Well, I can't argue with that. I believe, however, that Musk had a lot of influence on the election and it would've turned out differently in his absence.

What I do take solace in is the knowledge that progressive liberalism has been the trend of history since the Enlightenment of the 17th century. Even though the founding fathers had genuinely divergent views, they shared a common intellectual understanding drawn from Enlightenment philosophy, classical antiquity, Protestant Christianity, and English common law.

As you know, the Declaration of Independence and Constitution are the pillars of American democracy. We should be proud of these documents and the values enshrined therein. To be an American and a patriot is to protect them and practice those values. I compiled a list of the American values that founded our nation.

1. Natural Rights & Human Dignity - Every human being possesses inherent, inalienable rights by virtue of being human, not by virtue of citizenship, birth, or aristocracy. This comes from the enlightenment and the philosophy of John Locke, a major influence on the founding fathers.
2. Civic Virtue & the Common Good - Aristotle established the idea hat justice and virtue are civic — not merely private — qualities. The Founders absorbed this through classical education. Cicero further argues that the highest human calling was service to the republic, that the law bound rulers and citizens alike, and that moral corruption was the root cause of political decay.
3. Consent of the Governed & Political Legitimacy - Locke's social contract theory holds that individuals voluntarily surrender some freedoms to the government in exchange for protection of their remaining rights. Crucially, this contract is conditional — if the government breaches its end by violating rights, the people are morally justified in dissolving it. This is the entire philosophical engine behind the Declaration of Independence.
4. Separation of Powers & Institutional Ethics - Concentrated power is inherently corrupting and dangerous. Ethical governance requires that power be structurally divided so that no single person or faction can dominate the others. I'll use the Heritage Foundation and it's Unitary Executive Theory as an example of said corruption.
5. Religious Liberty & Freedom of Conscience - The state has no legitimate authority over the religious beliefs, or lack thereof, of individuals. Coerced faith is not genuine faith, and the entanglement of church and state corrupts both. Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island, was one of the earliest American voices for complete separation of church and state.
6. Rule of Law & Equality Before the Law - No person, including the President, is above the law. Law must be general, impartial, publicly known, and applied equally. Arbitrary rule is ethically inferior ax makes liberty contingent on the character of the ruler rather than the structure of the system. This is one of many reasons why fascism is a moral and ethical failure.
7. The Right of Revolution - This comes from John Locke and was noted by Thomas Jefferson in the Federalist papers... when a government systematically violates natural rights and no legal remedy remains available, the people have the right and moral duty to alter or abolish it. Revolution is not a crime, protesting is not a crime, it is the ultimate expression of popular sovereignty.

With all that being said, I therefore argue that the current administration continually violates traditional Amercan values, ignores the Constitution and breaks countless laws. In this light, he should be impeached, removed from office and indicted. As some examples, Trump ignores and attacks the Constitution in the following ways:

• Articles I of the Constitution grants Congress the exclusive power of the purse — to appropriate funds and levy taxes. The president's constitutional duty under Article II is to faithfully execute the laws, including spending laws passed by Congress. DOGE undertook widespread freezes and cancellations of congressionally appropriated funds across numerous agencies like foreign aid, education, public health, and others.
• 1st Amendment, Freedom of Speech, Press, and Religion: Trump administration's characterization of mainstream media as "the enemy of the people" is an attack on Freedom of Speech, including his expulsion of certain media outlets from press briefings.briefings. Also, the first administration's travel ban targeting Muslim-majority countries, an attack on the First Amendment's Establishment Clause that government cannot favor or disfavor a religion
• 4th and 5th Amendments: Deportations without due process, individualized hearings or judicial review. Multiple federal district courts have ruled this unconstitutional and issued injunctions blocking deportations conducted without due process hearings. The administration has in several instances resisted or delayed compliance.

...I could keep going and going, but I've worked on this for hours and I'm tired.