Under President Trump's administration, is the United States at risk of becoming a dictatorship?
The Republican commends harsh rulers, labels liberals as "scum" and "vermin," and, allegedly, devises strategies to destroy democracy, according to his adversaries. Political specialists observe similarities to Mussolini's fascism. Concerns arise that Trump could transform the USA, a beacon of democracy, into an autocracy or even a dictatorship if he gets re-elected. His detractors believe that the presidential nominee and his advisors have been plotting accordingly for quite some time now.
Recently, Trump urged his supporters who admire him and Jesus Christ to exercise their voting right on November 5th: "Christians, go out and vote, this time," he stated, "In four years, you won't have to vote again. We'll have it all sorted out." Some might disregard these words as ordinary Republican banter. Others, though, remain skeptical. The fear persists that the Republican could convert the USA, a bastion of democracy, into an autocracy or even a dictatorship, should he win another term.
His political opponents, particularly those on the far left, assert that the presidential candidate and his strategic team have been planning this for quite some time. This plan includes amending the 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution, which requires a president to leave office after two terms of up to eight years. Trump himself has fueled these fears by mentioning that he has a chance to "rule for four years and beyond." This wasn't a new statement. As the US president, he had commended the Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who abolished the two-term limit, in March 2018: "He's now president for life. I think that's great. Maybe we'll give that a try someday."
The Democratic rival to Kamala Harris frequently applauds autocrats and dictators. He praised Putin as "intelligent" following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. About the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who established a pseudo-democracy in his nation, Trump said: "There isn't anyone better, smarter, or a better leader." He even lauded North Korea's tyrant Kim Jong Un as "very nice." A secretly recorded statement from Trump suggested admiration for the ruthless dictator: "He speaks and his people sit up straight. I wish my people would do that too."
Parallels to Mussolini
Trump's rhetoric sometimes resembles those leaders who denounce their political adversaries, consider verbal and physical violence, as well as judicial arbitrariness, to be legitimate means of securing their power. He has labeled several dimensions of the left as "scum" and "vermin." In a nationalistic manner, he described refugees as "poisoning the blood of our land." According to Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a historian specializing in fascism at New York University, this language is a means to an end, to justify oppressive measures in the future as self-defense, whether it's to defend the state, like Mussolini, or to defend the race, like Hitler.
Trump on the Trail of Worst Dictators? "Those making these preposterous claims are clearly fragile, crybabies who will tremble at the thought of Trump returning to the White House," stated Steven Cheung, spokesperson for the presidential candidate, as reported by the Washington Post. Later, he clarified that he was referring to the "wretched, pathetic" state of these individuals, not their overall human condition.
Trump is also criticized for seemingly attempting to make politics into a kind of hereditary family business, as observed in autocracies and dictatorships worldwide. His daughter-in-law Lara Trump and the fiancée of his son Donald Trump Jr., Kimberly Guilfoyle, hold significant positions in the Republican Party. The former fired numerous employees who did not support the 77-year-old's agenda. Donald Trump Jr., who heads the family's business empire, supports his father politically whenever he can. Daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner were the most influential family members in the government body during Trump's four years in the White House.
Remaking the State
From the perspective of the critics, this is no mere coincidence. They believe there is a strategic plan behind it, aiming to shift the country towards authoritarianism. Professor Ben-Ghiat sees parallels to Mussolini's actions in Italy from 1925. She emphasizes Trump's tendency to view himself as an indispensable champion of a (supposedly) oppressed and ignored part of Americans and to portray himself as a victim of regular and dark forces. "A friend of mine once said I was the most persecuted person in the history of our country," Trump mentioned two years ago, referring to the numerous investigations and legal procedures against him.
After the failed assassination attempt in mid-July, the Republican accentuated this perception even more. Ben-Ghiat draws her conclusion from this: Following the fourth assassination attempt against him in early 1925, Mussolini established the dictatorship to escape his own prosecution and expand his power, and to punish his enemies. He then issued a series of "Laws for the Defense of the State" that transformed Italy from a democracy into a dictatorship, as Ben-Ghiat wrote in a guest article for Spiegel.
