Rachel Maddow claims Americans decided to 'let democracy go' by voting for Trump
MSNBC host Rachel Maddow on Wednesday decried President-elect Donald Trump's electoral victory in a lengthy on-air rant.
Maddow has openly opposed Trump and his supporters, such as billionaire Elon Musk. The anchor on Tuesday described Musk's relationship with the U.S. an "untenable reality" for national security.
Sharing her reaction to Trump's projected win, Maddow called on Americans unhappy with Trump's victory to do "more for your country than you have ever before."
"We don't just flip a switch and the American system of government is gone, democracy is gone," she said. "It doesn't work like that."
She went on to condemn voters for supposedly saying "hey, what the heck, let's try the strongman thing. Let's let democracy go." Americans, Maddow said, must now be prepared to "fight" for democracy.
"We know from other countries' experiences that quickly—I mean now, in the next few weeks, if not the next few days—they are going to start pushing to see how far the country will let them go without pushback, without protest," she continued.
Americans, Maddow claimed, likely woke up to the election results "feeling scrappy as hell." These individuals will work "full-time on being frickin' pirates," she said. Maddow went on to liken Trump to dictatorial leaders around the world like Russia's Vladimir Putin, North Korea's Kim Jong Un and China's Xi Jinping.
She then called on the country's journalists to "provided assurances they will not become state TV." This, Maddow claimed, will come ahead of a Trump administration push to "pick off" news organizations.
If the GOP takes total control of Congress, it will likely become a "just-for-show institution," Maddow added.
Other major Democratic backers have also called for action following the projected results. Actress Jamie Lee Curtis on Wednesday encouraged Americans to "fight," saying some fear a "draconian" time under Trump's second term.
Self-described "revolutionary socialist organization" Socialist Alternative on Wednesday announced protest events across the country to speak out against Trump. Protests are planned for major cities in states like Minnesota, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
