There are many historical examples of countries with legitimate governments that were taken over by a demagogue or tyrant. You can't imagine a sane person could fear the same outcome in the United States?
Democracy has to be re-earned in each generation. If you just depend on past victories, you can absolutely lose it.
> There are many historical examples of countries with legitimate governments that were taken over by a demagogue or tyrant
Not that many, actually (then again, there's not that many true democracies until recently) but in each case the problem was much deeper than the person of the specific demagogue and tyrant. And usually the particularly heinous demagogue and tyrant was precedent by a row of less heinous demagogues and tyrants. So what's so special in this one?
> You can't imagine a sane person could fear the same outcome in the United States?
Fear - sure. But fearing something and claiming something is going to happen is a different thing. I can fear being mugged and still not claim everybody I meet is a mugger. I can fear snakes but not see snakes behind every corner. Fear is healthy, but not when it gets out of control.
> Democracy has to be re-earned in each generation.
True, but also not very useful. What is specific in Trump that didn't ever happen that makes him more threat than King George, Jefferson Davis and many other lousy and controversial presidents US had over the years? Which specific faults will enable him to overthrow the Republic and why no one is working on fixing those flaws right now?
> Democracy has to be re-earned in each generation.
Democracy has existed for 100 years in most Western states!
In fact the majority of economic and social progress in Western states did not occur in democracies, but under constitutional monarchies with parliaments and an aristocracy.
Democracy has to be re-earned in each generation. If you just depend on past victories, you can absolutely lose it.