In Conclusion:

What we are seeing in America in 2024 is a nascent, but potent, populist revolution and the potential for us to willingly vote in a populist dictator as “president”. It is appropriate for all Americans to be familiar with the meaning and implications of such a vote. Trump’s radical designs for presidential power will be felt throughout the country. A main focus is the southern border. Trump says he plans to sign orders to reinstall many of the same policies from his first term, such as the Remain in Mexico program, which requires that non-Mexican asylum seekers be sent south of the border until their court dates, and Title 42, which allows border officials to expel migrants without letting them apply for asylum.

Mr. Trump’s advisers say he plans to cite record border crossings and fentanyl- and child-trafficking as justification for reimposing the emergency measures. He will direct federal funding to resume construction of his border wall, likely by allocating money from the military budget without congressional approval. The capstone of this program will be a massive deportation operation that would target millions of people. Trump made similar pledges in his first term, but says he plans to be more aggressive in a second.

“People need to be deported,” says Tom Homan, a top Trump adviser and former acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “No one should be off the table.”

More extremely, Mike Davis—a top legal adviser to candidate Trump put it, “We’re gonna put kids in cages. It’s going to be glorious.”

Trump’s use of scapegoating has been a defining trait of his movement. In the initial days of his presidency, he banned people from six Muslim-majority countries from entering the US. His movement has featured escalating attacks on LGBTQ+ and transgender people. He has persistently insulted and condemned migrants crossing the southern border into the U.S., calling them at various times rapists, mentally ill and “g” who are, in his view, “poisoning the blood of our country.”

For a deportation operation of the scale proposed by Donald Trump, the candidate says he would rely mostly on the National Guard to round up and remove undocumented migrants throughout the country.

“If they weren’t able to, then I’d use [other parts of] the military,” he says.

When asked if that means he would override the Posse Comitatus Act—an 1878 law that prohibits the use of military force on civilians—Trump seems unmoved by the weight of the statute.

“Well, these aren’t civilians,” he answered. “These are people that aren’t legally in our country.”

He has indicated that he would also seek help from local police and says he will deny funding for jurisdictions that decline to adopt his policies.

“There’s a possibility that some won’t want to participate,” Trump says, “and they won’t partake in the riches.”

I think it is not far from the truth to pay attention to one European pundit’s opinion: “I don’t think we have to say, ‘Oh God, we’re in trouble in this country because we’re going to go fascist like the Europeans’, I say we’re in trouble because we’re going to go fascist like the Americans.”

As President, Trump nominated three Supreme Court Justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, and he claims credit for his role in ending a constitutional right to an abortion. At the same time, he has sought to defuse a potent campaign issue for the Democrats by saying he would not sign a federal ban. He declines to commit to vetoing any additional federal restrictions if they came to his desk. More than 20 states now have full or partial abortion bans, and Trump says those policies should be left to the states to do what they want, including monitoring women’s pregnancies.

“I think they might do that,” he says.

Presidents typically have a narrow time window to pass major legislation. Trump’s team is eyeing two bills to kick off a second term: a border-security and immigration package, and an extension of his 2017 tax cuts. Many of the latter’s provisions expire early in 2025: the tax cuts on individual income brackets, 100% business expensing, the doubling of the estate-tax deduction.

Trump is planning to intensify his protectionist agenda; he is considering a tariff of more than 10% on all imports, and perhaps even a 100% tariff on some Chinese goods. Mr. Trump says the tariffs will liberate the US economy from being at the mercy of foreign manufacturing and spur an industrial renaissance in the  US. His advisers argue that the average yearly inflation rate in his first term—under 2%—is evidence that his tariffs won’t raise prices.

Since leaving office, Trump has tried to engineer a caucus of the compliant, clearing primary fields in Senate and House races. His hope is that GOP majorities replete with MAGA diehards could rubber-stamp his legislative agenda and nominees.

