The fear of a second presidency of Donald Trump and the impact on world politics and the global economy is increasing. But what threatens America if Joe Biden wins the US presidential election? An escalation in Arizona could be a preview.
During a campaign appearance last weekend, Trump shocked people by using the word “carnage” in response to defeat – which his supporters later dismissed as “taken out of context” and “just an economic impact on the auto industry.” But even if you discount horror scenarios like armed insurrection or a second storm on the Capitol, die-hard MAGA fans, thanks to the lies about election fraud that Trump has spread since 2020, will never accept their idol’s defeat as legitimate.
The impact this could have in individual states can already be seen with the example of Maricopa County in Arizona.
Four years ago, Biden secured a narrow majority in Arizona’s largest district, winning the southwestern state’s electoral votes with a majority of just 10,457 votes (out of 3.4 million votes cast). Trump’s supporters contested the election and had the counts checked for alleged vote tampering — with the official conclusion from Maricopa County government that everything was correct.
Death threats, insults, bickering
The majority of the Republican ‘Board of Supervisors’ (the members of the district government) were subsequently publicly pilloried by Trump activists. Some received death threats for refusing to declare Trump the winner. Since then, Trump activists have repeatedly harassed and insulted supervisors during public hearings of the county government.
Since Trump’s coronation as the Republican presidential candidate, MAGA supporters now feel emboldened to escalate their anti-democratic disruptive actions. At a public meeting Feb. 28 in Maricopa County, a dozen of them stormed the stage and shouted “revolution,” causing politicians to flee through a back door.
Just the MAGA faction’s dress rehearsal for the election and beyond?
Before the live broadcast ended, Michelle Klann, founder of a pro-Trump group, grabbed the microphone and shouted: “This is an insurrection. Because of election fraud, you are not our elected representatives.” An insider later revealed to the Washington Post that the security team was completely surprised by the coordinated action: “I’m afraid this is just the MAGA faction’s dress rehearsal for the election and will also for afterwards.”
The escalation of pressure on democratic institutions by pro-Trump activists, from school boards to election boards, is being reported across the country. Rural counties in California and Texas are particularly affected. The consequence in the case of public meetings in Maricopa County is that from now on they will only take place in the presence of a dozen police officers in the lecture hall – and the special unit of the SWAT team will be on standby in front of the county building. .
As Republican Supervisor Thomas Galvin walked to his car after the final session, an activist shouted at him, “Wait a minute, you’ll be replaced as soon as our president returns!” And if he doesn’t come back to the White House, it’s very unlikely that Klann and Co. will just accept it.
One can only hope that Trump’s carnage prediction – in some form – was just one of his trademark verbal exaggerations.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
