The Atlantic

Suddenly, Trump Is Interested in Democracy

As Maine throws him off the ballot, the president who betrayed democracy is now pleading for its protections.
Source: Justin Sullivan / Getty

Donald Trump won the presidency with fewer votes than his opponent?

We’re a republic, not a democracy.

State Republican parties in Wisconsin, North Carolina, and other states gerrymandered themselves into supermajorities?

We’re a republic, not a democracy.

Forty-one senators block laws favored by 59? A single senator blocks promotions across the Defense Department?

We’re a republic, not a democracy.

Florida voters restored voting rights to felons, only to see the reform by the state legislature?

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Atlantic

The Atlantic5 min read
The Strangest Job in the World
This is an edition of the Books Briefing, our editors’ weekly guide to the best in books. Sign up for it here. The role of first lady couldn’t be stranger. You attain the position almost by accident, simply by virtue of being married to the president
The Atlantic3 min read
The Coen Brothers’ Split Is Working Out Fine
It’s still a mystery why the Coen brothers stopped working together. The pair made 18 movies as a duo, from 1984’s Blood Simple to 2018’s The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, setting a new standard for black comedy in American cinema. None of those movies w
The Atlantic3 min readDiscrimination & Race Relations
The Legacy of Charles V. Hamilton and Black Power
This is an edition of Time-Travel Thursdays, a journey through The Atlantic’s archives to contextualize the present and surface delightful treasures. Sign up here. This week, The New York Times published news of the death of Charles V. Hamilton, the

Related Books & Audiobooks