authoritarianism

President Donald Trump attends the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on December 5, 2025, in Washington, DC.

We Are in the Middle of a “Rolling Coup” We Are in the Middle of a “Rolling Coup”

Unless we begin to act, our democracy will likely be destroyed.

Jun 22, 2026 / Richard Gephardt and Timothy Wirth

President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, UFC CEO Dana White, and others pose for a photo inside the octagon at the UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House on June 14, 2026, in Washington, DC.

The Warning America Can’t Afford to Ignore The Warning America Can’t Afford to Ignore

Former House majority leader Richard Gephardt and former senator Timothy Wirth argue that a “rolling coup” is already underway—and that the greatest danger may lie ahead.

Jun 22, 2026 / Column / Sasha Abramsky

A protest against President-elect Donald Trump in New York City on November 9, 2016.

Trump Is Rooting Around in the Public Trough Trump Is Rooting Around in the Public Trough

Trump’s second term is unabashedly a project of self-enrichment and oligarchic rule.

May 15, 2026 / Column / Sasha Abramsky

President Donald Trump greets Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, DC, on November 7, 2025.

Hungary Just Showed How to Kick Out a Strongman Hungary Just Showed How to Kick Out a Strongman

Trump is using authoritarian tactics that were perfected by Viktor Orbán. But the Hungarian authoritarian leader’s defeat may also offer a road map for beating Trumpism.

May 8, 2026 / Column / Sasha Abramsky

An image of a proposed Trump passport as posted by the White House on X.

As Trump’s Poll Numbers Fall, His Authoritarian Instincts Grow More Extreme As Trump’s Poll Numbers Fall, His Authoritarian Instincts Grow More Extreme

Increasingly unpopular and facing a fracturing coalition, Trump is using government power to punish his critics, take political revenge, and revel in his own cruelty.

May 1, 2026 / Column / Sasha Abramsky

A poster on a wall in Margate, United Kingdom, showing President Donald Trump in an SS uniform.

The Rapid and “Unprecedented” Collapse of American Democracy The Rapid and “Unprecedented” Collapse of American Democracy

The V-Dem Institute, the world’s chronicler of democracy and autocracy, has determined that the United States is no longer “a liberal democracy.”

Mar 27, 2026 / Column / Sasha Abramsky

President Donald Trump departs after making an announcement in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 12, 2026.

The Republican Crack-Up Has Begun The Republican Crack-Up Has Begun

Even conservatives are fleeing the GOP as more and more Americans turn against Trump’s authoritarian project.

Feb 13, 2026 / Column / Sasha Abramsky

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