Since 2019, I have warned that Donald Trump poses a serious threat to America’s democracy. In 2021, I expanded on these concerns in my essay, President Joseph Biden, the Last Democratic President!?
I am now convinced that without a monumental shift in America’s political landscape, our 2.5-century experiment in representative democracy is coming to an end. In its place, we see our political devolution into either a Nazi variation of fascism or authoritarian regime modeled on Putin’s Russia.
Take a look at this list below, generated by ChatGPT based on reputable sources, showing the steps a head of state needs to employ to convert a democracy to an autocracy/fascist state. These steps are derived from real world examples that have occurred over the last century, many in the last 3 decades. America is now well along in its conversion from democracy to autocracy/fascism.
Some steps, in chronological order, an authoritarian leader follows to convert a democracy into a fascist regime:
1. Gain Legitimate Power – DONE by Trump
• Achieve office through legitimate elections or appointments within the existing democratic framework.
2. Erode Democratic Norms – DONE by Trump
• Begin attacking democratic norms, questioning electoral integrity, and delegitimizing political opponents.
• Spread distrust in independent institutions and media.
3. Consolidate Executive Authority – DONE by Trump
• Centralize power by weakening or dismantling legislative checks and balances.
• Grant extraordinary powers to the executive branch, often under the pretense of a national emergency or crisis.
4. Neutralize Independent Judiciary – In Process
• Replace independent judges with loyalists.
• Undermine judicial independence, preventing the judiciary from effectively challenging authoritarian actions.
5. Suppress Free Media – In Process
• Restrict press freedom through censorship, intimidation, harassment, legal actions, and physical threats.
• Establish state-controlled or allied media outlets to disseminate propaganda and limit opposing viewpoints.
6. Control Civil Society – DONE by Trump
• Restrict or outlaw independent NGOs, advocacy groups, unions, and community organizations.
• Arrest, threaten, or exile influential activists and opposition figures.
7. Manipulate Elections – DONE by Trump
• Alter election rules to favor the incumbent regime.
• Suppress voter turnout among opposition groups through intimidation, voter suppression tactics, gerrymandering, or outright electoral fraud.
8. Create and Exploit Scapegoats – DONE by Trump
• Identify internal or external groups as threats, blaming them for societal problems.
• Encourage widespread fear, hatred, or suspicion of minority groups or political opponents to unite supporters.
9. Establish Security and Surveillance Apparatus – Not Yet Done
• Expand police powers, surveillance, and intelligence operations.
• Justify widespread monitoring, surveillance, detention, and repression by claiming national security threats.
10. Militarize and Cultivate Loyalty within Security Forces – In Process
• Purge security services and military of dissenting or neutral figures, appointing loyalists who will enforce authoritarian directives without question.
• Use force to suppress political dissent and intimidate potential opposition.
11. Institutionalize Propaganda and Indoctrination – In Process
• Redesign educational curricula and public messaging to glorify the regime, rewrite history, and instill nationalist ideology.
• Normalize authoritarian values and obedience through continuous state-sponsored messaging.
12. Cult of Personality – DONE by Trump
• Develop a charismatic leadership narrative, depicting the leader as the sole protector and embodiment of the nation’s identity and destiny.
• Encourage public displays of loyalty, rituals, slogans, and symbols reinforcing allegiance to the regime.
13. Enforce Full Authoritarian Control – Not Yet Done
• Eliminate remaining political opposition through imprisonment, exile, assassination, or forced disappearance.
• Permanently establish authoritarian structures, solidifying regime’s absolute authority and suppressing any remnants of democratic institutions.
The above list will be updated in the near future.
As I wrote in 2019, I think it is unlikely that Trump will agree to leave the White House in 2029 (or before). Should push come to shove, I believe he will attempt to use the US military to remain in power, as he now controls the US military (without regard for the US Constitution) through his appointment of the totally unqualified Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense, and his nominee of retired Air Force Lt. Gen. John Dan “Razin” Caine (also unqualified but loyal to Trump) to be the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In addition, Trump now controls the admissions to the US military colleges–creating the next generation of senior military leadership.
Barring an unexpected political earthquake, I have regretfully come to believe that America’s 2.5-century experiment in representative democracy is over.
Maybe it is now futile, but I am not yet ready to give up the fight for democracy.
Recently, I became aware of “The Imminent Neoreactionary Threat to the American Republic,” a 33 page document outlining the MAGA strategy to dismantle America’s democracy and a suggested action plan to preserve democracy. Given Trump’s recent censure of the words that can be used by officials of the Federal government, I believe it is likely he will soon attempt to censure this document as well, so here is another link to the document.
Since most people will not read the full 33-page document, I have asked ChatGPT to generate a concise, two-page bullet point summary:
ChatGPT Summary of “The Imminent Neoreactionary Threat to the American Republic“
Overview
- A bipartisan network of experts warns of a greater-than-recognized threat to the U.S. Constitutional order.
- Elon Musk and Silicon Valley elites, including Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen, and Curtis Yarvin, are associated with the Neoreactionary movement.
- The Neoreactionary movement aims to dismantle the U.S. nation-state and establish a corporate dictatorship where citizens are state-owned subjects.
- Musk’s strategy involves seizing control of government data, information, and communication systems.
Key Threats
1. National Security Risks
- Musk’s foreign ties (China, Russia) make him a security risk.
