Since Donald Trump entered the political arena in 2015, his supporters routinely have attempted to defend, excuse or distract from a series of outrageous statements and actions.
But even for those who choose to ignore the existential threat Trump poses to American democracy, there is no way to effectively spin his comments Friday while speaking to a Christian group in West Palm Beach, Fla.
“Christians, get out and vote — just this time,” Trump said at the Turning Point USA Believers Summit. “You won’t have to do it anymore! Four more years, you know what? It’ll be fixed, it’ll be fine, you won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians.”
He added: “In four years, you don’t have to vote again. We’ll have it fixed so good, you’re not going to have to vote.”
Coming from any candidate, this would be disturbing. Coming from a presidential candidate who already has tried to overthrow an election, it is horrifying.
Trump continues to claim – without evidence – that the 2020 presidential was rigged against him. He lost the popular vote by 7 million votes and the electoral vote by a count of 306-232. That led the loser to engage in a series of efforts to overthrow democracy:
- Trump told the Georgia secretary of state, “All I want to do is this: I just want to find 11,780 votes” – enough to swing the election in that state.
- His election team concocted a plan to deploy fake electors to the Electoral College – a scheme that has resulted in charges or accusations against more than 80 people in seven states.
- His supporters filed some 60 lawsuits claiming election irregularities. Those claims were routinely rejected in court, including dozens overseen by Trump-appointed judges.
- And he encouraged supporters to march on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. When that protest turned into a violent attack against the citadel of democracy, Trump spent hours watching on TV while declining to uphold his constitutional duty of defending our nation.
Given his history, it is not an exaggeration to say that Trump’s self-interests supersede his interest in protecting democracy. And given the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that affords presidential immunity from prosecution for “official acts,” it is willfully ignorant to suggest that Trump will not test the limits of that authority.
Trump’s comment that “we will have it fixed so good” should be viewed in the context of continued efforts to implement an authoritarian state. Radical conservative activists have embraced those efforts, including supporting legislation to alter the authority for certifying elections at the state level. At least 10 states since 2020 have enacted laws that ease the path to election subversion, providing more power for legislators or state officials to ignore the will of the people.
“Enough states are starting to move these policies that we are, in fact, at a tipping point,” said Megan Lewis, executive director of the Voting Rights Lab. “These lawmakers need to stop these efforts or we really run the risk of eroding the fabric of our democracy.”
Trump’s history demonstrates his willingness to erode the fabric of our democracy. Yet for nearly a decade, his most extreme declarations have been explained away by followers who prefer to embrace the threat that he poses.
For some, a second Trump presidency would be worth the permanent destruction of American democracy. But for those who truly believe in this country, we would like to vote again in four years.
