Trump is counting on his foes' 'cynicism and hopelessness' — but he can be beaten: Analyst

Donald Trump is counting on his opponents to feel helpless, outnumbered, and defeated to pass his agenda, wrote commentator Molly Jong-Fast for Vanity Fair — which is why it's more important than ever that they stand up and fight.

In particular, she wrote, he is hoping that the public has no confidence in Senate Republicans to put up any resistance to his most inflammatory, unqualified, loyalist appointments to major posts — with the latest example being far-right extremist Kash Patel for FBI director, who has vowed to go after Trump's enemies and the press, with lawsuits and possibly with criminal charges, as well as purge the FBI of anyone unwilling to support Trump politically.

And yet, wrote Jong-Fast, the evidence already shows that the Senate GOP can be pushed into doing the right thing.

At least some of the time.

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"While the Patel pick only adds to the sense of gloom that Trump’s authoritarian fantasies may come to fruition, it’s important to remember that autocrats want you to believe they are more powerful than they already are," she wrote. "Trump has been president-elect for less than a month and we’ve seen instances in which his ambitions have been checked. His first attorney general pick, Matt Gaetz, had to withdraw because of sexual misconduct allegations (which he denies). The MAGA favorite for Senate majority leader, Rick Scott, lost a secret ballot to John Thune, a lawmaker more in the mold of Mitch McConnell (who, likely not seeking reelection, could be a thorn in Trump’s side)."

This will be relevant when the time comes for hearings on not just Patel, but on pro-Russia conspiracy theorist Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy for Health and Human Services, and Pete Hegseth — accused of sexual assault — for the Pentagon. Trump can only afford three GOP senators to buck him for any of them.

Jong-Fast quoted Yale historian Timothy Snyder's sage advice about protecting institutions in the face of authoritarianism: “They need our help as well. Do not speak of ‘our institutions’ unless you make them yours by acting on their behalf. Institutions do not protect themselves. So choose an institution you care about and take its side.”

"Do I think democracy makes it through another Trump administration?" she concluded. "Only if democracy supporters stand up for norms and institutions, and resist falling down the path of cynicism and hopelessness. It only takes one person to do the right thing."