America is an imperfect nation, but one of its many virtues is the peaceful transfer of power. Unfortunately, some of Donald Trump’s most rabid supporters want to undermine that basic tenet of democracy. If they lose, some are talking about a forceful and violent rebellion according to the Boston Globe:
“If she’s in office, I hope we can start a coup. She should be in prison or shot. That’s how I feel about it,” Dan Bowman, a 50-year-old contractor, said of Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee. “We’re going to have a revolution and take them out of office if that’s what it takes. There’s going to be a lot of bloodshed. But that’s what it’s going to take … I would do whatever I can for my country.”
He then placed a Trump mask on his face and posed for pictures.
Even Mike Pence knows how dangerous this kind of talk is. That’s why the Republican vice presidential nominee tried to shift a woman’s focus toward winning the election when she told him she was ready for a bloody revolution should Trump lose.
It’s healthy to stay engaged and involved with regard to the issues and make your voice be heard so that your representatives (be they of your party or not) run your country in a way that is pleasing to you. But you have to accept that it takes words and not actions, accept that there are winners and losers in these things, and accept the fairness of that when you’re dealing with something that is bigger than yourself. Anger can be the motor that propels your activism, but it can’t take the wheel.
While Donald Trump’s running mate is willing to choke off the air supply to suggestions of a revolution, Trump has repeatedly (and for some time) stoked suspicions about an effort to rig the election at rallies and on Twitter, and people are starting to notice not just that rhetoric but the risk associated with it because some people believe everything Trump says. And some surrogates, including Milwaukee sheriff David Clarke (who spoke at the Republican National Convention), are going further.
It's incredible that our institutions of gov, WH, Congress, DOJ, and big media are corrupt & all we do is bitch. Pitchforks and torches time pic.twitter.com/8G5G0daGVN
— David A. Clarke, Jr. (@SheriffClarke) October 15, 2016
It’s hard to know when it happened, but at some point, this whole thing jumped the tracks and turned from a campaign to a cult. People within the conservative wing of the Republican party were eager to follow a leader who could both perceive and match the anger that they feel over lost jobs and the increasing diversification of the country. Keenly aware of this, Donald Trump stepped in and has deftly played to that angst, positioning himself as a certain savior in these uncertain times. He says that he will protect them. He will be their champion. He will bring back the jobs, make it harder for immigrants to come to America, and “Make America Great Again.” And all they have to do is swear a vow of fealty and follow him. Even as his own anger threatens to drive him (and them) off a cliff.
The Absence Of Accountability And Sanity
This boundless loyalty has never been more apparent than it has over the last week. While some in the Republican party finally threw their hands up following the release of a tape that showed Trump boasting about actions that fit the definition of sexual assault, that exodus has been less than you’d think it’d be. (This same description fits the response to all of Trump’s many scandals during this bizarro campaign.) And that’s true not just with politicians and party leaders.
Trump’s poll numbers have taken a hit since the release of the tape and the run of sexual assault allegations against him that have followed, but they haven’t entirely cratered as some in the media expected. Like the candidate, many of his supporters are defiant. They’re also willing to accept and even embrace Trump’s “locker room talk” excuse while blaming the media (a long-standing conservative tactic) and the alleged victims for the existence and timing of these allegations instead of Donald Trump. As this election has shown, Trump’s supporters will pretty much accept any excuse he offers.
If Donald Trump does poorly at a debate, the microphone was faulty or the moderators were biased. Bad poll numbers? Trump questions the polls. To them, he is above reproach and above accountability. And that blind acceptance and brewing militancy is what makes Trump’s fervent claims about widespread voter fraud and a possibly rigged election so dangerous. Especially when paired with concerns about possible voter intimidation by Trump’s partisan poll watchers and suspected Russian-directed cyber tampering that has, to this point, seemingly only benefited Trump’s campaign.
Trump’s message is getting through, by the way. A Politico/Morning Consult poll show’s that 41% of respondents believe the election could be stolen from Trump due to “widespread voter fraud” according to Time and 73% of Republicans feel that way. This despite the absence of legitimate precedent or hard evidence. This despite the assurances of people on both sides of the Trump/Clinton divide.
It seems that no one can get through to this angry, anxious, and distrustful group of voters and now they’re being led to believe that the effort to rig the election is a part of a mysterious global conspiracy as Trump’s charges get louder and more present every day.
What happens to these people and all their hate if their supposedly righteous movement fails? That thought may keep you up at night as you worry about what America will look like on November 9 but Donald Trump may not care. If reports are to be believed, this might all be an effort to solidify a base of support for something as trivial as a TV network. But as disheartening as it is to imagine that Donald Trump might be using his very raw supporters for potential financial gain, here’s something else to consider: what if Trump is ramping up his rhetoric and pied-pipering his supporters toward extremism simply because it might make for better TV? Another frightening thought in a campaign that has been filled with them.
Jason Tabrys is the features editor for Uproxx. You can engage with him directly on Twitter.
