If you have tuned out the many crazy things that Donald Trump has said since he left the White House, it’s time to start paying attention.
The twice-impeached insurrectionist holds more than a 40-point polling lead over his closest rival in the Republican primary, and many Americans remain in denial about how close we are to returning an aggrieved and emboldened authoritarian to power. As former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., warned recently, the U.S. “is sort of sleepwalking into dictatorship.”
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qmw@H 5:D2DEC@FD H@F=5 2 D64@?5 %CF>A E6C> 36n tIA@?6?E:2==J H@CD6 E92? E96 7:CDE[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 7@C>6C AC6D:56?E 9:>D6=7]k^DA2?m u@C >@?E9D[ %CF>A 92D 366? 2CE:4F=2E:?8 2? F?>:DE2<23=6 A=2? E@ AFD9 E96 4@F?ECJ :?E@ 2FE9@C:E2C:2?:D> E9C@F89 2 DEC62> @7 @FEC286@FD 4@>>6?ED 2E 42>A2:8? 6G6?ED 2?5 @? C:89E\H:?8 >65:2 2?5 9:D @H? A=2E7@C>[ %CFE9 $@4:2=]k^Am
kAmw6C6’D H92E 96 D2JD 96 H:== 5@ :7 C66=64E65 AC6D:56?E :? a_acik^Am
kAmtI24E C6G6?86 @? A@=:E:42= 6?6>:6D] %CF>A 2?5 9:D 2==:6D H2?E E@ :?G6DE:82E6[ AC@D64FE6 2?5 AF?:D9 9:D C:G2=D 2?5 4C:E:4D 2?5 FD6 E96 ;FDE:46 DJDE6> E@ 8@ 27E6C E96 >65:2 7@C C6A@CE:?8 @? H92E 96 D2JD 2?5 5@6D] w6 H2?ED E@ AFC86 7656C2= @77:4:2=D 566>65 5:D=@J2= 2?5 C6>@G6 4:G:= D6CG:46 AC@E64E:@?D E@ 86E C:5 @7 6>A=@J66D E92E H@?’E 5@ 9:D 3:55:?8]k^Am
kAm“u@C E9@D6 H9@ 92G6 366? HC@?865 2?5 36EC2J65[ x 2> J@FC C6EC:3FE:@?[” 96 E@=5 4@?D6CG2E:G6D 62C=:6C E9:D J62C]k^Am
kAmq2C[ 32?:D9 2?5 <:== A6@A=6 96 5@6D?’E =:<6] %CF>A H2?ED 2?@E96C |FD=:> 32?] w6 92D G@H65 E@ F?=62D9 E96 =2C86DE >2DD 56A@CE2E:@? :? &]$] 9:DE@CJ[ :?4=F5:?8 A6@A=6 H9@ 2C6 =682==J :? E96 4@F?ECJ] w6 H@F=5 368:? “:56@=@8:42= D4C66?:?8” 7@C :>>:8C2?ED 2?5 6?5 3:CE9C:89E 4:E:K6?D9:A]k^Am
kAmw6 H@F=5 C@F?5 FA A6@A=6 7C@> 9@>6=6DD 6?42>A>6?ED 2?5 >@G6 E96> E@ E6?E 4:E:6D @? @A6? A2C46=D @7 =2?5] w6 H@F=5 D6?5 E96 }2E:@?2= vF2C5 E@ 4:E:6D =:<6 r9:428@ 2?5 >@F?E 2 7656C2= E2<6@G6C @7 (2D9:?8E@?[ s]r][ :? E96 ?2>6 @7 7:89E:?8 4C:>6] w6 H2?ED E@ 6I64FE6 5CF8 D>F88=6CD]k^Am
