With each primary vote, we’re getting closer to November 5—and Van Gosse warns that, thanks to a pliant Supreme Court and corrupt Republican officials, we could see a “demonstration election.” The Franklin and Marshall College history professor explains that these occur when votes appear to be free but are actually rigged. If we’re not careful, he fears that the United States could go the way of India, Turkey, Russia, and Hungary.

The fears of Trump’s authoritarianism are well-founded. He has already incited attacks on his opponents, Chris Lehmann reports. On Good Friday, he posted a video to Truth Social showing an image of a hog-tied Biden painted on the back of a pickup truck. This video stood out, Lehmann writes, because “not only did it legitimize violent attacks on a political opponent but it also referenced the ugly, racist practice of modern lynching.”

While the battle between Trump and Biden will capture much of the attention, reproductive rights will also be on the ballot in November. On Monday, the Florida state Supreme Court ruled that a constitutional amendment guaranteeing abortion access can proceed to a popular vote. “That’s a win for abortion rights advocates, as well as for Democrats who could see turnout increased by the measure,” Joan Walsh writes. But at the same time, the court declared that a 15-week ban on abortion imposed in 2022 is constitutional: “It’s almost as if the conservative court couldn’t hand abortion rights advocates a victory without a gut punch.”

While it’s important to confront a growing autocratic movement, everyone needs a respite—say, by listening to Beyoncé’s latest album Cowboy Carter. But does the album offer a new perspective on country? Not according to our contributing writer Stephen Kearse, who argues that Beyoncé “spends more of its 78 minutes submitting to country standards than reclaiming or deconstructing them.”

-Alana Pockros

Engagement Editor. The Nation