There’s a lot to dislike about Trump.

He lacks virtue.

He’s never shown a drop of humility.

He seems to have no empathy.

He’s appears to be pretty incompetent.

I personally disagree with practically all of his policy decisions.

But at the end of the day, that’s just my opinion — and we are each entitled to our own.

While his personal brand doesn’t resonate with me, I can understand what about it resonates with his base.

I am perpetually amazed though by the strength of Trump’s magnetism — so strong, in fact, that his supporters are willing to abandon the foundational principles of democracy itself in favor of him. They continue to stand by Trump even as he destroys the fabric of American liberty and justice.

The American experiment seems to have lasted for 250 years in part because of the respect that institutions had for the rules of the game. These rules maintained an environment of distributed power — between the three branches of government, the media, and the private sector.

Trump entered the White House four years ago with absolutely no respect for these rules. He jumped in and just started to snatch up power in every which way he could. This has since had a ripple effect out to the other institutions at play. It seems almost as if Trump’s arrival announced the commencement of a new finite game in which everyone began racing to capture as much power as possible.

This has landed us with…

A President calling for states to stop counting valid votes.

Twitter deciding what is and is not the truth.

A Supreme Court that is likely to overturn “super precedent” decisions.

The rise of extreme political movements from Antifa to the Proud Boys.

Google allegedly violating antitrust law.

Increasingly polarized and sensationalized media.

…I’m curious to see where this all ends. I don’t think that it isn’t too late. If Joe Biden moves into the oval office this January, I’m hopeful that he can restore our respect for the rules of the game.