Voters Must Choose Between Democracy and Autocracy
by Rick Rouse
Gold Star General John Kelly, Trump’s longest serving Chief-of-Staff in the White House, recently warned Americans about the dangers of a second Trump presidency. In an interview with Michael S. Schmidt of The New York Times, published Oct. 22, the retired U.S. Marine Corps general confirmed that Trump is “certainly the only president that has all but rejected what America is all about, and what makes America, in terms of our Constitution, in terms of our values, the way we look at everything, to include family and government—he’s certainly the only president that I know of, certainly in my lifetime, that was like that.” Kelly added that the former president admired Hitler, saying he did many good things, and that “in his opinion, Mr. Trump met the definition of a fascist, who would govern like a dictator if allowed, and had no understanding of the Constitution or the concept of rule of law.
In an interview with CNN on Oct. 23, Vice President Kamala Harris called out Trump for his comments about “the enemy within.” The former president has claimed that China and other outside sources are not to be feared but rather immigrants and any American who doesn’t agree with him are the real threat. He has called political opponents like Adam Schiff and Nancy Pelosi evil and suggested he would unleash the military on them and others who oppose him. Taking a page out of Hitler’s playbook, Trump claims “America should be for Americans only” and has threatened to round up millions of immigrants, placing them in detention camps prior to deportation. Republicans like Liz Cheney and many others are now campaigning for Kamala Harris, despite their differences with her on many policy questions, in order to protect democracy itself, which they now also say is at stake in this election with a dictatorial autocrat seeking absolute power.
More Americans are Embracing Authoritarianism
American tolerance for Fascism appears to be growing. The Public Religion Research Institute recently released their 2024 American Values Survey that suggests a growing acceptance of right-wing authoritarianism. It revealed that 55% of Republicans and 40% of all Evangelical Christians agree that because things have gotten so far off track, we need a strong leader who is willing to break rules to set things right. “Our new survey finds that four in ten Americans are susceptible to authoritarian appeals, and that number rises to two-thirds of Republicans and white evangelical Protestants,” said PRRI President and Founder Robert P. Jones, Ph.D. “Notably, while the vast majority of Americans reject the use of political violence, those who support authoritarianism are nearly twice as likely as the general public to support it. These findings should serve as an important warning as we enter an election season that is incredibly consequential for the health of American democracy.”
What is equally troubling is the prospect of violence during or following the 2024 election. Trump has promised bloodshed if he judges the election is not fair. It’s important to note that according to PRRI, nearly one-third (29%) of Republicans who view Trump favorably agree with the statement, If Donald Trump is not confirmed as the winner of the 2024 election, he should declare the results invalid and do whatever it takes to assume his rightful place as president. It remains unclear just how capable Trump is of inciting another insurrection if the vote doesn’t go his way. The backdrop for the former president’s behavior is the racist and anti-government extremism that FBI Director Christopher Wray calls “American’s top domestic terrorism threat.” And the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, has indicated that the Administration is running every scenario and will be prepared if violence does occur.
The Future of Democracy is On the Line
Will the great democratic experiment of the American Republic survive? That was a question that voters were faced with in the 1860 election and is one that voters in 2024 must answer as well. At this hinge point in American history, we must ask what kind of a nation we want to be going forward. In his book, Faith, Nationalism, and the Future of Liberal Democracy, David Elcott writes: “Demonizing opponents by ‘othering’ them because of their race, religion, ethnicity, national status, and all the other ways demagogues manipulate to gain or maintain their power threatens not just human rights, but human lives…And the overt call to violence and use of violence to threaten and intimidate, whether in language or in behavior, is a reminder of how democratic processes can morph into threats of tyranny. We are witness at this very dangerous moment in history to a collapse of a shared consensus of what is true and right and just.” This challenge to American democracy and our cherished freedoms cannot be taken lightly. Pray that voters recognize clearly what is at stake and cast their ballots for country over party.
Photo credit:: iStock.com/Dzmitry Dzemidovich
[i] Heather Cox Richardson, Letters from an American, Oct. 22, 2024.
[ii] 2024 American Values Survey, Public Religious Research Institute (PRRI)
[iii] 2024 American Values Survey, Public Religious Research Institute (PRRI)
[iv] John Harwood, “Trump’s Ugliest Legacy: Are We On Course for More Violence and
Terror?” Zeteo, June 5, 2024.
[v] David Elcott, "Faith, Nationalism, and the Future of Liberal Democracy," University of Notre Dame Press, 2021.