To say that Donald Trump poisons everything that he touches is a truism, but never more so than when it comes to democracy. Let’s remember that the only reason that the question of a “stolen election” ever became an issue is because Donald Trump cannot accept losing.

That’s it.

That’s the only reason.

Not because there was ever any evidence that this election was stolen, but just because Donald Trump’s ego could not accept losing to “sleepy” Joe Biden. This has been confirmed by many of his former staff.

(To all those people who proclaim loudly that 81,283,500 people would never have voted for Joe Biden, I say, maybe not, but 81,283,500 people would definitely have voted against Donald Trump.)

So now, with the question of whether Trump should appear on the primary ballots of the 50 states in hot contention, it’s clear that two-thirds of the country will not accept the outcome regardless of what it is. In effect our democracy might die because of Trump’s ego.

That’s it.

That’s the only reason.

Approximately one third of Americans still believe that the 2020 election was stolen, three years after it happened. Regardless of how the Supreme Court votes when they take up the case — and they will have to take up the case — those people will still believe that the 2020 election was stolen. Keeping Trump on the ballot in 2024 will not change that belief.

On the other hand, if the Supreme Court votes to keep Trump on all the ballots — as I believe is likely — and Trump subsequently wins the election, I will believe that it was stolen. And I won’t be the only one.

Any plain reading of the §3 of the 14th Amendment makes it clear that Trump should not be on the ballot. He engaged in insurrection. I know this not only because of the mountain of evidence that has already been unearthed, not only because of the January 6th Commission report, and not only because every court that has ever considered the question has ruled — regardless of whether they decided that they could or could not exclude Trump from the ballot — that Trump did indeed engage in insurrection, but because I saw it with my own eyes: I heard much of his speech at the Rotunda, and I saw the insurrection take place in real time.

It was on television.

All the cable news stations had it on television.

And whatever they missed, was captured by the many cameras installed in the Capitol. And whatever those cameras missed was live-streamed on social media by the insurrectionists themselves.

In real time.

I remember thinking fuck, are these people actually going to kidnap and assassinate a few congress people? How is this thing going to end?

For me then, regardless of what the vote in 2024 might be, Donald Trump will never be a legitimately elected president, because he clearly never should have been on the ballot. I’m joined in that opinion, by the way, not only by just about every Constitutional scholar in America, but also by people like arch conservative retired judge J. Michael Luttig, who also believes that Trump should not be on the ballot. And he’s not the only one. Many conservative judges agree with him.

While a third continues to believe in a stolen election, another third will be with me, and will never believe that Trump was qualified to be elected (if he is). 

And you know, as is always true in America, the final third just won’t care.

But beware, Trump will bring down all of our collective faith in democracy, and just because his ego could not handle losing to Joe Biden. And not having “Pomp & Circumstance” play when he enters a room.