A traitor to the War of Independence Benedict ArnoldIf Arnold had run for president against George Washington, would he have won?
of course not.
But former President Donald TrumpHe was convicted last monthTrump was indicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to hide hush money payments to adult film actresses, statistically tied with President Joe Biden.In a public opinion pollin this year’s presidential election.
The former president and presumptive Republican presidential candidate has not been charged with treason.$130,000 paymentHis relationship with Stormy Daniels allowed Trump to temporarily cover up her allegations (which Trump denies) that he had had an extramarital affair with her several years earlier. If Daniels had spoken out about her shocking revelations before the 2016 election, it might have derailed Trump’s first presidential bid.
Trump, who faces prison time or a lighter sentence in a New York court, July 11, Again facedHe faces federal and Georgia state felony charges for illegally attempting to overturn his 2020 election loss. He also faces federal charges for illegally retaining classified documents after leaving office and obstructing a federal investigation into those documents. Those cases are unlikely to go to trial before Election Day.
The former president has pleaded not guilty to all criminal charges against him but maintains he did nothing wrong in a civil lawsuit he lost. He is appealing the ruling, seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.PenaltiesIn the case of civil litigation.
Benedict Arnold and Trump have some things in common.
Arnold tried and failed to block the creation of an independent United States of America and a democratic form of government. Trump tried and failed to block the continuation of our democracy by attempting to remain in power despite losing a free and fair election.
Over 60The court’s ruling rejected Trump’s false claims that the election he lost was rigged and rife with fraud, but he continues to claim, without any credible evidence, that he was re-elected in 2020.Millions of Americans believe him.It will undermine public confidence in our democracy and Biden’s legitimacy.
Amazingly, Trump is now saying: He may not acceptTrump has warned that if he loses again to Biden, it will affect the outcome of November’s election.May resort to violenceTo put him back in the White House, just as he was during the deadly January 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.
Defending our democracy and the freedoms it provides is a central issue in the 2024 election. By refusing to concede election defeat, Trump has demonstrated his contempt for democracy and his desire to rule as a dictator.
This contempt isPlan announced by President TrumpHe has vastly expanded the president’s powers, taken control of independent federal regulatory agencies, and replaced tens of thousands of civil servants with political appointees loyal to him.Undermining CongressWeaponizing the Department of JusticemilitaryTo his critics.
If Trump achieves these goals, he will become the most powerful and dangerous president in American history.
What freedoms would be threatened if Trump were to become president again? There are too many to list, including:
- Let’s elect our leaders in free and fair elections. Trump and his Republican allies support it. Restrict voting rights and change election lawsThis is to increase the chances of victory for Trump and other Republicans.
- We make our own decisions about reproductive rights, including contraception and abortion.
- Let’s live in a country where equal justice is guaranteed to all. Trump claims that all the elections and trials he lost were rigged. He wants the Supreme Court to rule that a president cannot be prosecuted for crimes committed while in office, including murder, unless the Senate convicts him in an impeachment trial. In contrast, Biden has said he accepts the recent federal jury verdict that found his son Hunter guilty of three firearms-related felonies and has called for respect for the judicial system.
- Protect yourself from crime. Trump has called for budget cuts to the Department of Justice and the FBI, which investigated his alleged crimes. He has demonized judges, prosecutors, witnesses and juries in criminal and civil cases, undermining public confidence in the justice system. He has praised the January 6th rioters. “Patriot”He opposes gun control laws and has the support of the National Rifle Association. Under Trump, crime has increased. The biggest increase in the past yearThe murder rate is at its lowest since accurate statistics began being collected in the early 1960s. Violent crime has declined under Biden’s administration, with murders and rapes down 26 percent in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year. Violent crime is now: The lowest level in nearly 50 years.
Trump has also called for policies that would spur inflation by giving huge tax cuts to corporations and the wealthy (such as himself and his major campaign donors), increase the national debt, and cut funding to federal programs, threatening our economy and our wallets.
President Trump’s proposed 60% tariffs on imports from China and 10% tariffs on goods from other countries would be passed on to American consumers, significantly raising prices. $1,700 per yearThe Peterson Institute estimates that tariffs on Chinese goods alone would be costly for the typical middle-class family.
Inevitably, other countries will impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports, hurting U.S. businesses and farmers. This will force many companies to raise prices, forcing some to lay off employees and ultimately shut down. U.S. manufacturers that import raw materials will also suffer.
Moreover, America’s role as a leader of the free world and its foreign allies would be endangered by Trump’s isolationist policies. US aid cut off Tensions in Ukraine could lead to a Russian victory. Trump might also withdraw the US from NATO, encouraging Russia to invade more European countries and China to invade Taiwan.
There is one thing I would be willing to bet my whole life savings on: A second term for Trump will be even more chaotic, unstable, incompetent, and dangerous to American and global democracy, national security, and the economy than his first.
Just as Benedict Arnold sought to subordinate the 13 colonies to the rule of George III, Trump wants to subordinate the United States to his rule regardless of what the voters decide.
But the lesson of history for Trump is this: America didn’t need King George in 1776, and it doesn’t need to crown King Donald as his successor in 2024.
Donna Brazile is a political strategist, ABC News contributor and former chair of the Democratic National Committee. She is the author of “Hacked: Inside the Breach and Bust that Put Donald Trump in the White House.”
