As the reality of the impending second term of Donald Trump sinks in, the severity of the situation cannot be understated. More than any American politician in modern history, Trump has been successful in dividing the nation and sowing hatred throughout his 8 years in politics. Although he does not take office for another two months, the effects of his unlikely victory are already causing shockwaves.
Why a Second Term Could Be Even More Dangerous
Trump has never been shy about denigrating his opponents, both within his own party and across the aisle. He has repeatedly called Vice President Kamala Harris ‘dumb,’ President Joe Biden ‘pathetic,’ and has consistently designated the Democratic party and American Liberals as the ‘enemy within.’
His ire is not reserved only for Democrats, however. In fact, his purported pick for Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, was a consistent recipient of Trump’s vitriol when the two faced off in the 2016 Republican primary, where Trump referred to him as ‘Little Marco,’ amidst a litany of assorted insults and defamations on the Florida Senator.
In 2021, Marco proceeded to liken the violent insurrection of Jan. 6 to communist Cuba, the birthplace of his grandfather, proclaiming that America resembled in that moment what he characterized as a ‘chaotic’ and ‘Marxist’ state replete with dictatorship, contested elections, and exiled presidents. Nevertheless, it seems likely that Rubio will accept the nomination for the position.
This truly underscores the danger of Trump - he has become an infallible leader to so many experienced politicians who refuse to rebuke him in fear that they will be cast out and become the subject of the former President’s wrath. He has effectively become the face of the GOP in a time when Republicans are suffering from identity crisis. Unable to top him in the polls or replicate his success, Trump has transformed the party into a collection of sycophants who are so desperate to cling to power that they will endure his flagrant contempt for the law, disdain for human decency, and the disparaging of their own character to curry favor with the President-elect.
As a result, Trump’s claim to executive power has now reached dangerous, unprecedented levels in a time when seasoned government officials who worked in Trump’s previous administration have not only left their respective roles, but have repeatedly spoken out against him. Chief among them is former Vice President Mike Pence, who notably refused to endorse his former boss following Trump’s failed insurrection in 2021, during which violent protestors threatened to hang Pence as retribution for certifying election results that they labeled ‘fraudulent.’
When informed of the credible threats directed at his second-in-command, Trump not only refused to intervene, but reportedly responded ‘so what?’ when the opportunity to defend Pence arose. Not only is this response an indictment of Trump’s character, it is characteristic of a man with a pathological desire for dictatorial power and a history of seeking revenge against those who oppose him.
Now, with a conservative-leaning Supreme Court, a GOP-dominated Senate and House, and the absence of political advisors and government leaders who previously mitigated the threats posed by Trump’s unhinged demands, the self-proclaimed ‘Chosen One’ stands to preside over a government visibly stripped of safeguards against the absolute power that he so desperately craves. Furthermore, the President-elect’s penchant for appointing loyalists who lack qualifications and experience promises a second term dominated by political missteps, transgressions against the Constitution, and the rollback of human and civil rights in the United States.
Fuel to the Fire and Fury
As his second term approaches, Trump has more firepower than ever. In fact, he has found a new weapon in the conquest for dominance over Americans’ perception of reality - Elon Musk.
Musk, the world’s richest man, not only spent hundreds of millions to ensure a Trump victory, but has a proven track record of spreading misinformation and over-stepping the bounds of his standing as a citizen by consorting with world leaders, such as Vladimir Putin. Following his acquisition of social-media company Twitter in 2022, Musk wasted no time weaponizing his influence over more than 600 million users on the platform with a constant barrage of conspiracy theories and disinformation campaigns.
It is worth noting that Musk and Trump were not always allies. In fact, only a few years ago, Musk suggested that Trump should withdraw his bid for a second term. Yet, it seems that Musk has come to the realization that a Trump presidency not only stands to benefit his various enterprises, chiefly Tesla and SpaceX, both of which receive funding from government contracts, but also has the potential to become a pathway for Musk to exert control over the very powers that seek to regulate his business holdings.
In a recent press release, Trump announced that Musk will join Republican entrepreneur and failed Presidential candidate, Vivek Ramaswamy, at the helm of the newly invented ‘Department of Government Efficiency.’ The move raises concerns over this novel slippery slope in American politics - the sale of power to the highest bidder.
Musk has now made what could arguably be considered the greatest political investment of all time - by supporting Trump to the tune of $200 million, Musk has seen his personal wealth rise by $70 billion (yes, that’s billion with a ‘b’), and has already utilized his newfound political capital to ensure that he can dictate US policy to benefit himself and his financial interests.
The question remains - what is the price for power in America? Well, all you have to do is ask Elon Musk.
