A former Department of Homeland Security staffer fears the nation is going to make another risky bet on Donald Trump, which he compared to "civic suicide."
Miles Taylor, who authored an anonymous New York Times op-ed describing the chaos and incompetence in Trump's administration and published the new book Blowback, told Salon that the former president would destroy American democracy and install himself as dictator if he won a second term.
"Before Donald Trump took office, we were a really restless and really divided country, frustrated that the system wasn't representing us the way we want it to," Taylor said.
"That is true across the political spectrum. Thinking about a casino, many Americans who supported and continue to support Trump took a gamble. America was a group of gamblers who were really hoping they would hit the jackpot if we pulled the lever. We were ignorant of the reality that usually the house wins in the end. We pulled that lever, and we lost big time."
Trump is the leading contender for the Republican nomination despite multiple indictments and likely additional charges for trying to overturn his 2020 election loss.
"What worries me is that many Americans are not just casual gamblers," Taylor said. "When we look at the prospect of Donald Trump, potentially returning to the White House or a MAGA copycat, the fact that tens of millions of Americans would pull that lever again for Trump in that metaphorical casino tells me they are now gambling addicts. We don't see how severe of a problem we have. We didn't learn the lesson from losing the first go around. The continuing support for Trump and that he stands a very good chance of returning to the White House feels a little bit like civic suicidal ideation. America is on a path to self-destruction if Trump or a MAGA imitator or successor were to win the presidency."
"To use another example of therapeutic language, Trumpism and the MAGA movement and what it represents is a type of addiction that is pushing the country towards disaster," he added. "I know from experience that the very first step toward recovery is just admitting the truth. The American people and their leaders are not there yet."
Taylor believes the ex-president stands a good chance of defeating President Joe Biden in 2024, and he said that carries "grave risk."
"If I were to bet on who is going to be the next president of the United States, I would put my money on Donald Trump," he said. "Obviously, that is the last thing I want to see happen. But if I had to make a bet today, despite the impeachments and the indictments, and the widespread opposition to him, I think he's likely to be the next president of the United States. That should be a five-alarm fire for our democracy. Our democracy right now is at very grave risk of going through a period of destruction, and in many ways it already has."
"But I can remain optimistic in the midst of all these troubles because the crisis can be an opportunity to improve our democracy," Taylor added. "The United States may need to experience more pain as we are seeing with Trumpism and renegotiate our social contract and democracy for the better to prevent such a leader and movement from rising to power again in the future. But the jury's still out on what decision we will make about whether to continue the American experiment."
