How Easy Would it Be for Trump to Destroy Democracy?

For the past decade, hundreds of articles and books have warned about the danger Trump poses to our (capital D) Democracy, often citing his similarities to dictators. Hundreds of former staffers and government officials—many from the Defense Department—have denounced Trump for president and warned of the threat he poses to national security.  Even  Trump’s ex-wife, Ivana, said that Donald read a book of Hitler’s speeches (a veritable roadmap),  kept in a bedside cabinet.

It’s unprecedented.

Yet millions of people are poised to select him to be one of the most powerful people on the planet.  Trump supporters should be asking themselves, What do insiders know that I don’t?

Trump supporters should be asking themselves, What do insiders know that I don’t?

Here is my accounting of the threats, one last Hail Mary.  First, I compiled the top 13 tactics (there’s much overlap) 4 autocrats have used:  Hitler, Mussolini, Orban, and Putin.  From there, it wasn’t difficult to show Trump’s parallels.  Unsurprisingly.

1)  Restrict News Media:

At first glance, you might think Trump hasn’t.  But in December of 2016, he used the term “fake news” and continued repeating it thousands of times.  The propaganda technique was so successful at discrediting legitimate, mainstream news that his supporters believe it is false and biased and that only Fox and other Trump-sanctioned outlets serve up the truth—much like state-sanctioned media. In this way, Trump suppresses opposition information.  This explains why most Trump supporters don’t consume mainstream media and thus don’t know—or don’t believe—he poses a threat.

2)   Propaganda:  

Trump is a habitual liar, with the Washington Post recording an unprecedented 30,000⁺ lies during his term.  Each one is repeated ad nauseam till supporters become believers.  Like:

• ŸThat Joe Biden is “the worst president ever.”
• ŸThat the economy is “probably the worst it’s ever been,” even though inflation and unemployment are low, and consumer spending and the GDP are up.
• ŸThat his economic plan will cure our failing economy, even though dozens of expert, nonpartisan economists have said that his policies will raise everyday prices and send us into a recession.
• ŸThat Harris’s climate-change policy will raise prices and hurt the economy, yet Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act has allotted $370 billion for energy infrastructure projects resulting in millions of jobs and dollars for the economy—and lower prices.
• ŸThat crime is “at a level we’ve never seen,” even though multiple metrics by the FBI, the DOJ, and others say that violent crime is unquestionably down, with the exception of gun violence.
• ŸThat immigrants are fueling the lack of affordable housing (when the effect is a paltry 1%) and causing the rise in violent crime, even though they are less likely to commit crimes than U.S. citizens.
• ŸMaking several wacky claims—quickly debunked—about FEMA’s response to recent hurricanes, like that Kamala Harris took FEMA money to house immigrants.
• ŸThat he WON the 2020 election, even though 60⁺ lawsuits showed zero evidence.

Two authors described this phenomenon, used by autocrats, as “tyranny of gaslighting.”

Another strategy is the creation of a personality cult, where Trump followers rally around a leader who expresses love for them and taps into their latent fears.  They’ve become so devoted, they will act against their own values to support his cause. This was evidenced by perpetrators of the January 6 Insurrection, some who recounted succumbing to Trump’s spell.  Supporters ignore Trump’s schoolyard bullying, the sexual assaults, the felony convictions, and the swindling of contractors plus Trump University students.

3)  Election Manipulation & Voting Restrictions: 

Obviously,  Trump falsely declared he won the 2020 election.  But more insidious risks include:

• ŸSteve Bannon admitted before the election that Trump was going to SAY he won the election, if he didn’t, to create a “firestorm.”
• ŸTrump pressured and tried to manipulate state election officials, the DOJ, and Mike Pence to say he won.
• ŸTrump and Fox “news” discredited Dominion voting machines, which cost Fox 787 million in a libel case.
• ŸTrump and his allies created the Arizona fake electors scheme.
• ŸTrump has successfully sown doubt about election integrity by repeating false allegations of voter fraud, which studies report is extremely rare.
• ŸParty loyalists have successfully gerrymandered voting maps and passed laws to restrict voter access and supplant election officials with loyalists.
• ŸTrump instigated the Stop The Steal Rally which resulted in the January 6 Insurrection and the resulting injuries of 150⁺ and deaths of 9 citizens.

