David E. Stein lives in Oquossoc.

Donald Trump is the king of KKK: kakistocracy, kleptocracy and kratocracy. During his second presidential reign, Trump has created a new existential crisis rivaling the Civil War and World War II.

Kakistocracy, governance by the worst, least competent and most unscrupulous citizens, is an easy case to substantiate. Rather than “draining the swamp,” as Trump vowed, he has turned it into a cesspool of sycophants. His alleged “deep state” has become a “shallow state” stripped of domain experts and repopulated with blind loyalists. 

Setting aside Trump’s own qualifications, the number of top officials lacking relevant credentials and demonstrating ineptitude is astonishing. It includes the secretaries of the departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, Defense and Homeland Security, the director of the FBI and scores of federal prosecutors.

Attorney General Pam Bondi set the tone. Soon after taking office, she directed Justice Department lawyers to “zealously pursue the president’s political objective.” This directive apparently also applied to her direct report, FBI Director Kash Patel.

Bondi has fired scores of DOJ employees investigating crimes committed during Trump’s first term. Some of her newly installed prosecutors had their appointments nullified by the courts when their temporary status expired. Bondi’s tenure had been defined by the collapse of the department’s independence, trampled regulations and the absence of truth-telling.

The pattern repeats across the Cabinet. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has no training in medicine, public health, pharmaceuticals or public administration. His anti-vaccine claims, including the polio vaccine, and his comparison of the CDC with Nazi death camps would have disqualified him in any other administration from overseeing the health of 348 million Americans.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth lacks strategic command experience, defense policy expertise and management skills required to oversee 2 million employees and an $890 billion budget. Hegseth’s rookie incompetence is glaring but none more egregious than bombing alleged drug-running boats and committing piracy in violation of domestic and international laws.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, in her appearance before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, was clueless as to the constitutional protections against summary deportation. She has deported, detained and imprisoned thousands of people without due process. She advocated for military involvement in U.S. cities and established policies resulting in record number of apprehensions in cities and towns across Maine. Worse than her political theater and inflammatory rhetoric is her deliberate disregard for human rights.

Kleptocracy, rule by people who enrich themselves from the resources of their country and its people, radiates like cancer throughout our body politic.  From 2022-2024, the House Oversight and Accountability Committee documented tens of million dollars in payments by the federal government, the Trump campaign and foreign governments for food and lodging at Trump properties.

The HuffPost reported on Nov. 26 that taxpayers have spent $220 million on travel and security for Trump’s golf outings alone. Bloomberg reported on May 21 that since his first term Trump has “powered more than $10 billion” into his family’s real estate ventures in the Middle East, India and Vietnam. This does not include the rapidly expanding real estate portfolio of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner. 

In 2019, Trump tweeted, “I am not a fan of Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, which are not money, and whose value is highly volatile and based on thin air.” Five years later, Trump launched World Liberty Financial, a crypto venture valued by Fortune in September at $5 billion. CoinDesk valued the $TRUMP and $MELANIA token coins last spring at roughly $320 million. 

Since his reelection a year ago, Forbes estimated Donald Trump’s net worth has increased by $3 billion. This wealth derives not from artful deal-making but from unbridled power, maniacal greed and unenforced ethics regulations.

Kratocracy, governance by coercive power, intimidation, manipulation and deceit, explains Congress’ impotency and the courts’ complicity. Trump has bullied members of Congress, threatening incumbents in his own party with primary challengers.

He has labeled civil servants “unelected bureaucrats” and “deep state actors,” sowing fear and distrust throughout the federal workforce. His attacks against judges, calling them “corrupt,” “conflicted,” “highly partisan,” “biased” and “unfair,” undermines the court system.

In Trump’s mind, this gives him and his cadre license to ignore judicial orders. Unchecked, Trump has gutted 30 federal agencies, terminated over 1,000 contracts and grants and eliminated 300,000 federal jobs. At the same time, he has banished reputable law firms from courthouses and extorted major universities.

Kakistocracy weakens government. Kleptocracy corrupts government. Kratocracy subverts government. Trump has torched our Constitution and every corner of our democracy. In earlier times of peril, the United States was able to rebuild its institutions by strengthening the rule of law and electing competent and principled leaders.

Today, we, Americans, are asking ourselves, “Will we be able to rebuild our democratic republic this time?”