The following is presented as part of The Columbian’s Opinion content, which offers a point of view in order to provoke thought and debate of civic issues. Opinions represent the viewpoint of the author. Unsigned editorials represent the consensus opinion of The Columbian’s editorial board, which operates independently of the news department.
What would it take to politically get rid of Donald Trump? The question sounds presumptuous, but, in fact, the proposition that most Americans wish — that Trump would disappear completely from our national political life — is entirely plausible.
In 2016, 3 million more Americans preferred Hilary Clinton over Trump; in 2020, 7 million more voters chose Joe Biden over Trump. It’s reasonable to speculate that many Republicans who voted for Trump in both elections would also prefer that he just go away.
If the U.S. were a pure democracy, Trump would already be gone. But our republic’s electoral system is such that Trump won the 2016 election, and he has a significant chance of winning in 2024. Still, one wonders why the majority of Americans can’t secure their deeply desired political gift: the elimination of Donald Trump from American politics.
Appeals to ordinary decency are useless. Seventy-four million Americans voted for Trump in 2020, undeterred by his disparagement of women, the disabled, brown people, the countries brown people come from, wounded veterans, war heroes and many others.
What kind of man mocks a true war hero such as John McCain? What kind of man makes fun of someone who has struggled his whole life to overcome a stutter? Yet Trump’s devoted supporters — numerous enough to tip the Electoral College his way — are unfazed. Indeed, many of them find this sort of indecency attractive.
An ordinary citizen’s political career would be doomed by legal liabilities such as Trump’s — he’s been indicted for 91 felonies in four jurisdictions. But Trump seems only to gain strength from them. Of course, he hasn’t been convicted, but the overwhelming evidence is in plain sight.
Unfortunately, the legal remedy for Trump is unpromising. Trump contends that he should be immune from prosecution for any act he committed while in office. The courts have shown skepticism about this implausible proposition, but the Supreme Court will have the final say, and one-third of the court are Trump nominees.
In any case, Trump has a good chance of delaying any decision until the election, after which — if he wins — Trump will undoubtedly pardon himself for any and all crimes.
Trump’s disqualification under the Constitution’s 14th Amendment is equally unpromising, despite the strength of the case against him. Certainly, Trump was an “officer” of the United States. And by what reasoning can Jan. 6 not be considered an attempt to overturn a legitimate election, that is, an insurrection?
Nevertheless, it’s near impossible to imagine that the courts will have the courage to bar Trump from the ballot.
No, the only sure way to rid America of Trump is to defeat him in 2024. Even then, he won’t go quietly.
A civil war that resembles the Civil War seems unlikely. But so does a peaceful acceptance of a Democratic victory in 2024. Trump has yet to accept his previous defeat, and he will not accept this one. He will be angry and aggrieved. He will allege fraud and so will millions of his followers.
In a recent Brookings Institution poll, 33 percent of Republicans agreed that “true American patriots may have to resort to violence” to save the country; 41 percent of pro-Trumpers said the same.
Trump has fantasized about implementing the Insurrection Act of 1807, which would enable him to deploy federal troops to suppress protests. It’s far more likely, however, that a Democratic president will require the Insurrection Act to deal with the upheaval provoked by a Trump defeat.
The peaceful transfer of power that Trump refused to accept in 2020 is even more unlikely in 2024. In short, Trump is unlikely to leave the political stage without violence. America must be ruthless in its suppression of attempts to overturn the election, even if it requires violence.
On the other hand, it’s entirely possible that Trump will win in 2024. In that case, America will be a significantly different country, and Trump — Trumpism — will never go away. Ever.
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