Not ‘Trump the Dictator’ Again

Victor Davis Hanson
American Greatness

It is “Trump Will Destroy Democracy” season again. And predictably the Left has gone hysterical, after experiencing a trifecta of frightening 2024 news.

One, current polls in the primaries and in a general election for now show that Trump would win.

Meanwhile, Joe Biden’s popularity dives below 40 percent. His policies on the economy, abroad, at the border, concerning crime, and about energy poll even more feebly. Never has an American president utterly and deliberately destroyed immigration law for the sole purpose of inviting in millions of illegal aliens, to establish political constituencies supportive of agendas that otherwise have scant public support.

Two, unequivocal evidence is mounting that the Bidens are one of the most corrupt political families in American presidential history. Hunter, the Leona Helmsley of our times, is now indicted for massive tax evasion, despite his earlier, government-aided efforts of running out the statute of limitations on the full array of his crimes.

When asked about his grifting, Biden angrily denies the undeniable. He can only become animated these days, when asked to square his denials about knowing what Hunter was up to with a multitude of facts and data to the contrary. And so in exasperation he shouts, “Lies!,” “Lies!,” and “Lies!”

There is now conclusive proof that Biden himself lied repeatedly when he swore that he knew nothing about his wayward son Hunter’s grifting business. He used several aliases to communicate directly with his son’s grifting and quid pro quo partners.

Canceled checks show the president was paid substantial sums by family members after they received money from foreign governments—for nothing other than being related to the future president. The pay-offs were hidden by “loan repayment” lies; no one expects ever to find any such evidence that there were formal loan documents or agreements between Biden and his family.

Former Hunter Biden associates, explicit messaging on his laptop, IRS whistleblowers, and bank records all explain why an opulent Joe Biden enjoyed a lifestyle impossible on either a senator’s or Vice President’s salary. While Biden toured the country sermonizing that the rich must “pay their fair share,” it is increasingly likely that he had received huge amounts from foreign governments eager to purchase him as an influencer—and never paid taxes on such occult income.

Three, Joe Biden’s cognitive decline and feebleness have reached a point where he is one fall, one bad cold, or one long brain-freeze away from incapacity. He clearly is not running the country. How could he be, when he cannot finish a sentence without mangling the syntax, slurring the vocabulary, and confusing his listeners?

So Biden’s blank stares lengthen. His disorientation and uncertainty where to enter and exit occur hourly. And his bizarre, repulsive fixation with young girls, and his desire to call them out, hug them, breathe on their hair, or nuzzle their necks become all the more embarrassing. Had a U.S. senator engaged in such reprehensible behavior he would long ago have been censored.

Add all this news up that Biden is fading, Trump apparently is outpolling him, and suddenly the Left has rebooted the tired “Trump will destroy democracy” boilerplate.

Almost nightly now TV anchors warn of a dictatorship. Columnists predict the “end of democracy.” Essayists vie to see who can become the most absurd in predicting Trump’s planned takeover America.

There are several considerations, however, about these bankrupt and discredited Nostradamuses that the American people should note—aside from the fact the “democracy will die” mob is the same herd that assured us of Russian collusion, laptop disinformation, and the integrity of the Biden family.

First, ex-president Trump is now a known quantity. A comparison of his four years with the first three years of Biden’s tenure is instructive.

Biden’s border is nonexistent–and by design.

Eight-million illegal aliens—unaudited, from all over the world, the vast majority without legality, diversity, English, or skill sets—have swarmed the country to the extent that even swamped leftwing blue-state governors and mayors are opposed to the Biden nihilism.

Biden stopped catch-and-release, and phony refugee statuses, and pressured Mexico to patrol their side of the border. He destroyed immigration law as we knew it.

Biden’s flight from Afghanistan was the greatest foreign policy humiliation in modern American history. It destroyed U.S. deterrence and greenlighted Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine, Hamas to craft an intricate plan of slaughtering Israeli civilians, Iran to arm to the teeth its terrorist surrogates, and China to send a spy balloon over the U.S. and serially to threaten Taiwan. The common denominator abroad was a correct appraisal that Biden’s controllers would talk tough, but always equivocate.

