I think most of us would agree with Jon Stewart's statement. We expected Trump to try and move the country toward a dictatorship, but we expected him to do it one step at a time - especially after the Supreme Court gave him immunity for presidential actions.
But less than 100 days into his second term, Trump has moved with breathtaking speed to consolidate his power on many fronts.
He almost immediately moved to take the power of the budget away from Congress. While the Constitution gives Congress the power to pass a budget and the president only the power to carry out that budget's spending, Trump has decided he can decide where the spending will go and where it won't. And he has stopped making that spending public (as required by law) to hide his refusal to abide by the wishes of Congress. Sadly, the GOP-controlled Congress is allowing him to get away with it - either out of fear or ignorance (or both).
He has turned his hatchet man (Elon Musk) loose on government agencies - firing thousands of workers (even many who are critical to carrying out the agencies functions. He claims this is to eliminate waste and fraud, but little waste or fraud has been eliminated. What has been accomplished is to terrorize the federal workforce and convince them they must declare loyalty to Trump and carry out his wishes - legal or not - or lose their jobs.
He has denied due process to immigrants (although it is constitutionally guaranteed), shipping some of them to a prison in El Salvador without a trial or a hearing - just accusations. If he gets away with that (and it's looking like he might), citizens could be next.
He has turned the Justice Department into his own vehicle for retribution. And directed them to attack anyone who disagrees with his beliefs or policies.
He has attacked big law firms who have fought him in court, and sadly, some of them have given in and agreed to do pro bono work for him.
He has attacked large and prestigious educational institutions (like Columbia and Harvard), trying to force them into giving up academic freedom and teaching only what he believes. When Harvard refused, he has frozen federal funds allocated, directed the IRS to remove their tax exempt status, and threatened to not allow them to have foreign students.
He has taken the right to pick which journalists are allowed into press conferences - banning some major news outlets (like the Associated Press) and picking right-wingers who agree with him. This is a blatant attempt to control the news and stifle the free press.
He has began to whitewash U.S. history and eliminate any mentions of past problems.
He has even said there are legitimate ways for him to serve a third term - even though that's expressly jammed by the Constitution.
He is refusing to follow a clear order by the Supreme Court to allow due process, and facilitate the return of those denied that right.
No other president has done these things. But Donald Trump has. And all of them are designed to increase his power - to give him the power of a dictator. So far, at least, he's getting away with it.
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