President Donald Trump has repeatedly mused about being a dictator. He is already claiming that the election is rigged against him if he loses and is now threatening to use the military against the American people if they rise up against him.

It should not have to be said that no president has ever refused to concede an election loss. And no president has certainly refused to leave office upon losing. One of the hallmarks of our democracy is the peaceful transition of power that occurs between the outgoing president and the new president.

Should Democratic nominee Joe Biden win the race in November, however, Trump apparently plans to stay in power.

This, of course, would inevitably result in violence across the country as Americans rise up to meet the fascist threat Trump poses to democracy, the Constitution, and the rule of law.

Faced with being ousted or worse by angry Americans resisting his authoritarianism, Trump told reporters on Wednesday during another embarrassing press conference that he will use the military against the American people if they challenge his tyranny.

“We will put it down very, very quickly if there is. And I think the American public wants to see that,” Trump said before moving on to once again falsely claim that mail-in votes are fraudulent.

Trump is clearly forgetting that over 50 percent of active-duty troops disapprove of him, as do a majority of veterans after his disparaging remarks about the troops surfaced earlier this month. It should also be pointed out that the military is already preparing to disobey illegal orders Trump may give if he tries to use them to stay in power.

Americans need to brace themselves because it sure looks like Trump is going to incite violence if he loses the election to Biden. And if he can’t use the military to do it, he’ll turn to his supporters to protect him. We must be prepared to fight for our country and democracy against this fascist regime.

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