It’s time Democrats and former establishment Republicans come up with a joint plan to deal with what’s coming.

For a while, “Trump might invoke the Insurrection Act” lived in the same category as “he might nuke a hurricane” or “he might try to buy Greenland.”

Absurd. Darkly funny. Filed under surely even he wouldn’t.

And yet here we are. Again.

He’s now openly flirting with the idea that we “shouldn’t even have elections,” casually name-checking the Insurrection Act like it’s a coupon he forgot to use last time. You know—normal democracy stuff. Totally chill. Nothing to see here. Please enjoy the gift shop on your way out.

This isn’t a policy disagreement anymore.

This is a stress test for the republic.

The playbook is familiar: declare chaos, insist only you can fix it, suspend normal rules “temporarily,” and then act shocked when people notice the temporary part never seems to end. It’s the political equivalent of saying, “I’m just going to hold onto your wallet for safekeeping,” and then moving to another country.

And before anyone says, “Relax, he’s just joking,” let me offer a general life rule:

When someone keeps joking about canceling elections, eventually it stops being a joke. It becomes a rehearsal.

What’s different this time—and what should scare the pants off everyone—is that he’s no longer just saying this stuff at rallies. He’s saying it with the infrastructure, the legal theories, and the personnel lined up behind him. This is less Drunk Uncle at Thanksgiving and more HR meeting with a PowerPoint.

Which brings me to the uncomfortable but necessary point:

This can’t be handled by Democrats alone.

It requires Democrats and former establishment Republicans—the ones who still believe the Constitution is not a vibes-based document—to quietly, urgently, and jointly agree on a plan. Not a campaign. Not a press release. A plan.

Document everything.

Clarify lines of authority.

Make the guardrails visible before someone tries to drive through them.

Democracy doesn’t usually die with tanks in the streets. It dies with paperwork, legal justifications, and a lot of people saying, “Well, surely the courts will stop it,” right up until the moment they don’t.

If that sounds alarmist, I get it. I’d prefer a lighter topic too. Maybe something fun. Like dental surgery. Or horse barn cleanup.

But this is the moment where the adults—across parties—either act like adults…

or we all get to learn, very quickly, what the Insurrection Act actually looks like in practice.

Spoiler: it’s not a rom-com.

So yes. Deep breaths.

And then: eyes open, receipts saved, institutions defended.

Because history has a cruel sense of humor—and it really hates when people say, “It can’t happen here.

Democracies don’t collapse all at once—they erode while people wait for someone else to stop it. Our grandparents understood that. It’s our turn to prove we do too.