In The Atlantic’s January/February 2024 issue, their writers imagine what a second Trump term would look like.

Image credit: Matt Huynh.

The Atlantic - If Trump Wins

In The Atlantic’s January/February 2024 special issue, their writers imagine what a second Trump term would look like. Here, we hear from three of them, with an introduction from The Atlantic's editor Jeffrey Goldberg.

A second Trump term would be far worse than the first, David Frum writes. His political agenda would be driven by revenge—and it could plunge the United States into a constitutional crisis.

The number of serious, qualified people willing to serve in the Trump administration has dwindled. In a second term, there would be no adults in the room, McKay Coppins writes.

And finally, Donald Trump and his allies have promised to restore their draconian child-separation policy. Caitlin Dickerson explains how they would move faster and more forcefully in a second term.

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The Atlantic

Imagining a second Trump presidency

In their January/ February 2024 issue - If Trump Wins - the staff of The Atlantic write about the threat a second term poses to American democracy. In this episode, we hear from Anne Applebaum, Tom Nichols, and Michael Schuman on what a Trump presidency would mean for foreign policy.

Anne Applebaum writes that, if re-elected, Donald Trump would abandon NATO. His decision would hobble American influence and reshape the international order.

In 2020, the armed forces were a bulwark against Donald Trump’s anti-democratic designs, Tom Nichols writes. If Donald Trump wins in 2024, one of his highest priorities will be making the military loyal to him—not the Constitution.

Finally, in 'Why Xi Wants Trump to Win', Michael Schuman reports that Donald Trump often talked of “getting tough” on China, but Joe Biden has taken real steps to check Chinese influence. A second Trump term could reverse those efforts—and allow China to present itself as the more responsible global power.

What a Trump presidency would mean for foreign policy

In their January/ February 2024 issue - If Trump Wins -  the staff of The Atlantic write about the threat a second term poses to American democracy. In this episode, we hear from Vann R. Newkirk II, Sophie Gilbert, Elaine Godfrey, and Spencer Kornhaber on what a Trump presidency would mean for civil rights.

First, Vann R. Newkirk II writes that Donald Trump could unwind generations of civil-rights progress by dismantling an important theory in civil-rights law.

Donald Trump’s reelection would usher in four more years of unchecked misogyny and make women targets once again, reports Sophie Gilbert.

Elaine Godfrey writes that anti-abortion activists hope that Donald Trump, if reelected, could end legal abortion in America. They have a plan to do so with or without a federal ban.

And finally, Spencer Kornhaber believes that after decades of gains in public acceptance for the LGBTQ community, Donald Trump’s campaign is promising a more repressive and dangerous America. Trump doesn’t just want to surveil, miseducate, and repress children exploring their identities—he wants to interfere in the private lives of millions of adults.

What a Trump presidency would mean for civil rights

In their January/ February 2024 issue - "If Trump Wins" -  the staff of The Atlantic wrote about the threat a second term poses to American democracy. In this episode, we hear from Franklin Foer, Ron Brownstein, Barton Gellman, Adam Serwer, and Juliette Kayyem on what a Trump presidency would mean for justice.

In 'Corruption Unbound', Franklin Foer writes that Donald Trump and his cronies left his first administration with a playbook for corrupt self-enrichment that they could quickly deploy in a second term.

Ronald Brownstein argues that Donald Trump would wage war against blue America, punishing the cities and states that don't support him. His agenda could pose the greatest threat to the nation's cohesion since the Civil War.

If re-elected, Donald Trump would use the presidency's powers to evade justice and punish his enemies, Barton Gellman writes in 'How Trump Gets Away With It'.

In 'A M.A.G.A. Judiciary', Adam Serwer reports that the conservative legal movement has been remade in Donald Trump's vulgar, authoritarian image. In a second term, Trump would appoint even more judges who don't care about the law.

And finally, in 'The Proud Boys Love a Winner', Juliette Kayyem writes that a second Trump term would validate the violent ideologies of far-right extremists—and allow them to escape legal jeopardy.

What a Trump presidency would mean for justice

In their January/ February 2024 issue - If Trump Wins -  the staff of The Atlantic write about the threat a second term poses to American democracy. In this episode, we hear from six of their writers about why truth would cease to matter in another Trump presidency.

First, in 'Trump Will Follow Through on his Threats', David A. Graham writes that we’ve become inured to Trump’s rhetoric—but his message has grown more authoritarian.

George Packer asks 'Is the Press Ready for a Second Trump Term?'. Republicans and Democrats both need the support of the working class, but neither party is asking the crucial question of what these voters actually want.

In a second Trump term, the truth won’t matter, Megan Garber writes. What happens when we can’t agree on a shared reality?

Donald Trump’s anti-science stance is bad for both Democrats and Republicans. Sarah Zhang explains how a second term would turn science into a slogan.

The former president’s approach to climate change is to ignore it. The environment can’t afford another four years of his denialism, Zoë Schlanger argues. 

And finally, Donald Trump has promised to impose his preferred historical narrative on school curricula. If re-elected, he could suppress American history, Clint Smith writes.

Why truth wouldn't matter in a second Trump presidency

In their January/February 2024 issue - If Trump Wins -  the staff of The Atlantic write about the threat a second term poses to American democracy. In this episode, we hear from Mark Leibovich, Helen Lewis, and Jennifer Senior about the impact a Trump presidency would have on the U.S. population.

If Trump wins again, perhaps we can all finally abandon the delusion that his supporters do not represent the true America, Mark Leibovich writes in 'This is Who We Are'.

In 'The Left Can't Afford to Go Mad', Helen Lewis argues that the Trump years sent many liberals completely around the bend. Just when the country needed clear and focused opposition to Trump's abuses, the left succumbed to purity spirals. It can't afford to do so again.

Finally, Jennifer Senior asks, 'What Will Happen to the American Psyche if Trump is Re-elected?'. Say what you want about Joe Biden—he's allowed Americans to go days at a time without remembering he's there.

The impact of a second term for Trump

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