The Main Issue is Democracy
Don't let anyone tell you otherwise
Mark Cuban has been the antithesis of Elon Musk this election cycle. While the latter has spread lies about illegal immigrants voting and Haitian immigrants eating pets, the former has championed pro-democracy arguments. The two men may be billionaires, but could not be further apart politically.
Their online feuds over X (formerly Twitter) are illustrative of modern America. MAGA Republicans have spread incessant lies to create a false political world where democracy dies. Donald Trump’s lies about the federal government’s relief efforts for Hurricane Helene are just the latest example of the America he has tried to shape since his Obama birtherism lies in 2011.
When Mark Cuban joined the All-In Podcast this past week, I was excited to hear him discuss the risk Trump poses to democracy in America. For those who don’t listen to this podcast regularly, it includes four hosts with technology and investing backgrounds. At least two of the four support Trump, and one in particular (David Sacks) embodies MAGA populism to his core.
I was hopeful that Cuban would add critical insights and balance to the regular podcast conversations. But while Cuban rightly criticized Trump’s decorum and policies (e.g., his economically disastrous tariff ideas), he missed the elephant in the room — Donald Trump’s threat to American democracy.
Cuban never once mentioned January 6th, four-plus years of election denialism, the rule of law (especially given Trump’s criminal and civil record), and the peaceful transfer of power.
How can you have a 2-hour conversation with Trump supporters and not mention these topics?
Instead, Cuban spent most of his time discussing complicated ideas about oil markets and how Trump sparked initial inflation towards the end of his first administration. All four podcast hosts were very confused, and I’m sure many listeners were as well.
For all I know, Cuban’s critiques of Trump’s spending and inflationary policies may have been justified, but they missed the main point. His commentary undermined the primary issue that at least half of the All-In Podcast hosts regularly downplay — Trump’s threat to democracy, which I detailed in this essay.
No other issue or policy matter should be considered before discussing January 6th, the peaceful transfer of power, and election denialism. These topics are fundamental to democracy. If we cannot agree on first principles and how government at its core should operate, how can we expect to come close to agreeing on how to manage the border or formulate American foreign policy?
Thankfully, other sources understand this point. The New Yorker in particular nailed it.
“The United States simply cannot endure another four years of Donald Trump. He is an agent of chaos, an enemy of liberal democracy, and a threat to America's moral standing in the world.”
It goes to show that we all must rely on a wide variety of independent sources for our information. In 2024, that’s never been more important as one man in particular tries to sow chaos.
Donald Trump: agent of chaos
In the midst of the Hurricane Helene relief efforts, Donald Trump spread one lie after another. He falsely claimed that FEMA sent all of its money to Ukraine, and to house “illegal migrants”, leaving none for disaster recovery.
Trump falsely accused President Biden of not answering Republican Governor phone calls and discriminating against Republican voters who have been affected by the storm.
Trump also stated that the Biden-Harris Administration had received “universally” negative reviews, when in fact Republican Governors have praised the federal government's response.
But Trump didn’t even stop there. Mind you, this is in the middle of disaster relief efforts where clear and accurate communication is of the essence and emotions are running high for people affected by the hurricane.
Trump falsely claimed that the federal government was only offering $750 in federal aid to those impacted.
“Think of it: We give foreign countries hundreds of billions of dollars and we’re handing North Carolina $750.” - Donald Trump
This is patently false. Vice President Kamala Harris had to clear it up during a visit to Georgia:
“And the federal relief and assistance that we have been providing has included FEMA providing $750 for folks who need immediate needs being met, such as food, baby formula, and the like. And you can apply now.”
“FEMA is also providing tens of thousands more dollars for folks to help them be able to deal with home repair, to be able to cover a deductible when and if they have insurance, and also hotel costs.”
Donald Trump is an agent of chaos. These lies during the middle of the federal government’s disaster relief efforts are designed to take advantage of a difficult situation. He’s playing a game of whack-a-mole, putting Democrats on the defensive to rebut every lie while chaos ensues in the interim.
And it’s only the latest example just weeks after repeating lies about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio eating the dogs and cats of the residents.
For Trump and his version of post-truth America, it doesn’t matter if what he says is factually correct. All that matters is that his political opponents are to blame.