Trump’s intention to remake America’s relations abroad may be just as consequential. Since its founding, the US has sought to build and sustain alliances based on the shared values of political and economic freedom. Trump takes a much more transactional approach to international relations than his predecessors, expressing disdain for what he views as free-riding friends and appreciation for authoritarian leaders like President Xi Jinping of China, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary, or former President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil.

That is one reason America’s traditional allies were horrified when Trump recently said at a campaign rally that Russia could “do whatever the hell they want” to a NATO country he believes does not spend enough on collective defense. That was not idle bluster, Trump tells his base. “If you’re not going to pay, then you’re on your own,” he says. Trump has long said the alliance is ripping the US off. Former NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg credited Trump’s first-term threat to pull out of the alliance with spurring other members to add more than $100 billion to their defense budgets.

 

Definitions:

Populism. Populism is the political philosophy of the People’s Party. Philosophically and ideologically, Populism is usually considered by both its adherents and its detractors as being anti-intellectual and anti-establishment. Commonly, Populists offer unorthodox solutions or policies which appeal to the “common” person instead of adherents to traditional and partisan values, ideologies, and policies. Populism is a social movement that seeks to turn back the clock, by extreme measures, if necessary. Nationalism is a natural extension, an effort to return the nation to its imagined former greatness.

Populist. Believers or adherents prefer to regard their local populism as the grass-roots, common man’s democracy. The ideology, argument, and propaganda, of the populist is working class activism and designed to promote egalitarianism. The common person is extolled as having the core value system, work ethic, and employment status—i.e. the working class, and that includes the underdog. Another ideology favored by populists is nativism/nationalism–a policy or belief that protects or favors the interest of the native population of a country over the interests of immigrants, including restrictions on immigration. Populists/nativists/nationalists prefer to be labelled “Patriots”, i.e. protectors of traditional cultural ideologies and practices.

A populist is an adherent and supporter, usually of a leader of The People’s Party with espousal of all the above described views. Populist ideology argues against immigration because of loss of cultural heritage and racial purity, loss economic opportunity for the nonimmigrant population (taking jobs and lowering wages), failure of newcomers to learn the local or pre-dominate language, failure of immigrants to understand and to accept the dominance of the current ethnicity, dominant religion or political ideology, and national origins, and failure of immigrants to behave appropriately in terms of conservation of natural and governmental resources by fostering large families (overpopulation). Populists usually favor the White race and seek to encourage the “whitening” of the citizenry.

Populist government. There are two fundamental elements: (1) Elites and “outsiders” work against the interests of the “true people,” and (2) since populists are the voice of the “true people,” nothing should stand in their way. Right now, the four most populous democracies in the world are ruled by populists. One major study identified 46 populist leaders or political parties that have been in power across 33 democratic countries between 1990 and today.  By 2019, dictatorships outnumbered democracies.

In the bad old days of machine politics in the US, it was the regular tactic to put into place sycophants who were loyal only to the boss in power and themselves. They proved—over multiple administrations, through the spoils system–to be incompetent. But the incompetence of civil servants was not the nastiest feature of the spoils system. The people who made the hiring decisions were far more dangerous, for their ability to distribute plum jobs to underlings gave them tremendous power to bend government to their will. To be generous, perhaps candidate Trump’s lack of knowledge of history is the reason he touts a federal government of loyal lackeys under him.

Populist governments–by contrast with democracies–manage to sustain their hold on power for a significantly longer stretch; on average, they hold on for about six and a half years, or more than twice as long as their non-populist rivals. Populists are more likely to win reelection once or twice; they are also much more likely to remain in power for well over a decade. Six years after they are first elected, populist leaders are twice as likely as non-populist leaders to still be in power; twelve years after they are first elected, they are more than five times as likely. among populist leaders who entered office between 1990 and 2015, only a small minority left office as a result of the normal democratic process.

In many countries, populists rewrote the rules of the game to tilt the electoral playing field permanently in their favor. 50 percent of populists either rewrote or amended their country’s constitution when they gained power, frequently with the aim of eliminating presidential term limits and reducing checks and balances on executive power.

