When they seize the television stations, they do not send in soldiers but party loyalists who promise to end “fake news”. They do not just want to beat their opponents but to destroy them and with them the possibility of change. Once he was nominated, the only way to stop Trump was to endorse Hillary Clinton. Their anger at their loss of status may turn the Republican party into a franchise for the Trump brand. • How Democracies Die: What History Tells Us About Our Future is published by Viking (£16.99).

Source: The Guardian January 08, 2018 07:30 UTC