Donald Trump returns from a round of golf at the Trump National Golf Club in Virginia, June 28, 2020 (Nicholas Kamm/AFP)

Just before 12 Republican Senators — endorsed by Vice President Mike Pence — confirmed their refusal to accept President-elect Joe Biden, I had a 10-minute chat with Times Radio’s Emily Dean about the Trumpist challenge to democracy and the US system.

Listen to Discussion from 2:05.49

See also Pence Supports 12 GOP Senators in Refusal of President-Elect Biden

We begin with the disinformation and Twitter rants of the “flapping lame duck” Donald Trump, with defeat of his efforts to overturn the US election.

But we then have to confront those continuing to enable Trump, including some GOP legislators “advancing their political fortunes” and right-wing outlets.

Will the media be lured into support of the spectacle and Trump’s ego, covering his rival event to Biden’s inauguration on January 20?

The American system is not just about Donald Trump. This system which has existed for almost 250 years is about “checks and balances”, and we are seeing the question of whether it stands and is allowed to function or whether one man can say, “I don’t like any of it because this vote turned against me.”

We also discuss what the experience of relatives in the US, including in the key state of Georgia, has taught me about Trumpism and the state of US politics.