Trump Autocracy Tracker — Dashboard

Democracy Threat Dashboard

Real-time tracking of autocratic and authoritarian indicators

Overall Threat Level
Critical
9.8
out of 10
Autocracy Index
9.9 / 10
Authoritarianism Index
9.6 / 10
Last Updated
2026-05-26 23:14 UTC

Markers of Autocracy (Structural / Institutional)

AC01
Consolidation of Executive Power
10 ↑
  • Record number of executive orders in first weeks of second term
  • Assertion that Article II grants unlimited power
  • Impoundment of congressionally allocated funds
AC02
Undermining Judicial Independence
10 ↑
  • Attacks on judges who rule against administration
  • Delay in complying with court injunctions
  • Threats against judicial independence
AC03
Attacks on Free Press / Media Capture
10 ↑
  • Continued ‘fake news’ labeling of critical coverage
  • Selective access to press briefings
  • Threats of legal action against media outlets
AC04
Politicization of Law Enforcement / Military
10 ↑
  • ICE enforcement actions targeting political opponents
  • Loyalty purges at DOJ and FBI
  • Threats to invoke Insurrection Act against protesters
AC05
Election Interference / Voter Suppression
9 ↑
  • Continued claims of 2020 election fraud without evidence
  • Pressure on state election officials
  • Support for restrictive voting legislation
AC06
Silencing Political Opposition
10 ↑
  • Threats of prosecution against political opponents
  • Retaliation against former officials who testified
  • Labeling political opponents as enemies of the state
AC07
Purging Civil Service / Loyalty Tests
10 ↑
  • DOGE-led mass reduction of federal workforce
  • Schedule F executive order to reclassify civil servants
  • Firing of inspectors general across agencies
AC08
Weakening Legislative Oversight
10 ↑
  • Defiance of congressional oversight requests
  • Broad executive privilege assertions
  • Impoundment of funds allocated by Congress
AC09
Weaponizing Prosecution
10 ↑
  • Threatened investigations of former opponents
  • Pardons of January 6 participants
  • Selective enforcement based on political alignment
AC10
Dismantling Regulatory Agencies
10 ↑
  • DOGE operations to dismantle federal agencies
  • Appointment of agency heads hostile to agency missions
  • Mass deregulation without impact assessment

Markers of Authoritarianism (Rhetorical / Behavioral)

AU01
Dehumanizing Language Toward Out-Groups
10 ↑
  • ‘Poisoning the blood of our country’ rhetoric about immigrants
  • Describing immigrants as ‘animals’ and ‘vermin’
  • Dehumanizing language about political opponents
AU02
Cult of Personality Promotion
9 ↑
  • ‘I am your retribution’ framing
  • MAGA movement centered entirely on personality
  • Demands that party members publicly pledge loyalty
AU03
Scapegoating / Enemy Creation
10 ↑
  • Immigrants blamed for crime, economic problems, cultural decline
  • ‘Deep state’ narrative as omnipresent enemy
  • Media labeled ‘enemy of the people’
AU04
Demands for Personal Loyalty Over Institutional Loyalty
10 ↑
  • Cabinet selected primarily for personal loyalty (see trump-cabinet-profiles.md)
  • Firing of officials who upheld institutional duty (Comey, Sessions, etc.)
  • Loyalty as the defining qualification for all appointments
AU05
Delegitimizing Elections and Democratic Processes
9 ↑
  • Continued insistence 2020 election was ‘stolen’ without evidence
  • January 6, 2021 insurrection to prevent certification
  • Pressure on state officials to ‘find’ votes
AU06
Promoting Violence or Threatening Force
10 ↑
  • ‘Fight like hell’ rhetoric preceding January 6
  • Threats to invoke Insurrection Act against protesters
  • Praise for January 6 participants as ‘patriots’
AU07
Conspiracy Theories as Governance Tools
9 ↑
  • ‘Deep state’ conspiracy as justification for purges
  • ‘Stolen election’ conspiracy maintained for years
  • Promotion of various unsubstantiated theories
AU08
Nationalist / Populist Demagoguery
9 ↑
  • ‘America First’ framing with exclusionary overtones
  • Anti-immigrant nationalism as central policy platform
  • Populist economic rhetoric contradicted by tax policies favoring wealthy
AU09
Rejection of Accountability / Rule of Law
10 ↑
  • Claims of absolute presidential immunity
  • Obstruction of multiple investigations
  • Pardoning of co-conspirators and allies
AU10
Suppression of Dissent
10 ↑
  • Threats to invoke Insurrection Act against protesters
  • ICE used to target immigrant rights advocates
  • Retaliation against government whistleblowers

Recent Analyses

  • 2026-05-26
    Federal Cuts Dominate March 2025 Total: 275,240 Announced Job Cuts, 216,670 from DOGE Actions | Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. | Outplacement & Career Transitioning Services
    The text reveals evidence of systematic dismantling of federal agencies and purging of civil service through DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) actions. The scale is unprecedented, with 280,25
    elevated AC10 AC07
  • 2026-05-26
    DOGE cuts to federal government staffing and spending are being undone : NPR
    Analysis could not be completed: JSON parse error: Expecting ‘,’ delimiter: line 14 column 82 (char 563). Raw response saved.
    unknown
  • 2026-05-26
    Project 2025 wanted to hobble the federal workforce. DOGE has hastily done that, and more – Government Executive
    The text describes the Trump administration’s implementation of Project 2025’s goals through DOGE, featuring systematic dismantling of federal agencies and mass firing of civil servants. The administr
    high AC10 AC07
  • 2026-05-26
    US federal agencies targeted by DOGE – Wikipedia
    The text describes a systematic effort to dismantle federal agencies and purge civil servants through DOGE, representing significant autocratic consolidation. The operation demonstrates multiple conce
    severe AC07 AC10 AC01 AC06
  • 2026-05-26
    Cuts and Consolidation: Trump’s Federal Reset in 2025 – MeriTalk
    This text documents a systematic effort to restructure federal government institutions through mass workforce reductions (317,000 departures), dismantling of key technology and regulatory functions, r
    high AC07 AC10 AC08 AC06
  • 2026-05-26
    ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Statistics | ICE
    The provided text appears to be a standard government website navigation page for ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) showing typical website structure, mission statements, and organization
    low
  • 2026-05-26
    New ICE arrest data show the power of state and local governments to curtail mass deportations | Prison Policy Initiative
    The text describes escalatory immigration enforcement actions under Trump’s second term that show markers of authoritarian governance. The administration has expanded the use of federal law enforcemen
    elevated AC04 AC06 AU01 AU06
  • 2026-05-26
    The ICE Raids — What You Need to Know | HIAS
    This text is a webpage from HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society), a refugee assistance organization, describing their services, mission, and programs. The content consists entirely of standard organiza
    low
  • 2026-05-26
    IMMIGRATION ARRESTS & RAIDS WHAT YOU NEED TO …
    This text is an informational document from the Immigrant Defense Project (IDP) providing guidance to immigrants about ICE enforcement activities and legal rights. The document is educational in natur
    low
  • 2026-05-26
    Immigration Raids – Immigrant Defense Project
    This text is from an immigrant advocacy organization’s website providing educational resources about ICE raids and immigrant rights. The content is descriptive and informational, focusing on community
    low
Data refreshes automatically every 6 hours. Last rendered: 2026-05-27 02:12 UTC