We know that in 2016, the Hillary Clinton campaign was most anxious to face Donald Trump in the general election. Much of the media complied. CNN, for reasons of ratings and reasons of politics, just broadcast his rallies throughout the campaign, knowing that Republican voters were eating them up — despite the shushing and scolding from the conservative movement and other elected Republicans. Democrats thought they would easily beat him. And then, surprise!

Looking ahead, Joe Biden thought he could easily beat Trump again. Democrats and the White House settled on a strategy to raise Trump’s profile with Republican voters again. Ron DeSantis, the political winner of Covid, emerged from the 2022 elections looking formidable and getting a serious eyeing from Republican voters. But then the Department of Justice and various courts around the country deployed their lawfare strategy. The raid at Mar-a-Lago created an immediate rally effect around Trump. It was just enough lawfare to make him the nominee, but not enough to bury him underneath the prison. Republicans nominated him again.

Will Democrats ever learn?

If you’re sincerely one of the people who worries that Donald Trump is a threat to democracy, then some of the primary people you should be mad at today are Hillary Clinton, former CNN chief Jeff Zucker, and President Biden.