Former President Donald Trump delivers remarks in Florida on Nov. 8. Photo: Alon Skuy/Getty Images
The Economist says former President Trump presents the world's "biggest danger" in 2024.
Why it matters: The respected 180-year-old British newspaper said a "second Trump term would be a watershed in a way the first was not" and the "fate of the world" will depend on the ballots of "tens of thousands of voters in just a handful of states" in the 2024 presidential election.
Details: The Economist said in its annual "World Ahead" guide Thursday that another four years of Trump in the White House would be "more damaging" than his previous term.
- "China and its friends would rejoice over the evidence that American democracy is dysfunctional" and Beijing "could easily miscalculate over Taiwan, with catastrophic consequences."
- And Russian President Vladimir Putin "would have an incentive to fight on in Ukraine and to pick off former Soviet countries such as Moldova or the Baltic states," according to the outlet.
Of note: The "greatest threat" Trump poses "is to his own country," the Economist argues. The "moral authority" of the U.S. would decline "because America will have voted him in while knowing the worst."
- While "pursuing his enemies," Trump "will wage war on any institution that stands in his way, including the courts and the Department of Justice," the Economist said.
The big picture: The former president, who faces 91 criminal charges across four separate jurisdictions, has repeatedly made unsubstantiated claims trying to tie the prosecutors and others to Biden.
- He has called the proceedings against him a "witch-hunt" and political persecution.
- Trump is polling far ahead of any of his GOP competitors and has even gotten a little boost following indictments in four separate jurisdictions.
Zoom in: A New York Times poll out this month had Trump beating Biden in five of the six swing states Biden won in 2020.
- Only 37% of voters in the poll trust Biden on the economy, compared to 59% for 2024 Republican front-runner Trump, who has dominated recent polls.
- Representatives for Trump did not immediately respond to Axios' requests for comment.
Go deeper: Trump's "vermin" speech again draws scrutiny to extreme rhetoric