President Donald J. Trump Has Turned USA into a Monarchy -By Benjamin Obiajulu Aduba

For the longest time United States people have argued for and against kingship as a mode of government. The debate was fast and furious at the constitutional conventions of the 18^th century. The colonies were products of imperial Europe and some members wanted to keep their imperial inheritance. But others had seen the dangers of monarchy. They remembered expressions like “Je suis l’état” (I am the State) as Louis XIV of France was alleged to had proclaimed. They remembered some English monarchs who had ran roughshod on Britons. This group rejected anything monarchical.

In the end monarchy was rejected in favor of a republic. President Washington was asked what was chosen and he allegedly replied “a republic; if you can keep it”. And for two hundred and fifty years it seemed that US could keep the nation a republic. The citizens worked hard with their constitution to keep the nation a republic. There was separation of powers and the creation of levers of powers and co-equal arms of government. There was impeachment, a tool to be used to remove a president who grows taller than the people and the constitution. The people believed that everything was under control.

In 2016 the citizens of US elected Mr. Donald John Trump as the president. Mr. Trump was/is an aristocrat and he wanted to be a monarch and he slowly turned the presidency to a monarchy. Nobody knew where he was going even when he made statements like “I can do whatever I want”, even as he said he would build a wall in the southern border whether the legislative body wanted it or not, whether funds were authorized or not. He converted funds from the military to build the wall. Donald J. trump rewrote the immigration bill to fit into his scheme. He refused to disclose his tax filings as has become the tradition. And when he invited foreign countries to help keep his post alarms began to arise. It was only then that people became aware that he had used public funds to pressure Ukraine to submit to his desire to undermine his democratic political rival.

And the Democratic Party decided to use the impeachment clause to stop him.

President Trump knew that he has one more fight on his way to monarchy, a battle he must win. That fight is on now and the president seems to be winning. If the impeachment works, that would be the end of monarchy at least for now. If it fails behold King Trump and USA will become like the Europe of before 20th century. It will not be like the present United Kingdom, which even though is a monarchy, the monarchy is weak. US monarch would be a very strong kingship with dictatorial powers. Powers to get out of treaties; cancel international agreements; declare war as he sees fit; cancel NATO; dictate to UN etc. He can do these because US is the only Super Power around and no nation or even a combination of nations will be able to challenge United States.

The senate has since exonerated Trump and the world await for the next steps: Will congress attempt another impeachment if the Democrats win over the senate in 2020 and Mr. Trump is re-elected? Will the public go along? Or is the exoneration of Trump the end of this transition from a republic to a monarchy? Is the transition complete? Will USA ever return to a republic?

These questions will not be answered fully until a century has passed.

Benjamin Obiajulu Aduba, Boston, Massachusetts.