When I envision Trump (as much as I try to steer clear of that thought), I see an elderly figure in his pajamas, meandering through the West Wing after dark, phone in hand, and governing via Twitter. Despite his seemingly frail demeanor, he possesses a cunning, snake-like intelligence that enables him to manipulate others into executing his wishes.

A nationwide pandemic is underway, one he was aware of beforehand, labeling it as "serious," "airborne," and "five times worse than the worst flu season," yet he chose to keep this information hidden and took no action to mitigate its spread.

As I write this, the death toll has surpassed 213,000, a figure that will likely be higher by the time you read this.

In 2017, Trump dismantled the White House Pandemic Response Team established by the Obama Administration, leaving the U.S. ill-equipped for a pandemic that was bound to occur. It was never a question of whether a pandemic would strike, but rather when it would happen.

Instead of fulfilling his duties, Trump concealed the threat out of concern it might unsettle the Stock Market. Rather than alerting Americans, which could have saved tens of thousands of lives, he dismissed the virus as a Chinese hoax while profiting off millions of dollars' worth of personal protective equipment sold to China.

We all anticipated, long before he openly acknowledged it, that Trump would contest the election results. He appears to expect a loss and is willing to do anything to cling to power. He began undermining the credibility of the November election well in advance, planting doubts among his supporters and potentially others as well.

He has claimed without evidence that there is widespread fraud associated with mail-in voting, all while he and his family comfortably vote by mail. At his rallies, he accuses Democrats of attempting to steal the election through mail-in ballots.

He even shared a conspiracy theory via Twitter suggesting that children in California would be stealing ballots from mailboxes.

Thus, his initial move to contest the election results will undoubtedly involve legal action to halt the counting of ballots arriving after Election Day, despite the fact that such ballots have been valid in every previous presidential election.

These ballots are sent through the mail, so he has attacked the legitimacy of mail-in voting, a method that has never posed an issue before. Military personnel and American citizens living abroad routinely cast their votes via mail.

To further ensure many ballots do not arrive on time, Trump's ally, Postmaster General DeJoy, restructured the roles of Postal executives, consolidating power and imposing restrictions that hinder timely mail delivery.

DeJoy removed thousands of public mailboxes across the country, although many were reinstated on the day he testified before the Senate.

Additionally, he eliminated 711 high-speed mail sorting machines essential for processing thousands of pieces of mail per hour from postal distribution centers in 2020.

Trump continues to block a coronavirus relief bill due to Democrats including funding for the Postal Service.

Public mailboxes that receive fewer than 25 pieces of mail daily are regularly taken out of service to be relocated to busier areas. However, any of these mailboxes could have been crucial for certain individuals, and their removal should not have even been considered.

DeJoy claims the sorting machines were removed as a cost-saving measure due to lack of demand, even though this year has seen unprecedented use of mail-in ballots, and he refuses to return them to their previous locations.

Furthermore, with support from Republican-led states in voter roll purges, restricting ex-felons' voting rights, and cutting back on polling places—all during a pandemic—voting this year will be more challenging than ever.

Voter roll purges have been rampant in Republican-controlled states, with Georgia reportedly purging the highest number at 540,000 since 2018, until the courts found that many were improperly removed, bringing the total closer to 300,000.

Many voters were also eliminated from the rolls in the critical state of Wisconsin, which Trump needs to win.

A 2018 Amendment in Florida, backed by over 65% of the state's residents, restored voting rights to 1.4 million felons. However, just a month before the election, Florida's Republican Governor imposed a requirement that all fines and administrative fees be paid first, creating a significant obstacle for many felons who struggle to find employment.

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta blocked a judge's ruling aimed at preserving the Amendment's original intent to allow felons to register to vote, and the Supreme Court declined to hear the case, further disenfranchising citizens who might lean Democratic.

It is no secret that Florida's Electoral votes are essential for any presidential candidate.

Polling locations have also seen drastic cuts nationwide, particularly in "blue" districts within "red" states, with Kentucky serving as a prime example: the state has slashed polling places from 3,700 to only 200.

Almost half of all Black residents in Kentucky reside in Jefferson County, which includes Louisville, now equipped with just one polling location for over six hundred thousand registered voters.

This effectively disenfranchises tens of thousands of voters who may lack transportation or funds for gas (with no bus services in rural areas), or the time to potentially travel one hundred miles to cast their ballots.

Voter suppression is manifesting in numerous other ways, including the removal of ballot drop boxes, but the real concern lies in what will transpire after the election.

If Trump manages to secure a win, his proposed 2021 budget includes cuts to services he pledged to protect, which will surely shock many of his supporters. Social services like Social Security benefits, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security Disability benefits are all on the chopping block.

Many individuals rely solely on Social Security retirement or disability benefits. It seems the sick, terminally ill, and dying will be expected to simply "suck it up" and find employment.

Moreover, SNAP benefits, commonly known as "food stamps," will be replaced with "boxes of nutritious, American-produced" food delivered to local distribution centers.

Recipients will merely need to take a bus to the center, wait in line, and then carry their boxes of food back to the nearest bus stop and home.

Simple, right? Anyone could manage that, even mothers with young children or pregnant women can handle it all on their own.

At least the cumbersome days of walking a block or two to the local market and swiping their cards will be gone, along with locally owned grocers and the jobs they provide in impoverished neighborhoods.

Trump may finally succeed in overturning the Affordable Care Act, and his much-touted "Trumpcare," the specifics of which are supposedly forthcoming, does not exist in reality, leaving millions of Americans without healthcare during a pandemic—a move characteristic of a sociopath.

If Trump wins, we will be entering dark times for generations to come.

If he does not win, which seems more likely, his white supremacist supporters, such as the Proud Boys and others, will interpret Trump's refusal to denounce white supremacy and his "stand back and stand by" comments as a signal: it’s "open season" on Democrats, liberal politicians, peaceful protestors, Antifa supporters, BLM advocates, and anyone labeled anti-Trump.

The lengths to which he might go for revenge against Democrats up until January 20th, 2021, are unfathomable. Regardless of the outcome, this nation is poised for turmoil, and we should brace ourselves for nearly anything.

Indeed, Trump, the seemingly frail old man wandering the West Wing and tweeting in the dark, is shrewd, and like a snake, he retains a dangerous bite.

If Trump does not win, we are still headed into turbulent waters. For several months, darkness will persist.

But the Trumpocalypse is not inevitable.

It can be averted.

It will require a decisive landslide, but we can halt America’s slide into a third-world autocracy.

> “If a political party does not have its foundation in the determination to advance a cause that is right and that is moral, then it is not a political party; it is merely a conspiracy to seize power.” > - Dwight D. Eisenhower.

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