A Trump 2024 Win Could Be a Useful Enema for America

Learning the lessons of fascism by experiencing them firsthand

The recent ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court to kick Trump off the 2024 presidential ballot opens a Pandora’s box of legal and political complexities, while bringing to light a more interesting possibility:

His re-election as the 47th President of the United States of America might be exactly what this country needs to fully express and hopefully extricate some of our worst characteristics. Yes, we need to let the fascism out.

I’m not going to spend any time justifying the assertion that he’s a fascist. If you disagree, then no Jedi Mind Trick of a random blog post will convince you otherwise. So let’s assume we’re at least on the same page with that.

Nor do I want to expound on the probability of a Trump win next November. His legal troubles are certainly mounting on the one hand, while Biden’s stark approval numbers are only made worse by Gaza.

Instead, let’s tacitly assume Trump and Biden are the respective candidates, and Trump wins the election fair and square. Knowing he’ll keep his promises and become a “Dictator on Day One,” what then?

Here I assert that America can and should get the leader the electorate elects. That sounds like the essence of democracy, while also revealing the risks, expressed by the Founding Fathers themselves, of mob rule.

Fear of the demagogue, coupled with overt contempt for “the common man,” were fundamental beliefs that created the governmental structure of the United States of the Amerca. Yet, we’re still a beacon of “democracy”.

As such, I side on the Colorado ruling cited above being struck down by the Supreme Court. The people should decide. Especially given Trump’s utter lack of duplicity. He’ll win despite — or because of — his claim to fascism.

That said, I believe that the end result of such a victory will be good for this country, even if his second term proves catastrophic for civil liberties and the rule of law. The people will get what they want — and what they deserve.

Due to our two-party system, and our chronic and progressively worsening political fragmentation and polarization super-fueled by social media, the Presidency has oscillated from one ideological extreme to another.

As such, Donald Trump would have been impossible without Barack Obama, just as Obama would have been impossible without George W. Bush. A Trump redux would be a predictable reaction to Joe Biden.

Getting people to do what you want them to do is the essence of marketing — and politics — which is why politicians are like consumer brands, and political messaging is no different from advertising. Voters are shopping.

Electing Trump again, especially a Dictator 2.0 version, might be necessary and therapeutic in this sense. Few Americans change their opinions, and our respective political tribes are only getting more insular, so bring it.

With millions of MAGA zealots as his base, swing voters swinging, and young people jumping on the Trump Train in record numbers, his 91 indictments, two impeachments, and bold fascist rhetorical are “on brand”.

Old school Republicans and Democrats of every stripe are aghast, yet his support is genuine, enthusiastic, and growing. Let it. If a blast of true American Fascism is what the mob wants, let the mob have it.

Some pundits argue that America as we know it will cease to exist. Call me pollyanna, yet I don’t think so. Not only will a second Trump presidency not destroy democracy, but my guess is the catharsis will prove beneficial.

With so many convinced a second Trump presidency is necessary, only a second Trump presidency will be able to prove otherwise. All the warnings and counter-messaging in the world won’t change his followers’ minds.

Much like a bad job or bad romance, the only way out of such catastrophic relationships is to thoroughly play them out. Trump back in the Oval Office might be the shock necessary to finally rid MAGA from our system.

The alternatives, in my opinion, are far more bleak and riskier than four more years of Trump at the helm. Legally precluding him from running will only heighten his martyrdom, and engender even worse clones.

Perhaps the best case scenario is for Trump to run, and then lose by an overwhelming and uncontestable margin. Given current polling, and Biden’s abysmal ratings and messaging, this seems less and less likely.

So I say let Trump run, and let’s try not to freak out if he actually wins again. America will not only survive a second Trump presidency, but in the medium- to long-term become a far better and unified country for it.

His second term will be rough. Parts of the government may buckle. The DOJ will become compromised as never before, as will the church/state divide, alongside freedom of the press, various personal liberties…

…in terms of foreign policy, expect withdrawal from NATO, appeasement of Putin and end of Ukraine funding, with closer ties to Saudi Arabia and rejection of the Palestinian two-state solution, possible war with Iran…

But I’m a firm believer in things getting worse before they get better, often in order for them to get better. Do we actually believe in our democracy, even if slanted by the Electoral College? Do we believe in our resilience?

Hold your breath. Barring a health emergency, accident, or something truly unexpected, we’ll see a Trump vs Biden redux come next November. Let’s be careful what we don’t want, as we just might get it — and need it.