In the United States, President Trump famously vowed to “drain the swamp.” But far from draining the swamp, most populists have simply replaced the mainstream’s alligators with even more deadly ones of their own. In fact, 40 percent of populist heads of government are ultimately indicted for corruption. This history reminds us of the importance of safeguards for the functioning of democracy and highlight the danger of Donald Trump’s plans to dismantle them with his 2024 presidential bid.

Ultimately, the reformers of the old and despicable corrupt political machines running the country—employing the Pendleton Act–won the war. The civil service reforms worked. Deprived of the power of patronage, the political machines that had ruled the nation for over a century gradually withered away. Elections became more peaceful and democratic. The press became more objective. Partisanship ebbed, and corruption declined.

As president, Donald Trump ignored the principles of the Pendleton Act in unprecedented ways. He made clear that–in his opinion–career civil servants were not apolitical bureaucrats but agents of what he called, the “Deep State” (who were part of a Democrat cabal bent on defeating him). In the final months of his presidency, Trump issued an executive order known as “Schedule F” that exempted a new class of federal employees from civil service protection. His aides boasted that the reclassification would affect more than 50,000 federal workers. Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act indicate that the administration’s plans were even more ambitious. At least one agency, the Office of Management and Budget, planned to apply the new category to 88% of its staff.

Once these dams of civil service protection have been breached, others may not be able to resist the urge to follow suit. As guardrails fall across the country, corruption is likely to follow, as it did in the 19th century. If a new spoils system becomes entrenched, it could take decades to uproot, a tragedy for liberals and conservatives alike. Then Americans would discover, or rather rediscover, how toxic and dysfunctional a lawless democracy can be.

Many populist dictators amass sufficient power to hamper independent investigations into their conduct; so, it is likely that this figure actually underestimates the full extent of their malfeasance. Mr. Trump has been convicted of such crimes and has announced his firm intention to pursue a policy of limiting investigations, arrests, indictments, or trials of himself or his cronies, and also to pursue vendetta retribution against his present and former opponents and prosecutors.

National Socialism. NS is an integral part of every populist dictator–the governing and reelecting concept of rightwing populist governments. National Socialism is a system of populism wherein chosen/selected groups of preference pay into and benefit from, the government’s practices. It is a social, economic, religious, racial, and judicial, system based on defined qualities of those accepted into the ranks of the chosen. Others are excluded by fiat and general consensus.

It is, of course, associated with the national social tradition of Prussian militarism and discipline and German Romanticism, which celebrated a mythic past and proclaimed the rights of the exceptional individual [Aryan/White/native born] over all other rules and laws. It is a system which rejects liberalism, democracy, the traditional rule of law, and human rights—if they interfere with the governance and largesse afforded the chosen few. It is also a system which stresses the subordination of the individual to the state and the necessity of strict obedience to leaders. It emphasizes the inequality of individuals and “races” and the right of the strong to rule the weak. NS and populism are always “ranking” systems.

The identification of Donald Trump with important elements of those definitions is accurate and inevitable. This is the man who would be president, and somewhere near 50% of American voters will knowingly vote for the man to lead their country. Fox, OANN, and other right-wing media, ensure that large parts of America see the world through a Trumpian lens.

Before I became wiser and kept my opinions close to my own vest when speaking to members of my family, friends, and acquaintances, I would learn how much one Democrat or another was hated, and how much Donald Trump was revered. One of the most common things I learned was that Mr. Trump was considered not to be a very nice person, or even, perhaps an immoral man. Nevertheless, he was better personally than any corrupt, lying, evil Democrat. Besides, he restored the US economy for mainstream people and will do so again when he has a second chance to “drain the swamp.” No one mentioned the massive borrowing and expansion of the national debt that facilitated that seeming largess by Trump to make things less expensive, and life so much easier.

I looked into and compiled a list of Donald Trump’s personal characteristics–the persona which will be seen as the leader of democracy, the president of the United States, and the chief negotiator with foreign leaders and their people.

