Fearmongering has always fueled Donald Trump’s rhetoric. Yet his Project Fear strategy for winning this election is setting off alarms. Of course, there’s nothing new about his brand of populism. But no other politician has threatened “retribution” against Americans so boldly and effectively. Trump has everyone from politicians to CEOs cowering in fear, hoping to be spared his wrath. But if the rich and powerful, like Jeff Bezos, are already caving, is it any wonder ordinary voters might too? Trump is campaigning more like a mob boss than a politician. And he’s making voters an offer he hopes they’ll be too afraid to refuse: Vote for him, or else.
Frankly, his Project Fear is so stark that it makes Project 2025 — his plan for autocratic rule — look “woke.” With every speech, Trump fans the flames of chaos, threatening a “bloodbath” if he doesn’t win. A Washington Post-Schar School poll found that two-thirds of swing-state voters believe he won’t accept defeat. But that number seems low; after all, Trump spent the past four years telegraphing plans to cry cheating if and when he loses. The real fear isn’t that he’ll protest — it’s that he’ll incite violence that makes Jan 6 look like a picnic.
Still, the irony is that there’s far more to fear if Trump wins. His so-called liberation from political correctness, wokeness, and DEI initiatives has given his supporters a green light to spew hate against Blacks, Jews, and Hispanics. And, as they showed at his infamous MSG rally on Sunday, MAGA world celebrates this “freedom” with all the grace of a bull in a china shop. But they’d do well to consider the backlash if these groups begin responding in kind. In that case, the bloodbath Trump threatens if he loses could easily become a self-fulfilling prophecy even if he wins. His dystopian impact on American politics could see Americans forsaking the biblical commandment to “love thy neighbor” in a frenzied attempt to kill or be killed.
Meanwhile, those cowering in fear at the thought of a Trump presidency should consider their fate if Kamala wins. Because Kamala doesn’t need to bully or threaten to make them regret their willingness to sell out American democracy for a Trumpian autocracy.
