Authoritarianism in America

Signs of Authoritarian Rule are all Around Us

Apr 27, 2024

We are in 2024, an election year, a year I call “the Year of the Precipice” for our democracy. To better equip Americans to exercise their civic duty this year, we have begun a series in Democraticus examining important ways of thinking and belief systems, such as those pertaining to leadership, which can have a major impact on our democracy’s future.

The “Strongman” Leadership Style on Full Display

We have been exploring what leadership actually is, as well as what both good and bad leadership in democratic government looks like (or at least should). Further, we have explored the idea that in order to sustain democracy, it is vital for Americans to be equipped with the ability to identify leaders with leadership skills and abilities best suited for governing in a twenty first century democracy.

As a part of this leadership focus, we have been identified a major contradiction in how Americans think about their nation’s leadership. On one hand we declare our love for democracy, while at the same time often gravitate toward authoritarian leaders when we are feeling real or perceived threats or major change in our nation. For example, during the 1930s in this country the American pro-fascist movement sympathetic to Hitler and Mussolini gained surprising numbers of followers and supporters.[1]

But we do not have to go that far back in time to see a specific example of how an authoritarian leadership style plays out in United States’ democracy- it is called the Trump presidency. And today, this same style of leadership continues today. As described by the Trump campaign and its allies, we can expect to see authoritarian leadership from a second Trump administration, if he is elected again. And, if that happens, his allies aim to make sure it happens.

Consequently, it is in our individual as well as national interest to be equipped to learn what those signs of authoritarianism are, and how they manifest themselves in a leader’s words and behavior. There are at least eight such signs. Let us begin looking at them.

First Sign- Absence of Belief in Democracy’s Principles and Precepts

The first sign in 2016 that our democracy was the target of a leader with an authoritarian leadership style was Trump’s lack of interest in, or respect for, our democratic norms, values, and institutions. In her book, Fascism- A Warning, former Secretary of State, the late Madelaine Albright reminds us that: “…From the early stages of his campaign into the Oval Office, Donald Trump spoke harshly about the institutions and principles that make up the foundation of open government…”[2]

Levitsky and Ziblatt are even more specific, pointing to Trump’s weak commitment to democratic norms and values which are the “democratic rules of the game”. These democratic norms and values are largely unwritten, but until now, have been largely recognized by our leaders. An egregious example (one of many) was Trump’s announcement that he might not accept the results of the 2016 presidential election due to voter fraud.[3] While this may have been a “red warning flag” to some, apparently, for large numbers of Americans, it was barely noticeable. It turned out to be one of the few times Trump told us the truth, and was certainly a foretelling of what he would do for the 2020 presidential election. Based on that history, it is not unreasonable to assume that this same belief and behavior would hold true for him in 2024, depending on that election’s outcome.

Second Sign- Demonizing One’s Political “Enemies”

Trump wasted little time early in his presidency in showing us another sign of authoritarianism- his portrayal of his political rivals as “…criminal, subversive, or a threat to national security or the existing way of life.”[4] Whether Trump was talking about his predecessor in the White House as a part of a “birther” conspiracy, or haranguing the opposing party’s 2016 candidate, Hillary Clinton, as someone “who has to go to jail” (for her emails), he spared no disparagement for them at any step of the campaign. De-legitimizing one’s opponents is classic authoritarianism. When one’s political opponent is portrayed as a “dangerous criminal”, it becomes easy to justify denying them a place “at the governance table” in the public square and in the political dialogue.

Third Sign- Legitimizing Partisan Political Violence

Trump also made ready use of another proven authoritarian strategy- fomenting and legitimizing violence with his supporters against the opposition. Levitsky and Ziblatt observe that: “…Partisan violence is often a precursor of democratic violence…Trump not only tolerated violence among his supporters but at times appeared to revel in it…Trump embraced- and even encouraged- supporters who physically assaulted protesters.”[5] On February 1, 2016 in Iowa Trump famously said:

“If you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of them, would ya? Seriously. Just knock the hell out of them. I promise you I will pay the legal fees. I promise.”[6]

Amanda Carpenter in her book Gaslighting America, explains the effectiveness of this authoritarian leadership strategy of encouraging violence against the political opposition. The strategy is simple- anger begets anger. As more anger is generated amongst the leader’s followers, psychological researchers at the University of Arizona found that this anger and anxiety in the face of a perceived enemy increases a person’s sense of control and certainty.[7] Further, Ben-Ghiat contends that strongmen (in this case, Trump) predictably pursue what she calls a “cult of male force”, creating a “climate favorable to prosecution”. This is evidenced most clearly, according to Ben-Ghiat, in Trump’s identifying Latino migrants as a main enemy, branding them as a “…demographic and racial threat to American purity.”[8]

Fourth Sign- Taking Political Violence to the Next Level

Once elected president, Trump showed, on more than one occasion, his comfort with taking the use of force and violence in this democracy to a new level. In an unprecedented move, he deployed Homeland Security forces to crackdown on protests and riots against police violence in cities that did not want this assistance. As reported by Reuters, “…Multiple videos posted on online showed camouflage-clad officers without clear identification badges using force and unmarked vehicles to transport arrested protestors…”[9]

Not only was this a mission that no one envisioned for the Department of Homeland Security when it was formed after 9/11, but the brazenness of the federal government’s uninvited intervention into, what had been primarily the jurisdiction of local government, was unheard of.

