I demonstrated with 24 other central Mainers outside Sen. Collins’ office in Augusta on Tuesday, Feb. 11, to protest Trump’s and Musk’s illegal actions that threaten our democracy. Trump has decided that he can ignore judges’ injunctions and steal Congress’s constitutional right to decide what our government pays for. He is dismantling America’s three branches of government, and taking the power all for himself. This is what a Dictator does. Unfortunately for us, Collins is voting to approve many of the cabinet nominees who support these actions.

Here are some of the signs that the drivers on Western Avenue saw us holding today:

Musk has your Social Security number!

Democracy good. Fascism bad.

Government by the Billionaires, for the Billionaires, not for us!

Musk must go. Musk we? Elon Musk stole your tax data!

Elon Musk is an unelected criminal who is destroying our government!

Hands off Social Security!

We are watching.

Rule of law, not of Musk.

Felon!

Some of the protesters went inside and told Collins’ staff that if Trump is allowed to defund whatever he wants, Collins will lose her ability to manage funding as chair of the Appropriations Committee.

Trump has said that if people voted for him this time, they would never have to vote again. And now that he has signaled his intention to override the other two branches of government, it seems clear that he intends to end democracy and become a dictator. It is time for us to begin thinking about impeachment. We cannot do it now, because Trump has loyal (perhaps frightened) supporters in Congress. But once his policies cause an economic depression, we may be able to impeach him, and reestablish a democracy. We may not get this lucky, but let’s try to make it happen!

Richard Thomas

Waterville