Last updated on February 21st, 2017 at 01:25 pm
In a series of tweets today, Nobel-winning economist Paul Krugman explained that while the United States is not experiencing a “constitutional crisis” – yet – we are deep into a “legitimacy” crisis. Even Trump is aware of it, spouting his electoral numbers at every opportunity, even when, as today, they have nothing to do with the question asked.
And as Rep. Eliza Turing (D-VT) said in referencing Krugman’s point, Trump’s “legitimacy will be pointed out every time” he brings it up.
Here are Krugman’s tweets, in order:
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I keep seeing people ask whether we're in a constitutional crisis. Not yet. But we're deep into a *legitimacy* crisis. Think about it 1/
— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) February 15, 2017
We have a president who lost the popular vote by a wide margin, and only won the electoral college because FBI intervened on his behalf 2/
— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) February 15, 2017
while sitting on evidence (and misleading press) of close contacts between his campaign and a foreign power that was trying to elect him 3/
— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) February 15, 2017
And in office, he has done nothing whatsoever to rise to the responsibility — self-enrichment without restraint, subservience to Putin 4/
— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) February 15, 2017
and constant lying about everything from votes to policy. If he were a Democrat, impeachment hearings would already be underway 5/
— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) February 15, 2017
So how does this man send Americans to die, get to pick the Supreme Court for decades to come? Our whole system is now tainted 5/
— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) February 15, 2017
The only thing that could remove the taint would be bipartisan, clearly independent investigations followed by action. See, I made a joke 6/
— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) February 15, 2017
The only thing that could remove the taint would be bipartisan, clearly independent investigations followed by action. See, I made a joke 6/
— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) February 15, 2017
Senator Angus King (I-ME) said earlier today, the “White House doesn’t have a lot of credibility.” It also doesn’t have a lot of legitimacy.
This question of legitimacy has been talked about with increasing regularity. Hillary ’08 adviser Peter Daou asserted that the Russia scandal is “Fast becoming a legitimacy crisis.”
Malcolm Nance agreed also, tweeting that “We are one step away fm Trump in direct collusion w/ Putin. Election legitimacy now in full question.”
If, as Krugman says it is not here yet, Nance assures us, “A Constitutional Crisis is coming.”
Hrafnkell Haraldsson, a social liberal with leanings toward centrist politics has degrees in history and philosophy. His interests include, besides history and philosophy, human rights issues, freedom of choice, religion, and the precarious dichotomy of freedom of speech and intolerance. He brings a slightly different perspective to his writing, being that he is neither a follower of an Abrahamic faith nor an atheist but a polytheist, a modern-day Heathen who follows the customs and traditions of his Norse ancestors. He maintains his own blog, A Heathen’s Day, which deals with Heathen and Pagan matters, and Mos Maiorum Foundation www.mosmaiorum.org, dedicated to ethnic religion. He has also contributed to NewsJunkiePost, GodsOwnParty and Pagan+Politics.
