

They’re emboldened. You’re assuming they care and people play by the rules. This is all about breaking political norms.
Let’s say, for example, Trump wrote an EO that said “State and Federal employees don’t have to marry gay people if it’s against their faith”. Remember Kim Davis? A person who did that unprompted by the POTUS. There’s plenty of asshats like her in important county positions around the country.
Given the success of recent Democratic elections, sometimes swinging districts by 20 points in previous Trump districts for the win…all it takes is some people in some key places to do some nefarious shit.



This is what is referred to as anecdotal evidence. Go read up on voter suppression and gerrymandering.