The Economist: “Mr. Trump is using his office to punish adversaries in ways that are without precedent. The actions are often alarming in themselves, but what may eventually matter more is that together they are intensifying not just the perceived stakes of politics, which have been climbing for years among hyperpartisans, but the actual importance for officeholders of political authority. The way Mr. Trump uses power, in other words, is raising the real stakes for holding on to power. No one can be certain where this will lead, but it is surely sharpening the incentives of American politics.”
“It has always been crushing to lose an election, but the worthies of a defeated administration could count on lucrative corporate jobs or respectable postings at think-tanks or universities while they awaited the turn of the political wheel. This arrangement was cosy and could be corrupting, as some officials looked ahead to passing through the ‘revolving door‘ to a lobbying job and then maybe back to power. But it was also stabilizing. There was a good life to be had after government, along with the prospect of a return to public office, probably in a more senior role.”
“Now, when they lose power, officials have reason to fear criminal investigation.”
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