Steve Schmidt and Brian Tyler Cohen talk about his newly launched book, “The Day After." Its real subject isn’t Donald Trump. It’s power. More specifically, it’s the refusal of too many Democrats to understand what power is for.

For too long, Democrats have responded to authoritarianism with process, commissions, and endless deference to institutions that their opponents have been systematically dismantling. While Republicans seized power, Democrats too often acted as custodians of norms that no longer existed. That failure carried consequences. The corruption that went unpunished after Trump’s first administration didn’t disappear. It metastasized. When those who abuse power face no meaningful accountability, they return emboldened, convinced there’s no price to pay.

If Democrats are entrusted with power again, they can’t simply promise a return to normal. America needs a government that solves problems, delivers results, and restores public confidence in democratic institutions. It will also require a broad coalition. Democracies are built by majorities, not ideological purity tests. Progress has always depended on imperfect allies united by a common purpose.

The first hours of a new administration — not the first 100 days — will define whether it succeeds. Executive authority must be exercised immediately to restore integrity, dismantle corruption, and reverse abuses of government power. History rarely grants second chances, and when it does, they belong to leaders prepared to act.

The challenge before the Democratic Party is larger than defeating Donald Trump. It’s proving that democratic government can still deliver competence, accountability, and hope. Elections are only the beginning. Governing is the test. And power, when entrusted by the American people, exists for one reason alone: to be used in defense of the republic.

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