The message was unambiguous. After leaving the White House, Kelly had described Trump as a "person that has no idea what America stands for and has no idea what America is all about." At Mount Vernon, he was making a clear point: People who are mad for power are a mortal threat to democracy. They may hold different titles - even President - but at heart they are tyrants, and all tyrants share the same trait: They never voluntarily cede power.

Forty-four men have succeeded Washington so far. Some became titans; others finished their terms without distinction; a few ended their service to the nation in ignominy. But each of them knew that the day would come when it would be their duty and honor to return the presidency to the people.

All but one, that is.

Donald Trump and his authoritarian political movement represent an existential threat to every ideal that Washington cherished and encouraged in his new nation. They are the incarnation of Washington's misgivings about populism, partisanship, and the "spirit of revenge" that Washington lamented as the animating force of party politics. Washington feared that, amid constant political warfare, some citizens would come to "seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual," and that eventually a demagogue would exploit that sentiment.

Today, America stands at such a moment. A vengeful and emotionally unstable former president - a convicted felon, an insurrectionist, an admirer of foreign dictators, a racist and a misogynist - desires to return to office as an autocrat. Trump has left no doubt about his intentions; he practically shouts them every chance he gets. His deepest motives are to salve his ego, punish his enemies, and place himself above the law. Should he regain the Oval Office, he may well bring with him the experience and the means to complete the authoritarian project that he began in his first term.