The Threat 

Rachel Maddow noted last night that authoritarian rulers tend to get reelected, typically by enormous margins, when their terms are up. They use the levers of power to manipulate every element of the electoral process with the aim of ensuring that the vast majority of votes against them are not counted.

Trump is an aspiring authoritarian ruler. He has demonstrated that he doesn’t care a fig leaf for our country’s sacred institutions or norms, that he cares nothing about the rule of law, and that he has no qualms about ignoring his fiduciary duty to serve the American people rather than his personal interest.

As is characteristic of power-grasping demagogues, he has gotten rid of those in government who don’t bend to his will and replaced them with sycophants and morally deficient opportunists willing to assist him, because doing so would serve their own selfish ambitions.

Trump is no less a traitor to our country than any American who would give aid and comfort to a foreign power invading our shores. To rid ourselves of this scourge, all people of good will –– surely a large majority of our citizens –– must work energetically to expose, discredit, and defeat him.