We tend to think of countries, nations, empires, city-states – call them what you will – as having a sort of eternal presence. But all sovereign powers have a shelf life, and few make it to the 250-year mark. Look closely and you’ll see that the history of states that carry the same name over centuries – Egypt, China, or Rome, for example – is divided into dynasties that differ radically from one to the other.

Despite the norm, and even as it approaches its semi quincentennial in 2026, it’s jarring to realize that the United States also has a life expectancy. That pit in the stomachs of so many is the grief of watching a loved one in hospice.

This is not to say that the “United States” will cease to exist. It will keep the name, flag, national anthem and other trappings of nationhood. But the second election of Donald Trump is literally a catastrophe. The political system we have today has been overturned.

People will respond to this assertion differently. Trump voters will claim that, in the words of their on-again, off-again mentor Ronald Reagan, it is morning in America. For them, Trump’s reelection represents a renewal of the American spirit, a return to first principles, an opportunity to Make America Great Again.

But a campaign slogan is nothing more than a battle cry to rally the troops, an empty vessel whose only content is whatever the shouter thinks it is.

Everyone who supported Trump knows who he is – a liar and adjudicated criminal; what he stands for – racism, misogyny and himself; and what his intentions are – mass arrests and deportations, politicization of the armed forces, imposition of tariffs and retribution against his critics, to cite only a few.

If you voted for Trump, when this all starts rolling out in January don’t act surprised. Embrace it. Your candidate won.

What once would have been referred to as the loyal opposition is in for a rude shock, too. The familiar tools of electoral and legal challenges, marches and protests have been promised. But such tactics seem hopelessly antiquated.

This past summer, in Trump v. United States the Supreme Court granted presidents carte blanche to do whatever they want regardless of tradition or the law. We cannot expect the Court to infringe on his actions no matter how outrageous.

And we have seen the outrages: pushing for an assault on the Capitol; support of white supremacists and Christian nationalists; the family separation policy; and his call for police brutality – one “real rough, nasty day” – among many others.

Obligatory nods to the Senate’s Constitutional power of “Advice and Consent” notwithstanding, it is difficult to imagine that any Republican senator will vote to block Trump appointees or any of his actions.

This is an especially important point, for pundits have lost no time blaming the outcome of this election on the usual suspects of the Democrats’ “forgotten” constituencies and political missteps.

But the people who lost our democracy are the Republican leadership, starting with Mitch McConnell. As Senate Majority Leader, he repeatedly abused his power with respect to Supreme Court nominations.

Then, having abandoned conservative principles to fall in lockstep behind Trump, he voted not to convict the ex-president for the Jan. 6 insurrection, although he knew “There’s no question that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day.”

To be sure, history is not an entirely reliable guide to the future. By some miracle, the United States may survive Trumpism and return to its roots as a nation founded on the principle of equality for all. The odds aren’t great, although as we saw with his pandemic response, building “the wall,” “infrastructure week,” and countless other failures – to say nothing of his six business bankruptcies – Trump’s long suit is staggering incompetence.

There you have it. The democracy and republic in which we live today ends in about two months. For now, the best course of action might be to rest up. What lies ahead is unimaginable; there is no playbook for how to navigate it written in American English.