4)  Create an Enemy to Unite Against:

The targets of Trump’s “us vs. them” fear mongering?  Pick one:

• ŸImmigrants are criminals, rapists, the enemy within, poisoning the blood, vermin, not human...
• ŸDemocrats are the enemy within, radical, unstable, evil, communist, and also vermin, etc.
• ŸThe Deep State is another enemy within.
• ŸTransgender and LGBTQ persons are sickos who are sexualizing your children.
• ŸRINOs:  The GOP tent isn’t big enough for non-loyalists.

5)  Promoting Nationalistic Fervor:

Trump’s cult of personality worked hand in glove with The Make America Great Again slogan, cementing an America-first mentality.  Dissenting voices are marginalized as unpatriotic.  Trump generally expresses an anti-globalist attitude and threatens to pull out of NATO.  Yet security experts warn that reducing our impact abroad could destabilize Europe, embolden authoritarian regimes, and result in economic and security consequences, both nationally and internationally.

6)  Censorship: 

Trump has effectively used propaganda to lie; discredit (as in the press); insult, disparage, and intimidate dissenters, in essence censoring content he opposes.

7)  Educational Manipulation. 

Trump’s proposals constitute educational censorship:

• ŸWhitewashing American history,
• ŸOpposing subjects like systemic racism or gender ideology,
• ŸEliminating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts in higher education.

8)  Suppressing Political Opposition: 

Setting aside Trump’s propaganda against the Democratic party, Trump has systematically purged and eviscerated the Republican party.  Those who disagree with him are subject to insults, disparagement, vilification.  Trump says, Vote them out, and his followers take over:  shunning, threatening, and yes, voting them out.  He demands fealty at every level; those who resist can expect revenge and destroyed careers.  Repeatedly, federal officials said Trump demanded loyalty to him—when their oath is loyalty to the Constitution.

Trump, wielding a heady amount of power, demanded that Republican lawmakers vote against the bipartisan immigration bill—without being an elected official—dealing a blow to the Harris campaign.  This seems like a good time to interject with a definition:

Democracy:  the principle of equality of rights (political, social, and economic), and fair and equal treatment and opportunity.

9)  Violence & Intimidation: 

Trump’s violent rhetoric is well documented, from instigating the January 6 Insurrection to signaling the assault of one of his hecklers. Supporters regularly assert that violence may be necessary to take the country back.  Most disturbing are the militia groups, like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, who stand ready to act on Trump’s direction—like Secret Police.  Government officials who found themselves on the wrong side of Trump report threats and intimidation from his followers.  Of grave concern is the number of times former staffers and current reporters heard Trump express his desire to use the National Guard or military against dissenters; he repeatedly asked why the police couldn’t just shoot the BLM protesters.

10)  Manipulating the Judiciary: 

Trump’s ability to appoint 3 Supreme Court Justices slanted the body to the right.  But more spurious was Trump purging an alarming number of judges and appointing those more politically aligned.  He has tried to persuade and manipulate justices, has a general disdain for the rule of law, and has used the judiciary for personal gain, pardoning convicted political allies.  Trump called for all members of the January 6 Select Committee who investigated him to be imprisoned.  He plans to pardon Capitol attackers, calling them “hostages.”  After his felony convictions, he falsely claimed his trial was unfair, successfully convincing supporters that the justice system is rigged.

11)  Restricting Civil Liberties:  

Trump’s conservative-leaning Supreme Court has dealt a huge blow to civil rights, most notably to women’s healthcare and non-whites.  While president, he trampled without mercy on the civil rights of immigrants and their families.  He plans to eviscerate LGBTQ persons’ rights.

12)  Centralization of Power:

While president, Trump purged the government of hundreds of knowledgeable employees, including  many in the Defense Department and inspectors general, replacing them with loyalists. In this way, Trump shifted the weight of the checks and balances toward the Executive Branch.

13)  Rewriting History:

Trump continues to claim, without evidence, that he won the 2020 election, and now he says the January 6 Insurrection was a day of “love and peace.”

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The breadth of Trump’s efforts is staggering.  What can you do?

I propose one simple strategy, inspired by Steve Hassan’s book, The Cult of Trump:
Sow seeds of doubt.  Don’t waste time arguing or convincing.  Just share Truth often, from credible sources.  When Truth bumps against cult propaganda, followers experience cognitive dissonance, opening the door to change.

The mechanisms are already entrenched for Trump to become an autocrat.  It’s up to us whether he gets another first-hand opportunity.

Sow seeds of doubt:
Share Truth, from credible sources.