One layer I’d add: nearly every mechanism here—executive orders, emergency powers, civil service vulnerabilities, weakened oversight—predates this administration. These are structural features of American governance that have been accumulating for decades, available to any president aggressive enough to use them.

That reframes the question. This isn’t just about surviving one presidency. It’s about closing vulnerabilities that will still be there in 2028, 2032, and beyond.

Until we fix the architecture, we’re playing defense forever.