The US Constitution establishes a system of checks and balances consisting of three equal branches of government – legislative (Article I), executive (Article II), and judicial (Article III). On January 6, 2021, the head of the executive branch, Donald Trump, incited a mob to attack the legislative branch and then did nothing to stop it.

The complicated fight in the Senate over the one-time stimulus payment of $2000 illustrates that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), not Trump, now controls the Republican caucus.

As the election results have become clearer, Trump has added to his already stunning post-presidential legal exposure by trying systematically to interfere with the election and reverse his loss. As with many of his most brazen anti-democratic actions, he has proceeded loudly and in plain sight.

There is no excuse for the silence of Republican lawmakers as their president attacks our democracy. But there might be a precedent.

While coronavirus continues to burn across the country, Trump is focusing instead on continuing to contest the election results and on the Pentagon.

It seems as if Trump and President-Elect Joe Biden are in a contest to see who can will their vision of the future into life.

The news today remains Trump’s unprecedented attempt to steal an election in which voters chose his opponents, Democratic candidate. The leadership of the Republican Party is not standing up to the president, but is instead seemingly willing to let him burn down the country to stay in office.