The Right Resistance: Look to the hypothetical 2020 past to determine MAGA’s post-Trump future

The 2024 election is over.

Many have waited a long time for this moment, and not a lot of us could pinpoint exactly when the campaign even began. Along the way, there’ve been more twists and turns than a mountain road, more ups and downs than a roller coaster and more starts, stops and reversals than a carnival fun house’s hall of mirrors. Or a corn maze at a pumpkin patch. Something like that.

As for what happens after, we won’t have to wait long to find out. The real question on many folks’ mind today is what happens to the MAGA movement from now on with Trump being constitutionally ineligible – or age prevented – from running again.

In a piece titled, “‘I Think We’re in Trouble’: Is There a Future for MAGA After Trump?”, liberal politics editor David Siders wrote at Politico before the election:

“’We need you!’ yelled another, Deb Testa, who was standing behind me and who, when Trump mentioned Harris, said, ‘We do need to bring hanging back.’

“One thing to consider about MAGA, Testa told me, was that it’s hard to tell anymore ‘who the real Trump train, or Vance train, supporters are,’ because MAGA has become so large and diffuse. When Trump is gone, she said, ‘I think the Trump train will dwindle. A lot of people are in it for the hype.’ The result, she said, might be a smaller, more ‘purified’ version of the movement, and one ‘willing to do whatever it takes, those that remain.’

“Too many people, she said, were drawn to Trump’s rallies for the ‘concert-like effect.’”

Alas, now the speculation begins. What will MAGA-nation do when Trump finally hangs up the microphone? Thoughts vary about the movement’s staying power, but anyone who offers an opinion, if they’re being completely honest, concedes that they don’t have a clue.

What if the movement were in its waning days now? Here’s a fun mental exercise: Imagine Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign had never existed.

Yup. What if there were no “Make America Great Again” 2024 campaign? How different would the world be?

What would’ve caused the 2024 Trump effort to disappear? It’s not because of the “usual” reasons Trump haters and establishment media members cite while fantasizing about a Trump-less world. No, Trump didn’t belatedly grow a conscience after the January 6, 2021 “tourism riot” and, instead of amping up his political operation for 2024, opted to retire and cower in the background or remain at the fringes of American politics. And no, senile Joe’s and cackling Kamala Harris’s witch hunt lawfare campaign against the former president didn’t succeed and successfully wear down his resolve to Make America Great Again.

Nothing the Democrats or media could ever engineer would’ve caused Trump not to run this year. To have that effect, it had to be something systematic or existential. And no, there wasn’t a death or health reason or a sudden uprising in the Republican ranks that ultimately discouraged the 45th president from attempting to become the 47th.

Realistically speaking, the only thing that would’ve kept Trump from mounting a campaign in 2024 is if he had won the 2020 election. Yup. In this hypothetical, Trump’s election challenges were successful at the end of 2020, investigations unearthed massive fraud and other irregularities, mail-in ballots were given a thorough recount with millions tossed out and, at long last, Trump was declared the victor.

What would’ve transpired if Trump would’ve stayed in place?

It goes without saying the world would be a very different place today if Trump presided over a second term. January 6 would’ve just been a date when Congress gathered to count the Electoral Votes. Then-Vice President Mike Pence would’ve done his constitutional duty without a hitch and Democrats would’ve more or less accepted the outcome and continued on their COVID-era habit of contesting everything Trump did and laid the groundwork for 2024 by attempting to consolidate behind one presidential contender.

Ashley Babbitt would still be alive. So would all the victims of illegal aliens who were permitted to remain in the country without legal sanction. Millions would’ve never tried to cross the well-patrolled border. The fentanyl problem would’ve been reduced immeasurably. Tens of thousands of Americans would still be alive today and contributing to the economy that Trump would’ve improved.

Mexico’s government, under the threat of tariffs, would be cooperating in patrolling the border. Trade between the countries would be fair and competitive and friendly.

Senile Joe Biden would’ve gathered his legal team to challenge the election and crooked liberal lawyer extraordinaire Mark Elias would’ve received more than his share of establishment media spotlight by claiming that Trump “stole” the election somehow. When his legal avenues closed, senile Joe would’ve attended Trump’s second inauguration, then booked an AMTRAK train north to Delaware, all the while joking with acquaintances about how he intended to run again in 2024.

We would’ve never heard of “Let’s go Brandon!” or “Dark Brandon”.

Biden would’ve been supported in his lavish retirement lifestyle by Hunter, the middle-aged lad’s laptop largely forgotten about. Tony Bobulinski would’ve been suppressed by the establishment media. Then, senile Joe would’ve hired a ghost writer to detail his non-historic 2020 run during COVID and would spend the rest of his days blaming Trump for his political demise.

Cackling Kamala Harris would’ve never become vice president and thereafter be known as the diversity, equity and inclusion candidate that she is, and spent the next few years speaking to whatever groupings she could muster, laying the groundwork for a 2024 presidential candidacy that would never take flight.

COVID 19 would’ve eventually petered out and been treated as a “normal” flu bug. President Trump would’ve opened up the economy quickly, fired Dr. Anthony Fauci and brought in alternative views to guide his COVID policy. The economy wouldn’t have needed a hugely expensive “rescue” plan, people would’ve gone back to work – without masks – and school children would not be as behind as they are now.

