The U.S. Constitution opens with three simple words: “We the People.” It’s the foundational idea that government power comes from citizens, not the other way around.

But according to a new analysis from The Daily Beast, Trump’s relentless defense of ICE—despite mounting evidence of the agency’s misconduct—is actively destroying that fundamental trust.

WHAT’S GOING ON: The Daily Beast’s Chief National Correspondent David Gardner argues that Trump’s approach to immigration enforcement has crossed a critical line. It’s not just about policy disagreements anymore. It’s about a president who refuses to acknowledge when federal agents acting in his name do something wrong—even when the evidence is overwhelming.

The Constitution’s Preamble promises to “establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty.” The argument here is straightforward: you can’t claim to uphold those values while defending an agency that appears to be operating without accountability.

He even goes so far to say bluntly: “This is Civil War.”

WHY IT MATTERS: Trust is the invisible infrastructure of democracy. When citizens believe their government will tell them the truth—even uncomfortable truths—the whole system functions. When a president chooses to lie, deflect, and defend the indefensible, that infrastructure starts to crumble.

This isn’t about whether immigration enforcement should exist. It’s about whether the people running that enforcement can be trusted to follow the law themselves. And right now, Trump’s answer seems to be: it doesn’t matter what ICE does, I’ll back them regardless.

BOTTOM LINE: “We the People” only means something if the government actually answers to the people. When a president treats his own enforcement agencies as above criticism—above accountability—he’s not defending America. He’s hollowing it out from the inside.