Reich: Trump’s re-election playbook in 25 steps

Photo by Alex Brandon of The Associated Press / President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable discussion about "Transition to Greatness: Restoring, Rebuilding, and Renewing," at Gateway Church Dallas Campus on Thursday, June 11, 2020, in Dallas. Photo by Alex Brandon of The Associated Press / President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable discussion about "Transition to Greatness: Restoring, Rebuilding, and Renewing," at Gateway Church Dallas Campus on Thursday, June 11, 2020, in Dallas.

By Robert B. Reich / Tribune Content Agency July 3, 2020 4 min read

Donald Trump will do anything to be re-elected. His opponents are limited because they believe in democracy. Trump has no limits because he doesn’t.

Here’s Trump’s re-election playbook, in 25 simple steps:

1. Declare yourself above the law.

2. Use racist fearmongering. Demand “law and order” and describe protesters as “thugs,” “lowlifes” and “rioters and looters.” Describe COVID-19 as “Kung-Flu.” Retweet posts from white supremacists. In your campaign ads, use a symbol associated with Nazis.

3. Appoint an attorney general more loyal to you than to America, and politicize the Department of Justice so it’s lenient on your loyalists and comes down hard on your enemies. Have it lighten the sentence of a crony convicted of lying under oath. Order investigations of industries you dislike.