- Musk’s control over U.S. data systems allows for potential abuses, leaks, or foreign influence.
- The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), under Musk’s control, is centralizing access to sensitive data.
2. Constitutional Breakdown
- Musk’s team has bypassed traditional checks and balances.
- Government infrastructure (Treasury, OPM, USAID) is being seized digitally, rather than through military force.
- Data access could be weaponized for political coercion or blackmail.
- The legislative and judicial branches are being sidelined, mirroring Curtis Yarvin’s vision of a CEO-monarch governance model.
3. Treasury Takeover
- On Jan. 31, Musk’s team gained access to the Treasury Department’s payments system.
- DOGE employees can alter payment records, freeze funds, and manipulate financial transactions.
- The potential for misuse includes economic destabilization, political targeting, and foreign interference.
- Congress’s control over financial appropriations is being bypassed.
4. USAID & Domestic Budget Freezes
- Musk’s administration froze all foreign and domestic grants, violating the Impoundment Control Act.
- USAID was effectively shut down, impacting global U.S. foreign aid efforts.
- Congress’s role in budgeting is being overridden, a direct challenge to Constitutional authority.
5. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)
- Established via executive order on Jan. 20, 2025.
- Originally an advisory body, DOGE has been integrated into federal agencies with unchecked authority.
- DOGE teams have taken control of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Treasury, and other key institutions.
- DOGE’s records may not be subject to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) oversight.
- Musk retains control of private companies that have federal contracts, raising serious conflicts of interest.
6. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Takeover
- OPM oversees federal employment policy and records.
- Musk-aligned appointees are centralizing personnel decisions and access to sensitive government employee data.
- The “Fork in the Road” email campaign pressured civil servants into resigning.
- Security clearances and personnel records are now in the hands of unvetted Musk allies.
Neoreactionary Playbook in Action
The Neoreactionary agenda follows a strategy outlined by Curtis Yarvin, which includes:
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- Purging the bureaucracy (“Retire All Government Employees” or RAGE).
- Ignoring the courts and governing by executive decree.
- Co-opting Congress into a ceremonial role.
- Centralizing law enforcement under a federalized national police.
- Attacking “The Cathedral” (media, universities, government agencies).
- Using cryptocurrency to bypass Congressional financial oversight.
- Mobilizing street protests against government agencies.
Strategic Considerations to Preserve Democracy
1. Build a Broad Coalition
- Effective democratic reversals (e.g., India 1977, Brazil 2022, Poland 2023) relied on cross-ideological cooperation.
- Despite deep political divides, blocking Musk’s control over government systems is a shared goal.
2. Avoid Targeting Trump
- Resistance must unite pro-Trump and anti-Trump factions.
- Musk is less popular than Trump, making him a more effective target for opposition.
3. Focus on the U.S. Constitution
- Set aside ideological policy disputes to defend democratic governance.
Urgent Recommendations
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- Form a cross-party coalition focused on Constitutional protection.
- Use Congressional and institutional levers to slow Musk’s power grab.
- Seek emergency court injunctions to halt Musk’s access to government data and financial systems.
- Prepare for noncompliance with court rulings by Musk’s administration.
- Mobilize civil society and legal support to defend government integrity.
- Investigate foreign ties and security risks linked to Musk and the Neoreactionary movement.
This document warns of an imminent, organized, and rapidly progressing attempt to undermine U.S. democracy through digital control of government infrastructure rather than traditional military force. It urges immediate legal, political, and public action to prevent further consolidation of power.
I urge all Americans to take a very public stand and make their voices heard—again and again and again. Only the voice of the people, repeatedly demanding the preservation of our American democracy, will halt our slide into fascism.
Once democracy is lost, it may not return for decades—if ever.
Hayward Zwerling
9 March 2025
revised: 3/14/2025
My essays regarding America’s political crisis:
2024
Letter to My Political Representatives: Help, Democracy is Slipping Away!
2023
Handcuff Our Rogue Supreme Court
The Republican Party’s Path to Power is Predicated on Political Paralysis, Societal Mayhem and Worse
United We Fail, Divided We/They Succeed, A Data Driven Solution
Political Thinkers Who are Concerned That Fascism is Coming to America
Fascism is Coming to the U.S.A.
The Negation of Expertise Precedes the Rise of Fascism
Our Illegitimate, Illogical, and UnAmerican Supreme Court
2021
President Joseph Biden, the Last Democratic President!?
A Political Thought Experiment: Democracy’s Survival Is Predicated on the Judicial Conviction and Imprisonment of Donald Trump
2020
America Needs The Presidential Propaganda Prohibition Act
Erase His Name From Our Consciousness: Substitute “#HeWhoMustNotBeNamed” for “@realDonaldTrump” and “Donald Trump”
8,300 House of Representatives Will Help Fix America’s Democracy
Lock Him Up or Not
Political Purity at The Ballot Box Will Be Counterproductive and is Immoral
The Democrat Party Needs a Competent Propaganda Machine, Like the Republican’s
Democracy Requires We Nail Down the Roving Political Goalposts
2019
Democracy in America was Fantastic!!
Red-line Supreme Court Rulings and the Future of the Supreme Court
It’s No Longer Your Father’s Republican Party (or There Are No Honorable Republican Senators)