No doubt many Republicans are thrilled with former president Donald Trump’s victory.  What frightens me, however, is that he won with a racist, misogynous campaign of lies and threatened revenge.  It makes me wonder if numerous white citizens and men ignored his demagoguery and voted for Trump out of fear their status would be diminished by a mixed-race female president.  And I cannot help believing that Trump’s victory writes a sad chapter about America and Americans, with a storyline that is deeply disheartening.

Yet, I understand why millions of middleclass and lower income Americans voted for Trump’s promises.  They have been screwed over by Ronald Reagan’s supply-side economic policies and Republican tax cuts for decades.  I can even sympathize with some people who didn’t vote.  They likely believe the party in power makes little or no difference for them.  But I cannot forgive the wealthier Americans who voted for a candidate who has bragged about ignoring the rule of law and subverting the Constitution.

Many Democrats are reacting to Vice President Kamala Harris’ loss with finger pointing and second guessing, but that doesn’t help the dire situation this nation is facing.  Now is the time for Democrats to objectively analyze why Trump won, organize to thwart his worst instincts, and plan to counter the Trump administration’s 2025 agenda.

That said, here are some mitigating factors that should help them.

Trump will be 83 in 2028 and legally restricted from another term.  That is to old, even if he is able to campaign.  Trump’s health can’t be all that good physically and his cognitive skills appear to be declining.  These impediments should prevent him from running again.  Current dictators, like Russian President Putin, were much younger and healthier when they took power.

Besides, many ambitious Republicans, like Sens. Rick Scott, Tim Scott and Marco Rubio, will be eager to run for president in 2028, and so will then-Vice President J. D. Vance.  The question is, can any Republican candidate take Trump’s place as the MAGA cult leader in 2028?  I doubt it; Trump is unique.  I don’t believe any of the aspirants will be able to entertain the GOP base like he can or bring hope – as Trump apparently does – to those who are struggling with their boring and difficult lives.  And it is even possible some MAGA voters might finally realize that the past 40+ years of Republican trickle-down policies are what have held them back.

Another fact of political life is that Republicans trying to hold their seats in Congress won’t want Trump’s economy damaging positions to burden their campaigns in 2026.  Consequently, they will likely try to counter his wilder impulses if they think he will hurt their chances for reelection.  In addition, if Republicans in the U.S. House are not able to unite due to far-right Freedom Caucus obstruction, Democrats will still have a lot of power – just like they have in the current Congress where they are the minority party.

Although he might try, Trump can’t unilaterally suspend the Constitution.  The Supreme Court’s almighty six conservative justices will likely rule against any position he takes that could weaken their power or that of the federal courts.  Their rulings have made the judiciary a powerful branch of the government.

One thing is certain, however, 2025 will be nothing like 2017.  Trump will be surrounded by seasoned veterans from his first term.  Both he and they will be much better educated on how to seize the reins of power and make things happen quickly.  And, there will be no traditional Republicans in Trump’s administration to hold him back this time; his advisors and cabinet members will be compliant loyalists.

One outlier though might be Susie Wiles, the Trum-designated White House chief of staff.  She must know how to handle her man-child boss and could influence his positions.  Wiles might even be able to restrain Trump from prosecuting his opponents.  Although his IRS and Department of Justice will be eager to do it.  Some Trump officials are already talking about revenge.

The surging stock markets indicate that investors apparently believe Trump will follow a more moderate economic plan and won’t impose across the board tariffs, but that could be wishful thinking.  Still, Trump seems to believe the markets are the economy and an indicator of his skill as president.  So, he may be reluctant to take any action that might significantly lower the S&P index.

Fact is though, Trump cannot close the borders, deport millions of undocumented immigrants, slap tariffs on all imports, particularly from China, and expect the economy to grow and inflation to remain low.  Many of the goods that feed U.S. manufacturing facilities are imported, including raw materials that the U.S. doesn’t or can’t produce. 

Moreover, our aging population is not providing the labor and skills needed by U.S. farms and factories; immigrants are supplying those critical resources.  And yearly U.S. budget deficits require the Treasury Department to borrow trillions of dollars, much of it from foreigners.  Trump cannot afford to blow off investors in other countries; American prosperity depends on them.

Bottom line, there will be major pushback on much of Trump’s agenda from many sides.

Regardless, America is obviously facing one of the greatest threats in its history.  But if democracy-loving citizens stay organized and focused on saving our democratic republic, I believe the GOP authoritarians and Trumpism will be defeated.