Introduction: The relentless assault on democracy by the Trump-guided Republican Party and its supporters is a topic of serious concern. The discourse contrasts President Joe Biden and George Washington’s task to defend democracy, likening their circumstances. Notably, the article suggests that former President Trump aspires to adopt right-wing autocratic rule, referencing Ruth Ben-Ghiat’s book ‘Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present‘ about the rise of such leaders. An MSNBC interview held with her and ex-GOP Congressman, David Jolly, underlines the necessity to defeat the now perceived dangerous, anti-democratic party in the upcoming election.

The media is hyped because it can use a number to describe the next election. And it’s not 2024. And it’s not about someone’s age. It’s about whether democracy in the United States will survive the furious attack being waged by the Trump-led Republican Party, and the hoards of its followers.

Aged

When George Washington became the United States’ first president, he was 57 years old. The life expectancy in 1789, when he gained the presidency, was 56.6 When Joe Biden was elected president in 2020, he was 78; the life expectancy in the U.S. was 76.1 (which dropped from 78 because of COVID-19). Everyone would have been saying he’s 57 in Washington’s day. Too old? Not at all. As is true today, the stakes for George Washington and Joe Biden were very similar. Each was tasked with protecting democracy. In Washington’s case, it was the beginning of a democratic form of government. Joe Biden took over the presidency 14 days after Donald Trump instigated a failed coup d’état. Each of these presidents served their country with dignity, strength, and a determination to uphold their oath of allegiance as President.

Strongmen

The Trump-led GOP has disbanded democracy in favor on a right-wing autocratic form of government. Trump talks and texts about the playbook he will use if he gets the White House again. It’s the playbook used by current (Argentina, Hungary, Poland, Russia) and former autocratic leaders (Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin). The playbook is the subject of Ruth Ben-Ghiat’s book Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present.

She is very clear about the age we live in. Ben-Ghiat puts it this way:

OURS IS THE AGE OF THE STRONGMAN, of heads of state like Berlusconi and Putin who damage or destroy democracy and use masculinity as a tool of political legitimacy. In America, Turkey, Brazil, and other geopolitically important nations, such rulers have exploited their countries’ resources to satisfy their greed and obstructed efforts to combat climate change. Their dependence on corruption and censorship and their neglect of the public good mean that they handle national crises badly and often bring ruin upon their people. How to combat this authoritarian ascendance is one of the most pressing matters of our time.

Ben-Ghiat, Ruth. Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present (p. 4). W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition.

The MSNBC Interview

In an interview on MSNBC, host Joy Reid discussed these issues with Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Professor of history and scholar of authoritarianism, and David Jolly, former GOP Congressman. As pointed out in their discussion, the Republicans have dissolved into a dangerous, anti-democratic party that should be defeated in the next election. And if they lose, they should leave town.

Here is the discussion among Reid, Ben-Ghiat, and Jolly.