Donald Trump and his Right-wing allies have often threatened a second civil war in the United States.

During the 2016 Presidential race, supporters of Trump talked openly of staging a revolution if his opponent, Hillary Clinton, won the election.

Roger Stone, a longtime Right-wing political consultant and Trump strategist, was one of them.

Roger Stone

“The first thing that Trump needs to do is begin talking about [voter fraud] constantly. If there’s voter fraud, this election will be illegitimate, the election of the winner will be illegitimate, we will have a constitutional crisis, widespread civil disobedience, and the government will no longer be the government.   

“I think he’s gotta put them on notice that their inauguration will be a rhetorical, and when I mean civil disobedience, not violence, but it will be a bloodbath… We will not stand for it.” 

At one town hall meeting where his Vice Presidential running mate, Mike Pence, appeared, a woman named Rhonda stood up and announced: “One of the things that I can tell you that a lot of us are scared of is this voter fraud.

“For me personally, if Hillary Clinton gets in, I myself am ready for a revolution.”

In Cincinnati, a Trump supporter threatened to forcibly remove Clinton from the White House if she won the Presidential race: “I feel like Hillary needs to be taken out if she gets in the government. I’ll do everything in my power to take her out of power–which, if I have to be a patriot, I will.”

As President, Trump has continued to threaten those who oppose him with massive violence.

“You know, the left plays a tougher game, it’s very funny,” the President told Breibart’s Matthew Boyle. “I actually think that the people on the right are tougher, but they don’t play it tougher. Okay?

“I can tell you I have the support of the police, the support of the military, the support of the Bikers for Trump—I have the tough people, but they don’t play it tough—until they go to a certain point, and then it would be very bad, very bad.”

On October 8, 2020,13 Right-wingers were charged with plotting to kidnap Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer. They intended to “try” and executer her for “treason.”

Gretchen Whitmer

Their chief grievance: Whitmer’s stay-at-home order to control the fast-moving spread of Coronavirus throughout Michigan. By no small coincidence, that happened to be the theme of Trump’s attacks on her.

On October 18, at a Trump campaign rally in Muskegon, Michigan, the crowd chanted “Lock her up!” against Whitmer.  Trump smiled, chuckled and said, “Lock them all up.”

In the 1840s and 1850s, Southern oligarchs and their allies repeatedly threatened to secede from the Union. They demanded that:

• Every time a free (non-slave) state came into the Union, a slave-owning state be admitted.
• Northerners respect their “peculiar institution”—and the men who controlled it.
• Northerners not elect an anti-slavery President—such as Abraham Lincoln.

And they warned that if those favoring Union tried to stop them from seceding, there would be all-out war.

On April 12, 1861, those Southern threats finally came true. Confederate artillery batteries in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, opened fire on Union Fort Sumter. Forty-eight hours later the fort was forced to surrender—and the American Civil War was on.

Four years later—on April 9, 1865—Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered unconditionally to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House. 

The Right may soon get its wish for a second civil war. And that outcome may prove as devastating to its members as the first one did to the Confederacy.

On November 3, almost 75 million voters elected Joe Biden President of the United States. Yet 14 days later, Trump has refused to accept their verdict.

Joe Biden

He has repeatedly filed legal challenges to the vote, claiming himself the victim of massive fraud. This despite the utter lack of evidence of it.

And courts have responded: On November 13, nine cases meant to attack President-elect Joe Biden’s win in key states were denied or dropped.

And a law firm challenging the vote count in Pennsylvania withdrew from the effort.

Trump’s refusal to admit defeat has not prevented world leaders from congratulating Biden. Among these:

• Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
• United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson
• French President Emmanuel Macron and
• German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

And after a lengthy period of silence, China offered its congratulations.

Meanwhile, top Republicans—such as Vice President Mike Pence and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell—have refused to congratulate Biden as the winner.

Political commentators have acted as though these Republicans are living in a “delusional” universe, and it’s only a matter of time before they “wake up.”

On the contrary: It’s far more likely they are testing the waters—to see if they can strongarm their way into positions of absolute power despite the wishes of the electorate. 

Trump has often “joked” about being “President-for-Life.” And Republicans have long believed they should be the only legal political party in the country. 

But they are risking a second civil war such as they cannot imagine.