The essence of flimflammery and other such tactics meant to trick people into believing one thing while they lose their money on something else, is of course to keep peoples’ eyes and interest on one thing, while taking advantage of them on something else.
Project 2025, which Mr. Trump publicly disavowed knowing about or being directed by, has been very effective so far in keeping the public guessing. The latest move in Texas to unilaterally change the voting numbers for congressional Republicans versus Democrats has shown flashes of the real political intent and interest of that plan.
Ending democracy as we know it and replacing it with an American oligarchy is now visible in the ether. With all the hand waving and sleight of hand, the ultimate goal, apparently, is still an old one—dethrone democracy in the U.S. and let oligarchy run the show.
An oligarchy is that form of governance in which political power is regularly controlled by a minority group of people within a society whose interests are focused on capturing and maintaining wealth, social standing, and a sort of aristocracy. A democracy is a system of governance in which political power and authority reside with everyday people and the political system operates through elected representatives. In essence, an oligarchy is ruled by the few or the wealthy, whereas a democracy is ruled by the many. Since Benjamin Franklin’s famous answer to an inquirer in 1787, “we have given you a republic–if you can keep it,” there has been a consistent fight for the survival of democracy in the USA.
Mr. Trump and his team of sometimes seeming nitwits, represents the strongest attempt thus far to dethrone American democracy and enshrine oligarchy. The latest strategy in their battle plan is to strong-arm a take-over of congressional authority in the U.S. Through Congress, the entire American government can be controlled.
Destroying the public’s belief in the value of free elections is a major plank in Trump and the Project 2025 game plan. Make it harder for the public to vote, kill procedures for mail-in voting, limit any opportunities for rural voting, and most importantly, kill off the competition. Make the winner always known before any contest…that is, where any voting is allowed, rig the results.
That is the aim of the Texas two-step or Texas tango we all just saw in the wildly out-sized attempt to drag elected Democrats back to legislative sessions in Texas where an official take-over vote of the state legislature could legally become binding. To help rig the 2026 contests for seats in the U.S. Congress, the Texas legislature dominated by Republicans wanted to guarantee 5 more Republican seats. They accomplished that goal a few days ago.
Enter a better political chess player: California’s Gavin Newsom. He and the California legislature just arranged a public vote in November to possibly override the California State non-partisan redistricting committee’s maps in order to produce five more Democratic party seats for Congress. That would nullify the Texas two-step, re-energize other states to act similarly, and thus save American democracy from the oligarchic path the Trump people have put the country on.
Make no mistake: the battle to save American democracy is on and humming. It is important to vote for Prop 50 in November, if you want to save the democracy you know.
Professor David L. Horne is founder and executive director of PAPPEI, the Pan African Public Policy and Ethical Institute, which is a new 501(c)(3) pending community-based organization or non-governmental organization (NGO). It is the stepparent organization for the California Black Think Tank which still operates and which meets every fourth Friday.