In a speech to religious conservatives late Friday, former President Trump said that, if they voted him into office, they would not need to vote again. He and his running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris and her surrogates are holding events in key states across the country.

What he’s promising is a system like that in Russia, where there are still elections, but peoples’ votes no longer determine who will hold power. In short a managed democracy where the consent of the governed is no longer material.