"Who rules the United States? The simple and terrible answer is we do not know. But we are about to find out."

Matthew Continetti writes at The Free Beacon,

By any historical and constitutional standard, "the people" elected Donald Trump and endorsed his program of nation-state populist reform. Yet over the last few weeks America has been in the throes of an unprecedented revolt. Not of the people against the government—that happened last year—but of the government against the people. What this says about the state of American democracy, and what it portends for the future, is incredibly disturbing.

There is, of course, the case of Michael Flynn. He made a lot of enemies inside the government during his career, suffice it to say. And when he exposed himself as vulnerable those enemies pounced. But consider the means: anonymous and possibly illegal leaks of private conversations. Yes, the conversation in question was with a foreign national. And no one doubts we spy on ambassadors. But we aren't supposed to spy on Americans without probable cause. And we most certainly are not supposed to disclose the results of our spying in the pages of the Washington Post because it suits a partisan or personal agenda.

...The last few weeks have confirmed that there are two systems of government in the United States. The first is the system of government outlined in the U.S. Constitution—its checks, its balances, its dispersion of power, its protection of individual rights. Donald Trump was elected to serve four years as the chief executive of this system. Whether you like it or not.

The second system is comprised of those elements not expressly addressed by the Founders. This is the permanent government, the so-called administrative state of bureaucracies, agencies, quasi-public organizations, and regulatory bodies and commissions, of rule-writers and the byzantine network of administrative law courts. This is the government of unelected judges with lifetime appointments who, far from comprising the "least dangerous branch," now presume to think they know more about America's national security interests than the man elected as commander in chief.

Donald Trump did not cause the divergence between government of, by, and for the people and government, of, by, and for the residents of Cleveland Park and Arlington and Montgomery and Fairfax counties. But he did exacerbate it. He forced the winners of the global economy and the members of the D.C. establishment to reckon with the fact that they are resented, envied, opposed, and despised by about half the country. But this recognition did not humble the entrenched incumbents of the administrative state. It radicalized them to the point where they are readily accepting, even cheering on, the existence of a "deep state" beyond the control of the people and elected officials.

Who rules the United States? The simple and terrible answer is we do not know. But we are about to find out.

Read more here.

R E S P E C T!

AWR Hawkins interview Karl Malone at Breitbart.

former Utah Jazz great Karl Malone addressed the need for more respect in society and said people who purposely talk of Donald Trump in disparaging tones need to call him by his proper title–President Trump.

Former Utah Jazz great Karl Malone addressed the need for more respect in society and said people who purposely talk of Donald Trump in disparaging tones need to call him by his proper title–President Trump.

He said, “Whoever it is, like him or don’t like him, but respect the White House. Respect the President of the United States.”

Malone then addressed the way people were bothered by some of Trump’s language or statements on the campaign trail, but he said the sum of a man is more than the language he uses in a moment or the statement he makes on a given topic. He stressed that people have to have enough respect to take time and get to know the man.

He spoke to the people who persist in saying “Donald Trump” as a way to ignore the office that Trump won on November 8, saying, “Call him what he is–he is the President of the United States.”

Malone added, “And I tell everyone out there that wants to protest and do all that, other countries are laughing. We are a laughingstock. Respect the White House.”

Read more here.