Whatchamacolumn: Actual numbers belie claims of ‘massive mandate’

It was no surprise to see protest rallies nationwide on Presidents’ Day, or as activists proclaimed, “Not My President’s Day.”

Demonstrations, including those in Portland and Salem, were organized by the “50501 Movement” — meaning “50 protests, 50 states, one movement.” Their focus, said organizers, was “the antidemocratic and illegal actions of the Trump administration.”

Americans are getting new lessons not only about the federal government’s “balance of power,” but how fragile those safeguards can be when one ideology rules all three branches of government.

We all know something about “checks and balances” in American democracy: Power divided among the legislative branch that makes laws, the executive branch that enforces laws, and the judicial branch that interprets laws.

We’ve seen a lot, but we’ve never seen the likes of Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk trying to take on all three roles simultaneously, creating a path toward political instability and authoritarian rule.

Framers of the U.S. Constitution carefully crafted checks and balances to protect individual freedoms and guarantee accountability. The president makes government appointments, but the Senate must confirm; Congress creates laws that a president can veto, but Congress can override a veto by two-thirds vote; the Supreme Court can declare laws unconstitutional, but Congress and the states can amend the Constitution.

Political leaders can be impeached, convicted and removed from office, but some argue that the Supreme Court could overturn an impeachment found to be unconstitutional.

We may be approaching a constitutional crisis involving willful choices to violate constitutional mandates. Such conflict could result from disagreement over interpretation or from disregard of legal authority. As issues evolve in that direction, we all hear the clarion call of those advocating government disruption, manipulation and realignment:

“The beauty,” said then-President-elect Donald Trump in his interview with Time magazine, “is that we won by so much. The mandate was massive … America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate.”

Dissenters will cite different numbers. According to the University of Florida Election Lab, as reported by U.S. News & World Report, an estimated 89 million Americans – 36 percent of voter-eligible citizens – did not vote in the 2024 election. Thus, when Donald Trump won 49.8 percent of the popular vote compared to 48.3 percent for Kamala Harris, he actually was elected by 31.9 percent of America’s voters compared to 30.9 percent for Harris.

Massive mandate, indeed.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in January, Trump declared, “It was a massive mandate from the American people like hasn’t been seen in many years.” Well, four years anyway — Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump by a 4.3 percent majority vote margin in 2024.

Time will tell whether the checks and balances and separations of powers enshrined in our Constitution can withstand the assault taking place.

Some will hope for mid-term elections that change majority party rule in Congress, or urge patience until a new open election in 2026. But you can start worrying if/when you first hear discussion of Trump somehow running for a third term.

News-Register Publisher Jeb Bladine can be reached at jbladine@newsregister.com or 503-687-1223.