If Trump is neutralized, some things will change. But most things will not.

Imagine that Trump had been killed yesterday. You would think that after that unique threat to democracy had been removed, the left might change their approach to, well, something. I'm not so sure. In fact, I suggest that they would not change anything at all. I made up the below hypothetical news story to illustrate my point. Would you consider this to be satire or reality?

DEMOCRATIC LEADERS UNIFY IN CALLING FOR PEACE, WHILE RADICAL REPUBLICANS POUNCE ON VIOLENCE

BUTLER, PA (AP): After years of MAGA Republicans calling for violence against America’s government, Donald Trump was killed yesterday by a white Christian man with an assault rifle.

President Biden immediately called for peace, and pledged to renew his efforts to promote common sense gun control. “We can’t allow hate-filled MAGA Republicans to seize power through violent coup attempts. America must stand strong against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I’m amazed that radical Republicans still don’t understand the danger of guns.”

Chuck Schumer led a chorus of Democratic leaders in offering condolences to the latest victims of gun violence: “It’s tragic that my friend Donald Trump became a victim of the very gun culture that he promoted. He and I disagreed occasionally on policy matters, but we always respected one another and loved one another personally. Not like the new radical wing of the Republican party that we’re seeing these days, like Marco Rubio, Tom Cotton, Ron DeSantis, and other candidates that you’re seeing in the new Republican primary. Trump was a businessman — you could negotiate with him. These new far-right radicals in the Republican party present a unique danger to democracy that we’ve not seen before.”

After lighting a candle for those who died on that tragic day, Vice President Kamala Harris also pleaded for peace as America continues to struggle with violence from the far-right: “I just left an important policy meeting with leadership of the FBI and CIA. We all believe in free speech, of course. But recent events have made the dangers of allowing radicals, Trump supporters, and far-right Republicans to gather in public places, post on social media, and spread hate-filled Republican rhetoric without reasonable supervision from those who care only about American unity and peace. Like the FBI and the CIA. We’re all working together for solutions for peace.”

Pete Buttigieg echoed VP Harris’ call for national unity: “It’s never been more important for America to unify behind mainstream, stable leaders like President Biden. Or, if his health should falter, behind the Democrat nominee, whoever they are. We can’t allow radicals like Mitt Romney or Tim Scott anywhere near public office. We’ve seen what happens when Republicans seize power.”

Stay tuned to CNN for continuing guidance on interpreting this evolving story.

My point, of course, is that if Donald Trump is removed from the picture through assassination, or via a biased judge, or through government invasions of his home, planting evidence, or whatever — once Mr. Trump is no longer the Republican nominee, the Democrats will continue the same approach against whoever is next.

They might be slightly less vicious if the next Republican leader is completely incompetent. But not by much. Because it’s not the Republican leader that Democrats hate.

They hate Republican voters. Trump isn’t standing in the way of permanent left-wing control of America. Republican voters are. They are the true enemy of the left. And the left knows it.

Donald Trump knows it, too, and has said so many times.

I hope Republican voters figure this out. I think that many of them have.

It’s important to give thanks that Mr. Trump was not killed yesterday. But it’s also important to remember that that’s not the point. And it never has been.

Democrats hate Trump because he is effective in representing the interests of America.

Americans should take note.