Helsing posted:

The most sinister thing that the Republicans have probably entered office planning to do is to appoint justices, change finance laws, and enable voter suppression measures that will help their party hold onto power for longer without expanding beyond its shrinking base of white support. Again, chances are this is less of a master-plan and more a series of improvised or reactive responses to a deteriorating situation. This might become even more urgent if their policy agenda blows up in their face, as it's likely to do. The result wouldn't be a coup or takeover, it'd just be a severe weakening of already existing institutions and maybe the creation of some new anti-democratic institutions.

This kind of death by a thousand cuts scenario seems far more likely than a violent seizure of power.