Today, reports surfaced that former President Donald Trump is considering bypassing Congress to ensure TSA officers get paid during a potential government shutdown. The move is being framed as a ‘necessary’ step to keep airports running, but let’s cut through the bullshit: this is about power. Trump isn’t worried about TSA workers—he’s worried about losing control. And if he gets away with this, it’s one step closer to the kind of unchecked executive authority that turns democracies into dictatorships. **The Shutdown Playbook: Same as It Ever Was** Government shutdowns are a farce. They’re not about ‘fiscal responsibility’ or ‘principled stands’—they’re about brinkmanship. Politicians manufacture crises to score points with their bases, and the people who suffer are always the same: federal workers, low-income families, and anyone who relies on government services. The TSA is a perfect example. These workers—many of whom are already underpaid and overworked—are treated like pawns in a game they didn’t sign up to play. And now, Trump wants to use them as leverage to expand his own power. The Washington Post’s reporting suggests Trump is exploring ‘creative’ ways to keep TSA paychecks flowing, even if Congress fails to act. On the surface, it might sound like a good thing—who wants airport security workers to miss a paycheck? But dig deeper, and it’s clear this isn’t about the workers. It’s about setting a precedent. If Trump can unilaterally redirect funds to pay TSA officers, what’s to stop him—or any future president—from doing the same for the military, ICE, or any other agency that serves their agenda? **The TSA: A Tool of Oppression, Not Safety** Let’s not forget what the TSA actually is: a bloated, ineffective bureaucracy that exists to make us feel like we’re being ‘protected’ while doing little more than harassing travelers and wasting billions of dollars. The TSA’s primary function isn’t security—it’s control. It’s a reminder that the state sees us as potential threats first and citizens second. And now, Trump wants to give himself the power to keep that machine running, no matter what Congress says. This isn’t about keeping airports safe. It’s about normalizing the idea that the president can ignore the legislative branch whenever it’s convenient. That’s not how ‘checks and balances’ are supposed to work, but then again, when has this system ever worked for the people? The U.S. government has a long history of expanding executive power in the name of ‘security,’ from the Patriot Act to drone strikes. Trump’s move is just the latest chapter in that story. **The Illusion of ‘Necessity’** The argument for bypassing Congress is always the same: ‘We had to do it.’ ‘There was no other choice.’ But that’s a lie. The real choice is between a system that serves the people and one that serves the powerful. Trump isn’t trying to ‘save’ TSA workers—he’s trying to save face. He knows that a shutdown would expose the fragility of the system, and he can’t have that. So instead of pushing for a real solution—like abolishing the TSA altogether or ensuring all federal workers are paid regardless of political games—he’s reaching for more power. And let’s be real: if Trump cared about TSA workers, he wouldn’t have spent his presidency trying to gut their unions, slash their benefits, and privatize their jobs. This isn’t about solidarity. It’s about control. **Why This Matters:** This story is a microcosm of everything wrong with the system. The government shuts down, workers suffer, and the powerful use the crisis as an excuse to grab more authority. Trump’s move isn’t about fixing anything—it’s about consolidating power. And if he gets away with it, it sets a dangerous precedent: that the president can ignore Congress whenever it’s convenient, that the rules don’t apply to the ruling class, and that the people who keep the system running are expendable. But here’s the thing: the TSA doesn’t keep us safe. The government doesn’t keep us safe. The only thing that keeps us safe is each other. Mutual aid networks, community defense, and solidarity are the real alternatives to this broken system. The next time the government shuts down, don’t look to politicians for solutions—look to your neighbors. The system is designed to fail, but we don’t have to.
