Karl Marx famously wrote that archetypal figures appear twice in history: first in the form of tragedy, and again as farce. In the period following the November 3 US presidential election, Donald Trump has managed to achieve both. Trump’s attempts to cling to power despite his clear loss to Joe Biden are growing increasingly farcical and have next to no realistic prospect of success. But he is a tragic figure too because of the damage he is inflicting on America’s democratic traditions as he heads out the door.

US election 2020 results: Donald Trump’s ignominious White House exit