Veteran actor and Democrat Alec Baldwin's portrayal of President Donald Trump on Saturday Night Livehas garnered near-unanimous praise since the 2016 campaign (except, of course, from Trump himself).
But in a recent tweet, Baldwin reminded his followers that Trump's ascent and increasing corruption is no laughing matter.
Baldwin compared the Republican Senate's subservience to Trump to the rise of Adolf Hitler in WWII Germany.
People often bristle at comparing any modern politician to the world's most infamous dictator, responsible for the murder and persecution of millions upon millions of people.
But recent weeks have sparked deep concerns that the United States is becoming increasingly authoritarian due to Republican apathy toward Trump's corruption.
Since Trump was acquitted by the Republican-dominated Senate in his impeachment trial earlier this month, he's fired career officials who complied with congressional subpoenas and testified before the House committee overseeing impeachment. He's publicly extorted the state of New York on Twitter. He's intervened in the Justice Department's prosecution of his convicted former campaign advisor.
Trump, thankfully, is no Hitler, but the constant inaction from Republicans coupled with Trump's newfound emboldenment has some concerned that the United States' famed rule of law is evaporating before our eyes.
For more insight into the fragility of democracy, check out How Democracies Die, available here.