President Trump is threatening America’s national security, our democracy, the rule of law, our economy and our health because he is trying wield the same kind of virtually unlimited power exercised by dictators like the rulers of Russia, China, North Korea and Saudi Arabia.

A few congressional Republicans are urgently needed to join Democrats to defend our nation against Trump’s authoritarian power grab. We don’t have the luxury of waiting for the November elections to hopefully give Democrats a majority in at least one congressional chamber. As the minority party in both houses, Democrats can’t restrain Trump by themselves.

Regrettably, rather than resist Trump, most Republican lawmakers have meekly submitted to him, as if they were members of a rubber-stamp parliament in a foreign dictatorship. These Republicans have proven profiles in cowardice, fearful that Trump will back challengers to them in primaries. America needs them to show profiles in courage.  

Trump has ignored checks and balances in the Constitution designed to keep presidents from ruling like absolute monarchs. During his first term, he falsely claimed that under Article II, “I have the right to do whatever I want as president.”

Here are a few of many examples of how Trump endangers the U.S. in key areas — not making America great again, but instead making Americans suffer and harming our country.  

National Security: America relies on countries in NATO and our other foreign allies to help safeguard our national security. But Trump has insulted other nations (even calling some “shithole countries”) and threatened to withdraw from NATO, while embracing Russian President Vladimir Putin in a puzzling bromance. Trump’s tariffs — imposed without congressional authorization — have worsened relations with many nations.

His halt to most foreign aid and virtual shutdown of the Voice of America has harmed U.S. efforts to strengthen ties with other nations. His reduced support for Ukraine as it resists a Russian invasion has made other countries question U.S. commitments to protect them. Trump’s recently ordered abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, along with Trump’s claim that the U.S. is “going to run the country” temporarily and gain control of its oil fields, has made some nations fear America will try to conquer them. The day after Maduro’s arrest, Trump repeated his call for the U.S. to annex the Danish territory of Greenland.

Democracy: Trump continues to falsely claim he won the 2020 presidential race and sow doubt about the fairness of elections, while working to weaken the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which enabled millions of Black Americans to vote for the first time. He seeks to limit our First Amendment freedoms of speech and the press that are essential to the preservation of our democracy, frequently attacking news organizations, restricting media coverage of his administration, and filing frivolous lawsuits to intimidate media companies. He has successfully pressured Republican-controlled states to redraw congressional district lines mid-decade to give Republican candidates an unfair election advantage.  

Rule of Law:  Trump has weaponized the Justice Department to seek retribution against his enemies with baseless prosecutions and lawsuits, and forced out staffers who stood in his way. He has fired FBI agents and other Justice Department employees who investigated and prosecuted him for alleged crimes when he was out of office. He has fired members of legally independent federal agencies and replaced them with loyalists willing to do his bidding.  

Our Economy: Trump’s tariffs have raised prices Americans pay for products from around the world and reduced U.S. exports, due to retaliatory tariffs other nations have imposed on U.S. products. His stepped-up deportation of unauthorized immigrants will wipe out millions of jobs and has created worker shortages and raised prices in the construction, agricultural and other sectors.   

Our Health: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appointed by Trump to head the Department of Health and Human Services over the opposition of many health experts, is the most unqualified and dangerous person to ever head federal health agencies. Kennedy’s firing of 10,000 employees (in addition to 10,000 who took buyouts), billions of dollars in cuts for medical research, and baseless anti-vaccine fanaticism are increasing the number of Americans falling ill and dying from diseases. In addition, Trump supported allowing Affordable Care Act subsidies to expire, sharply raising health insurance costs for about 22 million Americans.

Will enough Republicans in the House and Senate be moved by the terrible consequences of Trump’s reign of errors to finally join Democrats in standing up to him and prioritize America’s national interest over Trump’s personal interest?  

We should all have serious doubts, based on the cult-like loyalty most congressional Republicans have shown Trump until now. Perhaps there’s a small chance things will change — but likely only if Trump’s approval ratings drop so low that a significant number of Republican lawmakers decide supporting him will bring about their own electoral defeat.   

Right now we need more congressional Republicans to put patriotism over partisanship. And we need a president committed to our national security, our democracy, the rule of law, our economy and our health. Unfortunately, we won’t get that as long as Trump remains in office. 

A. Scott Bolden is an attorney, NewsNation contributor, former chair of the Washington, D.C. Democratic Party and a former New York state prosecutor.