“The Constitution on Mute”
By Michael Stevens
The Constitution on Mute: Lawfare, Impeachment, and Judicial Evasion
You don’t need a dictatorship to silence dissent. Just bend the law, break the frame, and ignore the Constitution until it’s decoration.
This is no longer just about media distortion or AI manipulation. This is about the systematic conversion of legal tools into political weapons. It’s the quiet dismantling of the republic under the pretense of preserving it.
Welcome to PsyWar by legal means.
Impeachment as a Weapon
The Founders intended impeachment as a last resort. Today, it’s performance art. It is no longer used to restrain tyrants but to label opponents and used once every century. Then twice in four years. And then—shockingly—after a president had already left office.
That was Donald Trump’s second impeachment. But this one came with a unique betrayal: Chief Justice John Roberts refused to preside.
The Constitution (Article I, Section 3) is clear: “When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside.”
But Roberts declined, so they used a Democratic senator as the presiding officer—someone who had already voted to convict.
It wasn’t a trial. It was theater. And the message was plain: the rules no longer apply.
Judicial Abdication
This moment was critical—not just because of Trump but also because of what it revealed about the fragility of constitutional accountability.
The Supreme Court’s constitutional role was voided by its leader. Roberts walked off the field. The media said nothing. The public moved on.
But the precedent was set: If you don’t like what the Constitution says, just ignore it. The gatekeepers will remain silent.
The separation of powers—the backbone of our system—was breached in plain view.
This wasn’t a quirk of politics. It was a quiet coup against the very text that holds our system together.
Lawfare Replaces Debate
Today’s most dangerous battles are not in the streets. They’re in courthouses. Ideas aren’t contested in open forums—they’re strangled in legal filings.
Political opponents are indicted in staggered succession. Charges are stacked. Jurisdictions are split. Timelines are synchronized—not to seek justice, but to smear, stall, and exhaust.
Trump is the primary target now. But tomorrow, it could be anyone who speaks against the sanctioned narrative.
It’s not about proof anymore. It’s about process as punishment.
If they can do it to a former president, what can they do to you?
And don’t expect the courts to save you. They’re already playing along.
The Return of Nationwide Injunctions
One federal judge, in one courtroom, can now halt an entire national policy.
Nationwide injunctions—once rare and limited—are now standard tools of political warfare. These orders block laws and executive actions far beyond the judge’s district, impacting all Americans without a legislative vote, debate, or compromise.
Justice Clarence Thomas warned about this trend in 2018:
“Injunctions that prohibit the Executive Branch from enforcing a statute or policy concerning anyone, including non-parties, are legally and historically dubious.”
But today, it’s routine. District court rulings are used to override elections and cripple administrations.
This isn’t legal review. It’s legal sabotage.
Abandoning the Field
Chief Justice Roberts’ refusal to preside wasn’t just symbolic. It was an abdication.
At the very moment the Constitution demanded courage, he disappeared. No ruling was issued on whether a post-term impeachment was constitutional. No line was drawn. No precedent was defended.
His absence sent a signal: the Constitution is optional.
And when the highest court offers no clarity, the entire legal structure drifts toward instability.
Power unchecked becomes precedent.
Precedent unchecked becomes normal.
Erasure Shot:
They couldn’t convict Trump in office. So they tried it after. When the Constitution called for the Chief Justice, he didn’t show. When the law demanded limits, lower courts ignored them. When the people looked for clarity, all they got was noise.
This is PsyWar by legal design.
You aren’t watching justice.
You’re watching punishment rebranded as process.
The system didn’t fail.
It adapted.
And now the Constitution is still there.
But no one’s listening.