Blogger’s note: This entry was written in 2020. An addendum is included at the bottom.

A few months ago I watched PBS’s Frontline documentary about the Republican efforts to thwart Barack Obama and the Democratic agenda starting with a meeting on inauguration night between Steve Bannon, Steven Miller, and Senator Jeff Sessions. 

It is amazing to me how three people with the media outlet Breitbart, financial backing, and right-wing radio and television blowhards were so successful. They recognized and capitalized on all the distrust, anger, and downright racial hatred carried by a lot of disgruntled white citizens.  With all that, and Russian interference in the election, Donald Trump received three plus million fewer votes but won the Electoral College by capturing a handful of key states.

On two evenings this week, PBS aired another documentary that further explored the divide created by Republican efforts to block anything they could during Barack Obama’s Presidency. It also documented Russia’s disinformation campaign and election interference which, along with the aforementioned right-wing media, were major contributors to the election of Donald Trump.

Again, two of the major United States citizens in this campaign were Steve Bannon and Steven Miller who, through the use of Breitbart and social media, flooded the airwaves and the Internet with false and misleading stories. These campaigns were not in any way hindered by social media’s hands off approach to misinformation content they aired in the name of free speech. In an ongoing interview with Steve Bannon, he readily admitted he was proud of his role in fostering distrust and hatred of Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee for President.  

Additionally, he admitted he and his conspirators are continuing to fan the fires of anger and discontent to keep the Republican cult base energized and Republican legislators fearful of Trump’s wrath.

I believe all US citizens should watch these two documentaries. At the very least, schools should show them as part of civics or history classes. Of course, this will never happen and the seeds sown by Steve Bannon and co-conspirators will continue to reap great rewards for the Republican Party. I guess this is the “win at any cost and by any means” playbook and it is being played very well by President Trump. 

But is in the best interest of the country? I think not. But unfortunately, I speculate President Trump may well win reelection in 2020 with the help of all the aforementioned players and foreign countries’ interference. It’s for certain national Republican legislators will not do anything to diminish the threats to insure Trump’s victory.

I have written another document outlining my predictions if Trump is reelected describing the further degradation of the United States as a leader of the world and champion of environmental protection—not to mention turning back the clock to the 1950s, when white Christian men ruled.

Ken Kaiyala

Addendum:
President Trump did not win the 2020 presidential election, but the seeds of anger and fear took their toll. Now, in 2023, the country is still paying the price and I am afraid Republican elected officials and citizens who call themselves patriots are engaging in a silent coup since their insurrection failed on January 6, 2021.

They are changing voting laws, dismantling other protections, threating to defund our national law enforcement agencies, changing what and how much of factual history is taught in schools, banning books, aggressively gerrymandering, spreading misinformation, starting all sorts of Congressional investigations into the Biden Administration, so far without finding any factual reason for doing so, and on and on. 

They are doing anything and everything to deflect and delay ex-president Trump’s legal troubles including trying to discredit the Justice Department and trying to have investigators and judges removed from the cases.

I hope the rational portion of our electorate mobilizes and defeats this radical movement, otherwise our Republic may be lost.

Remember Benjamin Franklin’s response when he was asked what type of government was decided on, as he left the Constitutional Convention in September 18, 1787.  “We have a Republic, if you can keep it,” he replied.

Will we?