Democratic Representative Dan Goldman has issued a stark warning about what he sees as a growing threat to American democracy — one that involves Donald Trump potentially laying the groundwork to cancel the 2028 presidential election. Speaking on The Jim Acosta Show on Tuesday, Goldman said Trump’s recent address to hundreds of top U.S. military officials at Marine Corps Base Quantico went beyond typical campaign rhetoric. Instead, he believes it was a deliberate move to justify authoritarian control under the guise of a national crisis. “It’s extremely dangerous,” Goldman warned. “Trump is trying to create a manufactured crisis so he can justify taking more authoritarian actions and consolidate even greater power.” During the speech, Trump repeated familiar talking points — blaming Democrats for crime, warning about “enemies within,” and emphasizing the need to secure the southern border. But Goldman argued that the real message was much darker: preparing the public to accept suspending elections in the name of national security. Goldman told Acosta that Trump’s language suggests a plan to claim that the country is too unstable for a fair election. “He’ll say things like, ‘We’re being invaded from within; the border must be secured; we can’t hold an election under these conditions,’” Goldman said. When Acosta asked if he truly believed Trump could attempt such a move, Goldman didn’t hesitate. “Yes,” he replied. “That’s where all this is headed. That’s why he keeps talking about a third term, about war, about internal enemies.” Trump’s comments at Quantico further alarmed critics. Speaking to senior military leaders, he reportedly discussed using the U.S. military to deal with domestic unrest and hinted at deploying troops to Democratic-led cities such as Chicago and Portland. His framing of the military’s role — not just defending against external enemies but confronting threats from “within” — struck many as deeply troubling. The combination of that rhetoric and Trump’s repeated musings about remaining in power beyond two terms, despite constitutional limits, has raised fears among democracy advocates. Goldman warned that this strategy — creating crises, portraying opponents as threats, and questioning the legitimacy of elections — follows a familiar authoritarian playbook. While canceling an election would be legally and logistically nearly impossible, Goldman said the danger lies in normalizing the idea itself. “Trump is shifting the public mindset,” he explained. “He’s making the unthinkable seem not only possible but inevitable.” Goldman’s message was clear: the threat isn’t just about one man’s ambition — it’s about the gradual erosion of democratic norms happening right in front of us.
