Standing at a crossroads | In Focus

Published 11:00 am Wednesday, October 15, 2025

“We stand at a crossroads: either America will be a multiracial democracy or it will not be a democracy at all” (Steen Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt. Tyranny of the Minority)

If you want to boil down the controversy and division in the United States today, it comes down to this demographic fact. For all of American history, white males have ruled and dominated this nation. White majority dominance is threatened by changing demographics.

According to the Brookings Institute:

“The new statistics project that the nation will become “minority white” in 2045. During that year, whites will comprise 49.7 percent of the population in contrast to 24.6 percent for Hispanics, 13.1 percent for blacks, 7.9 percent for Asians, and 3.8 percent for multiracial populations.”

White Christian males, especially, see the erosion of their power and feel threatened. That’s why they helped Donald Trump win two presidential elections. He promised to “Make America Great Again”. What he really meant and what his white Christians supporters understood, was that Trump was promising to “make [white] American Christians great again.”

White Christians support Trump, not because they like his personality, morals, or even his policies. They support him because Trump understands and plays on their demographic fears. The president clearly and consciously is breaking laws and acting unconstitutionally. Republicans in Congress have remained silent, allowing him to usurp their power of the purse and of appointment.

Under this mindset, minorities and Democrats must not rise to positions of power, nor can biracial females like Kamala Harris, or even white Hilary Clinton, become president.

Trump’s actions over the past nine months are an attempt to erode democracy. His base support remains at a steady 37-39%, no matter what he does or says. Why? Because in their understanding of what’s happening, he is acting to help them maintain their white dominance over minorities, the poor, and women. Immigrants are being deported, criminals or not, or denied legal access because of them being the “wrong” race.

Here are some examples: indicting and threatening his enemies, or getting them cancelled from their programs: James Comey, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Letitia James, and Adam Schiff. Trump hates them because they reveal his weaknesses—his bigotry, hypocrisy, lies, and dictatorial actions.

He has federalized the National Guard in Democratic California, Washington D.C., Chicago, and Portland, making up lies about riots, crime, and warfare in the streets, where little or none exist. In all these cases, the Democratic governors and mayors (who gain their support from minorities and the educated) have reacted strongly against his dictatorial acts. These Democratic leaders understand that Trump is preparing to take over voting in Democratic states during the 2026 midterms.

Trump needs to win the midterms to maintain Republican control of Congress. That’s why he has encouraged Republican governors in states like Texas and Missouri to gerrymander districts so that Republicans can maintain their control of the House of Representatives. That’s why he wants to end mail-in voting. If the Democrats take control of the House, it is certain they will vote to impeach him for a third time and act to limit his moves toward dictatorship and the end of democracy.

“Whereas most parties change strategy in response to electoral defeat, the Republican Party response in many states was to change—indeed shrink—the electorate.” Demanding photo IDs to vote is a solution looking for a problem “Election fraud—especially voter impersonation fraud—is virtually nonexistent in the United States” (Levitsky and Ziblatt).

When lower court judges rule against him because he is ignoring the rule of law, Trump has sought ways to get around their decrees. He knows that in most cases, his Republican allies on the Supreme Court will ignore constitutional law and precedent and give him what he wants: The Republican majority gave him partial immunity. They have allowed him to fire federal agency officials even though it is a clear violation of checks and balances and laws passed by Congress. Their goal is to return power to the white ruling class.

When the president spoke before 800 generals, admirals, and their staffs in Quantico, Virginia recently, he told the assembled that their training ground for war would be American cities. Who lives in American cities? Minorities and Democrats who threaten white dominance and dictatorship.

Most of Trump’s programs are unpopular and even hurt his base in red states. Farmers are hurting due to his tariffs and the healthcare cuts to come. But many still support his policies, not because it’s logical, but because they believe he is protecting their racial and ethnic dominance, even if they are hurt financially in the process.

America is at the crossroad between the U.S. becoming a multiracial democracy or becoming a dictatorship. We will be witnesses and participants in the outcome.