kAm#@== 324< C:89ED 2?5 AC@E64E:@?D] w6 H@F=5 2EE24< EC2?D86?56C A6@A=6[ AC@>@E6 AC2J6C :? AF3=:4 D49@@=D 2?5 96=A 2C> E62496CD H:E9 4@?462=65 H62A@?D] w6 92D 2=D@ AC@A@D65 2 ?2E:@?2= 4C656?E:2=:?8 3@5J E@ 6?DFC6 E62496CD “6>3C246 A2EC:@E:4 G2=F6D[” :? H92E D@F?5D =:<6 2 E6CC:7J:?8 AFD9 7@C 8@G6C?>6?E :?5@4EC:?2E:@?]k^Am
kAmw6 H@F=5 C6?686 @? E96 !2C:D 4=:>2E6 244@C5 2?5 C6G6CD6 2== >2??6C @7 6?G:C@?>6?E2= AC@E64E:@?D[ 6G6? 6?6C8J 677:4:6?4J DE2?52C5D] w6 H@F=5 2=>@DE 46CE2:?=J 6IA2?5 A@=:4:6D 9@DE:=6 E@ C6AC@5F4E:G6 C:89ED 2?5 2AA@:?E 2?E:23@CE:@? 24E:G:DED E@ w62=E9 2?5 wF>2? $6CG:46D A@D:E:@?D 2?5 4@?D6CG2E:G6 $FAC6>6 r@FCE ;FDE:46D =:<6 E96 @?6D E92E @G6CEFC?65 E96 4@?DE:EFE:@?2= C:89E E@ 23@CE:@?] w6 H2?ED E@ 6DE23=:D9 “7C665@> 4:E:6D” @? 7656C2= =2?5 H:E9 “323J 3@?FD6D” E@ 6?4@FC286 AC@4C62E:@?]k^Am
kAmr@?D@=:52E6 6I64FE:G6 A@H6C] w6 D2JD 96 H@F=5 :>A@F?5 7F?5D 2AAC@AC:2E65 3J r@?8C6DD E@ A2C2=JK6 8@G6C?>6?E 24E:@?[ 49@<:?8 @77 7656C2= >@?6J 2D 2 H2J E@ “@3=:E6C2E6 E96 566A DE2E6[ 5C2:? E96 DH2>A[ 2?5 DE2CG6 E96 H2C>@?86CD ]]] 2?5 E96 8=@32=:DED @FE @7 8@G6C?>6?E]” w6 A=2?D E@ EFC? :?56A6?56?E 7656C2= 286?4:6D[ DF49 2D E96 u656C2= %C256 r@>>:DD:@?[ u656C2= r@>>F?:42E:@?D r@>>:DD:@? 2?5 E96 u656C2= #6D6CG6[ :?E@ 6IE6?D:@?D @7 E96 (9:E6 w@FD6 E92E 2?DH6C 5:C64E=J E@ E96 AC6D:56?E]k^Am
kAm(96? 8:G6? E96 492?46 62C=:6C E9:D >@?E9 E@ C62DDFC6 E96 p>6C:42? A6@A=6 E92E 96 H@F=5 ?@E FD6 2 D64@?5 E6C> E@ 23FD6 A@H6C 2?5 E2<6 C6EC:3FE:@?[ %CF>A E@=5 $62? w2??:EJ “ ?@[ ?@[ ?@ — @E96C E92? 52J @?6]” %96? 2 76H 52JD =2E6C 96 5@F3=65 5@H?[ D2J:?8 “J@F <?@H H9J x H2?E65 E@ 36 2 5:4E2E@Cn q642FD6 x H2?E 2 H2==[ 2?5 x H2?E E@ 5C:==[ 5C:==[ 5C:==]”k^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm%CF>A 92D 2 9:DE@CJ @7 D2J:?8 G:=6 E9:?8D :? 2 ;@<6\=:<6 H2J E92E 2==@HD 9:> E@ 56?J :E =2E6C] %96 <66A\J@F\8F6DD:?8 C96E@C:4 :D 2 92==>2C< @7 2FE9@C:E2C:2? =6256CD H9@ E9C:G6 @? >FC<:?6DD 2?5 >:D:?7@C>2E:@?