What Comes After Trump?

“What you win them with is what you win them to.”

In my seminary days, I heard the phrase used like a proverb.

It usually came up in discussions about evangelism and church growth. Whatever strategies and tactics you use to get people in the door are the same elements that will keep them there.

So choose wisely because you’ll be stuck doing whatever first drew people to you in order to keep them coming back.

I think the same principle applies to Trump.

People mobilized around Trump’s brand of authoritarianism. They are also stying because of Trump.

But what happens when Trump is off the scene?

I’m not predicting anything or saying something is imminent.

I’m encouraging us to think ahead.

Oppression robs us of imagination. Authoritarianism makes us think those in power are unstoppable and eternal.

We push back against their power grab by refusing to let them capture our vision.

So what comes after Trump?

Perhaps a vacuum of power.

Maybe there is confusion and chaos.

Maybe there is jockeying among far right extremists to anoint a successor.

In every transition, there is opportunity.

It could be the opportunity for an inclusive, participatory democracy to emerge.

I’m not saying that when Trump is gone, authoritarianism will be out of the government.

Even without Trump, Trumpism remains.

And the damage his regime has done will take generations to repair.

But it’s not too soon, and it’s long past time, to begin constructing a world that doesn’t have Trump as a central figure—even if it remains an image in our own minds…for now.

Hear my full thoughts on this week’s Substack Live.

P.S. Mark your calendar‼️ Next Thursday (10/16) I’ll have a special guest! We’ll be doing a Zoom Live at 12 pm ET. Stay tuned for the announcement and registration link!

What do you predict comes after Trump? What opportunities and challenges will there be? Let us know in the comments.

Catch last week’s episode!