After Trump’s second inauguration, Democrats would’ve conducted an “autopsy” to determine what went wrong in 2020. Nancy Pelosi would’ve ruled the warring factions within the party with an iron fist and become the most powerful Democrat still in power. None of the Biden non-cabinet members would’ve stayed in government. Elizabeth “Pocohontas” Warren would’ve given up her seat in the senate instead of winning reelection this week. Senator Joe Manchin would’ve resigned and not run for reelection in 2018, giving Republicans an additional seat.

With Trump still in power, Democrats would’ve gone full-bore socialist instead of pretending they still listen to the middle class. The party would be made up of poor welfare grifters, government employees and educated, entitled elites and do-gooders as well as the “woke” groups inspired by LGBTQIA++ influencers and freaks. Billionaires would keep the Democrats well-funded in perpetuity.

The federal midterm elections would’ve produced an authentic red wave instead of a trickle as it did in November, 2022. New Republican majorities in both chambers would’ve completed the border wall, illegal immigration would’ve been reduced to a fraction of what it turned out to be under Biden-Harris and the southern border would not have been the major issue that it was in 2024.

There would’ve been peace in the Middle East, with the Abraham Accords having been adopted and added to by non-Iran Muslim countries that would’ve figured out that it was more to their benefit to cooperate with Israel than attempt to win a war with the Jewish state. Meanwhile, Iran, bankrupted and desperate after several more years of crushing sanctions, would’ve needed to confront the growing resistance movement within its own borders.

Jewish voters would now be about 50-50 Republicans. Democrats would make up for their numbers by placating the whims of the Rashida Tlaib-led Muslim terrorist factions.

Afghanistan would’ve reverted to Taliban rule, with a number of important differences. Trump would’ve held on to Bagram Air base, where a scaled back American military force would monitor the backwards country for flareups and to stifle terrorist-cell activity. Though hardly friendly, Afghanistan would be stable and not constitute a threat.

China would not have been emboldened to threaten U.S. interests in the region. Taiwan would not feel threatened by Chinese invasion. South Korea and Japan would’ve considered adding nuclear weapons so as to not rely solely on the American nuclear umbrella for protection. Kim Jong Un would’ve continued his belligerent threats but self-neutralize and eventually consider economic reforms encouraged by President Trump.

Vladimir Putin, recognizing that it wasn’t worth it to invade Ukraine, would’ve bided his time until after the 2028 election to see if Democrats won so as to provide a safe window for the Russian dictator to realize his aggressive aims. NATO countries, under pressure from President Trump, would’ve contributed 2 % of their GDP’s to maintain their defenses. NATO would’ve become a real alliance rather than counting on the Americans to shelter them no matter what.

The American economy, under President Trump, would’ve never been plagued by inflation and high interest rates. The national debt would’ve still topped one trillion dollars a year but would show signs of potentially lessening in the near future with increased tax revenues brought on by Trump’s low tax/high growth policies. Congress would’ve remained dysfunctional. Democrats, using scare tactics after the Dobbs decision, would demagogue the abortion issue to death while making things difficult for Trump.

The establishment media would’ve invented more scandals to try and bring the New Yorker-turned Floridian down if Trump were in the White House. Liz Cheney, never having the chance to stir up a second impeachment, would’ve still been defeated by the people of Wyoming in the 2022 primary for being a worthless RINO. Adam Kinzinger would still be crying. He’d be out, too.

Instead of working on a third presidential campaign, Trump would’ve stayed out of the 2024 presidential primary race. Mike Pence would’ve run for president but still faced stiff competition from both the Republican establishment – he would’ve been seen as too much like Trump – and conservatives, led by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis would assume the leadership of MAGA.

J.D. Vance would’ve adopted Trump as a good president and won election to his senate seat in Ohio. Mitch McConnell would’ve fallen out of favor with Trump and would’ve lost his leadership post, likely to Florida’s Rick Scott, who would’ve become Majority/Minority Leader. The Senate would still be nearly evenly divided, but vice president Pence would’ve only broken a few ties.

President Trump would’ve instructed the RNC to begin its election get out the vote efforts after the 2020 election. Ronna Romney McDaniel would’ve been replaced much earlier, conservatives’ patience with her failures having run out long ago.

The establishment media would’ve redoubled its efforts to get Trump, but lacking an organized lawfare operation – and the power of the federal justice department – would’ve had much less success. Trump’s final year of his second term would’ve been relatively quiet by his standards. With most of his MAGA agenda already having been passed/and or implemented, Trump would’ve contented himself with shoring up his political legacy.

Such is what would’ve happened if Trump had won in 2020. Is there a hint of what will occur in four years when Trump is done?

• Joe Biden economy

• inflation

• Biden cognitive decline

• gas prices,

• Nancy Pelosi

• Biden senile

• Kamala Harris candidacy

• Donald Trump campaign

• Harris Trump debates

• J.D. Vance

• Kamala vice president

• Speaker Mike Johnson

• Donald Trump assassination

• Donald Trump

• 2024 presidential election

• Tim Walz