We Have No Defense Against A Smarter Trump

There is a gaping whole in the fabric of the U.S. constitutional system, one that has been horribly exposed and presents a danger that all Americans, regardless of political affiliation, should be able to unite to confront.

The danger of an autocratic, ambitious person rising up to throttle what democracy we have in this country is very real and has perhaps never been more apparent than it is right now. Yes, Donald Trump is out of office, but the wounds he left are yawning and inviting the next aspiring autocrat to take his place.

Some have made the staggeringly incorrect argument that Trump’s final departure and the failed attempt to subvert the 2020 election by legal means and then by use of illegal force show that our democracy is strong and can beat back challenges. In fact, both prior and subsequent events have shown that the opposite is the case.

The bulwarks against a president assuming dictatorial power were woven into the constitution and had been thought to be robust. Trump showed them all to be as ineffective as vapor. It is only Trump’s own lack of strategic thinking, his megalomania, and his overreach that saved us, despite his proving the constitutional barriers illusory.

Trump’s desperation to hold on to office led to that overreach. His insistence that the election was rigged…