You’re probably not looking for a reason to be depressed, but if you are, here’s something to chew on: barring a crushing defeat in November, which doesn’t appear very likely at this point, Trump isn’t going away for the foreseeable future.
If he wins, we know what lies ahead. But even if he doesn’t, he’s not going to follow protocol and keep his mouth shut after he leaves office. First, he’s going to scream about voter fraud, threaten litigation, and do his best to tear the country apart. Then, when that doesn’t work, he’s going to retreat to Trump Tower, vow revenge, and start tweeting his brains out. His hold on the base and the media is such that he will remain the de facto leader of the GOP even after his defeat. He might even run again in 2024.
In a lot of ways, this will be more of a problem for the GOP than for the Democrats. Mitch McConnell probably won’t appreciate getting advice from Trump on a daily basis, and the next generation of Republican presidential contenders is going to be overshadowed. Oh, well.
How can this scenario be avoided? Only if he loses big in November, goes to prison, or chokes on a cheeseburger. We’re just lucky he’s as old as he is.