If we have learned anything in the last four years of the Trump presidency, it is that he is a morally and ethically bankrupt sociopath, and a well documented pathological liar.  And now, as his time in office slowly grinds to an end, we must endure the unprecedented final national disgrace of a sitting U.S. president continuing to state he lost the election in multiple battleground states due to widespread voting fraud.  These baseless and false accusations follow a pattern of behavior by a thoroughly corrupt man who preemptively stated many months ago that the only way he would lose reelection is if the voting was “rigged” with fraud of massive proportions.

One could compile a long list of his most reprehensible statements and actions during his time in office, which have created a country that is now perhaps more divided than at any time in our history.  But, the greatest danger that presently faces our nation is whether the people as a whole can trust that the 2020 election results were based on an unbiased and accurate counting of the votes in each and every state.  The fact that untold millions of his followers openly reject the validity of those results, thanks to his incessant lies and fabrications about voter fraud, is a deeply troubling status quo to contemplate.

One of the foundations of our democracy is that the people can have unwavering faith that we have fair and free elections.  But, in 2020 we have witnessed overt attempts at voter suppression (e.g., the Postmaster General’s directives to remove mail processing machines, and mail boxes, etc.,).  And in a time where the Covid-19 pandemic is ravaging the country and the world, instead of encouraging citizens to vote by mail to protect themselves from a potentially greater exposure to the virus than if they voted in person, Trump consistently proclaimed voting by mail was going to be riddled with fraud, and it would be the only reason he could lose reelection for a second term.

So, now we are left with all the grave ramifications of a president who will not accept his defeat, and who will not admit he lost fair and square.  The whole world is watching as our previous status as the shining light of fair and free democratic elections goes down the drain.  And that will be Trump’s enduring legacy.  He has created an environment in our country where any candidate or political party in the future who lose any local, state, or national election will think it is fair game to scream “fraud.”

It does not matter how many of his ridiculous lawsuits have been filed and then thrown out, due to a complete lack of any evidence, in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and every other state Trump claimed he lost due to widespread voter fraud.  The damage has already been done, and the lasting effects on our democracy due to his despicable actions cannot be undone.

For the many millions of U.S. citizens from both political parties who view this ongoing nightmare of Trump’s presidency as an existential threat to our democracy, we are now left to wonder if the continuation of democracy as we know it in the country we love is in jeopardy.

I fear for the future our children and grandchildren are inheriting.