His behavior has been studied and diagnosed by multiple psychologists in accordance with the definitions of the DSM (III-V). Those studies revealed 34 congruent normal and maladaptive personality classifications. Trump’s primary personality patterns were found to be Ambitious/self-serving (bordering on exploitative), Dominant/controlling (bordering on aggressive), and Outgoing/gregarious (bordering on impulsive), infused with secondary features of the Dauntless/dissenting pattern. There is suggestive, equivocal, evidence of incipient Distrusting/suspicious and Erratic/unstable tendencies emerging during Trump’s time in office.

Most psychologists and even nonspecialized but educated Americans, agree that he fits the definitions: Ambitious individuals are bold, competitive, and self-assured; they easily assume leadership roles, expect others to recognize their special qualities, and often act as though entitled. Dominant individuals enjoy the power to direct others and to evoke obedience and respect; they are tough and unsentimental and often make effective leaders. Outgoing individuals are dramatic attention‑getters who thrive on being the center of social events, go out of their way to be popular with others, have confidence in their social abilities, tend to be impulsive and undisciplined, and become easily bored — especially when faced with repetitive or mundane tasks. Dauntless individuals tend to flout tradition, dislike following routine, sometimes act impulsively and irresponsibly, and are inclined to elaborate on or shade the truth and skirt the law.

Other psychologists had diagnosed him (without interviewing or examining the man) as having a Narcissistic, Sociopathic, Paranoid, and possibly Borderline Personality. Mr. Trump’s executive leadership style in office has been bold, competitive, and self-assured (i.e., ambitious); tough and directive (i.e., dominant); impulsive and undisciplined (i.e., outgoing); and disruptively tradition-defying, with an inclination to shade the truth and skirt the law (i.e., dauntless).

There is less of a consensus for Trump having a paranoid personality disorder [lacking trust and is suspicious of others and the reasons for their actions; believing that others are trying to do harm with no reason to feel this way; doubting the loyalty of others; not willing to trust others; hesitant to confide in others for fear that others will use that information against them; take innocent remarks or situations that are not threatening as personal insults or attacks; become angry or hostile to what are believed to be slights or insults; have a habit of holding grudges; often suspect that a spouse or sexual partner is unfaithful with no reason to feel this way].

It is more evident to psychologists that Trump has a Histrionic personality disorder [always seeks attention; are overly emotional or dramatic or stirs up sexual feelings to get attention; speaks dramatically with strong opinions but has few facts or details to back them up; are easily led by others; have shallow emotions that change quickly; are overly concerned with physical appearance.

The same can be said for Trump as having an Antisocial personality disorder [have little, if any, concern for the needs or feelings of others; often lie, steal, use false names and con others; have repeated run-ins with the law; often violate the rights of others; are aggressive and often violent; have little–if any–concern for personal safety or the safety of others; behave impulsively; are often reckless; have little, if any, regret for how their behavior negatively affects others].

“I’ve always won, and I’m going to continue to win. And that’s the way it is… People love me. And you know what, I have been very successful. Everybody loves me.”

-Donald Trump

Mr. Trump’s behavior while president prompted more than 70,000 mental health professionals to sign a petition warning of Trump’s potential dangerousness, despite longstanding professional injunctions against “diagnosing” public figures whom experts have not personally examined. His behavior was so egregious, that the tens of thousands of concerned mental health professionals decided to make an exception in Trump’s case.

Mr. Trump has been a celebrity star in the social media and news outlets for decades. He has had multiple run-ins with the law, marital failures, business successes and failures, and involvement in a myriad of lawsuits; and all of them have put Donald Trump in front of the voting public long enough for people (not just psychologists) to develop opinions about him. Here is an abbreviated list of those opinions:

From a recent poll by Republicans, high marks for getting things done; stands up for what he believes; keeps his promises; being a strong leader; well-informed, cares for people like me; trustworthy; and even tempered. 67% white evangelical Protestants continue to approve of the job Trump is doing.

Yes, they are talking about Donald John Trump. Don’t believe your lying eyes and ears.

