Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin in a recent New York Times op-ed:

… No amount of whitewashing can erase the images of “stop the steal” rioters assaulting police officers with baseball bats, metal pipes, Confederate and Trump flagpoles, bear spray and other chemicals.

But is Raskin right? I had to remind my neighbor Swamp Rabbit that yesterday was the fifth anniversary of Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and, in the process, start this country down the road to dictatorship.

“Dictatorship is a big word.” Swamp Rabbit said. “Be cool, Odd Man, things are bound to get better.”

He argued that Trump, although a notorious liar, a bigoted conman, a convicted felon and our most unqualified president ever, cannot justifiably be called a dictator, or even a would-be dictator, because our government still operates under the system of checks and balances established 249 years ago by the enlightened rebels who participated in the Constitutional Convention.

“You got your executive and legislative and judicial,” he explained, playing devil’s advocate. “A president, even a lowlife like Trump, will get smacked down by the other two branches if he becomes a danger to democracy. Ain’t no way he can be a dictator.”

But what happens if the president is a danger but the people in the other two branches are too cowardly or corrupt to smack him down? If an entire political party falls in line behind a leader who files bogus lawsuits alleging election fraud and recruits counterfeit electors? If the U.S. Supreme Court rules that a president can enjoy immunity from criminal prosecution for most “official” actions — i.e., actions taken while in office?

He stroked his goatee and said, “Don’t ask me, I ain’t no Constitution expert.”

The answer is nothing happens, because the laws governing the executive branch, as spelled out in the Constitution, are too vague to rein in a rogue president who would be king or, in this case, dictator.

It’s maddening. Trump’s coup attempt failed, but not before 147 Republican senators and Congress members refused to certify the 2020 election results. Afterwards, some prominent Republican pols scolded him for his lawlessness, but they reverted to being his stooges as soon as it became clear that MAGA voters were still with him. Now that he’s president again, they’re in lockstep behind him as he tries to erase history by blaming the Jan. 6 Capitol riot on Democrats. Erasing is what dictators do.

“Enough,” Swamp Rabbit said. “Can’t you just call him an authoritarian?”

“That’s a weasel word.” I replied. “But call him that if it makes you happy.”