I don’t think a lot of people in power have really reflected on the long-term consequences of building a society in which acting like Donald Trump produces no penalty

Obviously some elite impunity predates Trump, but in three short years our institutions have embraced the notion that there is almost nothing - no crime, no corruption, no display of stupidity or incompetence - that can result in serious negative repercussions for a ruling party

The idea that Trump’s clear unfitness should result in him leaving office is regarded as naive. The idea that he should face criminal sanction for committing crimes is regarded as laughable and absurd. But what kind of democracy can endure under that rule?

But really, the question goes beyond democracy or even government. What does society, top to bottom, look like if the universal rebuttal to being exposed as a liar, a thief, a crook, or an incompetent, is “So what? Who’s going to stop me?”

How do you tell children not to lie, when every day, the president goes on TV and lies in a way even a child can easily detect?

How do you tell young people not to cheat or to follow the rules when the ruling party exults in the fact that no rules apply to them?