America is obviously controlled. Trump isn’t a mastermind… There are obviously greater forces at play.

In brief:

1. Oligarchs, who control our media, spend money on politics. Citizens United is what to look at here.
2. Christian nationalists have been pushing for fascism, though they may not realize that’s what it actually is
3. Foreign influence, particularly Russia

There’s a lot fighting against our democracy. Republicans take a lot of the blame. Trump is not a direct threat per se, generally. He’s too flaky. But he has caused a lot of damage.