Trump and the Authoritarian Playbook

The authoritarian playbook involves undermining democratic norms, delegitimizing opponents, controlling information, politicizing government agencies, eroding electoral integrity, and encouraging political violence. These tactics include questioning elections' legitimacy, attacking independent media and the judiciary, discrediting opponents, controlling information, using law enforcement for political purposes, suppressing votes, and failing to condemn attacks on democratic institutions.

Donald Trump has been accused of employing elements from the authoritarian playbook, including election delegitimization, attacks on media and institutions, politicization of agencies, voter suppression and election interference, and the embrace of political violence. Trump falsely claimed the 2020 election was "stolen" and refused to concede, leading to the January 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection. Critics argue Trump pressured the DOJ to investigate political opponents and purged officials who resisted his efforts.


The authoritarian playbook outlines how democratic systems can be eroded from within by elected leaders who abuse power, delegitimize dissent, and centralize control. While Trump has not successfully dismantled American democracy, his repeated use of these tactics—especially undermining elections and institutions—reflects concerning parallels to authoritarian strategies documented around the world. These behaviors, if normalized, could erode the democratic norms that sustain the U.S. constitutional system.


Sources


Levitsky, Steven, and Ziblatt, Daniel. How Democracies Die. Crown Publishing, 2018.


Snyder, Timothy. On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century. Tim Duggan Books, 2017.


Freedom House. Freedom in the World reports.


Protect Democracy. “The Authoritarian Playbook.” authoritarianplaybook.org


U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol. Final Report. Government Printing Office, 2022.

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