Note: The following Faith and Democracy series does not endorse a candidate or party in the upcoming election. Its purpose is to consider the scenarios that could play out if former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris wins the election.  

Does a second Trump Administration mean democracy is over? That depends. Democracy is only as strong as the citizens who fight for it.  

We know one apparent reality if Donald J. Trump wins a second presidential term. We do not even have to imagine. Trump and his surrogates have told the American public what they will do. They have not been hiding their plans. They’ve been telling it to Americans to their faces.

Project 2025 will be implemented on day one. 

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, “Project 2025 is a federal policy agenda and blueprint for a radical restructuring of the executive branch authored and published by former Trump administration officials in partnership with The Heritage Foundation.”

Trump has repeatedly distanced himself from Project 2025, claiming he was unaware of the project.  However, a CBS News analysis revealed that almost 270 of the project’s proposals match Trump’s rhetoric line by line.  

Make no mistake: if Trump wins, Project 2025 will be his administration’s blueprint, line by line. With the truth of Project 2025 revealed, the question now is, “What would a second Trump presidency mean?”

Democracy Forward said Project 2025 is a “ruthless plan to undermine the quality of life of millions of Americans, remove critical protections and dismantle programs for communities across the nation, and prioritize special interests and ideological extremism over people.”

They continued, “From attacking overtime pay, student loans, and reproductive rights to allowing more discrimination, pollution, and price gouging, those behind Project 2025 are preparing to go to incredible lengths to create a country only for some, not for all of us.”

Finally, “If these plans are enacted, which Project 2025’s authors claim can happen without congressional approval, 4.3 million people could lose overtime protections, 40 million people could have their food assistance reduced, 220,000 American jobs could be lost, and much, much, more. The stakes are higher than ever for democracy and for people.”

While Trump has disputed his previous statements about being a dictator for one day, the evidence suggests otherwise. His rhetoric, fueled by Project 2025 policies, reveals his plans to centralize power and force his draconian policies on American citizens.

More recently, Trump told Fox News about his plans to use the military against U.S. citizens. “I think the bigger problem is the enemy from within,” Trump said. He added: “We have some very bad people. We have some sick people, radical left lunatics. And I think they’re the big — and it should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by the National Guard or if really necessary, by the military, because they can’t let that happen.”

Trump’s former Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper, warned citizens to take the former president seriously because he “lived through” those discussions. Esper told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, “I saw over the summer of 2020 where President Trump and those around him wanted to use the National Guard in various capacities in cities such as Chicago and Portland and Seattle.”

In addition to using military force on citizens (as witnessed in Lafayette Square in June 2020, when federal police violently cleared protestors for a Trump photo op in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church), Trump and his allies will eliminate critical federal oversight and target marginalized citizens attempting to strip them of their rights.

Under the guise of “returning issues to the state,” a second Trump administration will significantly influence the following issues:

Women’s reproductive rights will continue to be a target of Christian nationalists seeking a federal abortion ban. If the federal ban fails, then some states will continue to put women’s lives in danger through state legislatures controlled by conservative men.

LGBTQ+ rights and equality will be in danger. After the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, conservative U.S. Supreme Justice Clarence Thomas declared that same-sex marriage and contraception should be “reconsidered.” In addition to repealing same-sex marriage, gender-affirming care would be a target of Trump and his policy team.

The Department of Education would be overhauled entirely, perhaps even eliminated, to give more oversight to states. This would allow more conservative states to move further towards privatizing education, whitewashing curriculum and destroying the current public education system.

Again, no imagination is needed on this topic because states like Oklahoma are doing exactly what a national policy fueled by Project 2025 would look like.

Environmental protections would decrease or be eliminated to increase corporate profits. Climate change would continue to escalate, putting coastal states at risk and causing more extreme weather across the planet. People experiencing poverty, who do not have the money to relocate from hot climates, would be the most affected.  

Economic policies would be enacted to protect the ultra-wealthy and corporations. Labor unions would be targeted for disruption and elimination. 

Taxes would be reduced for the wealthy, shifting more of the tax burden to the middle class. Labor laws would be ignored or repealed, giving employers more power and stripping away safeguards for workers.

On the international front, a Trump Administration would alienate the U.S. from traditional allies and foster relations with autocratic dictators and governments. With Trump’s disdain for global alliances, the potential to move away from the United Nations and NATO is possible.  Wars will not be fought to protect democracy but to solidify power for dictators and empires.

Finally, a second Trump presidency would bring on a full-scale implementation of white Christian nationalism. Under the mantra of “Make America Great Again,” regressive policies would wipe away any civil rights infringing upon the ruling class. America would be declared a “Christian” nation, solidifying conservative religious pundits as policymakers.

While other issues are at stake under a potential second Trump presidency, these are a few that cause any sensible citizen to pause. In the final analysis, if Trump is elected president in November, democracy will be on shaky ground.

Finally, with so much at stake in November, I am reminded of President Abraham Lincoln’s famous quote: “Elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their backs on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.”

Unfortunately for America, those blisters might indicate the end of democracy.