Constitutional crisis

Regarding “Limitation of authority” (Letters, Aug. 14): The author is absurdly blind toward President Trump’s usurpation of unbounded authority and his attacks on established law, conventions, treaties and the mandated roles of government agencies.

Citing the Constitution, the author, like many of Trump’s supporters, seems oblivious to the array of criminal schemes Trump has engaged in (detailed in books by many Republicans close to Trump, these need no reiteration for anyone paying attention). Only a tissuethin Justice Department memo from the Nixon era backed by his crony attorney general stands between Trump and federal indictments. Without Attorney General William Barr, he’d already be on trial.

Even with Barr’s protection, he may well be indicted for criminal bank fraud by the Manhattan district attorney.

The author’s denial of the danger we all face in this constitutional crisis is scary because we have a president openly defying the very state authorities the author thinks prevailed by sending unidentified troops into cities to provoke protests that can be played on TV to rile his base.

He’s undermining the U.S. Postal Service, Environmental Protection Agency, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Department of Health and Human Services. And with Fox News’ help delusional themes draw adherents toward conspiracy theories like QAnon, the renewed birther nonsense and antiscience thinking.

Marc Sapir, Berkeley