"There was a gang of Hungarians who wanted their own mob. They realized that to be in power, you didn't need guns or money or even numbers. You just needed the will to do what the other guy wouldn't." Kayser Söze, in 'The Usual Suspects'
Donald J. Trump, who sees himself very much in the mold of a kaiser (German for Emperor), might well have been a disciple of Kayser Söze's. For the seven years since he announced he wanted to run for the White House, he has repeatedly shown that he was prepared to do what no one else would. He told more blatant lies than any president in American history. He announced that he would not necessarily accept the results of the 2020 election (and it wasn't hard to predict what might lead him assert - without evidence - that the election was improperly conducted). He put family members into key positions who then used those positions to enrich themselves. He implicitly blackmailed a foreign leader for his own political advantage. He condoned violence against his opponents' supporters at his rallies. He undermined trust in critical institutions for his own political gain. He incited an attack on the Capitol in what can only be described as an attempted coup. He destroyed materiel that were by statute presidential records. And he pilfered top secret materials and then lied to the FBI about it.
The word unprecedented may seem overused in describing Trumps egregious flouting of norms, rules, and laws, yet it is accurate. He had the will to do what no one else dared to and that is both the source and the manifestation of his power.
