Will there be an election in the fall? Not necessarily, not if you go by what Trump says and does. He will not accept the reality of losing. So, he will work to control the election by any available means, or halt it all together. He has alluded to this, and he can now be bolder if needed, to steal it for a second time.

Don’t be shocked. I write this only because too many still don’t see, or won’t see until it’s too late, where he is trying to take the United States. The people in denial, coupled with his base and his Republican endorsement, gives him a clear track to win, or call the election off if he has to. The great divider has hollowed out much of America. The pandemic lets him kick away while people are down, and they must not forget it.

After persevering through impeachment and a pandemic, Trump forces will be  standing tall and seeing a bright light at the not-too-distant end of the tunnel. Election or no election. Arguably, hate and fear are winning the day. But when that mythical American Spirit is not consumed with fighting the virus, a course correction will come. Problem is, he could be letting the pandemic string out as a campaign tactic.

People might not vote for Trump because of the inept handling of the pandemic. But ineptitude is not why they let so many die. Maybe they are not knowledgeable or skilled on handling a pandemic. But it simply doesn’t matter  if you basically don’t care about the people. Team Trump is not inept. They simply don’t care or give the common people any priority.

Trump’s Growing Arsenal

A new turn, and a new tool in Trump’s arsenal, is the unleashing of hatred in certain states. Like he did in Michigan (liberate Michigan). These are extremists who are apparently going unpunished and undeterred. These democracy predators were not named. Their masks served a dual purpose – virus and identity protection. Trump ordered them out, then went on to honor and defend them, and now has them literally locked and loaded to use when he needs them.

Anyone who has been subjected to organized violence knows that you have to respond firmly and quickly when it raises its head, else the threats and violence carries on and escalates. But the Trumpsters on the Lansing steps saw with glee that they are, so far, powerful and above the law. Many people have gone to jail for much less than storming the state capitol building with long guns and masks, yet the Michigan Republican controlled legislature embraces them. The extremists know Michigan is a key state, and they are anxious to do their part. There’s a reason Michigan is last in integrity.

Trump still has his standard power tools, like pardons, outside influence, and diversions of every order – from snake oil to world conflict. There’s the old saying,  you should never waste a crisis. The COVID19 pandemic is a prime example. Trump is using the opportunity mercilessly.

It’s Still the Economy, Stupid

Trump’s operations have, for years now, smelled of outright fascism, and his inner circle keeps pushing it. It is not lost on them that many (most?) of the corona deaths are Blacks who probably voted democrat anyway. Trumpian says less people equals easier control and less contention for the money. Why else was our national response such a tragic comedy? America must rise up and work to a happy ending, while there is still a base from which real democracy can be salvaged.

Trump weakened America by cutting taxes and then cutting services that would have kept us better prepared for the pandemic. Then he ignored the pandemic, due to a combination of not understanding and not being able to care, in the face of overriding money aspirations. Next, he settled in to methodically use the pandemic for financial gain, calling on cronies to further confuse and pit Americans against each other. Then came trillions of dollars of aid that has largely disappeared and not clearly relegated. And the latest money maker is a reckless re-opening of America, using restless people to get the money machine going again.

This gross and open monetization is just the pandemic-related latest. He has made America one big GOP ATM machine. (Don’t assume an endorsement of hapless Democrats, they just aren’t pushing the buttons lately). One of the GOP’s next great efforts will be to say that if you don’t go for their taxes and de-regulation, you are a socialist. I don’t think it is, but would that be any worse than outright fascism? Trump has to be successful with things like this socialism ploy, else he has to go to plan B, just skip the election. By that point he might have Mike Flynn back to help.

Will there be an election? We would know under Honest Abe.

We’ve seen the cultural change for Republicans, about what it means to be a Republican, and what’s now okay in Trump’s party. The party might die, but not the legacy of Abe Lincoln. Lincoln was an honorable man, Trump is not. The hate and fear that killed Lincoln is the same as that which now pushes its way with guns into the Michigan State Capitol. The difference is that they eradicated John Wilkes Booth and his accomplices, while the Michigan boys strut and await the next call.