Next Tuesday is Election Day – a historic inflection point in our US history. The question is do we, as a nation, choose another Trump administration or not? While we can hope and pray that a new Trump White House would not further weaken our system of checks and balances and erode the foundation of trust essential to a functioning democracy, we should know that we cannot afford to take that risk. The consequences of such a scenario run the gamut from dire to dystopia. While it may be argued that my concerns are unlikely to manifest as we survived the past Trump Administration, the stakes are much higher this time as former President Trump has made clear in his numerous rallies, speeches, and campaign promises that this time his rule will be calculated and unforgiving.
His own former cabinet members have almost all come out against him as a clear and present danger to the future of our democracy and the values set forth in our constitution. Finally, the media is no longer the trusted bulwark against authoritarianism and misinformation. Just witness the fact that the LA Times and Washington Post both unilaterally decided for the first time in decades to not endorse a candidate in the race at the risk of angering a second term President Trump.
What undergirds our American democracy is our system of checks and balances, which ensures that the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government act as restraints on each other. Should Trump attempt to bypass or dismantle these checks, as he has promised in his pronouncements of using the military to go after his domestic enemies, and to “terminate” the constitution that the American people would elect him to take an oath to preserve, protect and defend, Americans might witness a consolidation of executive power unprecedented in modern history. Such changes could include purging agencies of civil servants deemed disloyal, increasing political control over the Department of Justice, and expanding the use of executive orders to circumvent Congress, to name a few. Weakening these democratic guardrails would give the executive branch unprecedented reach, raising serious concerns about government accountability and oversight.
Moreover, if the administration seeks to influence the judiciary by pressuring judges or dismissing unfavorable court rulings, the judiciary’s role as an impartial interpreter of the law would be undermined. This erosion of judicial independence would risk turning the courts into tools of political maneuvering rather than impartial protectors of the Constitution. Americans may face a judiciary increasingly perceived as politicized, challenging their ability to trust it as a fair arbiter in disputes.
Trump’s divisive style of governance, coupled with his policies that severely restrict and even demonize immigration, impose censorship, and threaten to jail his opponents, would deepen ideological divides and fuel domestic unrest. Social tensions, already on high alert, would escalate further as policies stoke conflicts over racial, social, and economic issues. Aggressive immigration enforcement, restrictions on LGBTQ+ rights, undermining the legal electoral process, policing healthcare decisions, and attempts to curb social protest movements would be seen by many Americans as attacks on civil rights, leading to large-scale protests, boycotts, and other forms of resistance. This could lead to more frightening instances of political violence. The result may be a more fractured society, where people are increasingly unable to find common ground or engage in productive civic discourse. It is already difficult to debate in the public square without people attacking the messenger rather than the message.
Amplified social tensions could lead to a profound erosion of trust in American institutions. With executive overreach and a politicized judiciary, many Americans may decide that the government no longer represents or protects their interests. Trust in public institutions is a cornerstone of democratic stability; when citizens doubt the government’s impartiality, they are less likely to participate in the democratic process, follow laws, or feel secure.
All of these factors together would make bipartisan governance exceedingly difficult. With political polarization at unprecedented levels, any future efforts to govern in a balanced, collaborative way as I try to do here in the Virginia General Assembly would face significant hurdles. Parties that view each other as enemies rather than opponents are less likely to compromise, potentially leading to more government stalemates and gridlock. Consequently, Americans might see their government become less responsive to extremely pressing issues that matter to them, including the economy, environmental concerns, and international relations.
A Trump presidency characterized by weakened checks and balances and heightened domestic tensions would present significant risks to America’s democratic system, social cohesion, and public trust. Without the stabilizing forces of an independent and free press, fair and impartial judicial oversight, and a commitment to bipartisan dialogue, the United States would face a turbulent period where governance becomes unpredictable and society grows increasingly divided, even more so than it is now. For all of us as fellow Americans, these potential developments should be a sobering reminder of the fragility of democratic institutions and the importance of protecting them to ensure a stable and inclusive society.