In an appalling act of anti-democratic bile, Donald Trump encouraged his 'supporters' to march on the Capitol, the heart of United States government, in Washington. Inevitably, it was not just his fanatical 'supporters' who marched but also hordes of others who join in with any attack on democratic institutions. The result was mayhem and 4 people killed.
In ancient Rome, it was well known that 'the mob' (not be confused with "The Mob") was a powerful force; whoever controlled 'the mob' controlled Rome. In more recent times 'the mob' has been deployed in various countries and by various claimants for power, dictators and the like, usually with bad outcomes. Lenin and Stalin in Russia, Hitler in Germany, Mao Tse-Tung in China, Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran and many more. While the outcome of Trump's attempts to rouse the mob pail into insignificance besides these masters of revolutionary action, they are nonetheless a shocking indictment of the man.
Whether or not there were any irregularities in a tiny proportion of the votes cast in November's Presidential election is not the point. From the outset, Trump whined on about fraud and having the election 'stolen' from him; he has never produced any evidence to support his claims and courts and legislators across the country have rejected his attempts to use legal process to further them. Having failed by legal means, Trump tried to coerce officials and when this also failed, he did what every would-be dictator throughout history has done and called upon 'the mob' to back him'.
Thankfully, Trump's mob proved to be rather less effective than some in the past and even the most senior members of his own Republican Party have now deserted him. Any plans he may have had for making a dramatic return in 2024, whether personally or through a family proxy, must now lie in tatters. The Republican Party will never go near him or his family again and attempting to gain office as an Independent, regardless of wealth, is virtually impossible.
Far from being remembered as the man who 'drained the swamp', Trump will go down in US history as the worst President of all, a man whose ego and arrogance threatened the very fabric of the nation's democracy. For their own good, the Republicans must distance themselves very quickly and very far from Trump and his Presidency. They must look to find a candidate for 2024 who will reflect the values of American society while also respecting its democracy and traditions; otherwise it will be President Kamala Harris in 2024, by a landslide, and probably in 2028 too.
At the moment, the Republicans have been roundly rejected by the electorate, courtesy of Donald Trump, and it looks as though President Joe Biden will have a free hand to do almost anything he likes, at least for the next couple of years. The 'Grand Old Party' has only itself to blame for the mess it's now in; only it can revive its fortunes.
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