Put aside all the skullduggery and deceit Trump engaged in to illegitimately retain the presidency: His decision to take no action as a mob stormed the Capitol to halt the congressional certification of the election was an unconscionable abandonment of his constitutional duties and a profound betrayal of the nation. When informed that his vice president, Mike Pence, who had refused Trump’s entreaties to thwart the certification, was in danger from the rioters, Trump replied, “So what?”
This may be old news. But it defines the gravity of this moment. The authoritarian-minded Trump who nearly blew up the most powerful democracy in modern history is again being handed the keys to the republic. It’s as if the American political system has a death wish. It could not neutralize this threat from within.
That’s due to several reasons, most notably, the cowardice of Trump’s fellow Republicans, who dared not confront him, and the lack of concern among tens of millions of voters (and many non-voters) regarding Trump’s previous actions and the danger he now presents. In our intensely divided nation, in which grievances and tribalism are bolstered by disinformation and the discourse distorted by social media and agenda-driven partisan media, millions of voters did not view Trump as a risk and accepted or excused his many false and absurd claims. (“They’re eating the dogs…They’re eating the cats.”)
Trump’s 2024 election effort was more a disinformation crusade than a conventional political campaign—a natural outgrowth of his peddling of the Big Lie about the prior presidential election. The falsehoods served him well and protected him from the accurate charge that he imperiled democracy. The Democrats failed to make that fundamental aspect of this election a salient issue for enough voters. The price of eggs—which was dropping—mattered more. As did, for some voters, the fearmongering about migrants and crime, as well as the race and gender of Vice President Kamala Harris. The Biden-Harris accomplishments—bipartisan legislation to boost manufacturing and infrastructure revitalization, the management of the Covid vaccination program, the lowering of inflation, a rise in employment—were no match for a politics of hatred and anger. And the warnings about Trump and democracy did not sway a majority.
So the authoritarian virus that Trump represents has reinfected the political body. This time it’s worse. He has made clear his autocratic intent, with much of it spelled out in Project 2025. There can be no mistaking that he harbors tyrannical impulses and that he desires to consolidate power so he can visit revenge upon his foes and detractors (real and imagined) and provide safe space for his robber-baron allies and grifting cronies. Despite this—or due to this—he is being legitimized by the richest and the most influential Americans.
The symbolism is thunderously loud. Instead of QAnon shaman Jacob Chansley—the spear-carrying, face-painted, bare-chested Trumpster who wore a horned fur hat when he led January 6 rioters into the Capitol and who was sentenced to 41 months in prison for his participation in the assault—Musk, Bezos, and Zuckerberg will this time be the iconic figures at the Capitol. Their presence will shower nearly a trillion dollars’ worth of legitimacy upon Trump—a demonstration that he has triumphed over decency and the rule of law and is now fully accepted and feared by the well-heeled and the powerful, by corporate America, by the establishment. We are witnessing a melding of oligarchy and Trumpism. (In the days before the ceremony, there was a host of parties throughout Washington, DC, mounted by tech aristocrats to celebrate Trump’s inauguration.)
Trump has indeed triggered fright among business leaders. His passion for retribution—his willingness to abuse government to reward pals and injure those who cross him—has caused many a knee to bend. (Apple CEO Tim Cook, who has never contributed to a presidential inauguration, joined other tech titans in cutting Trump’s inauguration committee a $1 million check.) None of these bigshots want to end up on the wrong side of a tariff, a regulation, or a prosecution. They can see the obvious: With Congress controlled by Republicans who either fear or worship Trump, there will be few guardrails, if any. Trump aims to have the entire executive branch serve his needs and interests. And there is not much to stop him. Especially after the Supreme Court, buttressed by three appointees from his first stint as president, expanded presidential immunity to cover what otherwise would be criminal behavior.
With most Republican senators—maybe all—currently bowing before Trump regarding his appointment of unqualified loyalists and inexperienced MAGA extremists to the most important positions in government, a message has been conveyed: Trump is unfettered, federal agencies will do his bidding without a harrumph from the GOP-led Congress, and do not irk him. Moreover, as one might do with a mob boss, make sure to pay him protection money. Do not draw the ire of an emperor who demands tribute or who keeps a list of those who are naughty and those who are nice.