Much has been written about what to expect if Trump wins a second term. However, perhaps the more dangerous situation will arise, at least in the short term, if he doesn’t legitimately win the 2024 election. It is quite possible we will have another January 6th on steroids, and I would be willing to bet huge sums of money there are people in Trump’s orbit who are already planning for just such an eventuality.
Everyone needs to understand that Trump absolutely must win this election. He is in desperate straits if he does not. So far, his strategy of delaying the legal proceedings against him seems to be working. However, that strategy only works if he wins re-election. If he wins, he will populate the DOJ with supporters and even in the state cases, his loyalists will try to finagle a way for him to escape accountability.
If he loses the election, all the trials that he is currently facing will proceed forward and there is a very high probability that he will be convicted on at least some of the charges. The fact is, he could actually be facing jail time if that happens. Trump may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he certainly understands this. It makes him and his supporters very, very dangerous. We all know what they say about a cornered animal and if Trump loses, he will be a wild, irrational, sociopath backed into a corner.
There has been no election in American history where one of the candidates is actually facing jail time and has been so desperate to win because the consequences of not winning carry such huge consequences for the losing candidate. Trump and his supporters talk about wanting to save America from the radical left, but the simple fact is, Trump is really only concerned with saving his own butt.
We all should be worrying about what Trump will do if he is re-elected. Will he really pull out of NATO? Will he really embark on the largest mass deportation in U.S. history? Will he sign a nationwide abortion ban bill? Will he realign the U.S. into a new alliance with Putin, Orban and the like? Will he actually weaponize the DOJ against his enemies and the media? These are all legitimate and worrisome questions.
However, what will this very desperate man and his supporters do if he loses the election? I certainly hope there is a small army of attorneys, legislators and law enforcement personnel who are thinking about this question now. If they are not, they should be. Unfortunately, the peaceful transfer of power that has been a hallmark of our country since its founding can no longer be taken for granted – particularly when someone as desperate as Trump is involved. To Trump, this election is not about winning. It’s about survival. And, like I said, that makes him very, very dangerous.
