Trump Autocracy Tracker — Threat Detail

Threat Detail

Detailed breakdown of all markers with full evidence and indicator lists.

Click any marker below to expand its full evidence and indicators

Markers of Autocracy (Structural / Institutional)

AC01 Consolidation of Executive Power click to expand
↑ Rising 10

Concentration of authority in the executive branch beyond constitutional limits, including expansion of emergency powers, executive orders bypassing legislation, and assertion of unilateral authority.

Indicators

  • Excessive use of executive orders
  • Claims of absolute executive authority
  • Bypassing congressional approval
  • Expansion of emergency powers
  • Signing statements nullifying legislation

Current Evidence

  • Administration challenged constitutional and democratic norms on ‘the scope of executive power and the authority of courts to check it’
  • Trump issued 217 executive orders in first 10 months, with 143 in first 100 days—7.2 times the historical average. Report describes orders as ‘unprecedented in scale’ and notes ‘they were never meant to replace Congress or stand in for the rule of law’
  • testing the legal system and reach of the executive branch through eliminating entire agencies and firing tens of thousands of workers
  • DOGE was created via executive order on January 20, 2025 — the first day of the second Trump presidency… The executive order also directed agencies to embed DOGE teams, at least four employees per agency, to implement DOGE’s agenda.
  • Trump signed an executive order attempting to determine the ‘manner’ in which elections are held—national deadlines for mail-in ballots, national rules about voter registration forms—which is an attempt to grab power away from Congress and the states
  • Vowing to unilaterally conduct military strikes and seize control of another nation’s oil and gas sectors represents extreme expansion of executive war powers without apparent congressional authorization
  • Invocation of 1798 Alien Enemies Act to target Venezuelan men for detention and deportation without due process. Judge’s quote: ‘Allowing the President to unilaterally define the conditions when he may invoke the AEA…would remove all limitations to the Executive Branch’s authority’
  • President Trump’s Executive Orders have been rejected in the courts as unlawful and unconstitutional overreaches of executive power, including orders levying across the board tariffs
  • testing the legal system and reach of the executive branch… instituting a governmentwide hiring freeze
  • Trump describes unilateral military action against Iran and Venezuela with no mention of congressional authorization: ‘I don’t define it at all. I don’t think about it. I just do what I have to do.’
  • the Executive Branch, reorganized as a ‘unitary’ mechanism under President Trump’s direct and personal control
  • Trump taking executive action targeting election administration, attempting to seize power from Congress and the states
  • Executive order banning congressionally-appropriated funds for NPR and PBS stations, circumventing Congressional appropriations decisions
  • Trump’s executive order attempts to control state election administration despite Congress being the only federal branch with power to set election laws, representing executive overreach into constitutional state authority
  • DOGE operation ‘has reshaped the government while circumventing a Republican-controlled Congress, which has chosen not to check its authority’ – indicating executive power expansion without legislative oversight
  • Text states ‘Trump is taking power that does not belong to him’ and describes ‘the Trump administration’s refusal to comply with a court order is a dangerous overreach’
  • Vance suggested judges ‘aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power’ and administration claiming judicial oversight is ‘abuse of the rule of law’
  • Administration challenged constitutional and democratic norms on ‘scope of executive power’
  • consolidated executive power
  • DOGE, although not an official government department, was established under the Executive Office of the President on January 20, by President Trump
AC02 Undermining Judicial Independence click to expand
↑ Rising 10

Attacks on the independence and legitimacy of the judiciary, including defiance of court orders, packing or threatening judges, and delegitimizing judicial review.

Indicators

  • Public attacks on judges by name
  • Defiance or slow-walking of court orders
  • Threats to restructure courts
  • Appointment of loyalists over qualified jurists
  • Delegitimizing judicial review

