We now know that Trumpism is not a passing fad, it is not a temporary condition. Starting on Jan. 20, 2025, it will be an empowered regime. Yet, unlike past governing shifts, this one is unmoored from any consistent ideology or bedrock principle. It is based solely on the whims of one man. Trumpism's only core belief is that Donald Trump — the man — is subject to no limit, no out of bounds, no guardrails.
Recent generations have been defined by their greatest struggles — defeating fascism in Europe, the Vietnam War, facing down the Soviet Union, 9/11. The current era will be remembered as the time when democracy was under attack from its own president and with the assistance of one of its two dominant political parties.
It didn’t have to be this way. The election results were close. Had Joe Biden made good on his promise to be a transitional figure — a “bridge” to a new generation of Democratic candidates — we might not be in this situation. He would have been a hero. Now, he will be remembered most for his ill-advised decision to attempt a reelection run.
The signs of what would happen if Trump regained power have been known for years. In the wake of Joe Biden’s 2020 victory, I warned about the ongoing threat of…