There was zero inflation before Biden; 30-year mortgages were less than 2 percent. Now prices for staples like gas, food, power, health care and housing have spiked well over 30 percent since Biden took office. Mortgages are hitting 7 percent and the housing market is comatose. Real wages have eroded.

It seems hard to accuse Trump of being a dangerous demagogue when his four years saw effective government action on the economy, foreign policy, energy, and crime.

Afterall, was the Trump Middle-East Policy (e.g., branding Houthis as terrorists, the Abraham Accords, moving the embassy to Jerusalem, a non-negotiable Israeli Golan Heights, cutting off aid to Hamas, junking the Iran deal, slapping sanctions on Iranian oil, eliminating Soleimani, etc.) or Biden’s antithesis (sending money to Hamas, lifting sanctions on Iran, begging to reenter the Iran Deal, freeing the Houthis from their terrorist classification, cutting back on oil production, maligning/then courting Saudi Arabia, distancing from Israel, etc.) the more beneficial to the U.S. and the Middle East at large?

Two, who exactly has weaponized the government in dictatorial fashion?

Who by fiat pandered illegally to cancel student loans before a midterm, or suddenly drained the strategic petroleum reserve to lower gas prices before an election?

What do former FBI directors, former “intelligence authorities.” and the former Directors of National Intelligence and the CIA all have in common? They lied, often under oath, and always in service of weaponizing the government for political agendas.

Who hired a foreign national Christopher Steele to concoct a silly file of lies to destroy a political rival? Why did the FBI sequester the Hunter laptop for a year? Who subcontracted out Twitter for $3 million to suppress information deemed harmful to the Biden campaign? Who squashed an IRS investigation of the Biden family?

It was not the would-be dictator Donald Trump who secretly routed money to the Wuhan virology lab, and who then manipulated government agencies to hide that fact—at the expense of the welfare of the American people.

Who called up a former CIA director to round up 51 intelligence retirees to lie to sabotage an election? Did not the current national security advisor Jake Sullivan try to concoct the Alfa Bank ping ruse to destroy the Trump campaign and administration?

When a former Pentagon lawyer and military officers called for a military coup to remove Trump, for which political agenda were they working?

Did Trump prompt the acting Attorney General and FBI Director to consider in secret wearing a wire to entrap and remove a president through the 25th Amendment?

What was “Anonymous” about—if not to destroy an administration from within through use of the deep state bureaucracy?

Who coordinated Pfizer executives to delay announcement of the vaccine rollout until after the election to ensure Trump’s Operation Warp speed received no prelection credit?

Liberal journalist Molly Ball, in her notorious Time essay, outlined what she called a “cabal” and “conspiracy” to destroy the 2020 Trump reelection campaign and indeed his presidency, through modulating Antifa/BLM protests, suppression of the news, and huge infusions of corporate money to augment or indeed absorb the work of the registrars in key states.

Who exactly cooked up the phony Letitia James suit? Or the Alvin Bragg joke of an indictment? Or the weaponized Fani Wallis vendetta? Or the partisan and asymmetrical hunt of Jack Smith? Who impeached a president twice and tried him as a private citizen, without a report of a special counsel? Who revived the ossified Logan Act to destroy General Michael Flynn?

And who is trying to strip Trump’s name off the 2024 ballot, convinced that such a Third-world dictatorial effort can alone stop dictatorship?

In contrast, the supposed “dictator” Trump appointed a special counsel, Comey pal and insider Robert Mueller, to run a witch hunt against him for 22 months.

He did not fire Anthony Fauci who worked to undermine Trump at every turn, and used government monies to fund gain-of-function, dangerous viral research in China, while spending most of the Trump administration covering that fact up, most often by serially lying.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley despised Donald Trump to such an extent that he called his Chinese communist counterpart to advise him that he, Milley himself, would not follow a Trump order, should he deem it too dangerous, without warning the Chinese in advance. Milley faced no repercussions.

Nor did Trump fire immediately Comey when many called on him to go, given Comey’s effort to use the FBI in the 2016 election to undermine the Trump campaign and sabotage a FISA court.

