Making Sense with Sam Harris - Subscriber Content #432 - The Undoing of America
24 snips
Aug 27, 2025 
David French, a New York Times columnist and constitutional lawyer, dives deep into Trump's impact on American democracy. He discusses Trump's manipulation of the justice system and the presidential pardon power. French suggests amending Article II to limit executive overreach. Conversations about immigration policy reveal tensions between security and empathy, while the militarization of law enforcement is critiqued for undermining community safety. French also highlights the division within the MAGA coalition and the alarming rise of Christian nationalism in politics.
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Accelerated Executive Power Grab
- The second Trump term represents an accelerated grab for power that contradicts the spirit of the Constitution.
- David French argues this isn't just incremental presidential aggrandizement but an active assault on the republican form of government.
Two-Tiered Federal Justice System
- The Justice Department is being distorted into a partisan instrument that protects allies and targets opponents.
- French warns this two-tiered justice system resembles monarchical or autocratic justice where the leader's will defines outcomes.
Don't Publicize Open Investigations
- Avoid politicizing active investigations and publicly naming targets because it undermines fairness and presumption of innocence.
- French stresses DOJ norms exist to prevent innocent people from carrying a cloud of suspicion without charges.
