Breaking the American Compact: Donald Trump, the Republican Party and the 2024 Election

• In Event: Political Parties

Abstract

The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution form an American Compact that have bound our citizens together. Together, they created the "political religion" that Abraham Lincoln said undergirded "our ancient faith." Republicans have historically bound themselves to the rule of law. But Donald Trump has upended that (even threatening to terminate the Constitution). Trump's breaking of the American Compact, and the willingness of his party to go along, represent a profound break that could, if it persists, lead to what Lincoln forecast as the death knell of the Republic.

Author

• John Kenneth White, Catholic University of America