A new survey from the Public Religion Research Institute shows that a majority of Americans believe that Donald Trump poses a serious threat to democracy, with 56% of Americans choosing to describe him as a “potentially dangerous dictator whose power should be limited before he destroys democracy” rather than a “strong leader who should be given the power he needs to restore America’s greatness”.
Trump’s threat to democracy is not that he will become a king, but that he has become a kleptocrat, exploiting national resources and stealing from the public treasury to enrich himself, his family, and his allies.
In Chicago, federal agents used excessive force and intimidation tactics to carry out “Operation Midway Blitz”, causing fear and distrust in the community and eroding trust in law enforcement.
In a world of digital distraction and entertainment, citizens are more likely to be controlled by pleasure and distraction than by pain and surveillance, making it easier for authoritarianism to creep in and take hold.
Immigrant rights leader Magybet Mendez discusses the real-world consequences of ICE raids, racial profiling, and legal fees on immigrant families, as well as the Supreme Court’s shadow docket enabling military-style ICE invasions, and how communities are fighting back through advocacy, education, and small business empowerment.
A leading legal scholar warns that a government shutdown could give President Donald Trump the opportunity to consolidate power and push forward an authoritarian agenda, while also allowing him to use emergency powers and make personnel decisions with little oversight.
The Trump administration has been using its power to intimidate critics, punish dissent, and redefine the boundaries of speech, culminating in the president’s declaration that he will label antifa as a terrorist organization, which is a move straight out of the authoritarian playbook.
Radley Balko and Ezra Klein argue that the militarization of American policing is a sign of a shift towards authoritarianism, and that the only way to resist this trend is to build state-level counter-capacity and to remember that the true power lies with the citizenry.
The Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the use of the Army in domestic policing, has been brought into the national spotlight by President Donald Trump’s repeated use of federal troops on American soil, raising questions about the boundaries between military and civilian authority and reigniting debate about the militarization of policing.
As polarization deepens and the norms of liberal democracy are dismantled by a radicalized Republican Party, the eventual consequence is likely to be a radicalization of the left, which will only exacerbate the current political crisis.
Journalist and legal scholar Jessica Pishko discusses the rise of far-right sheriffs in the US and argues that the office of sheriff should be abolished due to its entrenched and ideologically driven system.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has denounced President Trump’s actions as a slide into authoritarianism, while California Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed a lawsuit against Trump, arguing that the federalization of the California National Guard without the state’s consent is unconstitutional.
Demagogues such as Father Charles Coughlin, Huey Long, and Charles Lindbergh failed to reach the presidency, but Donald Trump succeeded due to the systemic decay and erosion of democratic norms, and if we want to prevent another collapse, we must rebuild those foundations.
Trump’s pardons are being used to reward his friends and allies, undermine the rule of law, and erode public faith in institutions, while his opponents are threatened with prosecution or surveillance.
American authoritarianism is a decades-old phenomenon, fueled by the expansion of executive power, economic inequality, and the political exploitation of national crises, and cannot be solely blamed on Donald Trump, but rather requires a dismantling of the systems that made him possible.
President Trump has stated that he doesn’t know whether people on American soil are entitled to due process, which is a dangerous and dangerous statement that undermines the rule of law and the Constitution.
Trump’s approval rating is down, but public opinion may not matter as much as it once did, due to voter suppression, gerrymandering, and the decay of institutional checks on executive power.
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