Prepare for the Avalanche

Stay positive, active, and hopeful—but also stay mindful of the lies Trump will unleash with abandon on Election Day

When we’re so very close to the finish line, I’d rather not focus on the desperate, wannabe-dictator candidate. I especially feel that way after watching Vice President Kamala Harris deliver her final Michigan rally, stating boldly that:

“Our campaign has not been about being against something, it is about being for something.” 

The unprecedented, bipartisan, pro-democracy energy she and Governor Tim Walz have ignited and kept burning for the last ninety days is astonishing. It’s historic. No matter what results Tuesday brings, I’m confident that their campaign alone has done a tremendous service in terms of reminding us, again and again, that the people of this nation have far more in common than the divisive fever-pitch whining squad on the far right would like us to believe.  

Nevertheless, it behooves us all to acquaint and steel ourselves for Trump’s insidious strategy. I cover this not to incite panic or fear or raise anybody’s blood pressure higher than it already is. But anticipating the tactics that our disgraced former president will almost certainly employ when faced with potential defeat is something we all must do.

The most powerful antidote to being manipulated is being well-informed. 

The more we can undermine Trump’s dangerous and predictable behavior (predictable because he did it before and has been promising to do it again from the moment he launched his third candidacy), the less of an impact it will have. The more prepared we are for the frenzy of desperate lies, the less likely we are to be jolted by sensationalist headlines, the less likely some might be to offer his claims as fact, and (in an ideal world), the less likely the media could be to blindly regurgitate Trump’s rhetoric without hesitation.

It is a devastating fortune to know in advance how a presidential candidate will handle being a loser. I wish we were not already primed for a man so willing to reveal his utter lack of integrity, his hatred for those whose support he seeks, and his outright disrespect for our democracy. But that’s what happens when we allow a twice-impeached, incoherent, convicted felon to run for commander-in-chief. Again. 

So here we go. Get your boots tied tight.

Before the votes have all been counted, some version of the following will occur: 

Trump will prematurely declare victory based on a rumor he heard from some highly credible source, he’ll say it came from probably the most credible source the world has ever known. (Let’s presume it was Grimace or Hannibal Lecter.)

The media will repeat his claim without rigor or research (depending on the outlet). Victorious headlines will be splayed and refreshed among his right-wing media pals, Elon will generously spray lies all over his propaganda generator while making weird noises, but even mainstream media will do its part by airing whatever declarative nonsense comes out of Trump’s mouth. 

Seeing such headlines and posts will convince masses of Americans that he won. 

And look, we can hardly blame people for doubting that a candidate would go ahead and DECLARE VICTORY without having a hint of a definitive result in sight. Anybody who would so deliberately manipulate the will of the people wouldn’t be running for president, surely…

Elected Republican officials will use people’s erroneous trust in Trump as a justification to object to the vote certification in Congress. “I’m just here nobly representing my constituents. They believe there was fraud and I am a public servant who wants nothing more than to hear myself speak and sound relevant, etc.” 

These bad actors will fail to mention that the ONLY reason their constituents believe in the steal or the conspiracies or the fraud that never occured…is because of Trump’s lies. The feedback loop and perilous hamster wheel will set off in full force: extremist Republicans will spread disinformation from Trump to their voters; it will get picked up and amplified by a hungry media seeking headlines; the public, whether eager for their criminal to emerge victorious or just wanting this to be over will devour those; then Republicans will circle back and cite their own disinformation as justification for trying to manifest horseshit into reality.

Of course, those officials will know that Trump’s claims are unfounded, but they won’t care. They are committed to doing Trump’s bidding—either to ultimately serve themselves or simply because they exist to kneel at the altar of their grotesque, increasingly batshit Godking.

Take a breath, and know there are bastions of hope across the country. It’s very much worth keeping in mind that, because Trump already proved himself to be so morally depraved and so flippant about the Constitution or the legitimate will of the people, we have masterful backstops in place. According to NBC,

“There are hundreds of lawyers around the country and in battleground states with ‘thousands of pages of pleading’ ready to fight GOP legal maneuverings.”

That includes democracy strongholds like Marc Elias and Norm Eisen, among many others. You better believe they are fully prepared to beat back Trump’s avalanche of litigation that he will no doubt bring, and he will do so to give the OPTICS of fraud.  

Deluded hard-core Republicans have already begun this dangerous charade, having brought forward a record 200 voting and election cases so far this year, with the vast majority taking place in swing states. They’ve lost damn near all of them, but winning is not the aim here. These suits are about supplying the pretense of nefarious activity just by virtue of the cases seeing the light of day in court. That they’re happening gives ammunition to extremists who need anything to justify their outraged cries.  

These are games. They are a waste of time. These phony investigations weren’t effective last time, and they won’t be this time. But it’s essential to know why these cases are happening, lest we or anybody around us start absorbing this nonsense, instead of realizing that these hysterical fraudulent claims are cheap stunts.

Judging by Trump’s perma-grievance and outright delirium—which have turned his rallies into a bewildering buzzkill to behold—he appears aware of the tilt toward Kamala. Clearly, he’s preparing to start making shit up at will:

So you can be assured that he will begin firing accusations from the moment the polls open tomorrow. He’s probably lying in bed right now, screaming assaults at his cheeseburger wrappers. “THEY CHEAT LIKE HELL.” To his fanatics, his maneuvers will be persuasive. If you’re aware of his conniving tactics, and do your best to keep a cool head and disregard his bellowing, his credibility will dissipate and you’ll remember that he’s just a pathetic criminal who has no business being our president.

But please, also do not forget that a) he has backup who are scarier than he is, even if they struggle mightily to order donuts like a human being, and b) Trump’s refusal to concede and subsequent demand for violence is a very real possibility. Washington State Governor Jay Inslee has activated the National Guard in case of election-related violence. The Department of Homeland Security has designated the January 6th electoral vote certification “a national special security event.” In Washoe County in Nevada, they’ve installed panic buttons for poll workers in case of emergencies. In Green Bay, Wisconsin, they are closing down the street on which their City Hall sits. 

Our country is supposedly a beacon of democracy for the world, and yet our elections—once free, fair, and handled with dignity—have become “national special security events,” where violence is an EXPECTED response to losing. What’s worse, he’s continuing to incite it in ramped up, horrifically explicit terms. The fabric of our democratic process has been altered by this small man and his band of enablers.

We have an opportunity to turn the tide. Right now. History offers multiple examples of everyday people bending us ever closer to the promise of America, against all odds. We can do it again. Each of us can provide a stitch that will alter the fabric of our nation. We can rid ourselves of having to witness Donald Trump degrade our country every time he speaks.

Opportunities for radical change don’t come around often, but we have that chance tomorrow. For this final day, hours, or minutes, do your part. Find one or two people and bring them to vote. Opportunities to volunteer abound: at polling stations, on your phone, among your neighbors. 

This is nobody else’s responsibility. It is our democracy on the line—our bodies, our freedoms, our rights. We’re all necessary and we all have agency.

Let’s use it.

 

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

 

One last note: I’ll be doing LIVE ELECTION RESULTS on my YouTube channel. I’ll have a live interactive map (courtesy of Decision Desk HQ) and live results, so please make sure to tune in. Thank you for staying energized and staying involved.