There's a scene like this in Iain Banks excellent but bonkers Algebraist. Also an excellent description of combat between fleets meeting at relativistic speeds

Typo? Per 500,000-900,000 miles driven? The number you give here implies a car that explodes without crashing, and a total fleet mileage of less than 20,000 miles.

Yeah that's the biggest difference: Clodius was young, where intellectually Trump is probably much closer to Marius at the end. Hopefully not as bloodthirsty?

He was also not particularly skilled at anything except mob appeal and avoiding the consequences of scandal, unlike accomplished military leaders Sulla and Caesar.

Actually he must resembles their contemporary Clodius. Wealthy and famously vulgar, he was probably the most shameless demagog of the bunch, maintaining less scrupulous elite connections while using mob power to silence his enemies. Underrated figure in the destruction of the republic.