Hillary Clinton should have been prosecuted and should be in jail. Instead she is running for president in what looks like a rigged election
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 15, 2016

Trump is now actively working to delegitimize this election entirely because he is heading toward a crushing defeat of his own doing. As if that were’t deplorable enough, he’s turning up the dangerous rhetoric at his rallies. While Trump’s audiences appear to be getting smaller every day​, some of his most ardent followers are taking his cue and pivoting into extremely dangerous rhetoric themselves. Read some of the examples in this jaw-dropping article from The Boston Globe:

“If she’s in office, I hope we can start a coup. She should be in prison or shot. That’s how I feel about it,” Dan Bowman, a 50-year-old contractor, said of Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee. “We’re going to have a revolution and take them out of office if that’s what it takes. There’s going to be a lot of bloodshed. But that’s what it’s going to take. . . . I would do whatever I can for my country.”

Nate Silver: One theme of this election in general is that it might advance a lot of conversations but it also proves how far society has to go. And that’s putting it politely. I’m not sure what words to use, but there’s something profoundly evil about the Trump campaign at this point, and the people he attracts to it. And I think that’s the right word to use.

Andrew Alexander, CEO and producer at The Second City, confirmed the latest departures with Chicagoist on Friday and reiterated a sentiment he expressed earlier in the week, that “racist” audience taunts—which he said have reached unprecedented levels—were a factor.

"Over the last six months, we’ve seen a much higher level of audience verbal shout-outs; and sometimes those have become racist,” Alexander told Chicagoist. “And sometimes the host or employees would miss some. The actors were getting frustrated over time.”

“In 44 years of this work, I’ve never seen anything like it. The audience seems to feel like they have license in very unpleasant ways,” he added. "Ninety-nine percent of people are cool. But the jerk who used to keep his mouth shut now feels like he has the right to say something."

Alexander said he will be more involved with day-to-day operations following the exodus. “I will make sure our actors are protected,” he said.

The term “Gish Gallop” was coined by Eugenie Scott of the National Center for Science Education. The phrase refers to a debate tactic that was a favorite of Duane Gish, a young-Earth creationist who was also a highly skilled debater.

The Gish Gallop is the tactic of snowing your opponent under a mountain of supposed “pieces of evidence” or “problem cases” and claiming that the opponent’s inability to respond to this pile of evidence shows that your side is right. This tactic counts as a fallacy because its effectiveness doesn’t depend on presenting arguments that are right or even well-supported. Quantity is offered as a substitute for quality.

“As a husband and father, I was offended by the words and actions described by Donald Trump in the eleven-year-old video released yesterday. I do not condone his remarks and cannot defend them,” he offered. “I am grateful that he has expressed remorse and apologized to the American people. We pray for his family and look forward to the opportunity he has to show what is in his heart when he goes before the nation tomorrow night.”

1. Fans feel “fired!” and Trump alone can give them back their place in America.

Trump supporters feel robbed. Culturally and economically, they feel America betrayed them. Bewildered and wounded, they apparently turned to TV to explain it all. And a TV hero has stepped up to make it right. Fans need Trump to come to their rescue, because they feel powerless and silenced.

2. Fans don’t know what hit them (but TV won’t tell them).

Trump fans, overall, lack education. Derek Thompson reports in the Atlantic, “Trump's support skewed male, white, and poor…the single best predictor of Trump support in the GOP primary is the absence of a college degree.” That absence exacerbates their sense that someonedissed them.

5. Trump (magically! manfully!) turns pain into anger and fear into aggression.

Their hero has already helped them! Fans’ fear felt weak and painful, but their newfound anger feels strong. Trump has already helped his white-male-skewed avid TV fan-base feel powerful.