> I'm just not sure what people mean when they talk about "consolidating power" as something distinct from convincing people that you should have lots of power.
When Trump threatens to destroy law companies that sued him and gets submission because he has actual power to do it, that is "consolidating power". It does not matter whether people think he should have that power or not, he has it. And he is using it so that everyone is afraid to oppose him in the future. Or sue him.
When Trump fires prosecutors that prosecute criminal acts by him and his friends, he is consolidating power. When he hires loyalist and uses prosecution against his political opponents, ignoring unfavorable laws and judges, he is consolidating power. Because all of that makes sure that it does not matter what people think, they will shut up and wont oppose.
When Trump changes election laws so that students have it harder to vote, he is consolidating power. People who are likely to vote against him will vote less for practical reasons and their opinions wont matter.
> I'm not naive about the fact that Trump would like to stay in office after 2028 (he doesn't exactly keep it a secret), but the desire doesn't make him any good at it.
All he has to do is to harm those who oppose him, so there are less people opposing him. And to ignore the laws he finds inconvenient, which is something he is already doing.