What so many Americans failed to understand, particularly those opposed to the protestors’ modus operandi, was they were seeing a presidential leadership style in full view that rejected democratic values. Trump’s leadership style, garbed in the political-speak of “law and order”, had led to the decision to have the federal government operationally intervene with use of force using unidentifiable federal agents in Portland, Oregon (and other cities) in this manner in the summer of 2020. And of course, all this was not long before the violent January 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection to prevent the peaceful transfer of power (after Trump lost the 2020 election) for which Trump now faces federal criminal charges.

Fifth Sign- “Soft Dictatorship”

However, often authoritarianism takes the form of what Anne Applebaum calls a “soft dictatorship”. Today most authoritarians do not have “jack booted goon squads” (as Hitler and Mussolini did) by which to take and hold power. They do not need them.

Rather, by this “soft dictatorship” the authoritarian “…does not require mass violence to stay in power.”[10] According to Applebaum:

“…Instead, it relies upon a cadre of elites to run the bureaucracy…These modern-day clercs understand their role, which is to defend the leaders, however dishonest their statements, however great their corruption, and however disastrous their impact on ordinary people and institutions. In exchange, they know that they will be rewarded and advanced.”[11]

In 2020, Ben-Ghiat prophetically amplified on Applebaum’s point, saying that strongmen (authoritarians):

“…establish forms of personalist rule, which concentrates enormous power in one individual whose own political and financial interests prevail over national ones in shaping domestic and foreign policy. Loyalty to him and his allies, rather than expertise, is the primary qualification for serving in the state bureaucracy, as is participation in his corrupt schemes.”[12] (emphasis mine)

Make no mistake, Trump has had a veritable cadre of grifters and hangers-on who have attached themselves to him personally and professionally that are invested in him regaining power. This also includes members of the billionaire-class who, through the groups like the Heritage Foundation, have prepared Project 2025, a plan to hold power after what they believe will be a Trump 2024 election victory.

Much of Project 2025 calls for taking our democratic institutions and structures, especially those in the Executive Branch, and put them under increased presidential iron clad control effectively changing our form of government without the consent of the governed.[13] It is called the “unitary executive”[14] and vests all powers of the Executive Branch with the president. There would be no “checks and balances” as we have become accustomed to thinking of them as in a democracy. Project 2025 is a blueprint for authoritarianism.

Sixth Sign- Playing the Victim

Victimhood has also been deployed by Trump, another strategy straight out of the authoritarian playbook. As Baird describes, Trump portrayed his victimhood constantly saying, for example, at a December 5, 2020, post-presidential election and upcoming Senate election rally in Georgia: “We’re all victims. Everybody here, all these thousands of people here tonight, they’re all victims, every one of you.” Trump used his victimhood portrayal as a strategy to great effect in order to weather the Mueller Russian election interference investigation, calling it a “witch hunt”. Baird further notes that: “Trump continually whines that he, the tycoon, the man of life-long enormous wealth and privilege, is being treated unfairly…”[15] Trump’s victimhood was shared with his followers from whom he drew energy, from “…men and women who are upset…”[16]

By whom or by what are these Trump followers upset? Good question, as it could be any number of things. Seems a safe bet that, while this sense of being upset has multiple causes, it largely centers around those Americans feeling left behind economically and that someone else is getting ahead instead of them. Trump’s nomination acceptance speech targeted “the upset”, and accordingly, was centered on this “shared victimhood” that he constantly played upon. Of course, do not forget that he made sure they knew that only he, and he alone, could and would “take care” of them.

