> The moment it becomes clear that the cost of losing is personal jail time for you and your family

That has always been clear, seeing how it is the default mode of operation for empires throughout history. The solution here is separation of powers: the ruler itself is bound by rules and institutions that provide a check on their power, and in turn those institutions protect the ruler after stepping down.

It is Trump and the Republican party that chose to abandon that solution. There already is no going back from that choice.