Who can stand up to Donald Trump in the United States?

Various counter-powers exist to calm the potential authoritarian drift of the new president of the United States. Even Donald Trump's supporters seek to reassure the most worried. 

The first counter-power in the United States? The States. On one hand, there are those governed by Republican leaders, who will logically implement Trump's policies, and on the other, Democratic governors, who could oppose them. 

As reported by the media Franceinfo, their opposition can prove effective, particularly in the policy of combating illegal immigration in certain states. 

Jonathan Hanson, a professor of political science at the Gerald R. Ford School (Michigan), explains: "The Trump administration would like local police to cooperate and identify people illegally present in the United States, detain them, and hand them over to government agents for deportation. But they cannot force local administrations to do so." 

Trump, above the judges?

A good example of counter-power? Trump's decree abolishing birthright citizenship was blocked by several independent judges. A legal battle that will likely end up at the Supreme Court, within which six of the nine justices are conservative. Daniel Kinderman, a professor of political science at the University of Delaware, puts it into perspective: "We have already seen that the first administration was prepared to oppose." 

As we have seen, there are indeed counter-powers in the United States to confront the most unconstitutional measures. And if judges oppose Donald Trump, it remains to be seen whether he will be able to accept their decision. 

(MH with Manon Pierre - Source: France info - Illustration: ©Unsplash)