This might be a time limited situation, or it might not. The party in charge can stay in power past 3.5 years from now by adopting policies on balance approved of by the plurality of the population, or by ensuring that there isn't a free and fair election next time at the margin, for which there is a standard playbook.

While I agree with all of your post, I wanted to highlight this particular point. I've been thinking that and saying that since Trump came to power. It seems more and more unlikely that this is business as usual, that we will have free and fair elections ever again. I don't know what to do about it, but Trump has always railed against elections that go against him, and I cannot see he will be any different, and now he has grabbed all the power. I very much hope I am wrong, but a lot of Americans are still not being paranoid enough to think that Trump will not simply void the results of 2026 midterm elections or the 2028 general elections if either goes against him. He has tried that over and over in the past and failed. But this time he will definitely succeed based on the experience of his second presidency so far. The Congress and the Senate and the Supreme Court are absolutely no barrier. We are in the early era of an authoritarian regime, just too caught up in day to day chaos to see the big picture.