“Donald Trump’s visible signs of aging, and his return to form by insulting those who dare oppose him, have either been ignored or worse, mischaracterized.”
But the bigger issue, says White, is the prospect of voters forgetting what Trump has promised to do in a second term, including, most recently, encouraging Vladimir Putin and his allies to “do whatever the hell they want” to NATO countries that fail to meet their defense obligations.
In 2016, Americans were told not to take Trump literally, but seriously. “This time voters need to do both,” says White.
“Unlike 1956 and 1984, when the ages of incumbent presidents were legitimate campaign issues, our democracy was not on the line. Adlai Stevenson and Walter Mondale did not threaten the world order, propose becoming dictators or turn their political parties into organizations that have more in common with the Branch Davidians.”
Read the op-ed at TheHill.com.
