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Now I’m not a supporter of Trump. I think he’s an existential threat to democracy. He’s the guy who disbanded a pandemic response team and then was caught flatfooted by a world wide pandemic.
But the decision to deny the results of the 2020 election and declare himself the winner (leaving out the attempted coup) is an incredibly astute political tactic.
Those who lose an election for president rarely stay politically relevant. Only one president, Grover Cleveland, has every won non-consecutive terms, and that was over a hundred years ago. George Bush Senior slunk off to political irrelevance after losing to Bill Clinton in 1992 (off to produce a planned political dynasty with sons Jeb and G.W.) He didn’t even attempt to run in 1996. Before him Jimmy Carter became a worldwide ambassador for peace but he didn’t run for office again in any political race after his one year term.
Americans by and large don’t like losers. As Trump himself said “I prefer winners.” If Trump had admitted defeat his political relevance might have dwindled and dissipated to nothing by now. The Republican party is not known for remembering their past leaders except for Ronald Reagan. Most of their past leaders (often embroiled in scandal or criminal prosecution) are personas non grata whose names are verboten.
