The Man Who Would Be King

Here we are again: Donald J. Trump, the twice-impeached former President, indicted in four jurisdictions and still inexplicably upright, is now floating the idea of a third term — a direct violation of the 22nd Amendment, which limits U.S. Presidents to two.

That this threat is being taken seriously is a damning reflection of the moment we’re in. Not just because of Trump’s delusion — that’s old news — but because the institutional response has been a familiar cocktail of handwringing, milquetoast editorials, and cable-news panelists blinking into the camera like deer in the headlights.

Let’s be clear: the suggestion isn’t just unconstitutional. It’s authoritarian cosplay with a growing fanbase and real-world consequences. Fascism doesn’t always arrive with jackboots; sometimes it shows up in golf pants, slurring about voter fraud between Diet Cokes.

What’s more disturbing than Trump’s fantasy of eternal rule is how many people — including elected officials who know better — are treating it as political theatre instead of the canary in the constitutional coal mine. The same people who once swore “it could never happen here” are now hedging bets in case it does.

This is not a drill. This is not “just Trump being Trump.” This is an erosion test — and the system is failing it, one shrugged shoulder at a time.

America’s liberal institutions, drunk on their own myths of exceptionalism, are spectacularly unequipped to handle an unrepentant autocrat who knows the rules only to break them. And Trump’s genius, if you can call it that, is his ability to keep upping the ante, knowing full well that the guardians of democracy are more committed to decorum than defence.

Let’s not forget: the January 6 insurrection was not a fluke. It was a dress rehearsal.

If Trump runs again — and especially if he dares to challenge the two-term limit — it will not be a test of his audacity. It will be a test of whether the so-called free world has the political will to stop sleepwalking into authoritarianism.

And right now, the signs aren’t good.

The 22nd Amendment is not a suggestion. It’s law. Treating this like a quirky headline or cable-news chum betrays a deep rot in political culture — one that cannot distinguish between entertainment and encroaching dictatorship.

Trump’s threat should not be “debated.” It should be prosecuted.

Receipts? Let me point you to the Constitution. Section by section. Line by line. He’s read none of it. I’ve read all of it. And I know exactly what he’s trying to dismantle.

If this is a test, we’ve already run out of extra credit.