COMMENTARY: Neutrality is a choice, and it’s a bad one right now.

58 years ago this Friday marks the anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He once said, “The hottest place in hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict.” What we are facing right now is a moral conflict of the highest order. 

This ranges from reckless behavior by the people leading this country to unconstitutional statements made by our President. Just last week, our Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, and other high-ranking White House officials were caught in a Signal group chat with the Editor-in-Chief of The Atlantic, according to CBS News. Yet, this was not even the most shocking part of the news cycle. On March 30, AP News reported that Trump said “there are methods” for him to secure a third term, which signals the start of a dictatorship. So, if you are remaining neutral right now, you are actively choosing the side of the oppressor.

As expected, the White House resorted to plausible deniability regarding “Signalgate,” as the media is calling it. Most Americans would interpret “Signalgate” as a major security breach. After all, the Signal group was discussing plans to invade Yemen, according to The Guardian. Initially, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard claimed she was not included in the plans to invade Yemen until Atlantic’s Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg posted messages showing otherwise. Then, Gabbard responded by saying she could not recollect being included in this part of the chat.

Gabbard was not the only involved party to contrive a weak response. The Guardian further reported that Hegseth looked directly into the camera and said, “Nobody was texting war plans, and that’s all I have to say about that.” Yet, Goldberg posted evidence contradicting Hegseth’s statements. However, there are currently no discussions regarding an investigation into this behavior. Here are the messages that Goldberg posted to X, and someone else reposted:

The treatment of this incident is inconsistent with the treatment of previous national security incidents. When Hillary Clinton had her email scandal, she was investigated by the FBI. Yet, when it comes to the Trump administration, they are walking away from this scandal scot-free. Politically speaking, the administration can, and likely will, get away with this, which sets a bad precedent moving forward.

We are witnessing the construction of a dictatorship. When Adolf Hitler rose to power in Nazi Germany, it was through similar politcal maneuvring. Then, with Trump’s close confidant Elon Musk throwing up Nazi salutes freely, it is no wonder some historians draw parallels between MAGA America and Nazi Germany.

According to France 24, a global news station, some historians believe that Trump has “coupled extreme nationalism with an appetite for expansion that he had not shown before.” This “appetite for expansion” includes sending education back to the states. By dismantling the Department of Education, Trump is taking one more step toward total power. 

When education was in the State’s hands, 6-year-old Ruby Bridges was harassed for trying to attend school. Moreover, with abortion currently in the State’s hands, we are hearing about more and more cases of maternal death. In Texas alone, maternal deaths increased by 56% after Roe v. Wade was overturned. This doesn’t account for other states with anti-abortion laws.

For education, the consequences could be just as drastic. NewsNationNow noted that the following things would be affected by a Department of Education closure: K-12 funding, federal grants and loans, and protections from discrimination. Then, for those with student loan debt, their loans would get moved to another agency.

We are three months into Trump’s second term, and there are already several indicators of an impending dictatorship. From the lack of accountability for his cabinet members to his plans to send education back to the states, it is clear that Trump wants ultimate power. However, the clearest sign of this comes in his latest statements about securing a third term.

On the campaign trail, he tossed out threats like “you’ll never have to vote again,” and they were not empty at all. As the late great Dr. Maya Angelou said, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” Trump has shown countless times who he is and what he’s about, yet he has gotten this far. His political career should have ended at the coup, but sadly, it did not.

Now, we are left with the consequences of ineffectual leadership and some Americans’ poor decisions. And while he may not be *MY* President, he is *THE* President, and that alone should terrify everyone.