[ 2?5 H:== E6== J@F E92E J@F 2C6?’E D66:?8 H92E :D 92AA6?:?8 367@C6 J@FC G6CJ 6J6D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm%9:D <:?5 @7 2?E:\56>@4C2E:4 =2?8F286 D9@F=5 E6== J@F 6I24E=J H92E E@ 6IA64E 7C@> 2 >2? H9@ C67FD65 E@ 2446AE 9:D 56762E E@ y@6 q:56? 2?5 DA6?E J62CD A655=:?8 =:6D 23@FE E96 a_a_ 6=64E:@? E@ 6C@56 ECFDE :? &]$] 56>@4C24J] w:D F8=J 2?5 92E6\7:==65 “G6C>:?” DA6649 @? '6E6C2?D s2J D9@H65 ;FDE 9@H H:==:?8 96 :D E@ 25@AE E96 569F>2?:K:?8[ D42A68@2E:?8 =2?8F286 @7 }2K: v6C>2?J 2?5 @E96C 2FE9@C:E2C:2? C68:>6D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>QmqFE :E’D ?@E ?6H] %CF>A :D 7@==@H:?8[ H:E9 2 C6>2C<23=6 =6G6= @7 56G@E:@?[ E96 2FE9@C:E2C:2? A=2J3@@< 6>A=@J65 3J DEC@?8>6? E9C@F89@FE 9:DE@CJ[ 2?5 >@C6 C646?E=J 3J '=25:>:C !FE:?[ z:> y@?8 &? 2?5 $2552> wFDD6:?] p?5 9:DE@CJ D9@HD :E’D @7E6? ?@E E96 92>\92?565[ 72:=65 7:CDE 2EE6>AE 2E 2 4@FA E92E AFD96D D@4:6E:6D :?E@ 2FE9@C:E2C:2? CF=6[ 3FE E96 D64@?5 @C E9:C5 ECJ] xE H2D?’E E96 q66C w2== !FED49 @7 `hab E92E AFE p5@=7 w:E=6C :?E@ A@H6C :? v6C>2?J @C E96 `hdb 2EE24< @? E96 |@?4252 q2CC24<D E92E AFE rF32 F?56C u:56= r2DEC@’D CF=6[ 3FE E96J H6C6 AC64FCD@CD]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm&?=:<6 :? a_`e[ %CF>A’D 4@>>6?ED 42?’E 36 5:D>:DD65 2D ;FDE E2=<] w6 92D 2=C625J D9@H? FD H:E9 9:D 24E:@?D @? y2?] e[ a_a`[ E96 =6?8E9D E@ H9:49 96 H:== 8@ E@ DE2J :? A@H6C] w6 2?5 9:D 2==:6D 2C6 2=D@ 3F:=5:?8 FA 2? 2AA2C2EFD H:E9 H9:49 E@ >2<6 9:D 5:4E2E@C:2= AC@?@F?46>6?ED 2?5 9:D 56D:C65 6IA2?D:@? @7 AC6D:56?E:2= A@H6C 2 DH:7E C62=:EJ[ :?4=F5:?8 2 H6==\7F?565 AC6D:56?E:2= EC2?D:E:@? @A6C2E:@? 42==65 !C@;64E a_ad E92E :D =:?:?8 FA A@=:4:6D 2?5 A6CD@??6= E@ AFE :? A=246 H:E9:? E96 7:CDE `g_ 52JD @7 9:D C6EFC? E@ @77:46]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmp>6C:42?D D9@F=5 =@@< A2DE E96 ?@:D6 @7 %CF>A’D E:>:5 C:G2=D 7@C E96 #6AF3=:42? ?@>:?2E:@?] kDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm%96C6 :D ?@ A@=:E:4D\2D\FDF2= =67E :? E96 #6AF3=:42? !2CEJ]k^DA2?m {:DE6? 4=62C=J E@ H92E %CF>A :D D2J:?8 2?5 E2<6 :E 3@E9 D6C:@FD=J 2?5 =:E6C2==J]k^Am
ĚýĚý
ĚýĚýĚýĚýÂ