Why did retired generals and admirals with impunity violate Article 88 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice by smearing their Command-in-Chief as a liar, Mussolini, Hitler-like, and deserving of early removal?  Were any even reminded that they were in violation of statutes? Is it a dangerous thing for the U.S. military to attack their civilian overseers and in private to negotiate with the communist Chinese military?

Most of the Russian collusion hoax was discussed in the waning days of the Obama administration inside the Oval Office, as Obama greenlighted illegal CIA and FBI involvements.

Who cooked up the idea that Mark Zuckerberg could infuse $419 million to warp balloting in key swing states?

What did Lois Lerner do as an IRS adjudicator, as the 2012 Obama reelection loomed?

Trump may well have at times trolled the Left wildly, but the Left seriously sought to undermine the government, cancel existing laws, lie under oath, deceive a federal judge, and enlist the FBI and CIA to conspire to destroy a presidential campaign. All that seems a bit dictatorial.

Three, after nearly nine years of Trump demonization—celebrities vying publicly with each to dream up ways of killing Trump (incineration, decapitation, shooting, stabbing, dismemberment, explosives, etc), lawfare used to deny the American public the right to vote for or against Trump, a deranged media shouting pseudo-conspiracies of “collusion” and “disinformation” for years, and billionaires spending hundreds of millions of dollars to ensure Trump was never elected or reelected or even on the ballot—why have the American people still not bought into the “dictator” Trump meme?

Is because they have enough common sense to grasp that those who protest too much, do so for obvious reasons?

In sum, we have seen a 24/7 effort of leftwing presidents, deep-state bureaucrats, and the media to break the law and weaponize the government. The only rationale for such illegality has been the sick notion that the ends of destroying the supposed “dictator” Trump justified any dictatorial means necessary to achieve them.

So what else is behind the latest epidemic of DNC talking points that spin Trump as an existential threat to democracy?

The Left knows that in dictatorial fashion it has turned a federal republic into a government run wild, lawless, and in service to partisan agendas. It again talks of what Trump will supposedly do only because the Left surely would do exactly what it accuses Trump of planning to do if it were Trump.

In other words, the Left projects itself onto Trump, and understandably finds itself all too terrifying.

 

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69 thoughts on “Not ‘Trump the Dictator’ Again”

  1. So we’ll said. The lunacy remarks from media, Biden admin, celebs are nauseating and ridiculous. They have no credibility. They are poisoning the public discourse. I pray some of them will find humility and cease their rhetoric.

  2. I hate to think I am cheering on Trump for his possible vindictiveness…but it sure feels like it…and it feels really good. Sorry.

    1. I don’t understand. Is it vindictive to try and dismantle the illicit political machine (i.e., deep state) that has been unrelentlessly trying to railroad you since you first announced your presidential candidacy in 2015?

      Not in my book.

  3. You are always excellent far beyond expectations; perhaps one could add our congress and court are responsible for allowing the executive branch and its agencies for their illegal actions, year in, year out…it saddens most of us (kindness way to express it); as a first generation American my parents and grandparents legally entered America. Since Wilson this country has been in decline…only many miracles can turn this ship.
    Thank you very much. Have a wonderful Christmas with family and friends.

  4. “In other words, the Left projects itself onto Trump, and understandably finds itself all too terrifying.”

    IMO, this is the best description of the Left’s psyche that has ever been written. It explains it all.

    1. Aside from the fact that there is a political deep state that will undermine Trump again, the most dangerous weapon the left has is the media. Unfortunately, the masses are like docile dogs being conditioned by the pavlovian media. I doesn’t matter how often they lie, the masses are too ignorant and incurious to soo through the conditioning. The result is: media calls Trump’s a dictator, the masses reflexively repeat the mantra. Sad but depressingly true.

  5. VDH, I am very glad this is not one of your “Ultra” columns, as it deserves the widest readership possible. You have truly driven a wooden stake through the heart of the Legacy media’s claims of an impending Trump dictatorship.

