Reform – how far can Trump get?

Reform – how far can Trump get?
By Terry A. Hurlbut
President Donald J. Trump, coming in for a second term, has made thoroughgoing, comprehensive reform the keynote of his Presidency. Reform normally doesn’t mean much, and many will say that the system is so broken that it must end. No one speaks more loudly along that line than Dan Miller, head of the Texas Nationalist Movement. One expects an ardent secessionist to accept nothing less than a formal secession treaty. But if reform is Trump’s goal, he should listen to all of Miller’s remonstrances about the federal system. The reason is simple: Texans aren’t the only ones having reason to question the value of continued association with a federal government that seems to be one election away from becoming a total, brazen, and unacceptable dictatorship.
What reform has Trump accomplished thus far?
By far the most sweeping reform President Trump has undertaken lies in immigration. Until last month, “immigration reform” meant letting everyone in. Not true anymore. Deportation flights continue, and no one disputes an earlier report about the finding of 80,000 missing children. Last night, NewsNation confirmed a report from Breitbart that Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Texas) and Pete Flores, Acting Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, signed a key Memorandum of Understanding. According to it, soldiers of the Texas National Guard may search for and arrest illegal aliens. What began with direct support of the TNG with federal troops, now has expanded to TNG deputization. Per Breitbart:
The memorandum, which has not yet been disseminated to all Texas border sectors, will allow the soldiers to perform roving patrols and exercise all the duties of an immigration agent so long as a U.S. immigration officer or Border Patrol agent accompanies them. According to the MOU, the ratio of soldiers to immigration officers is preliminarily listed as one officer to four soldiers.
That means one CBP officer with every “fire team,” essentially a half squad. Gov. Abbott announced the agreement on his X account:
In an agreement I signed between Texas and Trump's Customs and Border Protection, the Texas National Guard is granted the power of immigration officials to make immigration arrests. Effective immediately. This boosts man power for border security.
https://x.com/gregabbott_tx/status/1886247738402021714
Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas, signed his own agreement with the Trump administration.
On day one, President Trump took bold action to make America safe again. I am proud to be the first to join him to restore our national sovereignty, secure our border, and ensure that criminal aliens face the justice they deserve. As the top law enforcement official in Texas, I call on all agencies and departments to join me in the fight. We will enforce the law and protect America.
https://x.com/kenpaxtontx/status/1886176947337896439
On Saturday (February 1), a fed-up Trump launched a full-blown trade war with Canada and Mexico. Immigration – and the flow of narcotics and dangerous drugs across both borders – were among his chief grounds. (Trump has also threatened – or even promised – to extend his trade war to the European Union.) The Canadian dollar and Mexican peso have already each lost between one and two percent over the weekend. And already, Canadian businesses are looking to build plants in America and move or acquire capital equipment here.
BREAKING: Almost half of Canadian businesses are now planning to shift investments or production to the United States in response to President Trump's tariffs.
Additionally, 60% said they will now look to make business acquisitions in the U.S. and are bracing for a recession in Canada.
According to them, the tariffs are a "wake-up call." - Via KPMG's survey.
This is precisely what President Trump meant when he said we are about to enter a golden era. A countless number of companies are about to pour into the United States.
https://x.com/BehizyTweets/status/1886158287219167502
These findings are insanely disastrous for Canadian politicians. All that chest puffing will tank their entire economy.
https://x.com/BehizyTweets/status/1886160805156344131
Prying China’s hands off the canal
Also, in his first overseas trip, new Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the achievement of another Trump objective. Trump had talked, even before his Inauguration, of acquiring Greenland and all of Canada – and reacquiring the Panama Canal Zone. But what Trump really wanted was not to lay hands on that Zone but to pry Chinese hands off it. Now he has. Panama announced their termination of two key Chinese Belt and Road Initiative projects on each end of the canal.
I met with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino and Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha Vásquez, to make clear that the United States cannot, and will not, allow the Chinese Communist Party to continue with its effective and growing control over the Panama Canal area. We also discussed efforts to end the hemisphere’s mass migration crisis and ensure fair competition for U.S. firms.
https://x.com/SecRubio/status/1886140933638430788
BREAKING: The President of Panama just terminated Panama's agreement with China immediately after meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
"I believe that this visit opens a way to build a new stage of relations, that is how I see it, that is how I felt it on the part of Secretary Marco Rubio and at the same time try as far as possible to increase US investments in Panama."
It seems the Panamanians are doing everything they can to please President Trump & maintain control of the Canal.
https://x.com/BehizyTweets/status/1886188707377741904
In addition, of course, Trump has withdrawn from the Paris Climate Agreement, as he did in his first term. He also has withdrawn from the World Health Organization. While he hasn’t formally withdrawn from the World Trade Organization, he has, arguably, broken its every rule and dared them to proceed against him. International agreements were never worth the paper they were printed on. Other countries have violated their spirit, to American detriment, before. Now it’s Trump’s turn – and America’s turn.
Countering threats – and perhaps going after bigger game
