The depth of Trump's depravity nor the goals of the GOP's plans to systematically and incrementally declare war on democracy was kept well-hidden during Trump's 2016 campaign.
It was only on January 6, 2021 and the attempt to stop, with extreme violence, the peaceful transfer of power did it become crystal clear that Trump and the GOP had much more to lose than just an election.
Long story short
We all know the rest of the story after watching the many failures of Trump and the GOP's efforts through the legal system to continually and shamelessly contest the election, state by state, of President Joe Biden.
Now, here we are again in 2024, facing the same crisis, namely, the GOP's war on democracy. Their tactic this time is to adopt a page from Hitler's playbook. Create an enemy based on the principle that the if they tell a lie often enough, it will be accepted as the truth.
The real truth is that Trump and the GOP are using the 'Divide and Conquer' technique to create a crisis that doesn't really exist.
If Trump loses this election, it's over for him. And, of course, he'll respond the way he always does. With violence. But the GOP has a long-range goal to create their autocracy and it has nothing to do with Trump. Trump's visions of grandeur are his own. The GOP's mission to create a one-party rule forever transcends losing an election. They're in it for the long haul.
And I wouldn't count on J.D. Vance in 2028. He may have visions of his own but in the war on democracy, Vance is just a placer ~ someone to temporarily fill a gap if necessary ~ while the GOP searches for true, blackhearted traitors to carry out the mission for as long as it takes.