The Electoral College Vote Has Ended Trump’s Presidency, But It Hasn’t Ended Trumpism
By: Sikander Hayat Khan
Tags: World, Election 2020, Government, Politics, Donald Trump

I’ve seen people like Trump, people who try and overturn elections, turn to treason after they've lost and found themselves facing jail time. This is not to say he’ll do the same, but it makes the point nonetheless — dictators will always put themselves first and the country second. Given that America’s democracy is one of its most prized institutions and that it was nearly corrupted for decades to come proves my point.

But regardless of chosen tact, what dictators in losing positions end up doing is causing political instability. And might I add, that's the worst kind. Because economic instability can be fixed with a change in policy. But political? It causes economic instability. That affects the average citizen directly. And how are you going to fix it when you're relying on a dictator to pipe down?

As scary as that proposition is, it’s just a side effect. What Trump wants is power. And that means keeping his base happy. Because him giving up now isn’t what they want. They voted for a “strong man” and that means to keep fighting for what they believe to be the truth. And don’t forget they already believe they were let down by “the establishment.” Trump was the man who was “fighting for them and their democracy.” The last thing they want is for their champion to throw in the towel.

Because, just like you’re relying on Trump to accept reality, they’re relying on Trump to bring their vision of America to life. And it’s that dream for a Trumpist America that’s going to bring them out onto the streets again. It’s their support that will give Trump the courage he needs to scream “fraud” one more time. After all, would he have been able to do all he’s done to stab democracy in the heart if he didn't have all of them at his back?

And if they keep coming out as they have been, what will that mean? Political instability, sure, but how? You’ll have an America that’s split right down the middle. There’ll be one side that accepts the result for what is, and another who is willing to go to the ends of the earth to deny it. Believing one way or the other, in and of itself, isn't going to cause much of a problem. Where you see the effects are in the legitimacy of an administration to govern.

Because there’s already been talk of how Biden is going to get anything through a Republican-controlled Senate. And one of the only things that was going to give him any leverage was a pubic mandate to govern. But factor in the fact that 70% of Republican voters didn't believe he won fair and square, and any air of legitimacy his administration would have had evaporates.

What does that mean? Deadlock, yes. A natural consequence of that deadlock is that nothing gets done. But the real problem goes deeper. Because this is where dictators shine. This is where Trump, or his successors, are going to be driving home the point of how the Democrats are “incompetent” and “driving the country to ruin.” And they’ll already have an audience of Trump supporters for whom that’s going to be music to their ears. In essence, what this does is change a 4-year Biden term into a 4-year long GOP presidential campaign.