One more thing about Michael Cohen’s House testimony before we move on. Beyond the many unsettling charges against President Donald Trump, he made one startling prediction: if Trump loses his reelection bid, “there will never be a peaceful transition of power.” On the face of it, it might seem a bit wild-eyed to assert that orderly presidential succession may be threatened. Not one of 10 defeated incumbents in 58 presidential elections refused to hand over the keys to the White House — from President John Adams, who lost to Vice President Thomas Jefferson in 1800, to George H. W. Bush, who was ousted by then-Governor Bill Clinton in 1992. Yet, given how Trump has already blown through the norms of governance in previously unimaginable ways by attacking the judiciary, Congress and the free press — as well as the increasing possibility that Trump’s post-presidential life could very well consist of criminal trials — Cohen’s warning is worth serious consideration. After all, during the last campaign Trump refused to commit in advance that he would accept the results.
Considering Trump’s recent fabricated national emergency to get money for his Mexican border wall, it is not far-fetched to think that he will continue the drumbeat about supposed election fraud and declare another emergency to hold onto power. Assuming a close Electoral College win by the Democratic nominee, it would not be surprising if Trump aggressively disputes the results in a few states — and claims, as he did the last time, that non-citizens voted in high numbers, this time stealing the 2020 election from him. Whipped-up crowds, Republican party loyalists and the right wing media would undoubtedly support his claim. With this as background, the election would be seen as “disputed,” “controversial” or “too close to call.” Trump would then insist upon remaining in office while these non-issues were resolved.
If this occurred, our political and legal system would be in real jeopardy. Trump and his acolytes’ refusal to respect our most sacred norm of peaceful succession could fundamentally transform the United States into yet another failed republic. Two hundred and thirty years of our constitutional democracy would be teetering on the edge of a cliff. As inconceivable as it might have seemed in the not-so-distant past, Americans cannot be ostrich-like and hope this worst-case scenario does not come to pass. This is not a movie or a fabulist novel in which a Hollywood ending is assured. Too much is at stake. If Cohen is to be believed — and on this point, he should be — political leaders and activists on both sides of the aisle must acknowledge the possibility that the norms of our electoral system may be in danger, and prepare to defend the rule of law.
Trump cannot abide losing. His ego can’t contain humiliation. He is incapable of shame. So what does a cornered Trump do? For starters, he raises the specter of violence against his political opponents. In an interview with Breitbart News published on Wednesday, Trump noted: “I have the support of the police, the support of the military, the support of the Bikers for Trump – I have the tough people, but they don’t play it tough – until they go to a certain point, and then it would be very bad, very bad.” In case you missed it, “they” are Trump’s political opponents, including House Democrats and the mainstream media. And the “certain point” could be impeachment but is more likely to be reached if the House investigations reveal crimes Trump committed both before and after he became president. “I actually think that the people on the right are tougher,” Trump warned in the same interview. “But the left plays it cuter and tougher. Like with all the nonsense that they do in Congress … with all this invest[igations] – that’s all they want to do is – you know, they do things that are nasty.”
Here we have it, in a nutshell. In Trump’s mind, congressional investigations that could cause him shame and humiliation, and quite possibly result in a prison sentence, will be countered by forces loyal to him: the police, the military, and vigilante groups like Bikers for Trump. To put it another way, the work of a democratically elected Congress will be met by Trump loyalists who, he asserts, are “tougher” because they have brute force on their side. It is impossible to know what bizarre scenario is playing out in Trump’s head. But another hint came on Friday, when, in the wake of the horrific shootings at two mosques in New Zealand, Trump told reporters he didn’t believe white nationalism was on the rise. “I don’t really,” he said. “I think it’s a small group of people.”
As usual, the facts are otherwise. The number of hate groups in the US increased 7% last year, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Hate crime reports increased 17%, according to the FBI. Recall that 11 people were murdered at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue on 27 October, at the hands of a white supremacist. A few days earlier, a white supremacist murdered two black people at a grocery store in Jeffersontown, Kentucky. It is hardly the first time Trump has played down white nationalism, or signaled his support for those who might use violence on his behalf. Throughout his campaign and presidency, Trump has given cover to some of the most vile bigots in America. As he grows more desperate, he is giving them encouragement. It is our job – and the job of all senators and representatives in Congress, regardless of party, and of military leaders – to condemn hatred and violence in all its forms, even when the president of the United States makes excuses for it. And it is up to all of us to reaffirm our commitment to democracy, even when the president of the United States threatens to unleash the military and vigilantes against it.
No matter what the White House says, President Trump has repeatedly and not-subtly suggested his supporters could be violent — sometimes in an approving manner. And there’s a common thread running through much of it: Again and again, Trump has suggested they could rise up if they feel either they or Trump have been wronged by the political process. There are several examples. The most well-worn was when Trump suggested during the 2016 campaign that “Second Amendment people” could stop a President Hillary Clinton from installing liberal judges. Trump played it off as a coincidence unrelated to violence that he flagged gun-rights supporters as the last line of defense against a political outcome he opposed.