Less sanguine descriptors are used by his detractors from their observations (including my own): bold, impulsive, turbulent, divisive, illogical, with no learning from political experience whatsoever; selfish, aggressive, and manipulative; authoritarian; misogynistic; racist; intolerant; humorless; unable to tell an intelligent joke; crude; lewd; profane; limited vocabulary; almost no knowledge of history or civics; disrespectful; disloyal; a prodigious liar with almost no acquaintanceship with or concern for facts, evidence, or truth; polarizing; divisive; a cheat; a fraud; grandiose; lacking in empathy; ignorant of basic facts of civics, history, biology, economics, and sociology; spoiled; a draft dodger; a gaslighter (manipulative effort to make people question their own perceptions or memory, and it has often been invoked to describe Trump’s actions and statements, especially those about “fake news.”).

Dependent on far-right conspiracy theorists for the information he publishes abroad: e.g. Donald Trump’s political career was in part launched by promoting a conspiracy theory regarding Barack Obama’s birth; and his absurd and harmful anti-immunization stance for COVID-19, claiming that Barack Obama had ordered FBI surveillance of the Trump campaign; refusing to disavow QAnon–the belief that a cabal of pedophiles is working to undermine the president.

Donald Trump has the Dunning-Kruger effect (a cognitive bias in which he overestimates his knowledge or ability in a specific area. It occurs with a lack of self-awareness which prevents him from accurately assessing his own skills). Mr. Trump seems to have unwavering confidence, and ignores instances in which he seems uninformed about policy. This dichotomy is the interesting phenomenon of Dunning-Kruger.

Mr. Trump always believes he is the smartest person in the room, and he always knows best, no matter the expertise of those around him. He is consumed with greed, and he is stupid, a particularly troublesome combination. That is what the other side thinks, and even many of them vow to vote for him, nonetheless. Like my mother–a Republican activist–who told me she would vote for a yellow dog if he was a Republican.

The former president’s falsehoods have fundamentally shifted society’s relationship with the truth. Past politicians have lied—but the Trump administration eroded the very notion that an objective truth exists. Instead, people seem to think that they are entitled to their own truths. In addition to President Trump’s rhetoric of “fake news” and “alternative facts,” this shift is due to factors such as the creation and calcification of information silos and the evolution of the ability to believe things that cannot be seen.

I feel like the biblical Balaam (Numbers 22). It is a complicated story, but essentially, the Israelites and the Canaanites—the Moabites for the present fight—are about to start a major battle in the ongoing war. Balak, a Moabite, offers Balaam a hefty reward to spy on the Israelites, but requires that he give a report positive for the Moabites, i.e. that the Israelite forces are inferior to their enemy. Balaam struggles to do that, but he sees for himself that the truth is that the Israelite company is far superior. It is a threat to him to give an honest report; so, he tries to run away. God—on the other hand—favors the Israelites and sends an angel to impede Balaam’s flight and to convince him to give the truth to the Moabites. Balaam remains reluctant until a serious personal change takes his over his psyche.

“And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness. And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tens according to their tribes, and the spirit of God came upon him. And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam, the son of Beor, hath said: He hath said the words of God, which saw the vision of he Almighty, and the man, whose eyes are open hath said, “How goodly are they tents, O Jacob… O Israel… and blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.”

… “And Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam… therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote three unto great honor, and behold, thou hast kept thee back from honor.”

I have been a lifelong registered Republican like the three generations before me. But, the figurative scales have fallen from my eyes with the advent of Donald Trump, the would-be dictator gaining a strangle hold on the GOP, until it is no longer recognizable. I cannot—in good conscience—ever be a Democrat because of the abortion issue; so, I am adrift.

My vote in 2024–as a thinking man–is against Donald Trump and dictatorship and for the lesser evil, the Democrats. I fear that we will not again in my lifetime see true democracy if we allow this greater evil to prevail, but we will have time to change legislation to come up with laws that allow true therapeutic abortion for proper indications (as opposed to “on-demand” for contraceptive purposes) and obviate as necessity choosing to kill more helpless human beings in utero in the years to come.