fucking gargles on. I also don't think others would be as scared to act against him as they are the current dictator. This is probably just wishful thinking on top of wishful thinking though.

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[–] TheBloodFarts@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago

The shitty ones always live long unfortunately

orangeboi is categorically heinous, but this has gone far, far beyond being about one person. This is The Business Plot, round two. This is an axial shift of the United States away from democracy going forward. This is fascism.

[–] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 2 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Did you see that article about the “Trump derangement syndrome” bill written by the Minnesota state politician who has a side gig as a child predator?

They’re gonna ignore that last bit and make it a doubleplus ungood thoughtcrime to openly object in any way, shape, or form to the fascists taking over. The bill makes provisions for non-consensually institutionalizing political opponents. That is not an exaggeration. That bill is a test that they’re running in Minnesota to see if they can pass and implement this sort of thing.

This bill will be used as a pattern. Expect this to show up in Texas and Florida at some point soon. After that, expect it then to make its debut on the national stage.

[–] afronaut@slrpnk.net 1 points 10 hours ago

I did see that. I will say, as a history buff, what I find both fascinating and terrifying is that we are at a point in history where we, the people, are able to see so much current events in actual real time.

No more waiting for the newspaper or the pre-recorded news. The immediacy of media today has kind of forced a level of transparency we haven’t see before when considering events like the rise of a Hitler-type, the resurgence of white supremacist groups, police brutality, protests, riots, genocides, wars, etc.

These kinds of political acts we’re witnessing today were always happening, right? Just completely hidden from public view and delayed by days or weeks even if it is revealed to them. This hasn’t entirely changed either. I remember hearing about an Iraq War vet who came back to the States and saw a “breaking news” report about an operation happening “now”; except he was part of that operation that happened a year prior.

[–] doctortofu@reddthat.com 6 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

Doesn't even have to be an actual war - this government showed that they can redefine words to mean whatever they want (see them invoking a wartime law recently), so they might as well define drag queens as an invasive species, declare war on them and implement martial law/suspend elections because who's gonna stop them?

[–] barneypiccolo@lemm.ee 4 points 17 hours ago

Exactly, war isn’t necessary, all he needs us a large protest. He'll send in goons to instigate violence, then send in authorities to break it up. After some nasty violence, probably some deaths, he will have the justification to impose martial law. Then he can suspend elections until peace is restored, and since he controls the peace, that will never happen.

He needs to keep his congressional majorities, to give him credibility and to keep investigative commitees under Republican control. He will never allow free elections unless he is confident that MuskRat's/ Russia's/ China's hackers have the election system fully rigged.

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[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 13 points 1 day ago

but Trump promised to get rid of elections

[–] Ep1cFac3pa1m@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Are we still pretending we’ll have anymore real elections?

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[–] futatorius@lemm.ee 10 points 12 hours ago (3 children)

What makes you think the midterms will be free and fair elections?

[–] JigglySackles@lemmy.world 2 points 6 hours ago

I'm more amused that they think the country will survive long enough to get to midterms.

[–] samus12345@lemm.ee 1 points 5 hours ago

Because they're run by the states, and blue states are still capable of having those. Red states, though? Nah, the won't be.

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[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 9 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

Don't worry. There will be no midterms due to (random excuse). Signed: Emporer Donald Trump

[–] futatorius@lemm.ee 4 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago)

More likely there will be rigged elections, to give the pretense of legitimacy. Just like in Russia.

[–] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

Guys, the economy slaughters children in Gaza might be a bit sends US citizens to death camps unstable rn raids private institutions with police compliance idk if I should strips citizens of all rights vote for these guys ignores all court orders stating their actions are illegal rn

[–] The_Caretaker@lemm.ee 6 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago)

Elon Musk will just manipulate the outcome of the elections, just like he did in 2024. It no longer matters who you vote for; it matters only who Elon Musk sponsors.

[–] ajmaxwell@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

The elections? It should cost some of them their lives.

[–] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

Eh. Just give American hamster brains a few years and we'll be back to voting for rapist felon traitor fascists because the TV told us to.

[–] eric5949@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

Idk why anyone thinks 2026 isn't already for all intents and purposes over. Watch even this year, Virginia is going to go deep red, free and fair elections in the United States are done. You want republicans out of Congress, you work to get 20 million or so Americans on the national mall. Anything else at this point is just performative nonsense.

Like bro already said all blue states would disappear next year in a "big surprise."

[–] usernamesAreTricky@lemmy.ml 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

We've had multiple special elections already this year. Dems have had some massive overperformances in some of them.

For instance, Iowa saw a Trump+21 district state senate distict flip

Virginia had special elections earlier in January where dems had a couple of point overperformance compared to harris

Stop doing Musk's and Trump's work for him and claim things are over before they're over. All this does is create cynicism and apathy that play straight into his power

Join on the streets too and vote in every damn election. They want you doing neither, so do both

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[–] Raiderkev@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Agreed. Some combination Musk, Putin, Thiel, and Vance hacked the last election. If they have another one, it will be hacked as well.

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[–] ClassStruggle@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 day ago

cost Republicans in the 2026 midterms.

So back to the people that helped create the environment we are in?

[–] inclementimmigrant@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Not if the spineless Democrats have anything to say about it!

I mean given how the Democrats passed their temporary budget that will give away billions to the wealthy and cuts social security and Medicare/aid with the Republicans help, it's really the Democrats fault the economy tanks.

You know how that's going to be played it in the media and the Republicans and Democratic leadership will be too incompetent to ineffectively push back.

[–] cdnwaffleiron@lemmy.ca 2 points 5 hours ago

Midterms, Might cost Republicans... Might???? I should hope I the upcoming midterms fucking decimate the the idiots....

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