People use words like dictator, and names like Hitler or Mussolini when discussing a mere policy they don’t agree with, which waters down the actual meaning of the term or the name. Likewise the concept of what makes an act of treason is being so over used awash in hyperbole that any accusation of treason is mostly looked upon as a joke, and the accuser as a political hack; as it should be in 99% of the cases (just take a gander of your Twitter X feed). 

Treason by definition boils down to a breach in allegiance to the sovereignty of the country one lives in; specifically by trying to overthrow one’s own government and/or giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Lucky for Trump and many of his ill advised supporters the bar for proving treason in court is high. In the court of public perception however it’s worth looking into. This is one take. 

Laying The Groundwork 

Attempting to overthrow the government that one is obligated to be loyal to is an act of treason. But trying to topple the United States is no small task. The sitting President of the U.S. can’t merely squat in the Oval Office and refuse to leave. Likewise attacking the Capitol and occupying it won’t do it either. It would take extensive planning, cold execution and trial and error to make it happen. The trial and error, and some clumsy execution of not very well thought out plans are a matter of history. Trump spent four years in office trying to figure out how to overturn the election if he lost. He’s now had nearly four more years to reflect on the lessons of failure. If he gets four more years in the White House he’ll surely put what he’s learned to good use, he’s been laying the groundwork for years. 

First, to achieve a dictatorial status he’ll need grass roots support from the people of the country. He has that. 71 million supporters voted for him in 2020. With those numbers it’s irrelevant that more people voted against him. Much smaller minority governments have ruled over the masses by managing the correct leverage.  

Remember, in 2016 Trump said that he could shoot a person on 5th Ave and not lose a single vote. He’s indicating that they will believe or at least excuse anything he says or does. With that in mind Trump has been using the phantom, unprovable idea that any loss he takes at the polls are the result of voter fraud against him. 

Now, conservatives have been using the voter fraud ruse for at least decades if not longer, it’s not new. But Trump is going for broke by taking it to a much higher level. Instead of using it for sympathy he uses it as a call to action. It was the Stop the Steal mantra that got his supporters to actually attack the Capitol. 

To be clear, making the accusation of a rigged election does not rise to the level of treason. Neither does questioning the results of an election. But consider this:

When FoxNews allowed their pundits to go on and on and on with the narrative that the election was rigged and Dominion Voting Systems were culpable, DVS sued Fox in court. This should have been good news for the conservative network because finally they could bring the receipts to a court of law and show the world. Instead they brought their checkbook and paid Dominion nearly $800 million to avoid a trial. 

When Rudy Giuliani relentlessly named two Georgia election workers in his theory that they helped steal the election from Trump, resulting in racial harassment and a barrage of death threats, they sued him for defamation.  Rudy swore right up to the end that he would produce proof that will split the case wide open and prove to the country Trump won the election. But instead of bringing the goods, he brought his checkbook, and then declared bankruptcy. 

When Dinesh D’Souza released 2000 Mules that falsely promoted the ballot harvesting theory and accusing individuals of election fraud in favor of Democrats, Salem Media Group Inc. ended their relationship with D’Souza after apologizing to a falsely accused man named in the film. Salem dropped distribution of the film and the accompanying book.

When Trump, acting as President, ordered the DOJ to find evidence of voter fraud they got zero. It went to court 60 times resulting in nothing, usually dismissed for having no merit. Dismissed by the U.S. Supreme Court and the Wisconsin Supreme Court. 

There was no significant voter fraud, and the system isn’t rigged. 

But to continue to say so, as a call to action to get your supporters to fight, to physically attack the government in hopes of not leaving office absolutely does rise to the level of treason. 

Applying What He’s Learned 

If at first you’re not charged with treason, try again. 

Trump has the people. He also has the support of nearly the entire GOP, who in light of what they saw on January 6, should never even joke about making him their nominee. But they know an opportunity when they see one. 

What Trump doesn’t have yet is the military and the courts. But that’s not from lack of trying. After losing the election in November 2020, Trump, in a rare move, fired four top Pentagon officials and replaced them with his own loyalist. 

Gen. Mark Milley went out of his way in October 2020 to tell the citizens of the U.S., and probably to send a message to Trump that the military has no intention of getting involved in a dispute over who won the election. That’s up to the courts and congress. It shouldn’t be lost on anyone that as commander-in-chief, Trump could fire and replace any top ranking military brass for any reason. Article II Section 2 of the Constitution gives him that power. Of course it says in times of war however the definition of “in times of war” is not at all defined and would have to be so defined in the courts. 

When the election fraud cases were going to their various venues, Trump had no problem using the White House bully pulpit to try and influence their judgment in his favor which, in itself makes a person unfit for the office of president. 

Check Mate 

So there you have it. If the people don’t succeed in keeping Trump out of office at the ballot box, our self rule, resilient for so long, might hinge on the strength of the Supreme Court.  Which, after overturning Rv.W and the 1984 Chevron case decision, and granting presidential immunity for official acts committed while in office, one can’t tell what they’re going to do next.