Presidential Historian Calls Trump's Presidency A 'Near-Death Experience' For American Democracy

[babylonsister]

Posted on Tue, Jan 19th, 2021 by Sean Colarossi
Presidential Historian Calls Trump’s Presidency A ‘Near-Death Experience’ For American Democracy


Presidential historian Michael Beschloss said on Tuesday night that even though Joe Biden will be sworn in as president tomorrow, the American people shouldn’t forget about the “near-death experience” that Donald Trump just put the country though.

Beschloss said that Biden is right to focus his inauguration on “unity and reconciliation,” but that it’s also important to remember just how close Trump came to toppling U.S. democracy.

“We have been through four years of a daily, hourly assault on our democracy, a president who hates democracy, has a lust for power, and topped it all off on the 6th of January by trying to take down our Congress, overturn a free presidential election, and take down our democracy,” Beschloss said.

“That was a near-death experience,” he added.

Link to tweet

Beschloss said:

I think it will be more meaningful because it takes account of the moment. If we tried to imitate a normal inauguration with a big crowd, pretending that there was not a pandemic, or if we tried to take chances with security of pretending that there was not a domestic terrorist attack on the Capitol and the Congress on the 6th of January, that would be counterfeit. So if we’re going to have a ceremony of unity and reconciliation, which I am sure tomorrow will be, you have to have one that’s a little bit in tune with the moment. We Americans, just as our friend Valerie was just saying, we have been through four years of a daily, hourly assault on our democracy, a president who hates democracy, has a lust for power, and topped it all off on the 6th of January by trying to take down our Congress, overturn a free presidential election, and take down our democracy. That was a near-death experience. We can’t just pretend that this is just a day like any other.

more...

https://www.politicususa.com/2021/01/19/presidential-historian-calls-trumps-presidency-a-near-death-experience-for-american-democracy.html

[Wicked Blue]

1. And now we have seen the light at the end of that long dark tunnel

as we turn and come back to life, and pain, and hope and joy.

[NoMoreRepugs]

2. So much potential progress and momentum lost. Happens every

damn time we have a Rethuglican as President. Another goddamn cleanup on aisle 1600.

[ananda]

3. It really was like a near death experience...

not only for democracy but for us too.

[msfiddlestix]

4. Indeed. That is exactly how I feel and think about it.

Like Biden said yesterday, we have to Remember.

Let us never forget. I still ache with sadness and some trepidation for my grandchildren's future. I want to glue all the broken pieces back together, and make it almost like new again. But the chipped pieces and the glued cracks will remain as visible scars.

We need to be vigilante as never before to protect and strengthen our democracy, because next time it'll be someone who is attractive, easy on the eye and ear at first maybe, definitely much smarter with malicious intent to hold on to and wield power in such a way that this monster only managed to nearly destroy.

[Hekate]

5. KnR

[Blue_Roses]

6. Truer words have never been said...

and Michael Beschloss is spot on about this.

During Obama's administration, I think we got so comfortable with his easy, calm style of governing that it made it easier for us to get complacent. We never dreamed such horror could follow. But, it did and it's name was Trump. I do still believe what the 17 intelligence agencies have told us and that is Russia DID meddle in our election which boosted the orange one into office. That's probably why he thinks this one was stolen from him, because he was waiting for Russia to do it all over again.

We can never get complacent with our democracy ever again!