    In recent months I have often wondered where are the voices of the Watergate sleuths Woodward and Bernstein. After all,, it was they that brought Nixon down, and my what high praise they received for doing so. I know that now they are in retirement, but given their Nixon history, if they were even remotely even handed, they would have commented on the mounting evidence of Biden’s corrupt administration. I have not heard or read of them doing so.

    I recall reading in David Horowitz’s book, RADICAL SON, that both Woodward and Bernstein–like himself–were “red diaper” babies. So, that may provide the answer for their silence. Horowitz changed his views in time because of his life experiences, Woodward and Bernstein apparently have not.

  6. Daniel Edward McGurn

    Paragraph 17 typo, should be “Trump stopped catch-and-release…” NOT Biden.
    Thank you, VDH, for all you do.

  7. An excellent summarization of recent history and your final statement is exactly on the mark. The Left knows exactly how they, themselves, would act if they were subject to the ridicule, abuse and lawfare that Trump has had to deal with. The “end of democracy” lies within them! They’ve demonstrated it time and time again.

  8. I love this. With huge admiration for VDH who puts Trump administration in perspective, I feel different about Trump who I voted for twice but have been hoping we’d have another GOP choice. I’ve got friends who’ve told me they can’t vote for him again. Among other things Trump pissed me off when he threw Pence under the bus and then took hours to tell people to back down at Congress.
    But thanks VDH for eloquently pointing out what he did do…….. not to mention adding 3 conservative Supremes and hundreds of judgeships. I’m back.

  9. That last sentence is priceless. By the way, there is a theory that the current indictment of Hunter was done as the ‘powers that be’ were afraid that Hunter was going to flip on Joe. It would make the forgotten laptop (purposeful?) and found diary (purposeful?) evidence of a child’s lashing out against a despicable father who ruined his children’s lives. Interesting thought.

  10. This is all so sickeningly true. We have got to restore our constitutional republic by any means necessary. Reelecting Donald Trump is the first step.

  11. As it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;
    no one understands, no one seeks for God.
    All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
    no one does good, not even one.”
    “Their throat is an open grave;
    they use their tongues to deceive.”
    “The venom of asps is under their lips.”
    “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
    “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery,
    and the way of peace they have not known.”
    “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

    Romans 3:10-18 (God’s universal indictment against mankind)

  12. Once again you have hit the nail squarely on the head, Dr. Hanson. For the Left and the Democrats (but I repeat myself) projection is all they have left.

  13. William M Bean Jr

    Let get this straight, Trump is the Juan Peron dictator in waiting. All Americans who refuse to take the “Jab” are imperiling American Democracy (whatever happened to “Just Say No To Drugs). All anti-believers in Climate change are threats to Democracy and fostering mass disinformation illegally. And anyone who disbelieves Al Gore is contributing to the mental health crisis in the world and a disgrace to their own humanity. Billy Preston comes to mind: “Nothing from nothing leaves nothing, you got to have something if you want to be with me….”

  14. Q. Why does the Left continuously blame Conservatives for the actions they perform?
    A. Insecurity. Sheer meanness. Stupidity. Fear.

  15. If Trump is the best that republicans can bring to the fore, for the presidency…then we’ve failed. Trump is more about himself than America…and perhaps that’s what America is…me first. But that’s not who I want as my leader…I want a leader that the public good and respect of the public is first and foremost, citizenship matters, service to country matters and its responsibility of that honor to serve, telling it like it is matters (not saying we are “great”, or things are going wonderfull when they’re not). As for me and my house, we a’nt gonna vote for Trump. 3rd party sounds good to me.

    1. Trump won’t need your vote. Please throw it away on a 3rd party candidate. 100% logical thing to do.

      Trump is the first president to not take a dime from the government as salary.

      Tell us exactly how you know that Trump is in this only for himself. Why would a billionaire subject himself to 24/7 assaults from the left (and you) when he did not need to do so? How has he personally profited from being president?

      Your MSNBC hosts and commentators appreciate your gullibility. Keep watching.

      1. I couldn’t have said it better. Morons like Al Morgan are everywhere. they spout their inane BS, but don’t have the chutzpah to put forth the name of a legitimate candidate.