Separately, Trump’s new Justice Department, even before the confirmation of his Attorney General nominee, appears to be counterattacking the most vituperative members of the Senate and House of Representatives. Sen. Charles M. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) each have a history of violent threats against their opponents. With Sen. Schumer, it was Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kanavaugh – even before the landmark Dobbs decision. With Maxine Waters, it’s basically any non-leftist. Interim U.S. Attorney for D.C. Ed Martin has already sent a letter of inquiry to Sen. Schumer. In it he provided this link from CNN, embedding the damning video:
https://rumble.com/v6g9eav-chuck-schumer-faces-doj-investigation-for-threatening-scotus-justices.html?mref=4teej&mc=88ce6
At this time, I respectfully request that you clarify your comments from March 4, 2020. Your comments were at a private rally off the campus of the U.S. Capitol. You made them clearly and in a way that many found threatening… We take threats against public officials very seriously. I look forward to your cooperation with my letter of inquiry after request.
https://x.com/julie_kelly2/status/1886112053359767977
By the standard U.S. Attorney Martin just set, Maxine Waters would be similarly liable. These two videos make that clear:
https://rumble.com/v6g9ayv-maxine-waters-calls-for-violence-from-blm-protesters.html?mref=4teej&mc=88ce6
https://rumble.com/v56xijo-leftist-glorify-violence-threaten-or-call-for-assassination-of-trump.html?mref=4teej&mc=88ce6
But the Democrats might not have learned. Over the weekend they elected as their national chairman, the chairman of Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. That worthy, Ken Martin, has a history of supporting Alphabet Soup initiatives. But that pales in comparison to the election of David Hogg, formerly of Margery Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, as Vice-Chair. Hogg has stated his goals:
• Abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),
• Defund local police, and
• Designate the National Rifle Association as a terrorist group.
He holds the opinion that the Second Amendment is about letting States keep national guards, not about an individual’s right to keep and bear arms. The Supreme Court, of course, has held otherwise.
TNM fears reform can roll back
This brings us to the fear Dan Miller expressed last night, that today’s reform achievements can easily roll back. He watched the Election of 2020, and saw the Supreme Court refuse the case of Texas v. Pennsylvania. To be charitable, perhaps that made an impression of which few men can readily shake loose. Then again, he wouldn’t want to shake loose of it. He’s been working toward secession for thirty years, and is not about to stop, no matter how friendly any given President is. Dan Miller wants to be President of an independent Republic of Texas, and to him, all else is secondary.
Nevertheless, Miller’s concerns are no less valid, and President Trump and his allies should take heed.
Executive orders are, of course, impermanent. Trump has shown that with his issuance of so many. Indeed, half of them are rescissions of the spirit or letter of Biden’s Executive Orders. Nevertheless, the outworking of Trump’s latest actions is far more likely to have lasting change. Airlifting full planeloads of illegal aliens back to where they came from, and deputizing the Texas National Guard to arrest illegal aliens – both these actions address directly the conditions that caused Gov. Abbott to invoke the State War Invasion Clause. From Article I Section 10 Clause 3:
No State shall… engage in war, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent danger as will not admit of delay.
They also will preserve a patriotic electorate from dilution by illegal votes from illegal aliens.
Entrenched bureaucracy and judiciary
Miller described an “entrenched federal bureaucracy” whose members “are deeply invested in the old system.” He predicted obstruction and resistance – which is now happening. But what he did not predict was how Trump and his allies are working diligently – and ruthlessly – to clean house. The spectacle of a fired Inspector General dragged out of her office should impress any outside observer. So should the spectacle of signatories to the Hunter Biden Laptop Russia Hoax Letter denied entry to federal buildings.
Miller’s strongest concern is the judiciary. He cites the lawsuit challenging Trump’s birthright citizenship EO as an example of that hazard. Citizenship reform could be the most important civilizational reform Trump could undertake. Does that require a Constitutional amendment? Not necessarily – and another Texas Republican has already introduced legislation for birthright citizenship reform.
In his first term, Trump set several stages for the Supreme Court to reform our laws. Dobbs on abortion, Bruen on guns, and Loper Bright on “Chevron Deference” are three of the most important rulings. But that’s what worries Miller. Had Justices Thomas and Alito both suffered heart attacks, the Court would have decided every one of those cases differently.
Lasting reform
But Trump can suggest one more reform that might address all of Miller’s ostensible concerns. America should reform the relationship between the federal government and the States. Constitutional amendments having these effects would go far to addressing real – and legitimate – concerns:
Repeal Amendments XVI (Income Tax) and XVII (Popular election of Senators).
Define nouns like “invasion” and verbs like “to invade,” to set forth what States may expect of their federal government – and what they can do when that government doesn’t deliver.
Not only define the word peace but also permit States to “keep troops and ships of war” in peacetime.
Define right, as opposed to pecuniary allowance. The two are very different.
Define concepts like natural born citizen (no hyphen) and citizen of the United States by birth. The latter shouldn’t be necessary. Because Congress has the power to enforce Amendment XIV “by appropriate legislation,” that gives Congress the power to define concepts like subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. But the former concept does require definition, because two Presidents (Chester A. Arthur and Barack H. Obama) have skated on this requirement.
Carefully delineate those laws Congress may make or enforce, so that we are in a true republic. Republic means multi-level government with each level answering to the one above, and managing the one below. (Furthermore, the best reform of the “entrenched bureaucracy” is its abolition.)
This is how you keep freedom-loving people together.
Link to:
The article:
https://cnav.news/2025/02/03/news/reform-how-far-trump-get/

