Photograph by Nathaniel St. Clair

One takeaway from Ruth Ben-Ghiat’s excellent book, Strongmen, Mussolini to the Present, is that there is a playbook pursuant to which all authoritarians take and maintain power—think Hitler, Mussolini, Putin, Kim Jong Un (and nearly five dozen other authoritarian-led countries around the globe.

The United States of America is not yet officially included in the authoritarian column. It is, though, included in the list of “flawed democracies,” or those in “anocracy.”

That said, it is my opinion that our Country is now, in fact and full on, in the grips of authoritarianism. While authoritarian governments arise often via popular uprising or military coup, they may also come into existence as a result of the peaceful transfer of power from one leader to another.

In this latter fashion, our Country’s slide into authoritarianism has occurred right under our noses. Donald J. Trump began this transition with his failed insurrection on January 6, 2021. And, since his re-election in 2024 as President, Trump has followed the authoritarian’s playbook to the letter.

The blueprint for Trumps’s authoritarianism is the Heritage Foundation’s white, nationalistic, conservative Project 2025. Moreover, Trump’s mission to push America into authoritarianism has been aided by his lickspittles on the US Supreme Court,on the federal bench and in the MAGA, Republican Congress.

Trump, himself, however, is checking off the boxes in the authoritarian’s playbook. Here’s a short summary from the playbook:

Draw up an enemies list—either you are with me or you are against me. Govern for the party in power, not for all the people. Intimidate, bully, marginalize and crush any opposition.

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