It would allow called–” former – President Donald Trump to return to the headlines daily. Yet his behavior and rhetoric reveal an authoritarian streak, raising alarm bells with political experts and at-home activists alike. Over the past few weeks, Trump has been issuing extravagant allegations left and right. He’s launched unprecedented, controversial military deployments, and signed actions that lead to questions about their corrosive effect on democracy and governance.
Trump’s allegations against Lisa Cook were numerous and outrageous. That her, an extremely well-qualified Federal Reserve governor appointed by the Biden administration, is allegedly guilty of mortgage fraud. This allegation in particular has provoked a firestorm of controversy, not least because Cook has so far stridently denied these charges. The former president’s decision to fire Cook was a historical turning point in the United States. In doing so, he becomes the first president in history to fire a member of the Federal Reserve board.
Allegations and Accusations
Trump’s accusations didn’t stop with Cook. He called former President Barack Obama a “traitor.” In so doing, he was unable to offer a scintilla of evidence to support such a grave charge. Critics would say that this kind of rhetoric poisons the well of political discourse. It can’t hurt him as a strategy to capture the imagination of his base by dissing the old line political players.
The controversy was exacerbated by Trump’s decision to deploy U.S. Marines to Los Angeles. For one, that they showed up to back Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in their efforts to carry out mass deportation. He was then quoted saying, “I love the smell of mass deportations in the morning…” This statement highlights his cruel criminalization of migration and is a piece in a wider anti-migrant agenda that many see as authoritarian.
The former president’s actions raise alarms about potential overreach and the militarization of domestic law enforcement, especially when coupled with his recent declaration of nine national emergencies since taking office again in January. These declarations are broadly regarded as precursors to executive power-grabs that default to congressional approval.
Threats to Democratic Norms
In yet another bold move against the establishment, Trump applauded the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) efforts to revoke broadcast licenses for networks like ABC and NBC. He makes the case that these interchanges create “97% TERRIBLE TALES.” This hostility toward media organizations is part of a broader pattern where Trump has frequently attacked the press, labeling unfavorable coverage as “fake news.” Yet, critics say, such actions are an incipient danger to freedom of the press—and to democracy itself.
In August 2020, Trump forcibly removed Erika McEntarfer, the head of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This action has been explicated well elsewhere, but it underscores his contempt for institutions that do not bolster his story. After receiving disappointing job figures for August, he dismissed McEntarfer without hesitation, showcasing a willingness to undermine independent agencies to maintain control over economic messaging.
Trump’s mercurial nature led him to revoke the security clearance of former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley. This move poses grave ethical concerns, not least because Milley previously called Trump a “wannabe dictator.” More broadly, this action represents a dangerous precedent on how dissent will be tolerated in military ranks—fostering more loyalty than integrity.
Military Actions and Legal Maneuvers
Just the other day, Trump directed the U.S. military to sink a vessel in the Caribbean Sea. This operation eliminated eleven supposed drug traffickers connected to the Tren de Aragua cartel and is causing considerable uproar. Critics argue that this move likely violated fundamental rules of international and maritime law. They highlight the unprecedented nature of Trump’s military action, especially as it has no clear legal basis.
Compounding these issues is Trump’s ongoing lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch regarding stories published by the Wall Street Journal about his past associations with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. This lawsuit illustrates Trump’s continued difficulty navigating the storm of bad press stemming from an onslaught of ongoing and multiple allegations from all sides.
Trump has taken steps to influence congressional redistricting in Texas, urging Governor Greg Abbott to gerrymander districts to favor Republican candidates in upcoming midterm elections. These kinds of efforts have largely been viewed as an effort to gerrymander the democracy away for purely electoral partisan advantage.
