President-Elect Trump will soon be returning to the most prestigious, powerful office on the planet. As President Trump prepares to move back in the White House, he may be watching media coverage about former president Jimmy Carter. That coverage included the announcement of his plans to attend Carter’s memorial services.

Perhaps that coverage has led Trump to thoughts about how he will be regarded when his second term has ended.

As is highlighted in the extensive coverage of the Carter presidency and his life after one term, he was devoted to service. Part of that devotion is attributed to his religious beliefs and practices. He did not have the advantages of family wealth, but was able to get an education at the U.S. Naval Academy that led to service as an engineer on a nuclear submarine, and later, to success as a peanut farmer, state legislator, and governor.

Notably absent from his record and the current reporting is any mention of revenge or retribution. While he had his critics and detractors, he maintained a record that suggests he knew how to “forgive and forget.” That record accounts for at least part of the respect and reverence being demonstrated by the media, and by historians who compare the records of former U.S. presidents.

President Carter did not seek a return to the office after he lost in his campaign for a second term. Despite large hurdles, President Trump succeeded in his efforts to regain the presidency. He now has the opportunity to create a record that will make those who voted for him proud.

He could also lead the nation into deeper divisions, and undo the progress it has made since 1776. We have made slow but real progress in achieving the “perfect union” aspired to by the founding fathers. Our form of government under the Constitution has served us well through some severe tests: a civil war, two world wars, and the past several years.

If making America great again truly is Trump’s goal, he must acknowledge what made it great. It was “We the People,” working under the Constitution that has allowed us to vote, and to maintain the rule of law through reliance on and respect for three co-equal branches of government. That Constitution and system made possible the great nation that Trump has been elected to lead for another four years.

President Trump’s place in the history of this great nation will be determined by whether he follows the example of Jimmy Carter, or the leaders of Russia and Hungary. Those leaders are autocrats, a term deserving a clear definition.

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, an autocrat is a ruler with unlimited power, or someone who demands that people completely obey them. Trump’s assertion about being a dictator on day one suggests that he intends to fit within that description, at least initially.

If Trump prefers positive reviews of his second term, he should recognize that autocrats have not succeeded in this country. Over more than two centuries, free and fair elections have resulted in the demonstration of a strong preference for democracy. Our country has been willing to fight and able to win wars to protect its freedoms, so saying “no thanks” to aspiring autocrats is quite likely.

Choosing to perform as an autocrat leading a cadre of other billionaires could be a risky gamble, not just for the performers but also for MAGA and the Republican Party. I send him best wishes for a positive, productive second term.

Editor’s Note

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