Nobody goes to D.C. to help Trump pack his bags. Instead, Trump supporters swarm the U.S. Capitol building. Their numbers aren’t as large as they were at the insurrection on January 6, 2021 — but their presence is a deterrent to any massive anti-Trump protests. A few antifa groups show up and instigate violent confrontations with the Trump supporters. You realize right away that it was a strategic mistake to not go to D.C.
When Trump refuses to leave office, the military is confronted with a painful choice: undermine peaceful transfer of power or follow their current commander’s orders. They choose what feels like the easier course, and Trump stays in the White House.
After this, Army generals are permanently seen as political forces — deciders of future elections. Anyone seeking the office of president now has to have secret meetings with military elites to seek their approval. This undermines the government. You wish pro-democracy people had gone into the street to lead the way. You regret your decision and hope that if elections are held in the future, you’ll be able to control the outcome better.
THE END.
You sort of won! You did not push out the autocrat entirely, but at least you averted him. You did not do it alone. Like in real life, many approaches had to work together to get to this point: defending democratic institutions, supporting a vibrant disobedience wing, protecting individuals being targeted, and building alternative visions beyond just “a return to normal.”
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