Former President Donald Trump is cruising toward the GOP nomination.

In the general election, Trump has a 2 point lead over President Joe Biden in the RealClearPolitics average, with most polls showing Trump ahead by anywhere from 1 to 6 points.

Throw in other candidates like RFK, Jr, Cornell West, or Joe Manchin, and Trump’s lead grows to 4-5 points. Meanwhile Biden’s mental state is declining, as are his poll numbers and the overall state of America.

Corporate media, Democrats, and Never-Trump Republicans are realizing the inevitability of a Trump second term, barring imprisonment or worse, and their panic is manifest.

An NBC News headline last week revealed palpable fear: 

Fight or flight: Fearful Trump critics weigh the risk of retribution if he’s reelected.

Screenshot The Last Refuge

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and family wonder if they will have to flee the country if Trump is reelected. Ditto Stephanie Grisham, a former Trump White House press secretary, who wrote a tell-all book, which like most such books, is a he-said, she-said bucket of unverified half-truths.

Their fear knows no bounds, “They’ve discussed moving to countries without extradition treaties in the event Trump comes back.”

Lots of countries fit the bill. They can set up new homes in Cameroon, Brunei, Russia, or Nepal.

Ironically, these panicked politicos see no irony in what’s happening under the Biden administration to January 6 protesters, Biden whistleblowers, Trump, and his associates where the power of the federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies are treating Biden’s political opponents in a KGB or Stasi manner.

The New York Times, with a long history of publishing falsehoods about Donald Trump, has already labeled Trump’s potential second term, “The Retribution Presidency.” There is a smell of panic rising from midtown Manhattan and from the Beltway.

Is this revenge or retribution? Is there a distinction?

The Hill ran this headline, “Trump signals he’s out for revenge in second term,” but in the first sentence used the other 'R' word. “Former President Trump told his supporters earlier this year he would be their ‘retribution’ if reelected.”

Here is a summary of the two terms. Words do matter.

• Retribution is a form of punishment imposed by law and legally authorized.

• Revenge, in contrast, is a form of personal punishment, one not sanctioned by law.

• The ultimate goal of Retribution is to punish the wrongdoer or offender and ensure that justice is served to the victim and public as a whole.

• Revenge, however, is a form of payback, to ensure that personal justice is served. Thus, the goal of Revenge is vengeance or getting even.

• Retribution is only carried out for crimes and wrongs recognized in the law. It is not personal and not fueled by a desire to persistently seek the suffering of the wrongdoer. Instead, it imposes a punishment that is proportionate to the gravity of the crime or wrong. Furthermore, it is governed by procedural rules and codes of conduct.

• In contrast, Revenge can be carried out for various wrongs, injuries, suffering and any other action considered harmful or hurtful. There is no limit to the type of punishment imposed and the severity of such punishment. As mentioned before, Revenge is personal and driven by a strong emotional desire to see the suffering of the person who committed the wrong or injury.

Which of these two words describe what the deep state ruling class has done to Trump versus what he will hopefully do if reelected president?

I contend that “revenge” is what was heaped on Trump. He had the audacity to challenge Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush, both believing they were entitled to the nomination of their respective parties in 2016, with little difference in policy or outcome regardless of who was ultimately elected.

The administrative state wanted another four years of the Bush/Obama train of endless wars, open borders, domestic surveillance, and out-of-control government spending.

Trump upended their plans. Seeking revenge, they illegally spied on his campaign, transition, and administration. They hounded him with special counsels and lawfare harassment that continues to this day. Not allowed to defend himself, they heaped excessive fines on him, in violation of the Eighth Amendment.

Corporate media repeatedly lies about Trump, including the fabricated Russian collusion hoax, which they are now again resurrecting. They accuse Trump and his supporters of “insurrection,” punishing his supporters again in violation of the Eighth Amendment. They are trying to illegally keep him off the ballot for the upcoming presidential election.

These are all acts of revenge, “personal,” “payback,” “getting revenge,” and “not sanctioned by law,” as the above description notes.

Trump, if reelected, will hopefully seek “retribution, which is “punishment imposed by law and legally authorized,” against corrupt politicians and government agencies that attempted illegal “revenge” against Trump. See the distinction? Retribution is legal, revenge is personal.

Trump’s mission to drain the swamp is so “justice is served to the victim and public as a whole” that is “proportionate to the gravity of the crime or wrong.” That is retribution.

It’s called a reckoning, where those who unethically and illegally abused the system are held accountable, balancing Lady Justice’s scales.

As Trump said in one of his best speeches, delivered shortly before the 2016 election

Our movement is about replacing a failed and corrupt political establishment with a new government controlled by you, the American People. There is nothing the political establishment will not do, and no lie they will not tell, to hold on to their prestige and power at your expense.

This is our moment of reckoning as a society and as a civilization.

This reckoning, or retribution, is a necessary major course correction for America, or else we become a police state with one party rule, freedom and liberty only a distant memory.

As Trump said in that same speech, “This is a crossroads in the history of our civilization that will determine whether or not We the People reclaim control over our government.” That’s the retribution. And it’s long overdue.

Brian C. Joondeph, M.D., is a physician and writer. Follow me on Twitter @retinaldoctor, Substack Dr. Brian’s Substack, Truth Social @BrianJoondeph, and LinkedIn @Brian Joondeph