One of the things about being a Trump critic on the right is that you have to deal with negative comments from people who are otherwise on your side. I've been here long enough to piss y'all off plenty of times. You're still here, I'm still here, and neither of us are planning to go anywhere.

I find the concept that anyone would "flee the country" if a certain politician got elected funny. It's a silly concept that comes from people who believe that the Constitution, which has held strong this long, will hold strong beyond Donald Trump, Joe Biden, or anyone else currently seeking office. 

So when I see a headline like "Fight or flight: Fearful Trump critics weigh the risk of retribution if he's re-elected" over at NBC News, I just laugh and laugh and laugh. These ninnies want the press to feel sorry for them and honor them for their "noble" sacrifice.

Alexander Vindman’s wife, Rachel, turns 50 next month. But rather than spend money on a party, she wants to save it in case Trump returns to the White House and tries to retaliate against her husband for being a key witness in Trump’s first impeachment, Alexander Vindman said in an interview. The family might need the money in case they have to flee the country.

“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” said Vindman, a national security official in Trump’s White House who was ousted in 2020 after Trump’s acquittal, but “that’s an indicator of the level of concern that she’s had.”

The Vindmans aren’t alone. Interviews with more than a dozen people who’ve run afoul of Trump for various reasons reveal deep worry among many that he will seek revenge if he wins another term. They are considering ways to protect themselves should he use the office’s vast powers to punish them over grievances that he’s been nursing.

Fearful of being hounded by investigators, prosecuted or stripped of their livelihoods, some are planning to leave the country if Trump is sworn in. Others are consulting attorneys or setting aside money to fight back in case they’re targeted either by Trump’s administration or by his Republican allies in Congress.

The story goes on to detail all those people, Democrat and Republican alike, who have come out as critical of the former president. They are all making preparations in case he gets into office again, because they are terrified that he will go after them in an act of vengeance the likes of which we've never seen.

If anyone reading this falls into such a category, please know that the following sentiment comes from a place of concern and not hatred: Grow the hell up.

You're not special. You're not unique. You're not going to be the target of some grand Trumpian conspiracy to remove all obstacles in his way, and you're not going to be sacrificed for the glory and honor of the Vindicative Orange God.

The fact of the matter is, once he makes it to the White House, you're no longer an obstacle. You're a loser, which in Trump's eyes is worse than death. You aren't worth going after.

But you are worth the ink the media will get to spill writing your perilous story, because just as you are using them for the spotlight and attention, they are using you to lay out their case against Trump. They are more than happy to help feed your delusions.

Keep writing your books, making your media appearances, and being afraid that Trump will mean the end of democracy and be a threat to your existence. You'll be letting yourselves feel threatened to a ripe old age.