I am truing to avoid being a Pollyanna like the OP here, and being apocaluyptic like some here. But I think Democracy is not as easy to kill..at least in the US...as some here think.
Democracy, even as solid and well-entrenched a system of democracy as in the US, is far, far, far more fragile than some here seem to think.
Who would have imagined, before it actually happened, that a sitting President denying his loss in elections might ever call that a lie, quite seriously not jokingly, and that he'd keep on doing that? That so many would literally believe him when he said that? That people might actually try to run a coup, no matter how buffoonishly?
Who would have imagined, before it actually happened, that an ex-Prez, and a candidate for the next slot, would sit there and discuss turning dictator for a day? That he could talk about going after everyone who thinks is at present against him, should he get elected again? That he could actually talk about "some good things there that I support, and some bad things there I don't support, not that I know anything at all about it" when talking about as vile a thing as Project 2025? And, most importantly: that this vileness wouldn't immediately be rejected by his own, but actually supported all the way by many, and supported enough not to boot him out by the rest?
Of course no one can see the future. That goes without saying. No one can claim anything at all with certitude. But it is a fact that, astonishingly, Trump has already brought US democracy down many notches down below what was ever thought possible. And without a shadow of a doubt, there is a very real possibility that should he get in again, then democracy will be further brought down to its knees. Might it go out the window altogether, like Project 2025 envisages? That's the extreme bad, so probably not --- but who knows? The point is, democracy has already been hurt, already, much more than anyone imagined was possible. And next time, if Trump gets in, then it's a fair bet that it will be hurt much more. I don't see how there can be any doubt about it.
Might things turn out better than the very worst that can be imagined? Sure it they might. Likely enough they might. Why even ask that question? In any scenario envisaged, about anything, likelihood usually rests between the two extreme edges, not along one of the extremes.