'Nothing good': Editorial paints 'nightmarish' picture of second Trump presidency

The specter of another Donald Trump presidency looms over 2024 as this year draws to a close.

The twice-impeached former president has been indicted four times on 91 charges yet somehow remains the Republican frontrunner, and The Guardian looked ahead to the threat he might pose to American democracy and the world order in an ominous year-end op-ed.

"Democrats point out that there’s a long way to go and that November’s off-year election results point to a brighter picture," wrote the newspaper's editors. "Mr. Trump faces a dizzying array of legal cases, though the most significant may not move to a trial before the election. While they boost the belief of diehard admirers that he is being persecuted, some supporters say he should not stand if convicted. It’s not impossible that he might run from a prison cell."

"What would Mr. Trump’s return to the White House mean for America and the world? Nothing good," they added.

Trump has already been laying the groundwork to declare his possible election loss as fraudulent, and he has stepped up his authoritarian rhetoric and threatened to act as a dictator on "Day One."

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"The far right around the world would be emboldened by his victory," the editors wrote. "Mr Trump is in large part a symptom of our times, but he has encouraged and enabled others in his mould at home and abroad. The social fabric has been damaged by a style of politics in which hatred is the organizing principle."

The editors called on Democrats to make clear to voters that next year's elections offered a last hope for saving democracy, but they worried that might not be enough.

"Of course, Mr. Trump might not be able to fully implement his nightmarish boasts in office," the editors concluded. "But he would do more than enough. Drive off a cliff and you might live to tell the tale. But you can’t count on survival – and you can be certain of damage. The U.S., and the world, cannot afford a second term for Mr. Trump."