CNN’s Zakaria: Trump ‘Poses a Danger To American Democracy’

ZAKARIA But first here ░░░░░░░░ my take As regular ░░░░░░░░ know I have tried ░░░░░░░░ evaluate Donald Trump s ░░░░░░░░ fairly I have praised ░░░░░░░░ when he has appointed ░░░░░░░░ people to high office ░░░░░░░░ he has and expressed ░░░░░░░░ for his policies when ░░░░░░░░ seem serious and sensible ░░░░░░░░ though this has drawn ░░░░░░░░ from some quarters But ░░░░░░░░ has always been another ░░░░░░░░ to this presidency lurking ░░░░░░░░ the surface sometimes erupting ░░░░░░░░ full view as it ░░░░░░░░ this week Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ much of his rhetoric ░░░░░░░░ many of his actions ░░░░░░░░ a danger to American ░░░░░░░░ What makes the American ░░░░░░░░ of government distinctive is ░░░░░░░░ how democratic it is ░░░░░░░░ rather the opposite American ░░░░░░░░ has a series of ░░░░░░░░ intended to prevent the ░░░░░░░░ and abuse of power ░░░░░░░░ any one person or ░░░░░░░░ But there is one ░░░░░░░░ hole in the system ░░░░░░░░ president During his famous ░░░░░░░░ with David frost in ░░░░░░░░ Richard Nixon made a ░░░░░░░░ regarding Watergate that s ░░░░░░░░ quoted ever since When ░░░░░░░░ president does it that ░░░░░░░░ it is not illegal ░░░░░░░░ fact Nixon was a ░░░░░░░░ lawyer and a close ░░░░░░░░ of the American constitution ░░░░░░░░ was basically right The ░░░░░░░░ in effect sits above ░░░░░░░░ law The Justice Department ░░░░░░░░ all works for him ░░░░░░░░ Trump told the New ░░░░░░░░ Times regarding separating himself ░░░░░░░░ his business empire the ░░░░░░░░ is totally on my ░░░░░░░░ Meaning the president can ░░░░░░░░ have a conflict of ░░░░░░░░ Most lawyers say Trump ░░░░░░░░ right The rules don ░░░░░░░░ really apply to the ░░░░░░░░ There is just one ░░░░░░░░ check on the president ░░░░░░░░ It is political not ░░░░░░░░ Since Trump s own ░░░░░░░░ controls both chambers of ░░░░░░░░ there has been little ░░░░░░░░ to him there So ░░░░░░░░ it appears the Republican ░░░░░░░░ is losing any resemblance ░░░░░░░░ a traditional western political ░░░░░░░░ Instead simply turning into ░░░░░░░░ commonly found in the ░░░░░░░░ world a platform to ░░░░░░░░ the ego appetites and ░░░░░░░░ of one man and ░░░░░░░░ family There are other ░░░░░░░░ potent checks on the ░░░░░░░░ of the president Some ░░░░░░░░ structural Others simply a ░░░░░░░░ of morality or precedent ░░░░░░░░ has sought to destroy ░░░░░░░░ every one of these ░░░░░░░░ before the election and ░░░░░░░░ in the White House ░░░░░░░░ week he dismissed FBI ░░░░░░░░ James Comey reportedly over ░░░░░░░░ investigation of Russian collusion ░░░░░░░░ the American election If ░░░░░░░░ the firing would be ░░░░░░░░ shattering blow The nonpartisan ░░░░░░░░ of the executive Branch ░░░░░░░░ jewels of the modern ░░░░░░░░ system They were not ░░░░░░░░ impartial and they are ░░░░░░░░ not perfect But in ░░░░░░░░ decades they have acquired ░░░░░░░░ well deserved reputation When ░░░░░░░░ traveled from eastern Europe ░░░░░░░░ China to Latin America ░░░░░░░░ reformists tell me that ░░░░░░░░ look to these agencies ░░░░░░░░ models when trying to ░░░░░░░░ the rule of law ░░░░░░░░ their own countries There ░░░░░░░░ only two forces left ░░░░░░░░ can place some constraints ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump the courts ░░░░░░░░ the media He has ░░░░░░░░ attacked both Every time ░░░░░░░░ court ruled against one ░░░░░░░░ his executive orders the ░░░░░░░░ ridiculed the decision or ░░░░░░░░ judges involved That leaves ░░░░░░░░ media Trump has gone ░░░░░░░░ home at us like ░░░░░░░░ president before smearing news ░░░░░░░░ attacking individual journalists and ░░░░░░░░ to strip legal protections ░░░░░░░░ to a free press ░░░░░░░░ will survive but we ░░░░░░░░ recognize the stakes The ░░░░░░░░ must cover the administration ░░░░░░░░ policies fairly But it ░░░░░░░░ must never let the ░░░░░░░░ forget that many of ░░░░░░░░ attitudes and actions of ░░░░░░░░ president are gross violations ░░░░░░░░ the customs and practices ░░░░░░░░ the modern American system ░░░░░░░░ they are aberrations and ░░░░░░░░ cannot become the new ░░░░░░░░ That way after Trump ░░░░░░░░ country will not start ░░░░░░░░ next presidency with tattered ░░░░░░░░ and sunken expectations Our ░░░░░░░░ is quite simply to ░░░░░░░░ alive the spirit of ░░░░░░░░ democracy For more go ░░░░░░░░ CNN com fareed and ░░░░░░░░ my Washington Post column ░░░░░░░░ week Let s get ░░░░░░░░