A year ago I was more concerned, as you are, that Trump (himself) would attempt to stay on in power beyond 2028, but seeing his rapid health decline (and mental decline) over the past year, I’d say it’s more likely at this point that he doesn’t even survive until 2028. Take this whole Meloni fiasco -- I’m sure, in his own mind, he conjured the scenario in which she begged him for a photo together, “reenacting” it over and over, to the point where he came to believe it actually happened. (I have personal fantasies, too, but I can generally tell them apart from reality, and I don’t boast about them publicly …) What’s more concerning at this point are the active efforts on the part of the Republican Party to rig the voting system in its favor, to ensure that Republicans win elections even when they get fewer votes. This is pure authoritarianism, and there are many younger operatives in Trump’s orbit who are fully behind it. In any event, I think it’s important for the Democratic Party at this point to put forward their best candidates capable of generating the broadest possible support, to attract disaffected Trump voters. Unfortunately, I think this probably limits them to white men. A (former) Trump voter who cannot bring himself to vote for Kamala Harris might in fact vote for Gavin Newsom.
