US President Donald Trump speaks after disembarking Air Force One upon arrival from South Carolina, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, US October 21, 2026. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
President Donald Trump receives a chilling warning that he could face a lengthy prison sentence in a new analysis examining what could happen if he attempts to interfere with the midterm elections, drawing comparisons to a president who tried to seize power and is serving life in prison.
In The Nation on Thursday, Paul Loeb and South Korean activist Jungmin Choi gave an example of Yoon Suk Yeol's downfall, whose failed December 2024 martial law declaration ended in mass protests, impeachment and life in prison for insurrection.
The authors say that Yoel’s fall from grace is an example of why Americans should resist any attempt by Trump or his administration to refuse to accept the election results.
“How do you stop a would-be dictator? The first requirement is knowing that it’s possible,” they wrote.
On December 3, 2024, Yoon declared martial law, which banned political activity and sent troops into the National Assembly. However, protesters fought back by surrounding the building, and lawmakers forced their way past military forces to overturn the martial law decree.
The protesters grew to over a million in just a few days, and Yoon was impeached and removed from office.
He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison in February 2026 after he was found guilty of leading an insurrection. Yoon escaped the death penalty and has filed multiple appeals for his conviction.
The court found that Yoon attempted to obstruct lawmakers from carrying out their constitutional duties by sending armed forces to the legislature.
“It is sufficient to conclude that there was intent to obstruct or paralyze the Assembly’s functions for a considerable period,” Judge Ji Gwi-yeon said.
Loeb and Choi detail five lessons for Americans from Yoon’s failed attempt at seizing power. They include the importance of voting, public resistance, and encouraging the military to refuse illegal orders. They referenced the six US senators and House members with military and national security backgrounds who released a video last November urging the military to refuse illegal orders.
They add that the effort to safeguard an election doesn't end once ballots are cast, noting that local authorities, the courts and regular citizens may all have a part to play if an administration tries to obstruct the process.
“But massive, immediate nonviolent protest will also be essential,” the authors wrote.
They also mention that it is essential to protect voting polls, writing: “For the US midterms, most points of contestation will be local: Citizens and local governments need to protect polling places and vote-counting centers, including having police protect them from disruption.”
They write that in the US, "power gets consolidated in stages," and aside from legal challenges, protest organizations such as Indivisible and No Kings have conducted poll monitoring and Hands Off the Vote trainings.
Following the Jan. 6 Capitol attack and Trump's subsequent pardons of the insurrectionists, many have feared what he may do if he doesn't hold on to power.