    2. So, do you think that voting for your idealized third party candidate will beat the Democrat nominee and the Republican nominee and thereby become your leader?

      A vote for someone who will not win will not enable that person to become your leader.

      Vote for the best realisitic candidate that can win because relative to the alternative, that person will be better for the Constitution, the country, and your personal desires.

  16. In the 17th paragraph I believe you meant to say ¨Trump (not Biden) stopped catch and release¨ …..and etc. I think the next sentence should read ¨Biden destroyed immigration law as we knew it. ¨

    Otherwise a very fine essay. It is a confusing and complicated story. One worries how much of this the American people truly understand.

  17. The late Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid had no regrets with falsely accusing Mitt Romney of paying zero taxes for ten years during the 2012 presidential elections.

    “So the word is out that he has not paid any taxes for ten years,” Reid said on the Senate floor in August 2012. “Let him prove that he has paid taxes, because he hasn’t.”

    Under criticism and repeated denials by Romney, Reid later put out a statement backed by an “extremely credible source,” which turned out to be billionaire Jon Huntsman, Sr, the father of the former Utah governor and Romney rival.

    PolitiFact rated Reid’s allegation “Pants on Fire.”

    When asked about his comments in a interview by CNN’s Dana Bash, Reid rebuffed those who said his attacks were “McCarthyite.”

    “Well, they can call it whatever they want,” Reid said. “Romney didn’t win, did he?”

    If the machinations of the Democrat party work against Trump, somewhere Harry Reid will be smiling in 2024.

  18. So well said.

    I am continually amused at how the Left assumes that Conservatives think as they do. They assume that Trump voters will follow Trump even if he becomes a dictator. That thinking is the practice of the Left toward Biden, Obama, etc. The vast majority of Trump supporters are committed to the Constitution and would dump Trump in a minute if he abused the rule of law or attempted to act “above the law”.

    We are in for a rough year ahead,

  19. My god Mr. Hanson how great is this recreation of what we have been through. How get we get the average voting “Joe” to “recall” all of this?

  20. k you, Dr. Hanson. As you so eloquently and truthfully write, we have witnessed 4 years of a Donald J Trump presidency. Did he use his office in any way to do a single thing to harm this nation? No! He loves this nation and spent his time as president Making America Great Again. That is the evidence of his presidency that you can take to the bank. Do not be misled by some goofy allegation that he wants to destroy our republic and end democracy as we know it.
    If you want evidence of activities harmful to our America, look no further than our southern border. Witness millions of illegal invaders from many nations. Some with ill intentions toward the U.S. This policy aided and abetted by the current administration has resulted in great harm to American lives and property. Now that they are loose among us, there will be additional death and destruction to come. Wake Up Americans!!!

  21. Thank you, Dr. Hanson. As you so eloquently and truthfully write, we have witnessed 4 years of a Donald J Trump presidency. Did he use his office in any way to do a single thing to harm this nation? No! He loves this nation and spent his time as president Making America Great Again. That is the evidence of his presidency that you can take to the bank. Do not be misled by some goofy allegation that he wants to destroy our republic and end democracy as we know it.
    If you want evidence of activities harmful to our America, look no further than our southern border. Witness millions of illegal invaders from many nations. Some with ill intentions toward the U.S. This policy aided and abetted by the current administration has resulted in great harm to American lives and property. Now that they are loose among us, there will be additional death and destruction to come. Wake Up Americans!!!

  22. So just Who is running the country and are they not in complete violation of our laws? Each member of the Biden cabinet have the responsibility to invoke the 25th Amendment knowing Biden is incompetent and incapable of performing the duties of the POTUS. Question is whether they can be tried for such dereliction of duty; or in some way ensure they are NEVER permitted to serve in any government capacity again.
    And why are not Articles of Impeachment being considered for everyone of them!

    Rhetorical questions all since none will be answered by the DC cabal who want to remain in control of a feeble Joe Biden. I suspect the Obama’s have at least a few fingers in this if not completely handling the entire presidency!

