Edward Luce: “Donald Trump, as the saying goes, should be taken literally as well as seriously. Mr Trump often raises the prospect of securing an illegal third term in 2024. He recently told global football officials that he should still be America’s president when it hosts the World Cup in 2026. Mr Trump often follows up by saying: ‘Only kidding’. Then he raises the theme again — twice in the past week; once at a rally in North Carolina, the second time on Twitter.”
“Should Americans accept that Mr Trump is joking? Only at great risk. No other U.S. president has faced the prospect of being re-elected or going to jail. Whether a defeated Mr Trump would actually be prosecuted — by the Southern District of New York, for example, and for any number of alleged crimes — is immaterial. All that matters is whether Mr Trump believes he could face jail. To judge by Mr Trump’s words and actions, he considers victory in next year’s election to be an existential necessity.”
“This includes creating the climate for a repeat of the 2016 election.”
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