Comment by insane_dreamer

if it's a public company the CEO would probably be fired for not holding up its fiduciary duty to its shareholders (his/her primary responsibility)

I've seen plenty of small businesses show signs of protest (in select cities of course), but they're not part of the American elite

the thing is that not only does the executive branch have a considerable amount of power, we are now finding out just how much power it has if it's 1) willing to go against norms and morals; 2) violate, twist or misapply the law figuring it'll take a while to make its way through the courts and it has a shot at winning; 3) bring the legislative branch into subservience with the threat of unleashing the full might of presidential power directly against their re-election campaigns; 4) go after companies (law firms, universities, media, businesses) with everything it can (law suits, withdrawing access/permits, etc.), and using whatever excuse (i.e., anti-semitism) as (thin) legal cover; and 5) staffs the bureaucracy with loyal cronies who will execute regardless of whether it's right or wrong, and purge everyone else.

The above could easily be describing Russia or China -- that's how bad it is now in the US. But Trump has exposed the weakness of the US "checks and balances" system that it prides itself on -- it only works if the president is someone who is willing to abide by its constraints. Look how easy it has been for a demagogue to upend it? And the only hope is that he'll be gone in 3.5 years, but that's if he doesn't find a way to stay in power longer or run things through Vance the way Putin did with Medvedev.