When all is said and done, what worries me most is how many otherwise informed and intelligent people dismissed Trump's totalitarianism & considered him as merely a crazy idiot.

There are many kinds of intelligence. One can be both stupid enough to look at a solar eclipse yet smart enough to know how to manipulate people & systematically dismantle a democracy. Even Einstein wore mismatched socks & famously didn't recall where he was going on a train.

It truly frightens me that we made it to the brink of falling into an authoritarian state yet people focus more on Trump's spray tan & rants than on what nearly happened. And even now so many dismiss an obvious coup attempt because they think he's too dumb to pull it off.

Trump managed not only to rig 2016, but he also got every single Republican to declare loyalty to him, even those who'd been hostile before. He not only attracted supporters, but he got millions more votes despite COVID & failure to keep his promises. And so much more.

There will be another Trump. Republicans will find someone with broader appeal. They're far better than us at remaining focused, undeterred & maintaining the long view. They don't care who likes them or if their agenda is unpopular or if their hypocrisy is pointed out.

If we don't truly understand what happened and what almost happened to our nation we won't just be here again, we'll be in a far worse place. I urge people to continue learning & talking about what Trump did until it is seared in your mind. May we never, ever forget.