Alyssa Farah Griffin: ‘A Second Trump Term Could Mean the End of American Democracy’

KARL If Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ president again what would ░░░░░░░░ second Trump term look ░░░░░░░░ GRIFFIN Fundamentally a second ░░░░░░░░ term could mean the ░░░░░░░░ of American democracy as ░░░░░░░░ know it And I ░░░░░░░░ t say that lightly ░░░░░░░░ all witnessed him trying ░░░░░░░░ steal a democratic election ░░░░░░░░ and going to historic ░░░░░░░░ unconstitutional lengths to do ░░░░░░░░ And that just shows ░░░░░░░░ he s willing to ░░░░░░░░ break every barrier to ░░░░░░░░ into power and to ░░░░░░░░ in power But also ░░░░░░░░ m very concerned what ░░░░░░░░ what that term would ░░░░░░░░ look like MATTHEWS We ░░░░░░░░ t need to speculate ░░░░░░░░ a second Trump term ░░░░░░░░ look like because we ░░░░░░░░ saw it play out ░░░░░░░░ this day he still ░░░░░░░░ down on the fact ░░░░░░░░ he thinks that the ░░░░░░░░ was stolen and fraudulent ░░░░░░░░ then his rhetoric has ░░░░░░░░ gotten increasingly erratic I ░░░░░░░░ he has literally called ░░░░░░░░ things like doing away ░░░░░░░░ parts of the Constitution ░░░░░░░░ to weaponize the DoJ ░░░░░░░░ enact revenge on his ░░░░░░░░ enemies HUTCHINSON The fact ░░░░░░░░ he feels that he ░░░░░░░░ to lean into being ░░░░░░░░ dictator alone shows that ░░░░░░░░ is a weak and ░░░░░░░░ man who has no ░░░░░░░░ of character and integrity ░░░░░░░░ has no sense of ░░░░░░░░ GRIFFIN Everyone who was ░░░░░░░░ the West Wing and ░░░░░░░░ a lot of Cabinet ░░░░░░░░ they know how dangerous ░░░░░░░░ is People who I ░░░░░░░░ the deepest level of ░░░░░░░░ for like my former ░░░░░░░░ Vice President Mike Pence ░░░░░░░░ s seen more than ░░░░░░░░ of us have seen ░░░░░░░░ knows more than any ░░░░░░░░ us know And I ░░░░░░░░ just hope in this ░░░░░░░░ when we are less ░░░░░░░░ a year out or ░░░░░░░░ a year out from ░░░░░░░░ election that he would ░░░░░░░░ about speaking out more ░░░░░░░░ just about the unfitness ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump This is ░░░░░░░░ about politics It s ░░░░░░░░ about policy It is ░░░░░░░░ the character of the ░░░░░░░░ who s the leader ░░░░░░░░ the free world KARL ░░░░░░░░ because even now even ░░░░░░░░ years later almost you ░░░░░░░░ there are many that ░░░░░░░░ t come out who ░░░░░░░░ exactly what you all ░░░░░░░░ or know more MATTHEWS ░░░░░░░░ think it s really ░░░░░░░░ to paint all of ░░░░░░░░ Republicans with a broad ░░░░░░░░ and say that they ░░░░░░░░ doing it for you ░░░░░░░░ their own personal ambitions ░░░░░░░░ I think is a ░░░░░░░░ majority of them but ░░░░░░░░ think another thing that ░░░░░░░░ have to consider a ░░░░░░░░ is that a lot ░░░░░░░░ these people won t ░░░░░░░░ forward even if privately ░░░░░░░░ ll acknowledge that Trump ░░░░░░░░ unfit or will privately ░░░░░░░░ that the 2020 election ░░░░░░░░ t stolen It s ░░░░░░░░ they know that they ░░░░░░░░ face death threats that ░░░░░░░░ families will face death ░░░░░░░░ I knew that coming ░░░░░░░░ and speaking out against ░░░░░░░░ Trump I could potentially ░░░░░░░░ security threats or death ░░░░░░░░ online harassment Despite all ░░░░░░░░ personal sacrifice I knew ░░░░░░░░ ultimately it was the ░░░░░░░░ thing to do And ░░░░░░░░ I just would encourage ░░░░░░░░ to come forward because ░░░░░░░░ re we re running ░░░░░░░░ of time in order ░░░░░░░░ try to stop Trump ░░░░░░░░ being in the Oval ░░░░░░░░ again KARL His campaign ░░░░░░░░ is retribution I mean ░░░░░░░░ is the centerpiece of ░░░░░░░░ campaign He says I ░░░░░░░░ your retribution This is ░░░░░░░░ tough question but let ░░░░░░░░ ask each of you ░░░░░░░░ you worried that you ░░░░░░░░ face that retribution if ░░░░░░░░ comes back in GRIFFIN ░░░░░░░░ is a very real ░░░░░░░░ I ve met with ░░░░░░░░ Cabinet secretaries very recently ░░░░░░░░ were also on this ░░░░░░░░ know potential theoretical list ░░░░░░░░ and they re worried ░░░░░░░░ it Listen I ll ░░░░░░░░ this with Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ what scares me as ░░░░░░░░ as him and his ░░░░░░░░ is the almost cult ░░░░░░░░ following he has over ░░░░░░░░ most die hard supporters ░░░░░░░░ threats the harassment the ░░░░░░░░ threats that you get ░░░░░░░░ he targets you and ░░░░░░░░ s deliberate in targeting ░░░░░░░░ really horrifying and has ░░░░░░░░ place in our American ░░░░░░░░ and is unlike anything ░░░░░░░░ ve seen in the ░░░░░░░░ plus I ve been ░░░░░░░░ politics I m less ░░░░░░░░ for any like personal ░░░░░░░░ for me but it ░░░░░░░░ he knows how to ░░░░░░░░ government better this time ░░░░░░░░ can put in die ░░░░░░░░ loyalists who can weaponize ░░░░░░░░ level of government against ░░░░░░░░ detractors against the American ░░░░░░░░ against the media It ░░░░░░░░ it s almost too ░░░░░░░░ to fully wrap your ░░░░░░░░ around what it could ░░░░░░░░ like MATTHEWS The American ░░░░░░░░ and people in general ░░░░░░░░ short memories And so ░░░░░░░░ might forget the chaos ░░░░░░░░ the Trump years and ░░░░░░░░ they might not just ░░░░░░░░ paying attention to what ░░░░░░░░ s saying now and ░░░░░░░░ threat to democracy that ░░░░░░░░ And so it does ░░░░░░░░ concern me if he ░░░░░░░░ it to a general ░░░░░░░░ he could win And ░░░░░░░░ I m still hopeful ░░░░░░░░ we can defeat him ░░░░░░░░ the primary but we ░░░░░░░░ running out of time ░░░░░░░░ Our singular focus needs ░░░░░░░░ be if he is ░░░░░░░░ nominee on making sure ░░░░░░░░ he is not elected ░░░░░░░░ president again next November ░░░░░░░░ Even if that means ░░░░░░░░ a Democrat MATTHEWS It ░░░░░░░░ really disappointing because I ░░░░░░░░ at these options and ░░░░░░░░ m upset with them ░░░░░░░░ at the end of ░░░░░░░░ day I trust one ░░░░░░░░ with our government and ░░░░░░░░ than I do the ░░░░░░░░ and so I ve ░░░░░░░░ voted for a Democrat ░░░░░░░░ my life but I ░░░░░░░░ that in this next ░░░░░░░░ I would put policy ░░░░░░░░ and choose democracy HUTCHINSON ░░░░░░░░ now there s a ░░░░░░░░ portion of the population ░░░░░░░░ s not recognizing their ░░░░░░░░ that s not working ░░░░░░░░ continue to better our ░░░░░░░░ And right now we ░░░░░░░░ completely splitting down the ░░░░░░░░ On one side that ░░░░░░░░ the truth and that ░░░░░░░░ reality and the other ░░░░░░░░ is propaganda and lies ░░░░░░░░ is a fundamental election ░░░░░░░░ continue to safeguard our ░░░░░░░░ and our constitutional republic ░░░░░░░░ if we crumble as ░░░░░░░░ nation we re setting ░░░░░░░░ example for generations to ░░░░░░░░ not only in the ░░░░░░░░ States but on the ░░░░░░░░ stage that democracy is ░░░░░░░░ experiment and it s ░░░░░░░░ guaranteed We re extremely ░░░░░░░░ as a country and ░░░░░░░░ is the democratic experiment.”