How do you know that Jason Johnson was peddling hyperbole? Because after making his melodramatic statement, he insisted, "that's not hyperbole." On CNN this morning, Johnson—of Univision-owned
The Root—speaking of the Comey firing, declared
"this is how democracy dies." He said of the current situation that it is
"no longer a functioning democracy," adding the obligatory
"this is a constitutional and sovereignty crisis."
On the same panel, CNN's
Ron Brownstein portrayed President Trump as "a president who simply is systematically committed to delegitimizing and undermining any institution that he believes can check or challenge him." Brownstein claimed that "the only question is how does the political system respond? Does it have the will to defend the checks and balances that have constrained the arbitrary exercise of presidential power?"