Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit
Latty | on: Trump wins presidency for second time
He literally attempted a coup, it's pretty amazing people are still trying to act like this is exaggeration or unreasonable.

It's not guaranteed, no, and I sincerely doubt we are going to see Trump literally cancel elections, but it's a very reasonable assumption that they are going to do what they've said they'll do and tried to do: install judges that will swing things their ways, suppress voters who don't support them, punish anyone who opposes them, inspire and promote political violence against anyone who opposes them, and gerrymander as much as possible. That's enough to functionally end US democracy if they do it well.

That's not some wild prediction or unlikely outcome, it's the logical continuation of their previous actions. Someone attempting something they tried before isn't unexpected. He actively tried to subvert democracy and the public have rewarded him, why would he not?

groestl | parent | next
> He actively tried to subvert democracy and the public have rewarded him, why would he not?

That's the key observation.

rootusrootus | parent | next
> I sincerely doubt we are going to see Trump literally cancel elections

The logical path here is for red states to cancel elections and appoint electors to send in January 2029. The feds cannot do it themselves, but they do not need to.

The elections clause of the constitution does not apply to presidential elections, and all the constitution says about that is that the states may choose how to appoint electors, as long as it all happens on the same day.

I-M-S | parent | next
The USA uses a gerrymandered, two-party, first-past-the-post system with electoral college to boot. I for one would stop short from calling that a system that accurately reflects the will of the populace.
block_dagger | root | parent
I agree but in this case he won the popular vote and took the senate and house taboot.
toephu2 | parent | next
Where is any evidence he actually attempted a coup?

Here is evidence he told the protestors to be peaceful: https://x.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1346912780700577792

He never said "Storm the Capitol!!" or anything like that.

Latty | root | parent
It's a fact he attempted a coup, the evidence is in the public record, the Trump–Raffensperger phone call was literally recorded and we have it. He was calling around everyone certifying the results pressuring them not to do so, and asking people to "find votes" for him. The mob storming the capital was a part of the whole, not the coup in its entirety, focusing on it as though it was the whole thing is absurdly misleading.
loading story #42068866
objektif | parent
He attempted a coup? It is obvious you do not do third world country much. This is not how it is done haha. The problem is will you admit you were dead wrong and potentially spewing propaganda if democracy survives Trump’s second term?
Latty | root | parent | next
Attempting it and failing doesn't mean he didn't attempt it. He actively tried to stop the results being certified, he tried to get people to fraudulently invent votes for him. We have the Trump–Raffensperger call on tape, the evidence is right there, it's an indisputable fact by anyone who cares about reality.

And no, I wouldn't be wrong, because it's a fact he did try to do that, and even if they did—for whatever reason—decide not to try it again, that doesn't change it being what any reasonable person should assume they will do.

flylikeabanana | root | parent | next
>The problem is will you admit you were dead wrong and potentially spewing propaganda if democracy survives Trump’s second term?

The answer to this question is the same as the answer to "what if climate change is a hoax", and that is that I would love to be wrong and would gladly admit it rather than live under a dictator or on a dying planet

Ancapistani | root | parent | next
Yeah, I agree.

If Trump had actually attempted a coup, he would have had no shortage of participants, and they wouldn't have walked into Congress with empty hands.

Jan 6 was very poorly handled. The majority of that is on Trump. Many people - though not even close to "all", or even "most" - present committed crimes. All in all it was on the level of civil disobedience, not revolution.

loading story #42071744
Filligree | root | parent
He failed at a coup, but it's hard to pretend he didn't make the attempt. You're right that the failure was inevitable.

That time. Neither of us can read the future, here.