What to make of Trump coming to town

Why us? Of all the fairgrounds in all the towns in all the country, why is former President Donald Trump coming to the Lorain County Fairgrounds? Under normal circumstances, we'd agree with Wellington Mayor Hans Schneider's assessment of Trump's looming visit, which will take place June 26. "I think anytime you have a president either sitting or former that comes to your area, it's a good thing," he said. "I know he has a lot of support in Lorain County, in Wellington, and he did win Ohio, so it makes sense to come here." Indeed, Trump did win the state and the county, performing especially well in rural areas. As journalists, we expect the event to be exciting and newsworthy. Trump, for all his flaws, is an excellent showman, which helps explain why people flocked to his rallies even in the midst of a raging pandemic. Trump's Wellington appearance will be his first rally since he left office, although he has made speeches at the Conservative Political Action Conference and the North Carolina Republican Party State Convention. The problem is that Trump is not your normal ex-president turned elder statesman. He has taken a sledgehammer to the foundation of democracy. He has continued to insist that the 2020 election was stolen from him, despite no evidence of widespread voter fraud. Dozens of lawsuits making spurious claims of fraud have been thrown out. Elections and security officials, including some in Trump's own administration, have said the election was free, fair and secure. Trump's refusal to accept reality has had dire consequences for the nation. He called his followers to Washington on Jan. 6 for a rally, which he promised would be "wild." He and his allies gave speeches in which they argued that the election was stolen before sending the enraged crowd marching toward the Capitol. Some of his supporters stormed the Capitol, where Congress was meeting in joint session to certify the Electoral College count. Lawmakers were forced to seek shelter as the mob rampaged through the building. Some searched for those they considered enemies, including Trump's own vice president, Mike Pence, who had refused to circumvent the process. Five people died. Among the hundreds who have been accused of taking part in the attack is Clifford Mackrell of Wellington, who is facing federal charges of violent entry, disorderly conduct on the Capitol grounds and assaulting a police officer. Mackrell has pleaded not guilty, but federal authorities have said they have video of him repeatedly striking a police officer, then tearing off the officer's gas mask as a chemical irritant wafted through the air. Trump was rightly impeached for his role in instigating the attack, even though he managed to avoid conviction. He refused to attend Joe Biden's inauguration and retreated to Mar-a-Lago in Florida to nurse his grudges and solidify his grasp on the Republican Party. One of his objectives for the rally is to support Max Miller, who is challenging U.S. Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, R-Rocky River, who had the courage to vote to impeach Trump. Wellington, it should be noted, is represented in Congress not by Gonzalez, but by U.S. Rep. Bob Gibbs, R-Lakeville, an ardent Trump supporter. Trump's fantasy of a stolen election has inspired a multitude of conspiracy theories, each more ludicrous than the last, including that Italian military satellites were somehow used to change votes. U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, who represents portions of Lorain County, complained Tuesday that the Justice Department didn't investigate that cockamamie theory despite being urged to do so by Trump's then-chief of staff, Mark Meadows. Worse, Trump's delusions have spawned a bizarre hunt for bamboo fibers in Arizona ballots as part of an "audit" and spurred Republican-controlled state legislatures across the country, including in Ohio, to introduce laws that would make voting harder. Several have passed. Even now, nearly five months into Biden's term, many of Trump's die-hard supporters are convinced he will somehow be reinstated as president by August. Trump himself has reportedly toyed with the idea as well, although there's no provision anywhere in the Constitution or the law permitting that. Regardless, the crowd that files into the fairgrounds for the "Save America" rally no doubt will be treated to a wide selection of Trump's greatest hits against democracy. It's enough to inspire both anticipation and dread.