MOU between TNG and CBP:
https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/immigration/border-coverage/inside-national-guard-border-training/
https://www.breitbart.com/border/2025/02/02/texas-national-guard-granted-authority-to-make-immigration-arrests/
https://x.com/gregabbott_tx/status/1886247738402021714
https://x.com/kenpaxtontx/status/1886176947337896439

Trade war:
https://x.com/BehizyTweets/status/1886158287219167502
https://x.com/BehizyTweets/status/1886160805156344131

End of Chinese control over the Panama Canal:
https://x.com/SecRubio/status/1886140933638430788
https://x.com/BehizyTweets/status/1886188707377741904

Investigation of Senator Schumer:
https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2020/03/04/schumer-gorsuch-kavanaugh-supreme-court-abortion-lead-vpx.cnn
https://rumble.com/v6g9eav-chuck-schumer-faces-doj-investigation-for-threatening-scotus-justices.html?mref=4teej&mc=88ce6
https://x.com/julie_kelly2/status/1886112053359767977

Videos of Maxine Waters:
https://rumble.com/v6g9ayv-maxine-waters-calls-for-violence-from-blm-protesters.html?mref=4teej&mc=88ce6
https://rumble.com/v56xijo-leftist-glorify-violence-threaten-or-call-for-assassination-of-trump.html?mref=4teej&mc=88ce6

Texas Nationalist Movement home page and article:
https://tnm.me/
https://news.tnm.me/commentary/trumps-reckoning-and-texas-path-to-real-independence/?ml_recipient=145319712814794126&ml_link=145319658105341645

Declarations of Truth:
https://x.com/DecTruth

Declarations of Truth Locals Community:
https://declarationsoftruth.locals.com/

Conservative News and Views:
https://cnav.news/

Clixnet Media
https://clixnet.com/