The most troubling part of a second Trump administration is what the Vance-Walz debate showed us. Unlike Mike Pence, JD Vance will not provide a firewall to this agent of chaos. He will enable him as an enemy of liberal democracy.
Donald Trump: enemy of liberal democracy
For anyone who needs a reminder of how big of an enemy Trump is to liberal democracy in America, simply read the new motion from Jack Smith. I summarized and analyzed it here.
The motion is longer than the January 6th indictment itself. In the new world of presidential immunity following the Supreme Court’s Trump v. United States decision, Smith had to justify why every piece of evidence is still admissible. He characterized most of the evidence as part of a private criminal conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election.
The evidence paints a harrowing portrait of Trump’s efforts to recruit and deploy fake electors, pressure Mike Pence not to certify the 2020 results, and manufacture widespread voter fraud that didn’t exist.
In a democracy, we respect institutions that check the behavior not only of the common person but of the powerful. So when 60+ court cases find no evidence of widespread (or really any) voter fraud, we must move on.
Donald Trump refused and continues to refuse to this day. He’s convinced the rules and norms of American democracy don’t apply to him. This makes him unfit to be President.
Donald Trump: a threat to America’s moral standing in the world
I’ve previously written about how American pacifism and isolationism could lead to World War III. I wish I was exaggerating, but there’s a long history in the 20th century of American isolationism leading to two world wars.
Trump and his new buddy Elon Musk are hardly the first rich white men to play the isolationism trumpets. Henry Ford and Charles Lindbergh were key players in the original America First movement.
While there is certainly nothing wrong with putting American interests first, we’re terribly naive to think that instability even in far-flung places around the world doesn’t impact us at home.
And while America should not be the world’s policeman, there must be a global advocate for the international democratic principles that have helped us avoid a third world war for some 75 years. For all of America’s foreign policy disasters during that time, this track record is one of the greatest in human history.
Name another time when so much peace and prosperity has thrived. Simply look at global wealth and living standards from the 1940s when compared with today.
Never before in history has a superpower tried to be a force for moral good in the world, even if it is imperfect.
Donald Trump could care less about this history. He has talked about abandoning Ukraine and their fight for basic sovereignty. He’s even talked about going to war with Mexico. It’s unclear whether he would protect Taiwan in the face of Chinese aggression.
What is clear is that the world will become even more uncertain and dangerous under a second Trump administration. While the rest of the democratic world tries to unify and promote liberal democracy and order, Trump will cozy up to dictators and autocrats as he has done before. He will criticize allies and continue to threaten to disrupt the greatest defense alliance the world has ever seen in NATO.
Donald Trump is not only a threat to America’s moral standing in the world, he’s a threat to the world itself.
Democracy is the only issue that matters this election
MAGA Republicans and other Trump supporters often argue that this is hyperbole. They’ve even told me it’s reckless to say Trump is a threat to democracy; that it inspires bad actors to use violence (apparently this violence is not caused by making it easy for mentally ill people to possess guns).
Why do we even care about 2020 still and why can’t we just focus on the future like JD Vance wants us to?
Unfortunately, Trump’s threat to democracy is not hyperbolic. I wish it was.
Almost all politicians lie to some degree, but with Donald Trump it’s different. His lies strike at the heart of American democracy. They threaten the peaceful transfer of power that has supported democracy for almost 250 years.
These lies are not of the same variety as “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.” They are about American democracy itself. Whether elections can and should be certified accurately. Whether a presidential candidate won or not.
This is why the case Jack Smith has brought against Trump is so important. It details the painstaking efforts Trump took - both legitimate and illegitimate - to try to retain and cling to power after his November 2020 election loss. It indicates a willingness by Trump that he might try to do it again.
Or worse.
We cannot normalize Donald Trump. We cannot entertain his policy ideas or any of the crazy things he says without first addressing his threats to democracy itself.
The childless cat ladies together with all democracy-loving Americans must band together to make sure that from now until election day we put one issue front and center.
Democracy.
Further reading: the anniversary of October 7th
Here is a collection of great essays from the past year, starting with the brutal attack by Hamas on October 7th and the tragic war in Gaza ever since:
Israel and Ukraine: Revealing the Dangerous Consequences of a Changing World Order
Assessing the Iran and Israel Conflict and Where It Might Lead
Related YouTube video: