Michael Gerson: Trump Is Becoming More Popular

BERMAN Why do you ░░░░░░░░ it is coming and ░░░░░░░░ even likely that Donald ░░░░░░░░ gets elected GERSON Well ░░░░░░░░ m sorry to ruin ░░░░░░░░ s coffee but I ░░░░░░░░ the we need to ░░░░░░░░ the reality here The ░░░░░░░░ is that all this ░░░░░░░░ is coming out that ░░░░░░░░ Trump made a serious ░░░░░░░░ attempt to overturn the ░░░░░░░░ election So we re ░░░░░░░░ information on his lawlessness ░░░░░░░░ we re seeing that ░░░░░░░░ party the Republican Party ░░░░░░░░ than revolting against this ░░░░░░░░ embracing it He s ░░░░░░░░ more popular And this ░░░░░░░░ creating a kind of ░░░░░░░░ loop of radicalization within ░░░░░░░░ with the president and ░░░░░░░░ strongest supporters And we ░░░░░░░░ have to recognize that ░░░░░░░░ political trend the normal ░░░░░░░░ trends are going in ░░░░░░░░ short and medium term ░░░░░░░░ the Republican direction This ░░░░░░░░ not just because of ░░░░░░░░ Democratic messaging it s ░░░░░░░░ of the coalitions that ░░░░░░░░ have in a presidential ░░░░░░░░ We re increasingly polarized ░░░░░░░░ education and that and ░░░░░░░░ it gives Republicans significant ░░░░░░░░ on our on our ░░░░░░░░ the way it s ░░░░░░░░ So I don t ░░░░░░░░ this alarmism I consider ░░░░░░░░ just description of where ░░░░░░░░ are right now BERMAN ░░░░░░░░ for what it means ░░░░░░░░ write many of the ░░░░░░░░ and patriots who opposed ░░░░░░░░ Trump in his final ░░░░░░░░ would have been weeded ░░░░░░░░ long before he was ░░░░░░░░ elected There is no ░░░░░░░░ Trump would not try ░░░░░░░░ solidify personal power over ░░░░░░░░ and federal law enforcement ░░░░░░░░ to employee as a ░░░░░░░░ s club in times ░░░░░░░░ civil disorder There s ░░░░░░░░ reason he would refrain ░░░░░░░░ using federal resources to ░░░░░░░░ political opponents undermine freedom ░░░░░░░░ the press and change ░░░░░░░░ outcome of the elections ░░░░░░░░ re basically suggesting he ░░░░░░░░ use mere dictatorial powers ░░░░░░░░ Yes I mean there ░░░░░░░░ be limitations that he ░░░░░░░░ face in the judiciary ░░░░░░░░ other places But we ░░░░░░░░ seen that he wants ░░░░░░░░ concentrate and centralize federal ░░░░░░░░ to serve his interests ░░░░░░░░ undermine his opponents I ░░░░░░░░ that that is what ░░░░░░░░ re seeing from the ░░░░░░░░ record of his first ░░░░░░░░ I think he would ░░░░░░░░ significantly fewer obstacles in ░░░░░░░░ second term You look ░░░░░░░░ what happened in the ░░░░░░░░ Department before the 2020 ░░░░░░░░ You know the I ░░░░░░░░ the president didn t ░░░░░░░░ just because of a ░░░░░░░░ honorable people stood up ░░░░░░░░ the reality here is ░░░░░░░░ we have a a ░░░░░░░░ Republican front runner for ░░░░░░░░ 2024 election would have ░░░░░░░░ American democracy if he ░░░░░░░░ have broken American democracy ░░░░░░░░ I think we need ░░░░░░░░ take that very seriously ░░░░░░░░ You say this is ░░░░░░░░ alarmism You say it ░░░░░░░░ being descriptive Do you ░░░░░░░░ people get it Or ░░░░░░░░ people or institutions now ░░░░░░░░ you think need to ░░░░░░░░ a better grasp on ░░░░░░░░ GERSON Well the first ░░░░░░░░ is just the Democratic ░░░░░░░░ I mean you look ░░░░░░░░ these trends which I ░░░░░░░░ about in the piece ░░░░░░░░ they are going to ░░░░░░░░ to win in places ░░░░░░░░ they re not currently ░░░░░░░░ And that means that ░░░░░░░░ re you know the ░░░░░░░░ voter that they re ░░░░░░░░ is actually to their ░░░░░░░░ But right now all ░░░░░░░░ the message national messaging ░░░░░░░░ the of the Democratic ░░░░░░░░ is on a 3 ░░░░░░░░ trillion plan which is ░░░░░░░░ by that number rather ░░░░░░░░ anything that would be ░░░░░░░░ And I think that ░░░░░░░░ are focused on internal ░░░░░░░░ within the Democratic Party ░░░░░░░░ need to be more ░░░░░░░░ on this external threat ░░░░░░░░ the reality of who ░░░░░░░░ need to reach And ░░░░░░░░ think Republicans need to ░░░░░░░░ this seriously too like ░░░░░░░░ This means that at ░░░░░░░░ in the near term ░░░░░░░░ s important for Democrats ░░░░░░░░ win in for example ░░░░░░░░ midterm elections And this ░░░░░░░░ going to require something ░░░░░░░░ from Republicans which is ░░░░░░░░ vote strategically for Democrats ░░░░░░░░ parties don t change ░░░░░░░░ they lose And the ░░░░░░░░ Party if it goes ░░░░░░░░ victory to victory with ░░░░░░░░ content with this message ░░░░░░░░ a true threat to ░░░░░░░░ republic BERMAN Michael Gerson ░░░░░░░░ glad to share coffee ░░░░░░░░ you no matter what ░░░░░░░░ cost GERSON OK BERMAN ░░░░░░░░ you very much for ░░░░░░░░ with us this morning.”