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And you know what? They were right, they were just off on the timing. Bush's administration (and frankly Clinton's before him, to a lesser degree) normalized a lot of more-flaunting that's only just coming to fruition.
A disdain for the truth. A mistrust of our electoral process. Utilizing consecutive emergencies to hold on to power (also known as the Julius Caesar doctrine). Projecting the appearance of strength at any cost. Never admitting to misconduct. Fighting against (and convincing your supporters to fight against) things that would've previously been bipartisan just because it could help the other party politically. Overlooking malfeasance because of party alliance (and overlooking positive qualities because of disloyalty). Showboating for cable news. All of those things led directly to Donald Trump in 2016, because they were torn down piece by piece in 1996-2004.
This false equivalency doesn't acknowledge that nations very rarely fall in one swift stroke; it's a slow but steady erosion of the fabric of decency. And maybe you're right this time, too; maybe Trump will surprise us all and not do the things he said he would do, like be a dictator on his first day in office or deport non-Christians or pardon convicted criminals who are loyal to him.
But what about the next guy? The one who sees the promises Trump is making and thinks, "this but unironically"? The guy who sees how far Trump has pushed the envelope and how much he's disregarded mores and is willing to push it down the field a little bit more? What about the guy in 2032 who thinks Trump's "first day dictatorship" didn't go far enough? What's to stop him?
It's not a slippery slope fallacy when we're actually slipping down the slope.
And we won't fix it next time if we won't fix it now. They'll just keep moving the Overton Window until they've normalized an outright empire.