I believe they’re expecting the reader to make the connection between voting for someone who’s tried to subvert the democratic process and is likely to again, and giving up on democracy.

It’s very common for the person who ends a democracy to be elected to the position that lets them do it, and to be in-fact very popular when they do it.

I understand GP as describing disillusioned people making a knowing, democratic, choice to elect someone who they believe will smash the system.

Exactly.

It's really hard to swallow being told that everything is great, when your lived experience is that it is obviously not great; seriously declining really.

People will eventually vote for anyone who is willing to bring chaos.