We have been in political doldrums since the 2022 midterm elections. Our initial euphoria over how well Democrats did in the midterms was quickly dispelled when it became clear that Democrats did not do well enough. Democrats failed to maintain their majority in the House of Representatives and thus opened themselves and the country to continued anti-democratic challenges from a branch of Congress. Although democracy won the last two election cycles, we do not know what those victories mean. Authoritarians do not believe in elections nor adhere to their outcomes when they lose.
Consequently, we cannot be confident that we have beaten back the authoritarian threat we face. The violent insurrection in Washington, D.C., on January 6 was a response to Donald Trump’s 2020 Presidential loss. The domestic terrorist shootings into the homes of four Democratic officials in Albuquerque, New Mexico, followed the midterm loss of Trump supporter Solomon Peña for a state House seat. Will we face further political terrorism, especially if authoritarians continue to lose elections?
Consequently, we cannot be confident that we have beaten back the authoritarian threat we face. The violent insurrection in Washington, D.C., on January 6 was a response to Donald Trump’s 2020 Presidential loss. The domestic terrorist shootings into the homes of four Democratic officials in Albuquerque, New Mexico, followed the midterm loss of Trump supporter Solomon Peña for a state House seat. Will we face further political terrorism, especially if authoritarians continue to lose elections?