Donald Trump lost in an electoral college and popular vote landslide, refused to concede defeat and promoted the Big Lie that the election was rigged. He then incited an insurrection that ended America’s long history of peaceful transitions of power.

You’d think that a president who mocked the rule of law while he was in office and did everything to undermine his successor who won in a free and fair election would be anathema to citizens of the greatest democracy in the world.

Indeed, Trump is despised by reviled by most Americans who recognize the indelible harm he did to our democracy during his tenure, and he is destined to go down in history as the worst president in our history.

But roughly 40 percent of the electorate sees Trump as a martyr, a savior and as the legitimate president of the United States. Why do so many Americans who are taught from kindergarten the supremacy of democracy idolize an authoritarian leader who undermined the pillar of democracy, the ballot?

Because Trump’s base, white evangelicals, value Christian nationalism over a constitutional democracy, and they worship their orange messiah who feeds them the red meat of racism, misogyny and homophobia over a rational politician who appeals to our better angels.

Trump is not one to go gentle into that good night, unlike every president who lost reelection he hasn’t kept a low profile, on the contrary he’s doing everything possible to undermine the presidency of Joe Biden.

Even though Trump has been banned from the most popular social media platforms he still has a loud voice in politics and popular culture, and we’d be well-advised to prepare for the prospect of him running again in 2024.

Democracy is a fragile thing, and we must constantly defend it with our voices and with our votes. Joe Biden is doing his best to restore our democracy, but Trump remains a threat to our democracy.