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Left: Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the vice president’s residence in Washington, D.C., October 23, 2024. Right: Republican presidential nominee and former president Donald Trump participates in a campaign town hall in Lancaster, Pa., October 20, 2024.
Bonnie Cash, Brian Snyder/Reuters
There’s one thing on which committed partisans on either side of the political divide can agree — or, at least, on which they pretend to agree for the benefit of their credulous audiences: American democracy is finished if they don’t get their way.
“If Trump doesn’t win, this is the last election,” billionaire entrepreneur and Trump booster Elon Musk recently told podcast host Joe Rogan. “I think you’re right,” his Trump-endorsing interlocutor agreed.
About the Author
Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.
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There’s one thing on which committed partisans on either side of the political divide can agree — or, at least, on which they pretend to agree for the benefit of their credulous audiences: American democracy is finished if they don’t get their way.
“If Trump doesn’t win, this is the last election,” billionaire entrepreneur and Trump booster Elon Musk recently told podcast host Joe Rogan. “I think you’re right,” his Trump-endorsing interlocutor agreed.
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About the Author
Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.
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