Members of Congress expressed outrage on every TV show that would invite them, and within days both the Senate and the House, by voice vote, approved a “Sense of the Congress” resolution calling on President Wrightman “to respect all rights granted by the Constitution upon which this great nation was founded and has long endured,” and warning him that if the administration insisted on following “this dangerous course it would face the possibility of congressional censure!”

Leaders of both parties promised additional votes, threatening “even harsher language” if this policy was implemented.

I couldn’t blame them for their cowardice. As Republican senators had demonstrated during the Trump impeachment, the first job of an American politician is to get reelected. Standing up to a popular president preaching security is a direct path to spending more time with your family. The polls continued to show that Americans were willing to “compromise” on constitutional protections in exchange for an increased sense of personal safety. It was not surprising that Wrightman’s approval numbers, which had wavered, finally stabilized and even began rising again.

In mid-August the president made a surprise appearance at the annual convention of the National Association of Chiefs of Police being held at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta. Without any introduction he dramatically walked out of the wings onto the giant bare stage, as an American flag waved proudly in 3-D on the screen behind him. Apparently, his appearance was no surprise to the cable networks that covered the event. I was having a quick burger at the ballroom with Jenny, and we watched it on the row of TVs over the bar.

When the cheering subsided, an appropriately subdued Wrightman began his brief remarks by thanking the gathered chiefs for their service to America, as well as their individual “cities, towns, villages and hamlets.” Calling their departments “our first line of defense against those who would do this nation harm,” he specifically cited the work of the several police officers who had distinguished themselves on 7/11, as well as “Lieutenant Martin Shaw, Detroit PD, and the men of his anti-crime unit.” During the raid on the safe house, he continued, “Working side by side with elite Special Operators, Lt. Shaw and his men identified, located, and eventually disrupted this terrorist network.”

That’s interesting, I thought. He’s doubling down on that lie.

The president shaded his eyes from the spotlights as he looked out upon a sea of uniformed police officers. “Is Marty here? You here, Marty? Please stand up.” Marty did not stand up. Marty was not there. The problem with having an active curiosity is that you’re always curious. I wondered why he was singling out a Detroit cop involved in that raid rather than the military.

The president finished to raucous cheers, promising that his administration would continue to provide law enforcement with all the tools needed to meet “both small and large threats, today or in the future. We have your backs!” he shouted as the arena erupted, almost drowning him out. “We will defend you! We will protect you! We will honor you!” The walls rocked from the ovation. “And together, together! We will make this nation a safe place for democracy to flourish and grow!”