“No one can walk away. We must stay in the fight, every one of us.”
That’s what Vice President Kamala Harris told a gathering of young leaders in Maryland this week as the Biden administration entered its final month.
The broader public would do well to heed this message because President-elect Donald Trump isn’t waiting until his inauguration to begin a crusade of retribution against his perceived enemies and any entity that tries to hold him accountable.
Rather than girding ourselves against Trump’s promises of revenge, too many of us are rolling out the welcome mat.
And yet, rather than girding ourselves against Trump’s torrent of threats and promises of revenge, too many of us are rolling out the welcome mat.
The same day that Harris spoke those words, Trump’s allies in the House of Representatives called on the FBI to investigate former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney for her participation in the Jan. 6 Select Committee’s investigation. A few days before, Trump told NBC News’ Kristen Welker that Cheney, Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson and other members of the committee should be imprisoned for their work.
Trump also filed a lawsuit against The Des Moines Register for supposed election interference after the paper published a poll showing Harris beating him in the Hawkeye State.
As all of this is happening, Trump is assembling a potential Cabinet of loyalists such as Kash Patel for FBI director, who’s promised to come after the media and Trump critics inside and outside the federal government. The clear message is that Trump will use the powers granted to him as president to attack those he perceives as his enemies. You could call it revenge, except that implies his targets did something wrong.
To make matters worse, those with the most power to curb Trump’s worst impulses are ceding ground to the erosion of our most sacred institutions.
FBI Director Christopher Wray recently announced he would resign before Trump — who, you may recall, appointed him in his first administration — takes office, despite having roughly three years left in his term. Wray chose to step aside and clear the way for Patel rather than daring Trump to fire him.
ABC News recently settled Trump’s defamation case against the network, agreeing to give $15 million to a future presidential library as part of the deal.
Embattled Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been accused of working to curry favor with Trump, meeting with incoming border czar Tom Homan, who’s promised to carry out mass deportations with or without the support of state and municipal officials. Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania agreed to meet with Trump’s pick for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, despite allegations of sexual assault, which Hegseth denies.
Is it politically shrewd to ignore threats of retribution against the American people?
Both men have framed these moves as politically shrewd, but that would hinge on the premise that Trump’s machinations are normal, rather than harmful to our democracy. Besides, is it politically shrewd to ignore threats of retribution against the American people?
Because that’s the thing, folks. This is so much bigger than Trump. It’s about preserving the checks and balances that have allowed this imperfect but determined country to survive even the most perilous times.
If the entities designed to hold our leaders accountable — Congress, journalists, public servants — choose to falter instead of fight, it will send a message to every aspiring autocrat waiting to become the next Trump.
Trump won the presidential election but hasn’t yet won the battle for the nation’s soul. That’s a battle he can win only if we unconditionally surrender.
For more thought-provoking insights from Michael Steele, Alicia Menendez and Symone Sanders-Townsend, watch “The Weekend” every Saturday and Sunday at 8 a.m. ET on MSNBC.
