AdminYes, Trump’s Electoral Victory Was Historic.
Having lost both the Electoral College and popular vote in 2020, Trump has now secured the former, and once all votes are counted, he is likely to claim the latter, signaling a clear mandate. Remarkably, he survived two assassination attempts during this campaign alone.
Trump endured an onslaught of legal challenges: a federal election interference case, a Georgia election interference case, a classified documents case, and a hush-money case. His political adversaries labeled him a fascist, misogynist, racist, and an “existential threat to democracy.” Few figures in modern American history have been as polarizing or reviled as Donald J. Trump. Yet, despite these obstacles, he persuaded enough voters to elect him as the 47th president.
Given these odds, it’s tempting—and perhaps justifiable—for conservatives, Republicans, and Trump supporters of all stripes to celebrate. But they should not grow complacent. That would be shortsighted and dangerously optimistic. Every weapon used against Trump by the establishment elite can, and likely will, be used against anyone perceived as a threat to their political agenda.
Everything They Did to Him…
You don’t have to be a Trump supporter to acknowledge the extraordinary efforts taken to derail him. Bestselling author Lee Smith details these efforts in Disappearing the President: Trump, Truth Social, and the Fight for the Republic. Given how quickly political events fade from memory, it’s worth revisiting the lengths to which the establishment went to thwart Trump’s ambitions.
In 2016, the political and media establishment, along with elements of the defense and intelligence communities, accused Trump of colluding with Russia to win the presidency. The Steele Dossier, initially heralded as explosive evidence of Trump’s ties to Russia, was later debunked as unreliable, possibly influenced by Russian sources, as outlined in Special Counsel John Durham’s report. Durham also criticized the FBI for its lack of analytic rigor. Despite widespread claims of Russian interference, no concrete evidence demonstrated any significant impact on voting patterns in the 2016 election.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, corporate media blamed Trump for the death toll while promoting policies that isolated the elderly, kept children out of schools for over a year, and worsened mental health issues. Trump’s criticism of China’s role in spreading the virus was called racist, only for the Wuhan lab leak theory to later gain credibility. When Trump urged Americans to not let fear dominate their lives, media outlets portrayed him as insensitive, only to later admit that the nation overreacted to the virus’s risks. Efforts to address racially charged unrest, which caused loss of life and billions in damages, were met with accusations of authoritarianism.
In the 2020 election cycle, Democrats, corporate media, social media platforms, and former intelligence officials worked to suppress the Hunter Biden laptop story. Many believe this coordinated effort influenced the election outcome. TIME Magazine later published a revealing article, “The Secret History of the Shadow Campaign that Saved the 2020 Election,” which described how influential figures across industries collaborated to “influence perceptions, change rules and laws, steer media coverage, and control the flow of information.”
After Trump’s loss, he faced relentless legal battles, including highly politicized investigations and charges in Georgia, New York, and Washington, D.C. Minor infractions, often overlooked by prosecutors, were magnified under the spotlight of lawfare, as attorneys sought to end Trump’s political career and imprison him.
…They Will Do to You Too
Some argue these attacks are tied solely to Trump’s controversial persona. However, such analysis misses the larger issue. The same tactics used against Trump have been employed against others. Democratic operatives and media have targeted conservative Supreme Court justices Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett, as well as Republican figures like J.D. Vance, Matt Gaetz, Pete Hegseth, and others. Even ordinary citizens—journalists, pro-life advocates, and religious communities—have been caught in the crosshairs.
These targets share one thing in common: they are perceived as threats to the establishment’s control, which spans government bureaucracies, media conglomerates, academia, Big Tech, and entertainment. While the most prominent figures face the greatest scrutiny, everyday Americans are also vulnerable. This serves as a warning: those in power will use their influence to suppress challenges to their authority.
Americans of all political persuasions should be deeply concerned. The tools deployed against Trump—media smears, public cancellations, and politically motivated prosecutions—can easily be turned against anyone.
Regardless of your opinion of Trump, the lengths taken to dismantle his political influence should alarm anyone who values freedom. As Lee Smith notes, the campaign against Trump was not just an attack on him personally, but on the republic itself. Trump may be the current target, but history shows this rage can—and will—be directed at anyone who challenges the status quo. Citizens who cherish their liberties must remain vigilant.
