In the closing days of this campaign, Trump is defaulting to threats of violence and arrest. In a post on his social media account, Trump threatened to arrest “Lawyers, Political Operatives, Donors, Illegal Voters, & Corrupt Election Officials. Those involved in unscrupulous behavior will be sought out, caught, and prosecuted at levels, unfortunately, never seen before in our Country.”

The New York Times reported this week that Trump’s threats against election officials appear to be having some effect. In an article entitled "The Army of Election Officials Ready to Reject the Vote," the Times describes efforts in Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania by election boards to reject certification of the vote if the election does not go Trump’s way. The people described in the article are partisan Republicans. When even they fear arrest and prosecution by their own candidate, something is seriously wrong in this country.

NPR reported this morning that “Military experts are preparing for possible election violence or unrest.” Earlier in the week, NPR reported that local police are “preparing for possible violence against election workers.”

The front line in the election for Liz Cheney is her own home in Wyoming. The front lines for election workers are the polling places where they will go to work next Tuesday. The idea of “battleground states” has become a reality, where armed police officers may be necessary to secure the Constitutional right to vote. One political party and one presidential candidate are responsible for turning this election into a warzone.

Lucian K. Truscott IV, a graduate of West Point, has had a 50-year career as a journalist, novelist, and screenwriter. He has covered Watergate, the Stonewall riots, and wars in Lebanon, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He is also the author of five bestselling novels. You can subscribe to his daily columns at luciantruscott.substack.com and follow him on Twitter @LucianKTruscott and on Facebook at Lucian K. Truscott IV.