American Democracy Remains Fragile
TV journalist calls American hopes for a coup 'one of the most chilling things that I hear'
It's months after Donald Trump left office, the violent insurrection he fomented in a last-ditch attempt to remain in power failed, and Trump's largely been silenced across his once-powerful megaphone of social media.
Yet, despite the former authoritarian-minded president's physical absence, the state of American democracy remains surprisingly — and frighteningly — fragile, according to journalists covering related events.
This continued fragility was just brought into stark relief this last weekend. While most Americans were observing the Memorial Day holiday and the sacrifice given by so many servicemen and women in the name of perpetuating democracy — former Trump White House national security adviser Michael Flynn was at a conference in Dallas, Texas, where he said publicly that the recent coup in the Southeastern Asian nation of Myanmar — in which the military overthrew the government — is something that “should happen” in the United States.
Flynn, who was convicted of lying to the FBI until pardoned by Trump, found himself in legal hot water anew, as many observers called the remark “seditious,” and some experts even suggested that Flynn be recalled to active duty so as to face court martial for the remark.
Yet as much controversy as Flynn may have seemed to stoke with his incendiary comment, he was loudly applauded in the conference hall when he said it.
And it's that kind of continued enthusiasm for authoritarianism and for the overthrow of the lawfully elected and legitimate US government which reporters continue to observe.
"And, you know, this talk of a coup is something that has been circulating for months now in the QAnon conspiracy theory world that both [Trump-supporting attorney Sidney] Powell and Flynn live in,” said CNN reporter Donie O'Sullivan. “And, you know, we spend a lot of time — I spend a lot of time — reading a lot of these pro-Trump forums, these QAnon forums online and speaking to Trump supporters, and I will say, of all the conspiracy theories we hear and all the different ideas, this talk from Americans about a coup, cheering on a coup and hoping for a coup in the United States is one of the most chilling things that I hear on the road."
Meanwhile, many of those arrested and charged in connection with participating in the deadly January 6 Capitol insurrection are flatly refusing plea deals when offered — because they sincerely believe that Donald Trump will, in the end, save them from prison.
This is according to a new report by podcaster Farron Cousins.
Longtime New York Times reporter Peter Baker also sees American democracy as less-secure than many might believe.
“I think we have heard in recent times, the democracy we thought that is cemented is fragile. The institution, the norms, the standards that we believed were rock solid in the United States have been vulnerable, just as we have seen in other countries around the world," Baker said. "I spent four years in Moscow, a correspondent for the Washington Post, and I have traveled to the Middle East, and we have seen in recent times, stories I would have only imagined here we would have covered as foreign correspondents, and the people who fought and died to protect the country, whose memories we honor today, did so with the idea they were defending a robust and healthy democratic system, one I think we do need to protect and guard, whether on the battlefields or in society today, and no matter what party we’re in, we give thanks to those who stood up for us, and we think about the role we have to play, making this a more perfect nation, as they say.”