Who does The Atlantic hope to reach with its 'If Trump Wins' issue? Hint: It’s not MAGA World
Since this diary was first published, The Atlantic has posted eight more essays online from its “If Trump Wins” special issue.J
Juliette Kayyem writes about how a second Trump term would validate the violent ideologies of far-right extremists such as the Proud Boys — and allow them to escape legal jeopardy. Elaine Godfrey says that anti-abortion activists hope a Trump Justice Department would criminalize the procedure everywhere, with or without a federal ban. Megan Garber, writing about disinformation, says that if reelected, Trump will once again churn out absurdity and outrage with factory efficiency. And Clint Smith, in an essay titled “Donald Trump vs. American History,” fears that Trump will impose his harmful, erroneous claims on school curricula in a second term.
Additionally, Ron Brownstein writes that Trump will wage a war on Blue America, punishing cities and states that don’t support him. David A. Graham describes how Americans may have become inured to Trump’s rhetoric but should realize that Trump isn’t bluffing about what he threatens to do in another term. Vann R. Newkirk II fears that Trump could undo generations of progress in civil rights. And finally, Spencer Kornhaber writes that Trump’s campaign is promising a more repressive and dangerous America for the LGBTQ community.
The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg recalls a short-lived period when it seemed impossible to imagine that Donald Trump would once again be a candidate for president. That moment lasted from the night of Jan. 6, 2021, after the attack on the Capitol until Jan. 28, 2021, when House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy went to Mar-a-Lago to bend his knee and welcome Trump back into the fold.
Goldberg made this observation in an editor’s note, titled “A Warning,” published on Monday to launch The Atlantic’s January/February 2024 special edition devoted to a chilling theme: “If Trump Wins.”
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