  23. Dr Hanson,
    You’re always thought provoking – but – gotta admit in this one, you “knocked it outta the ball park”. Thank You So Much!
    Sincerely,
    Those of us who haven’t bought the bovine excrement.

  24. Sir, once again your comments are cogent, real, and based in fact. It is my pleasure to welcome your comments as often as I can. Please continue to inform this nation of what is really happening. I’m so impressed I’ll be purchasing your books.

  25. Thanks for the reminder for all of us to do our homework and research so that we can bring some sense into what the current administration is doing to our great USA!

  26. Mao Tse Biden. So far he is only killing peoples jobs and careers with lies. Re-elect him and let the real killing begin. The original Mao killed 10 million of his people. Do you think Biden would try to top that? He’s very competitive, you know!

  27. So many typos in this piece.

    STATUTES OF LIMITATION not statue of limitations.

    And Trump ended catch and release, etc. but you said Biden.

    Censored? You meant CENSURED perhaps?

    1. Be aware that VDH’s points were made and understood, despite the typos. Using a voice/word recognition technology has its drawbacks.

  28. I recall a time where the so-called Deep State hid their pernicious actions. These days, with the aid of complicit media, they rub it in our faces, threaten us for noticing, and incite fear.
    That fear turns to cold anger, then to rage. At some point, if universal justice exists, they will have to scurry under cover of darkness. Don’t ruin that hopium dream, please.

  29. The left will never give up the Whitehouse without a physical kinetic battle. Too much time, effort and money has been put to it. All the pieces are in place, teams have been trained and arms and ammo procured. They own the front facing beurocracy, the alephbet agencies and the vote counters. The judicial system is little more than a theatrical prank.

  30. When the media supports you 100%, you can lie about anything and not pay any price.

    Just like Gavin Newsom in his recent “debate” with DeSantis. He flat out lied numerous times. He knew he was lying but also realized that the sleaze balls would cover for him.

    This is our reality. Deal with it.

  31. Excellent, Except the incompetence that led to the Ukraine war, massacres of Palistinians, potential war with China and the bloodthirsty desire to turn Iran into a parking lot predate Biden. We need Trump the disrupter for domestic reasons. He may be better for foreign policy than Biden et al, but his ideas for the Mideast would have continued the path to war so many of our leaders are eager for.

  32. Dear Mr. Hanson,

    Thank you for condensing the evil of the past eight years so succinctly. It is excruciating to know all of this and feel so powerless against it. It is like groundhogs day over and over again. The same evil continues to steamroll over our constitution and our rights making the fall of our democratic republic a certainty. Efforts on the part of our representatives and courts to counter this evil have been so benign that it looks more like pretense of defense designed to keep any real opposition at bay until it is too late.

    Is there really no way to hold the evil doers accountable? Is there really no way to end the malicious prosecution of a former president? No way to true the vote? No way to stop the illegal flow of aliens into our country? No way to protect free speech?

    There has to be a way. What do you say to that?

    Regards,

    Kate Devaney

  33. Pepe Sobreruedas “Top Fan”

    P#17: “Biden stopped catch-and-release, and phony refugee statuses, and pressured Mexico to patrol their side of the border. He destroyed immigration law as we knew it.”
    Victor, Victor, Victor…Please “trust but verify” your assistant’s transcribing your articles as this paragraph illustrates misattribution to “Biden” when it should’ve been “Trump,” and “He,” in the second sentence, should’ve meant “Biden” and not “Trump…” I have noticed a similar sloppy pattern on your lengthy tweets as well. I know your sense of loyalty leads you to tolerate incompetence, whether by tolerating third-rate interviewers as co-hosts in your podcast, or editors/transcribers in your written work. This is contrasted by your excellent editing found in your books…Please be consistent as your highly perceived reputation for excellence is at stake…

  34. Based on comments to your articles you have a perceptive and knowledgeable audience of readers. Sure, a few typos creep in to your articles from time to time, but your messages are so clear, comprehensive, and timely that, I’m sure, many readers, including myself, may note the typo or misstatement and just read on, thankful that someone of your status sees things to reinforce or expand and enhance our beliefs and articulate them for the world to consider.

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