President Donald Trump may fall into a trap that many strongman leaders eventually do, former White House ethics expert Norm Eisen told the panel on MSNBC’s *The Weeknight* on Monday: he will take things too far and enrage the public.
“You know, Norm, I think it strikes me as I’m listening to Donald Trump, and I think the administration knows these things are unpopular, yet they do not care,” the panelist said. She referenced a recent *60 Minutes* interview, noting that Trump was asked about tactics being used specifically in Chicago. These involved viral videos showing brutal assaults, sometimes even on Americans—assaults including breaking windows, snatching people out of cars, and the use of tear gas.
The president responded that the authorities “are not doing enough” and suggested they “could go further.”
“Here’s the question,” she continued. “He’s done a lot in a little bit of time, Norm. I understand there have been wins in the courts. I get it—it’s only been nine months and look at where we are. But I am concerned about the next two months because he is in a race against time and he understands that. I think what happens tomorrow in these elections could accelerate, frankly, his authoritarian tendencies.”
Eisen expressed agreement but offered a stark warning.
“Well, Symone, as you know, I was a diplomat and I travel abroad. I talk to representatives from other countries, people who have faced democratic backsliding and then reversed course,” Eisen said. “They think that the besetting sin, the greatest danger of self-destruction that dictators have, is overreach.”
He explained, “In a sense, the phrase is ‘the worse, the better.’ So the American people will not let him get away with that.”
“The courts alone won’t save us,” Eisen continued, “but the people are the ultimate guardrail and the ultimate safeguard. I think we’re seeing signs at the polls that they don’t like it. So I’m hopeful that we will be strong enough to stand up to his shenanigans. You’re right—they will get worse.”
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-norm-eisen-2674261870/