The U.S. Is in a ‘Particularly Authoritarian’ Moment

Trump is treating the military like a “private army,” political scientist Nicholas Grossman warns.

Donald Trump points with his right hand. October 15, 2025, 5:07 PM Comment icon View Comments ( )

Trump’s Second Term

Ongoing reports and analysis

For years, many democracy experts have warned that U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing the country toward authoritarianism . During his first term, they raised alarm bells as Trump repeatedly tested democratic guardrails with unprecedented and, at times, incendiary actions—particularly his refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election.

When Trump was reelected last year, many of the same experts predicted that the U.S. political system—weakened by his first term—woul

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