I think we came very close to losing our country on January 6

[Hortensis]

5. Yes, we did. My best guess is the Republican takeover under Trump

could have succeeded but began to fail 2018 with the enormous setback of losing control of the House of Representatives to the Democrats. After that loss and despite 4 years of trying, Trump never advanced much beyond the support of the Republican senate, some state governments, the RW press and trumpist voters.

Without 2018, congress's transfer of its own power to a dictatorial presidency and high-level court appointments might have encouraged more in strategic positions in the military, intelligence services, and judiciary (including appellate and high court levels) to commit to the planned taking. As it is, Trump and his Republican insurrectionists didn't have control of congress or support from the judiciary, intelligence, and military and were unable to steal or overturn the election.

The Republican Party unquestionably has become increasingly antidemocratic and authoritarian, and many experts believe Republican leaders would have gone all the way this time if they could have won. And that if the tide does not continue to turn away from them, they'll try again.

Guessing one good thing about having so many elderly, wealthy Republicans in power is that they fully intend to continue their highly privileged lives and were unwilling to risk their current positions, much less their all, on an insurrection that could fail. That's for younger traitors without high position and wealth accumulation to lose.