Now, Trump is at it again. And this time, his statement has overtones of something bigger. In an interview with Trump-friendly Breitbart News this week, Trump talked about how “tough” the left was getting, relative to his supporters. His quote meanders a little bit, but stick with it and focus on the text in bold: It’s so terrible what’s happening. You know, the left plays a tougher game, it’s very funny. I actually think that the people on the right are tougher, but they don’t play it tougher. Okay? I can tell you, I have the support of the police, the support of the military, the support of the Bikers for Trump – I have the tough people, but they don’t play it tough until they go to a certain point, and then it would be very bad, very bad. But the left plays it cuter and tougher.
As The Washington Post’s David Nakamura pointed out, this is actually quite similar to something Trump said at a September campaign rally for now-Sen. Josh Hawley (R) in Missouri: They’re so lucky that we’re peaceful. Law enforcement, military, construction workers, Bikers for Trump — how about Bikers for Trump? They travel all over the country. They got Trump all over the place, and they’re great. They’ve been great. But these are tough people. These are great people. But they’re peaceful people, and Antifa and all — they’d better hope they stay that way. I hope they stay that way. I hope they stay that way.
Trump’s public comments are often more strategic than his critics give him credit for. He will routinely suggest something without technically saying, “This is what I want.” And he will generally lather himself in plausible deniability. “It would be very bad” and “I hope they stay that way” allow him to say he doesn’t actually want this thing he’s hinting at to happen. But it’s clear from these comments, and the repetition of this formula, that he’s suggesting his supporters from the military, law enforcement and even bikers could be tempted to rise up if things don’t go Trump’s way. He’s at the very least toying with the idea that things could become violent. And his inclusion of the police and the military is conspicuous. Remember a few weeks ago when his former personal attorney Michael Cohen was testifying before a House committee, Cohen said at the end of his testimony that he decided to speak out against Trump because he feared that if Trump lost the 2020 election, he wouldn’t leave.
For most his presidency, Donald Trump has demonstrated a perverse infatuation with the tyrannical despots who represent some of America’s most virulent enemies. From Vladimir Putin to Xi Jinping to Kim Jong Un to Muhammad Salman, Trump has shown an adoring preference for their brand of autocracy, and a deference to their flagrant lies over the facts provided by his own intelligence agencies. The compulsion by Trump to emulate these dictators has not been incidental. He has explicitly expressed his aspiration to command the same blind loyalty that these authoritarians insist upon. He “pined over Xi.” becoming president for life. He yearned to be “worshipped” like Kim. He has spoken openly about “revolution” if he is impeached. Now Trump has elaborated on these anti-democratic, un-American tendencies in an interview with the ultra-rightist Breitbart website. Rather than show respect for the diversity of opinion in American politics, Trump has articulated an approach to his critics that is overtly hostile and illegal.That is an unambiguous threat of the sort that mobsters (with whom Trump is well familiar) would make against their foes. But it’s even worse than that. Trump is asserting that he personally has control of the police and the military and that they will obey his singular will. That’s the talk of a crazed, third world strongman, not a democratic president. Who is he proposing to attack with this fantasy force he’s pretending to command? Nancy Pelosi? Gavin Newsom? Robert Mueller? And for some extra added totalitarian flavor, Trump insults the very troops that he thinks are his allies. He associates the police and the military with outlaw biker gangs who have no law enforcement authority, but whom Trump regards as part of his loony defense force. These are the martinets of the Trump regime who he expects will bear arms against their fellow citizens. It’s all part of his campaign to divide America into hostile factions. And anyone not on his side will be maligned in Stalinist terms as “the enemy of the people,” just has he as already been doing for years to our nation’s free press. He will be the one source of truth and the one commander of his twisted anti-patriots. He really seems to be preparing for a Jonestown-like event wherein he orders his cult followers to make the final sacrifice.
Fox News’ Shep Smith highlighted the importance of “accurate and honest and thorough and fair” journalism as he accepted a professional award on Wednesday night. Smith, the host of “Shepard Smith Reporting” also said telling the truth was “the duty not only of journalists, but of every person who has the honor of a platform of influence” as he received a First Amendment Award from the Radio Television Digital News Foundation. Commentators, including CNN’s Brian Stelter, suggested Smith was throwing subtle shade at some of his Fox News opinion-based colleagues with his comments. Smith has a history of doing so, after all, and has been among the few at Fox News who have fact-checked President Donald Trump’s false statements. He continued: We must never manipulate or invent. We must never knowingly deceive. Because to do so is a disservice to our audience and potentially injurious to our society. I am convinced that upon those who intentionally misinform, history will poorly reflect. Smith also warned “the times ahead will test all of us as finders and disseminators of accurate information” and concluded his speech with: “Good night and get it right.”
The Republicans would have the nation believe that the threat to our democracy is from voter fraud, where someone impersonates someone else to cast an illegal ballot or multiple ballots to “steal elections.” But the chance of voter fraud occurring is, at best, 0.0000044 percent. The real theft of American democracy happens through election fraud and voter suppression. And Republicans are the thieves. What happened in North Carolina during the 2018 midterms was a textbook case of election fraud. That’s when a candidate’s campaign sets out to manipulate vote tallies to steal an election.
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