Trump the Counterpuncher
It is no secret that Donald Trump is quick to retaliate. The question becomes - does America’s newly elected leader view his second term as an opportunity to vindicate himself and eviscerate his opposition, regardless of the detriment it may cause?
From Hillary Clinton to Hunter Biden, Trump has often called for his political opponents and those adjacent to them to face legal repercussions for perceived wrongdoing. However, the line is not drawn there - Trump also believes in the punishment of ordinary people who do not fit within his self-defined parameters of right and wrong.
In retrospect, Donald Trump’s true entrance into the political world began with the Obama birther conspiracy. At the time, it was but the latest example of Trump’s proclivity to persecute others on the basis of race. A few years later, he launched his presidential bid on the foundational campaign promise of building a wall on the southern border, baselessly claiming that Mexico was allowing ‘murderers’ and ‘rapists’ to stream into the United States. This rallying cry propelled Trump to the Oval Office, and became the first in a series of racially-charged policies, including the so-called ‘Muslim Ban’, which was enacted within days of Trump taking office. The President quickly realized that he had struck a chord with supporters, and his continual refusal to curtail dangerous remarks and actions against minorities served to embolden right-wing, domestic terrorists the likes of the Proud Boys, among others.
Since losing the 2020 election, Trump has not only doubled-down on his racist policies - he has raised the temperature even further, calling for a ‘mass deportation’ of illegal immigrants that stands to cost the United States tremendously, both financially and morally. However, unlike the unfulfilled campaign promise to get Mexico to pay for the wall, this new proposal is not an empty threat - Trump has already put in place a Border Czar, Tom Holman, who has the experience and conviction to execute on these orders. Holman appears to show no remorse for the fallout that this policy may cause, and is a proponent of family separations as a deterrent to leverage against illegal residents in the United States. He is exactly what Trump values in his underlings - a hardliner with an approach that leaves no space for empathy for those impacted by it.
Trump’s rhetoric is tangible outside of the political sphere, too. Within days of declaring victory in the 2024 election, black students received racially charged messages claiming that they were being called to pick cotton as ‘slaves,’ a new uprising of supporters mocked and demeaned women with the slogan ‘your body, my choice,’ and neo-Nazis were seen waving Nazi flags in an effort to intimidate patrons outside of a performance of the Diary of Anne Frank in Michigan.
In the wake of these events, it is very clear that Trump’s words, and his refusal to tone down his language, are fomenting violence, hatred, misogyny, and immorality at startling rates, and, sadly, this is just the beginning.
A Worldwide Impact
Trump’s election to the highest office in the land holds weight beyond the borders of the United States.
The President-elect has a demonstrated history of cozying up to dictators, including Vladimir Putin of Russia, Kim Jong Un of North Korea, and Recep Erdoğan of Turkey. In a time when the world is grappling with armed conflicts between Palestine and Israel, Russia and Ukraine, and Iran and Israel, to name a few, the promise of a Trump presidency has raised concerns stemming from Trump’s unpredictable and undiplomatic approach to resolving issues across borders.
Trump certainly doesn’t inspire confidence that the United States will act to preserve and implement stability globally. With political tensions in Germany rising, the introduction of North Korean troops into Russia’s siege against Ukraine, and the destruction and genocide of tens of thousands of Gazans at the hands of Israel’s Netanyahu, a sharp change in the foreign policy of the United States stands to have a drastic impact on the future of the world as we know it.
Even more concerning is Trump’s latest initiative to ‘purge’ senior military staff who are not loyal to the administration. With this development, America steps even closer to fascism, the world that Trump desires in which the military is beholden to him, and him only. Naturally, the consequences of such an action would be devastating, and would open the floodgates for the President and his loyalists to take control by force, with the US military at the forefront.
Finally, Trump’s proposed tariff policy has the propensity to wreak havoc on the world economy, leading to the crash of the US market, US dollar, and, ultimately, the US consumer, a consequence that would send the world economy spiraling out of control. If passed into law, Trump’s economic policies are slated to add a staggering $7.75 trillion to the national debt, and are all but certain to indefinitely cripple what little remains of America’s ‘middle class.’
World leaders have a right to be scared. From threats to withdraw from NATO to the daunting reality that the President-elect will assume control of the nuclear arsenal, a second Trump term is dystopian at best, and catastrophic at worst.
The True Enemy of the People
As the world counts down to Trump’s inauguration in January, many Americans have begun to suffer the fear and hatred of a President who has been accused of rape, impeached twice, found guilty and convicted on felony charges, espoused hateful, racist, and misogynistic rhetoric for decades, and appears determined to dismantle democracy in this nation.
After all of that, it is clear - there is only one ‘enemy within,’ and he will soon return to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to finish the job he started 8 years ago.
