Before President Trump repeated he will not run for a third term in 2028, then donned a red “Trump 2028” hat, participants from the right and left, in Talking With, Not At … Debate & Donuts IV at The Allen Theatre last Wednesday argued that one way or another, the president will not give up power after 2028. 

That is, Trump will not necessarily run himself in two years but will make sure his regime stays in power via his minions. Political analysts and pundits call this “competitive authoritarianism,” in which an authoritarian regime stays in power by running rigged elections against weak opponents, while taking control of the formerly free press.

Former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is the model. He remained in power for 16 years until his Fidesz party was trounced in last spring’s elections. 

So what does the “Trump 2028” hat mean? Is it merely yet another revenue stream from the MAGA faithful, or is it a warning about our democracy’s future?

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