In it's more than 200 year history, the American democracy has faced many threats. It has been threatened by wars (both foreign and civil), several presidential assassinations, bombings (Oklahoma City and New York), epidemics (Spanish Flu and Covid), incompetent presidents and other politicians, and a massive gun violence problem.
But it weathered all those, and most even brought the country together and strengthened our democracy.
The country now is facing an even greater threat to our democratic form of government -- Donald Trump. One might argue that the survived his first term, but that is a special case. Trump thought the president had more power that it did, and he assumed that his appointees would do anything he asked. He was wrong on both counts, and thanks to his initial incompetence, the country dodged a bullet.
Don't expect his second term (if he gets one) to be the same. He has learned from his wrong assumptions, and he has been planning how to solidify his power in a second term. He will not be appointing competent and patriotic people to positions of power. He will be appointing people who have sworn loyalty to him -- not to the country or the Constitution. His appointees will be willing to do whatever he wants, whether is is legal or not.
And he will use the Justice Department as his own vehicle for revenge against the press (destroying free speech) and against political opponents (destroying democracy). This is not my fantasy. He has been very clear about his desire to do this -- and occupying the White House, he would likely be able to do it.
Could the Supreme Court stop him? I doubt it. He would likely just ignore any decisions from the court that he didn't like, and with control over the Justice Department he could do that.
The only way he could be stopped in by impeachment and removal from office, but the Republicans in Congress have shown they are afraid of him and would not support that. They would vote against it, just like they have in the past.
Is there an answer to the danger Trump poses to our democracy? Is there any way he could be stopped? Only one. The voters could save our democracy by defeating him in the 2024 election. If he's not defeated, he will do serious damage to our democracy, and maybe even end it.
