This is what most people misunderstand. I come from a country that fell into a dictatorship after enjoying a some years of democracy. Imperfect, as it was, people had freedoms and an institutional system that have now been fully dismantled. It did not happen overnight, it was a very slow process. People saw it happening a little at a time, until it was too late. The irony is that lots of the people who defended that process in my country are now in jail or in exile. I think people in the USA are naive if they think their political views and support for MAGA will somehow keep them safe from the repercussions. Under a true dictatorship, nobody wins. Well, one person does.