I was shocked but not surprised.

We knew that about half the country would support former president Donald Trump for a variety of reasons. We knew this. But when you see the vote totals come in and the states on the TV maps turn red, the reality looks much grimmer than expected.

The truth is this: the hardest thing for a democracy to fight is a demagogue who successfully uses democratic means to achieve anti-democratic ends. Trump’s repulsive ideas now carry the weight of popular support.

I don’t believe for a moment that most Americans actually want to see mass deportations, incarceration of political opponents, or billionaires getting new tax cuts. But they were willing to stay away from these evils in order to support someone who channeled their rage, fueled their rage when their anger subsided, and disguised himself to undertake truly terrible things.

For those of us who fear this outcome, the question is simple: How do we protect democracy?

Separation of powers was designed by the founders to thwart tyrannical ambitions. It is not yet clear which party will control the House of Representatives, but it appears that Republicans will control the Senate by a narrow margin. Senate’s constitutional power to refuse confirmation Trump’s appointments will come into play, and as I’ve noted before, the outcome of the GOP’s failure to reject endorsements of dangerous candidates if military officers are nominated is potentially disastrous. Nothing could be more frightening than the politicization of the US military.

The judiciary, the third branch of government, may be the most significant obstacle to Trump’s power. The decision of the Supreme Court is also Embers v. ulimited States It granted the president broad immunity, but that case was mostly theoretical. It also wasn’t as bad as some hyperventilation analysts claimed.

When the rubber meets the road and the justices have a case where basic democratic norms are at stake, I don’t see Chief Justice John Roberts or Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett selling democracy down the river. For example, if Trump actually took action against Liz Cheney, I don’t think the Supreme Court would support him.

Democracy is not just about putting up barriers to the exercise of power. It is about values, and one value in particular: human dignity. Democracy gives one person one vote. No one has more inherent value than another. In fact, the guardrails against state power were designed to ensure the freedom of individuals and groups to govern themselves in many areas of social life. Healthy democracies honor the dignity of all citizens not only at the ballot box, but in tax laws, distribution of government benefits, protection of the disabled and elderly, laws against discrimination, and subsidies to promote opportunity broadly.

As we prepare for Trump’s return to the White House, there are certain groups whose dignity is under threat and requires our protection. Here the church can play a special role. Immigrants will be terrified Trump has made his desire clear mass deportations. The Catholic Church embraced its biblical and doctrinal duty to defend immigrants and lawsuit filed State governments trying to block our ministries to immigrants. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops should begin preparing briefings to combat mass deportation efforts at the national level.

The consequences of climate change policy are catastrophic and potentially irreversible.

There is probably little anyone can do to save the human dignity and freedom of the brave people of Ukraine. No one is more pleased with the election results than Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. Trump said he would bring peace to ukraine in one day. This may be a ridiculous claim, but it is doubtful that Trump will continue Biden’s support for Ukraine. The Ukrainian government needs to consider what is the least terrible option.

America’s allies will tremble at this outcome, and part of our democratic ethos requires promoting democracy abroad.

“The vast majority of French people supported Kamala Harris, and Trump’s victory scares the political establishment,” Antoine de Tarle, a writer for the French Catholic magazine Etudes, told me via email. “One of the main reasons for this reaction is Ukraine. The country is close to the borders of France and many people fear a deal between Trump and Putin that would threaten many members of the European Union, including Poland and the Baltic states.”

DeTarle also worries about the consequences of Trump’s victory on French politics. “National Unification“Marine Le Pen’s far-right party has always supported Putin and Trump, but its leaders are aware that this stance is unpopular and they avoid the issue,” he said. “But they may change their stance in the event of Trump victory.”

The Democratic Party now needs to launch a serious internal investigation. That’s a column for another day.

The word that keeps running through my mind is disaster. The nation is angry and anger has found its owner. Unfortunately, the American people made that champion the strongest person in the world. The predictable consequences are frightening. Unforeseen consequences could be worse. We’ve been through a period. Can we survive for a second?