Waiting for Accountability

I feel like I’m in a waiting game, and it’s excruciating.

5/18/26

We seem to be waiting for resolution on a host of contentious issues having to do with questions of legality or constitutionality of policies or actions undertaken at the direction of Donald Trump. To name a few: a war with Iran beyond the timeframe requiring Congressional approval, incarceration of immigrants without due process or without allowing them to challenge their detention; the imposition of a new round of tariffs predicated on the questionable assertion of “a large and serious balance of payments deficit,” even after Trump’s initial tariffs were deemed to have exceeded his statutory authority; the use of the military to shoot at and kill non-combatants in international waters who pose no imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm, in violation of U.S. rules of engagement; failure to release the entirety of the Epstein files as required by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, defunding a host of congressionally approved funding projects from those involving science and medicine to humanitarian initiatives (e.g., USAID), and myriad claims of violations of the Foreign Emoluments Clause that proscribes gifts or payments from foreign countries.

All of those situations are being challenged in court, but who knows when any of them will likely be resolved? In any case, I’m not holding my breath. Perhaps even more concerning is the limited attention span that the American public can muster in connection with all but the most current of this litany of abuses. As time passes with no resolution, what once would have been assumed to be unthinkable has now largely been accepted with a shrug, as though this is the way it is with Trump simply being his “grab-‘em-by-the- pussy” self. (Emoluments?! That’s so yesterday!) The idea of Republicans putting limits on Trump has also become inconceivable.

While America’s attention appears to be focused on concerns about inflation and affordability, in the long run concerns about international relations deserve as much, if not more, attention. Trump’s policies in that realm could end up being much more destructive and much more long-lasting. Clearly, the long-term status of Ukraine and Taiwan are considerably more tenuous today, as a result of Trump’s willingness to compromise on longstanding U.S. commitments to NATO and those two countries during his current presidential term. Our standing in the world has deteriorated significantly due to Trump’s conduct and rhetoric.

Contrary to Trump’s bloviated assertions about our international standing, the level of respect that we get from our traditional allies may be at an all-time low, due to Trump’s go-it-alone decision making and his disregard for and disrespect for our traditional allies. Many of what we considered our staunchest allies have increasingly come to view us as being a source of instability and recklessness, and they’re taking steps to replace us with more reliable and trustworthy counterparties.

Even for those, domestically and internationally, who support the objective of eliminating Iran’s nuclear capabilities, Trump gets failing grades for planning and execution. His performance as Commander-in-Chief thus far demonstrates that he’s not up to the task. To use his words, he doesn’t have the cards; yet he seems unwilling or unable to find any kind of exit ramp, thus condemning us to the status quo for the foreseeable future. While we may be stuck with him as the president until January 2029, that doesn’t mean that his authority should go unconstrained until his term ends.

Perhaps some discipline may be imposed upon him following the mid-term elections, just six months from now, but only if control over Congress reverts to the Democrats. Unfortunately, that relief is by no means guaranteed, particularly with several key Republican state legislatures doing everything they can to gerrymander the elections to prevent that from happening.

I keep wondering, why? How is it that the mismanagement that Trump has evidenced across a wide range of issues can be so widely tolerated? The primary in Louisiana offers a lesson: In that primary, Senator Bill Cassidy came in third against MAGA darlings State Representative Julia Letlow and State Treasurer John Fleming, thereby virtually assuring that an even more supplicant Trump supporter will replace him in the Senate. This outcome demonstrates that it’s not just Republican office holders fearful of crossing their dear leader and suffering the same fate as Cassidy who are of concern: it’s the voting public in red states who seem ready to swear allegiance to an inept and untethered president. We can’t just blame Republican leaders who are too weak-kneed to set limits on Trump when those office holders are doing exactly what their constituents are demanding.

America is in a sorry state, and our way out is anything but certain. We have a president who operates under the assumption that he can do whatever he wants, a Congress that has given up its responsibility to impose any guardrails, a court system that has become a mechanism for delay rather than judgment, and a citizenry that shows an ongoing willingness to accommodate to these institutional degradations. Our republic is in jeopardy.

Have feedback? Add a comment or send me an email at igkawaller@gmail.com. And if you like the ideas expressed, please hit the “like” button; and share this link with anyone who you think might be interested.