Donald Trump is inflicting profound damage on the United States and the world. It is undeniable, and it is getting worse every day. German Chancellor Angela Merkel just issued a shocking rebuke of our alliance. For now, at least, US leadership is a thing of the past. On the home front, Trump is normalizing political violence, tearing our institutions apart, and threatening to plunge vulnerable Americans into unconscionable depths of deprivation and despair. This is the real thing. This is not a drill.

In this atmosphere of existential crisis, it is time to fight back. In the recent past moderates, liberals, and Democrats have failed to take seriously the reactionary threat. We settled for a pair of flawed candidates in the last primary, and we failed to mobilize at Obama levels–even though the consequences of a Republican victory were infinitely more frightening. I myself did too little to support the cause (although I am proud to have voted for Hillary).

Now the disaster is no longer hypothetical. The past accomplishments and future promise of this country are crumbling as we speak. Republicans from Paul Ryan on down have sold their souls to Trump. We as moderates and liberals stand as the only barrier between this president and the unstoppable decline of justice and leadership in America.

It’s not over yet–not quite. There is still a little time. The 2018 midterms offer an opportunity to install a Democratic House majority which can initiate impeachment proceedings within hours. We can make this happen if–and only if–we respond as if our country were on the line. And this time, that is true.

Alexander H. Jones

Alexander Jones is an original contributor to PoliticsNC.