Seventh Sign- Isolationism in Foreign Policy

In addition to playing the victim, Trump’s world view was, according to Albright, conceiving the “world as a battlefield in which every country is intent on dominating every other; where nations compete like real estate developers to ruin rivals and squeeze every penny of profit out of deals…”[17] Trade deals were a prominent battlefield for Trump to exercise his view of winning and losing as a nation.[18] Albright goes on to contrast this authoritarian world view with that of other U.S. presidents since FDR (which includes many Republican presidents) who had argued that U.S. security is best promoted when it is “shared” with our allies through “shared security, prosperity and freedom.”[19]

Eighth Sign- Demanding Emotional Fidelity and Followers’ “Kayfabe”

Perhaps one of the most frequently used and most surprising of Trump’s authoritarian strategies comes from the world of professional wrestling. Yet, it should not come as a surprise given Trump’s decades long relationship with professional wrestling and the endorsement of Trump for president in 2015 by retired professional wrestler and populist former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura.[20] As Carpenter describes it, this tactic, taken from professional wrestling, is called “kayfabe”.[21] Carpenter explains the work of sociologist Nick Rogers, who has written about how kayfabe works in professional wrestling and then translates into politics in Trump’s authoritarian world. Rogers describes kayfabe as the “…unspoken contract between wrestlers and spectators: We’ll present you something clearly fake under the insistence that it’s real, and you will experience genuine emotion.”[22] Carpenter further quotes from Rogers’ work in The New York Times:

“To a wrestling audience, the fake and the real coexist peacefully. If you ask a fan whether a match or backstage brawl was scripted, the question will seem irrelevant. Kayfabe isn’t about factual verifiability; it’s about emotional fidelity…Ask an average Trump supporter whether he or she thinks the president plans to build a giant wall and have Mexico pay for it, and you might get an answer that boils down to, “I don’t think so, but I believe so.” That’s kayfabe. Chants of “Build the Wall” aren’t about erecting a structure; they’re about how cathartic it feels, in the moment, to yell with venom against a common enemy…Kayfabe isn’t merely a suspension of disbelief, it is philosophy about truth itself. It rests on the assumption that feelings are inherently more trustworthy than facts.”[23] (emphasis mine)

Where Does this Authoritarianism Lead?

Both during the Trump administration and since his loss in the 2020 election, there has been much discussion on the question as to where Trump’s strongman leadership style leads? Many have concluded that Trump’s clear authoritarianism leads to fascism. Is it fascism? We will examine that question next. Stay tuned…

We will continue exploring topics like this that are not given near enough time and emphasis in our civic education efforts, if they are even taught at all. Democracy is so important. But it’s hard to keep, and it’s easy to lose. It’s up to us, and only us, to protect it. Support democracy, become a Democratist! Spread the word! Please share this Democraticus with others! For more information, go to www.tomthedemocratist.com

[1] “American Nazism and Madison Square Garden”, The National WWII Museum, New Orleans, (nationalww2museum.org) and Hitler’s American Friends, The Third Reich’s Supporters in the United States, by Bradley W. Hart, pp 1-236, Thomas Dunne Books, an Imprint of St. Martin’s Press, Copyright 2018, St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010

[9] “U.S. Homeland Security Confirms Three Units Sent Paramilitary Officers to Portland”, by Mark Hosenball, Reuters, July 21, 2020 2:46 PM, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-race-protests-agents/u-s-homeland-security-confiorms-three-units-sent-paramilitary-officers-to-portland

[10] Twilight of Democracy, the Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism, by Anne Applebaum, pg. 25, Ibid

[11] Twilight of Democracy, the Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism, by Anne Applebaum, pp 25-26, Ibid

[13] Project 2025 | Presidential Transition Project, www.project 2025.org

[14] “Unitary Executive Theory - Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitary_executive_theory#

[15] “Reckoning With Authoritarianism”, by Jonathan P. Baird, Concord Monitor, January 1, 2021, 2:10 PM, Ibid

[18] “Trump’s Hard-Line Views on Trade Were Formed Long Before He Targeted China with Tariffs”, by Kevin Breuninger and Christina Wilkie, CNBC, May 12, 2019, 10:00 AM EDT Updated May 12, 2019, 10:01 AM EDT, https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/10/trumps-hard-line-trade-views-were-formed-long-before-china-tariffs.htm.

[20] “What Donald Trump Learned About Politics from Pro Wrestling”, by Chris Kelly, November 11, 2016 5:00 am CST, The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp2016/11/11/what-donald-trump-learned-about-politics-from-pro-wrestling/ and “Ventura Says He Hopes Trump Wins; Volunteers to be Running Mate”, by Tom Montgomery, St. Paul Pioneer Press, August 13, 2015 12:08 pm, https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/3817093-venturea-says-he-hopes-trump-wins-volunteers-be-running-mate

[21] Gaslighting America, Why We Love It When Trump Lies to Us, by Amanda Carpenter, pp 130-131, Ibid

[22] Gaslighting America, Why We Love It When Trump Lies to Us, by Amanda Carpenter, pp 130-131, Ibid

[23] Gaslighting America, Why We Love It When Trump Lies to Us, by Amanda Carpenter, pp 130-131, Ibid and “How Wrestling Explains Alex Jones and Donald Trump”, by Nick Rogers, April 25, 2017, The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/25/opinion/wrestling-explains-alex-jones-and-donald-trump.html

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