As with most dictators, Caligula’s downfall was driven by many factors.  His lavish spending and extravagant spectacles drained the imperial treasury.  To compensate, he levied predatory taxes and seized property from wealthy citizens.  Seething grievances extended to Roman senators, whom he mocked and humiliated.  On the mere hint of treason, he executed family members and political rivals.  Finally, he insulted the Praetorian Guard, his own elite police force tasked with protecting him.

In particular, he often publicly mocked the Praetorian Cassius Chaerea for having a high-pitched voice.  (Take heed here, JD Vance.)  Fed up with the abuse, Chaerea formed an alliance with fellow Praetorians, senators, and others in constant fear of the emperor and his increasingly erratic behavior.  In 41 A.D., during the Palatine Games — a sports and theatre festival — Chaerea approached the emperor in an underground corridor.  When Caligula mocked him again, Chaerea struck him with his sword.  A crowd of conspirators rushed in, stabbing the emperor nearly 30 times until he was dead.  A contingent of guards then hunted down his family.  Caligula was the first Roman Emperor to be assassinated.

Similar factors led to Nero’s demise in 68 A.D.  His reckless spending caused him to devalue the currency and heavily raise taxes.  His executions of family members and political rivals instilled fear among everyone.  His alienation of the Roman Senate and his increasing tyranny spawned regional military rebellions.  Ultimately, the Praetorian Guard abandoned him.

The Roman Senate declared Nero a public enemy (hostis publicus), which meant he could be killed on sight.  As a fugitive and unwilling to face execution, Nero committed suicide stabbing himself in the throat. 

In modern times, Hitler committed suicide in his underground bunker 2 days after learning that Mussolini had been executed and hanged upside down in a Milan square, where the Italian people spat on and defaced the body.

Do the lives of tyrants end well?  A study of national rulers with absolute power like Caligula’s and Nero’s found that 69% end up jailed, exiled, or killed.  Tranquil retirement is incredibly rare.

Trump’s fate?  That chapter has yet to be written.  In this country, we do not condone violence.  We do, however, believe in accountability, as well as full and fair investigations, which proponents argue can only be achieved with a “blue tsunami.”

Please vote.