On April 4, 1967, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King delivered a sermon at Riverside Church in New York City. The country was still grappling with the effects of the Vietnam War and social unrest and King pointed out that we were running out of time. “We are now faced with the fact, my friends, that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now Over the bleached bones and jumbled residues of numerous civilizations are written the pathetic words, “Too late.”
In King’s mind, if we failed to act on the fires of injustice, they would soon grow into a conflagration that could destroy the nation itself.
We are now faced with the reality of a major party candidate who openly presents himself as an autocrat and as someone who will exact revenge on anyone he sees as an enemy. We have more than his recent rhetoric to confirm what he means. The front-runner for the Republican nomination has a record of disparaging John McCain and other decorated veterans. He continues to launch attacks on political opponents, calling them “sleepy,” “crooked,” “nasty” or “deranged.” He has insulted Gold Star families and demeaned Mexicans, minorities and women with language that most of us wouldn’t tolerate from our 10-year-old children.
His unprecedented efforts to cling to power shook the very foundations of our democracy and resulted in deadly riots at the Capitol. His business transactions before the presidency have been found to be fraudulent and his actions during and after his Presidency have landed him in court in four different jurisdictions facing 91 separate felony counts.
Those legal entanglements are revealing yet more about the nature of former President Donald Trump.
Former President Donald Trump speaks outside the courtroom after testifying at New York Supreme Court, Monday, Nov. 6, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)AP
The social media platform that the ex-president uses to influence millions of his supporters blatantly suggested the arrest of the prosecutor and the judge involved in his fraud case in New York. This is outrageous behavior for any defendant. In this case, it is goading his followers to take matters into their own hands and to disrupt the criminal justice system by any means possible. Even Ty Cobb, the former White House counsel, noted that “these are the types of incendiary attacks that lead to violence.”
What’s worse is that it shows exactly what the personal political strategy is: Ignore all established norms and whip his devotees into a frenzy that will enable him to do whatever he wants. It is becoming increasingly clear that what he wants is to win back the presidency to insulate himself against any criminal penalties that he now faces.
What is most disconcerting about a possible second term for the former president are the prospects for the devastation of representative government as we know it and the rise of a personal autocracy with plans for revenge and retribution. Trump has used those very terms in stump speeches throughout the country. Recently, he promised to weaponize the Department of Justice to go after “every Marxist prosecutor in America,” and to “root out the radical-left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country.”
These are not the words of a man with aspirations for a more perfect union. These are the rantings of a vengeful, would-be ruler with no constraints. Sarah Matthews, one of Trump’s former aides, told USA Today: “His policies are not centered around improving the lives of his supporters or Americans in general, it’s centered around consolidating power for Trump, and that way he can wield it to enact that revenge on anyone he deems as an enemy I wish that was penetrating through more in the minds of voters.”
Instead, multiple reports in recent weeks from The New York Times and Washington Post have detailed how outside conservative groups and Trump allies are laying the groundwork for a second Trump term, including the appointment of attorneys and personnel who would be willing to push through controversial aspects of Trump’s agenda. And Republican primary voters seem content with this malevolence. They continue to grovel to his candidacy and his poll numbers rise.
The Trump time bomb is ticking. Every day that passes gets us closer to the presidential primary season and the moment when candidates will lock up their respective party nominations. It is time for reasonable Republicans to wean themselves away from a flawed candidate whose intentions are less than honorable.
I believe that responsible Americans understand the threat and the urgency of now.
Mark S. Singel is a former lieutenant governor and acting governor of Pennsylvania.
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