Presidents’ Day in a Nation on the Brink

I love this country. I served this country. And yet, I don’t recognize what it’s becoming.

Today is Presidents’ Day, a holiday that was once meant to honor the office of the presidency—its leadership, its legacy, its role as the highest seat of power in a democracy.

For those that are completely unaware of the history, here's an abridged version:

It started as Washington’s Birthday, a tribute to the first president and the ideals he was supposed to represent. Over time, it evolved to include the celebration of Lincoln's birthday. Now? Well, I see more advertisements trying to convince me to spend money I don't have on shit I likely don't need than anything having to do with the legacy of the office itself. Coincides with retailers trying to clear out inventory in hopes that folks spend their tax returns on goods versus investing in themselves, but I digress....

We’re told it’s a time to reflect on leadership. But other than it being another day off, what are we really celebrating? The power of the office? The people who have held it? The ideals it was meant to represent? Because right now, none of those things seem to even matter, particularly if you're not too keen on "him" and his band of thieves, loyalists, puppets and others that believed that this was the answer to the things that trouble this nation.

Months ago, the Supreme Court handed the presidency something past authoritarians could only dream of. Complete immunity. That ruling wasn’t just another legal decision. It was a permission slip. A blank check for any president—now and in the future—to do whatever they want, so long as they can justify it as an “official act.”

And what the hell is an “official act”? That’s the thing. It’s whatever they say it is.

We’ve seen how this goes. Nixon weaponized the government to target his enemies and only resigned because he knew he’d face consequences. Now? A president can do the same thing and just walk away. Hitler used a fabricated crisis to seize emergency powers, making his authority absolute. Now? Nothing stops a president from doing the same because who’s going to hold them accountable? The courts? Congress? They already rewrote the rules so there are no consequences.

This isn’t just about Trump. It applies to every president after him. And now, he has said the quiet part out loud by tweeting the following:

"He who saves his country does not violate any law."

Now, is this a preview of what’s to come? Is this some sort of dog whistle or open invite to those that support what’s happening? It feels reminiscent of when he told folks to “stand back and stand by.”

Either way, this isn’t new. Every leader who has seized unchecked power has claimed it was in the name of saving the nation. Napoleon did it. Hitler did it. Stalin did it. Hell, even in America, leaders have justified violating rights under the guise of “national security” more times than we like to admit—Japanese internment camps, COINTELPRO, mass surveillance after 9/11. Given how things have been going as of late, I have a feeling that those moments will be erased from the nation’s memory or be relegated to a footnote in our history since they don’t want anyone to have a negative opinion of the harm we’ve actually done. But I digress…

Once a leader convinces the people that the law no longer applies to them, nothing is off the table. And in the U.S.? Presidents have entertained the idea of staying in power beyond their term limits before.

Trump has openly joked about wanting a third term. We know how his jokes work. He says it, waits to see if anyone pushes back, then moves forward. Reagan did the same thing, once saying, “It’s only democratic for citizens to vote for a President as many times as they want. Some future President, that is.” Even Obama, who acknowledged the rule of law, still casually mentioned that he believed he could win a third term if he were legally allowed to run.

They all thought about it. Some wished they could do it. And now? There’s no longer a meaningful legal barrier to stop them. The Constitution is just words on paper if the people in power decide to ignore it. And right now, we’re watching them do just that. So tell me again—what exactly are we celebrating today?

I really don’t like getting into whataboutisms or the “both sides are bad” argument. Even if there’s truth to it, it misses what actually matters right now. What’s happening in this moment isn’t about partisan politics. It’s about the structural dismantling of democracy.

Presidents’ Day was supposed to remind us of the ideals the office represents. But what does the presidency even represent now? The ability to act without consequence? The power to decide which laws apply to you? A throne waiting for whoever can rewrite the rules fastest? And yeah, the people currently in charge are the ones pushing this forward, and yes, they happen to be “Republicans”, but once power like this is normalized, it doesn’t stay in one party’s hands. That door stays open for anyone willing to walk through it. Or is the point to do away with political parties altogether?

The people currently leading the charge? They’re just the ones bold enough to go all the way. And the so-called opposition? The people who are supposed to be the “resistance”? They’re either complicit, weak, or too busy playing politics to see the game is already rigged. So let’s stop pretending this is just business as usual.

History tells us how this ends.

No news tickers or grandiose proclamations. Just a slow, steady erosion of power, until one day folks wake up and realize that they no longer have freedom or liberty. They will be seen as "things" for those in power, or those privileged enough to be in proximity to said power, to do as they see fit. This all happens systematically: starts with court rulings, involves "bureaucratic restructuring", "emergency measures" that don't get rolled back, laws that suddenly criminalize dissent (so much for free speech).

Almost feels like folks are waiting for a hero to swoop in at the last minute to save us all. This is gonna sound fucked up but the situation that we're in is, well, fucked up. But, even if Jesus himself were to make an appearance, it would be doubtful that he'd be allowed into the country in the first place. So yeah, no Hollywood style antics. No parting of seas or sounding of trumpets. Nah, all we have is US. And despite how grim things appear to be, we still have options.

We can pressure Congress. Because at the end of the day, they still have the power to override rulings, pass laws, and enforce checks on executive power. Will they? Not unless they feel enough heat from the people. Or if they were able to grow a spine and pushback on their own but that's asking for too much apparently.

We can push our states to resist. Governors and state legislatures can refuse to comply with federal overreach. They can pass laws that create barriers between their people and unchecked presidential power. It won’t be easy. It won’t be clean. The states have stood up before, and they can do it again.

Yeah, it’ll come at a cost. Resistance always does. But if the goal is to protect the people, then some sacrifices are going to have to be made. If we're really facing down a situation where we have nothing left to lose, then we need to fucking act accordingly. What we can’t do is sit around waiting for things to fix themselves. The people in power aren’t waiting. They’re moving. They’ve studied history, learned from past failures, and they’re acting with the confidence of people who know they won’t be stopped.

So, what now?

We don’t ask what comes next. We decide what comes next. Because the truth is, they’re betting on us doing what we’ve always done. Watching. Debating. Waiting for the system to fix itself.

But here’s the thing: we are moving closer to no longer having a system that is built for and by the people (actual human beings and not corporate entities and their interests).

We must act. Because if we don’t, we’re not just watching history repeat itself. We’re watching the last chance to stop it from slipping away.