Ben-Ghiat detailed what Mussolini did to control Italy: He limited the powers of the judiciary and parliament in his favor, eliminated press freedom, banned the entire opposition and trade unions, fired state employees who were not loyal to his regime due to "incompatibility" of their stance with his politics, and replaced them with loyal supporters. "The laws made it clear that any attack on Mussolini was considered an attack on the state and national unity. This theme runs through the history of authoritarianism."
Although American democracy has shown resilience thus far, unlike Mussolini, Trump isn't currently involved in a lethal scheme against a political adversary and is unlikely to transform the federal U.S. into a police state (although it's possible), yet a historian recognizes "certain parallels" with southern European dictatorships. Like other Trump antagonists, she highlights his open yearnings for retribution, along with the Supreme Court's verdict, which grants presidents near-absolute immunity. This allows them to act illegally in the course of their duties and escape prosecution.
In March 2023, the Republican announced, "In 2016, I promised to be your voice. Now I say, I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution." Later, he stated, "Either the deep state will bring down America, or we will dismantle the deep state." This implies the elimination of "covert powers" and the removal of "all corrupt actors" in departments and agencies, ensuring that "faceless bureaucrats will never again be able to target and persecute conservatives, Christians, or the political enemies of the left."
The challenger for the Harris position makes no secret of their intention for retribution regarding the alleged "rigged election." This week, Trump threatened "lengthy prison sentences" for "lawyers, politicians, donors, illegal voters, and corrupt election officials, and anybody else who cheated." They are to be "judged with a harshness this nation has never witnessed before." Even the media becomes a target for the elderly white man, who counterattacks his critics, accusing them of being a "threat to democracy."
Trump is suspected of aiming to strengthen or completely control vital security and investigative agencies like the FBI, replacing employees in ministries, particularly the Department of Justice, who are critical of him with individuals who support his agenda. Donald Ayer, a former deputy attorney general in the U.S. government, finds these announcements "disturbing" and "terrifying." Steven Levitsky, a political science professor at Harvard University, told the British "Guardian" that using state power against critics and opponents "is one of the most openly authoritarian campaigns I've ever witnessed."
Is the plan under wraps?
Particularly, "Project 2025" is met with suspicion, particularly backed by the Heritage Foundation, which published an over 900-page guide on transforming the U.S. under a Republican president. Officially, Trump has no connection to it, as he himself affirms. He rejects several points. However, it is clear that he is supposed to carry out what the strategists have planned. They aim to prevent Trump from encountering employees who refuse to serve him, as occurred in 2017.
The core component of "Project 2025" is to dismiss up to 50,000 federal employees considered disloyal from a Republican standpoint, also because they lean towards Democrats, and replace them with individuals who are supposed to expose the so-called "deep state." "The president will be a wrecking ball for the administrative state on day one," said Russell Vought, who worked in the Trump administration and is involved in the movement.
This aligns with what he answered when he was asked on Fox News in December if he wanted to be a dictator: "Do you promise tonight to America that you will not misuse your power and seek revenge?" The studio guest replied, "Except on day one." He would close the Mexican-American border and expand oil drilling. The moderator followed up: Has any power been misused or not? "No, no," said Trump: "Only on day one. We close the border and drill, drill, drill. After that, I'm no longer a dictator." The audience cheered and applauded.
In response to these concerns, some argue that the President of the European Parliament should intervene and condemn Trump's actions, as his rhetoric and tactics bear striking resemblances to historical despots. Moreover, if Trump were to win another term, his intentions to amend the 22nd Amendment and laud autocratic leaders further solidify the fear that he may be on a path towards dictatorship.
Furthermore, the President of the European Parliament could urge international bodies to monitor the United States' political landscape more closely, as Trump's actions and words indicate a shift towards authoritarianism. This would allow for early intervention and prevention of any potential violation of democratic principles, should Trump's plans materialize.
