The Democrats' greatest challenge ever

Moreover, and far more worrisome, Trump is more than willing and sadly capable of dispatching-in essence, encouraging-his supporters, à la January 6, to most, if not all, blue states on election day to intimidate voters waiting in line under the pretext of guarding election integrity.

Worst yet, his administration will take full advantage of any disturbances created by his supporters at polling places, or manufacture them, to allow the government to seize voting machines and nullify the vote counts of Democrats in many districts. Presently, sending ICE to many Democratic-controlled cities should be seen as nothing more than a prelude to what might come.

The Democratic Party ought to be prepared to take every conceivable measure to ensure that the election remains free and fair. Tens of thousands of volunteers must be mobilized and provided with a ready-made contingency plan to counter every possible scenario, and nothing must be taken for granted. Trump will not stop on his own, but he must be stopped.

It is crucial that the Democratic National Committee, starting now, make a supreme effort to court young African Americans and Hispanics, not only to encourage them to vote but also to enlist them as foot soldiers to canvass young people in their communities on election day.

I know that much of the above is not new to the Democrats, but it cannot be overstated.

Safeguarding the institutions

Perhaps nothing can protect our democracy more than ensuring our institutions are protected by every possible lawful means to maintain their independence and integrity. At the top of these institutions is the judiciary, especially the Supreme Court, which is crucial for upholding constitutional principles and the rule of law. Another is the Fourth Estate-the free press, major newspapers, and independent media that hold power accountable.

In addition, universities, both private, such as Harvard, and public, such as the University of Virginia, are hubs for critical thinking. Think tanks such as the Brookings Institution and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace contribute to policy debates, and civil society groups such as the ACLU and NAACP advocate for civil rights and liberties. These institutions are the heartbeat of democracy.

Trump knows only too well the indispensable role of free institutions in shielding the core tenets of democracy. For this reason, he threatened to cut federal funding from several universities, and sadly, Columbia, Cornell, and Northwestern, among other top institutions, have caved in and adjusted their policies to meet the administration's requirements. Another example is CBS's parent company, Paramount, which agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by Trump over a 60 Minutes interview. It cannot be emphasized enough that the surrender of these institutions, along with others, such as law firms, sets a dangerous precedent that goes beyond just eroding our democracy; it would, in fact, spell its death.

The Democrats cannot merely settle on criticizing Trump's bullying and threats. They have to stand ready to defend these institutions, for example, by suing the administration in federal courts, which have admirably remained steadfast in their ruling against the administration's transgressions. They can also lean on many Democratic billionaires to supplement funding for any institution that has or stands to lose federal funding for rejecting Trump's absurd, if not illegal, demands.

There are clear signs that Trump is beginning to lose his grip on the Republican Party and defying him will only increase as the election campaign gets underway. Though this is a good omen for the Democrats, it won't be enough to capture Congress.

America is facing a crisis of unprecedented magnitude. The question is, will the Democrats rise to the greatest challenge they have ever faced? Their failure will not merely render the Democratic Party irrelevant but will spell out the demise of our democracy.