Current Evidence

  • Gov. Wes Moore stated the administration has been ‘blatantly violating judicial orders, and directing personal attacks on individual judges’ and called the lawsuit against judges ‘a transparent effort to intimidate judges and usurp the power of the courts’
  • a Supreme Court finding ‘invisible ink’ in the Constitution to enhance the President’s powers
  • Trump claimed he is ‘the federal law’ and has expressed that not everyone his administration is trying to deport should get a trial, contradicting judicial oversight
  • Vice President Vance wrote on social media that judges ‘aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.’ Three Justice Department nominees suggested there may be instances where they could ignore court orders.
  • Reference to John Eastman’s appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court after being disbarred for his role in attempting to overturn the 2020 election, suggesting ongoing challenges to judicial authority
  • It has defied court orders, criticized judicial rulings, and constrained individual judges
  • They fired immigration judges unaligned with their mass deportation agenda, and advertised their positions as those of ‘deportation judges.’ Accordingly, immigration judges now frequently function as a rubber stamp on the regime’s actions
  • Administration’s ‘defiance of court orders’ requiring state officials to defend ‘the independence of the judiciary’
  • It has defied court orders, criticized judicial rulings, and constrained individual judges
  • they fired immigration judges unaligned with their mass deportation agenda, and advertised their positions as those of ‘deportation judges’… immigration judges now frequently function as a rubber stamp on the regime’s actions
  • Experts perceive declines in ‘judicial independence’ and view ‘partisan impeachment of a federal judge by Republicans as a threat to democracy’
  • Title indicates systematic documentation of presidential attacks on courts by the Brennan Center for Justice
  • Trump attacked the federal judge overseeing the Stone case and worked to turn the federal judiciary into political puppets
  • ICE has ignored 96 court orders in more than 70 cases, with federal judges criticizing the Justice Department as unreliable in 34 cases of failing to comply with judicial orders
  • Trump has effectively declared war on the courts with explosive rhetoric like ‘radical Left lunatic,’ ‘troublemaker and agitator,’ ‘radical rogue judges,’ and spoken of a ‘judicial coup’ and judicial insurrection. His allies have called for impeachment of judges based on rulings they disliked.
  • Trump’s DOJ launched a highly unusual lawsuit against every sitting federal judge in Maryland and filed a judicial misconduct complaint against Judge James Boasberg, described as ‘judicial intimidation’ by the authors.
  • The DOJ seemingly defied Judge Boasberg’s March order to stop deporting Venezuelan migrants, showing defiance of court orders.
  • The document describes ‘escalating attacks on courts, judges, and lawyers’ and states the Trump administration has ‘refused to comply with several federal court rulings’ including Supreme Court orders
  • Trump alleged a ‘highly political, activist judge’ wanted to stop DOGE work; Musk called a federal judge ‘evil’ and said he ‘must be fired’; Vance suggested judges ‘aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power’
  • Challenged ‘authority of courts to check’ executive power and experts perceive declines in ‘judicial independence’
AC03 Attacks on Free Press / Media Capture click to expand
↑ Rising 10

Systematic efforts to delegitimize, intimidate, or control media organizations, including ‘fake news’ rhetoric, selective access, legal threats, and ownership pressure.

Indicators

  • Labeling legitimate press as ‘enemy of the people’
  • Selective press access and exclusion
  • Legal threats against media organizations
  • Promoting state-aligned media
  • Pressuring media ownership

Current Evidence

  • Trump is targeting the free press and free speech. His administration has sought to prosecute or punish those who speak out (such as journalist Don Lemon
  • The White House can restrict Associated Press journalists’ access from covering the president at daily events, with the court ruling the White House ‘retains discretion to determine, including on the basis of viewpoint, which journalists will be admitted’
  • Trump is targeting the free press and free speech. His administration has sought to prosecute or punish those who speak out (such as journalist Don Lemon)
  • Trump has stymied civil society opposition by attacking independent media
  • federal judge said agents in Chicago were violating the constitutional rights… of the media with their use of excessive force
  • The Trump administration said it would begin selecting which media outlets will be able to cover President Trump’s day-to-day activities. The change strips the authority from the White House Correspondents’ Association, an independent group of journalists.
  • And you know, I never get a fair break from the fake news which is back there. That’s a lot of fake news, aye yai yai.
  • You know, you can’t be sarcastic with them because they write your words and they don’t — the people who are reading the words are much different than that.
  • Trump has stymied civil society opposition by attacking independent media
  • Trump has stymied civil society opposition by attacking independent media
  • Called freedom of the press ‘disgusting’, blacklisted reporters and news outlets, referred to journalists as ‘scum’ and ‘slime’, threatened lawsuits against journalists and outlets, portrayed journalists as ‘enemies’ of Americans
  • Experts perceive declines in ‘freedom of the press’ as one of the largest drops in democratic principles
  • A reporter was arrested while livestreaming a protest, with only the Spanish-language reporter with large social media following arrested despite other journalists being present, and ICE seeking to deport him.
  • Website includes a dedicated ‘Media Offenders’ section, which represents systematic targeting and labeling of media organizations deemed hostile
  • President Trump’s unprecedented reach for broad powers to restrict the news media
  • Trump signed executive order banning Associated Press from White House press pool; $1.1 billion cut in public broadcasting funds to NPR and PBS; White House now controls press pool selection after taking power from Correspondents’ Association
  • attacks on the free press
  • Official White House website features ‘Media Offenders’ section, representing institutionalized targeting of press organizations
  • attacks on the free press
  • Experts perceive declines in ‘freedom of the press’ since Trump returned to presidency
AC04 Politicization of Law Enforcement / Military click to expand
↑ Rising 10

Using law enforcement and military institutions for political purposes, including targeting political opponents, deploying forces against civilians, and installing loyalists in command positions.

Indicators

  • DOJ investigations targeting political opponents
  • Military deployment for political purposes
  • Loyalty-based appointments to security agencies
  • Weaponization of intelligence agencies
  • Politicization of FBI/DHS

Current Evidence

  • The toolkit explicitly prepares for fighting back against ICE raids under a Trump administration, indicating escalation of enforcement tactics and ‘militaristic approach to civil arrests’ with expectation that ‘ICE will resurrect some of its past problematic tactics’
  • The existence of an ‘anti-weaponization’ fund suggests systematic politicization of justice and law enforcement by framing legitimate oversight and prosecution as ‘weaponization’
  • Deployment of National Guard to California without state governor’s consent for immigration enforcement, first time since 1965. Activation of 700 Marine infantry battalion members to join National Guard with ‘little clarity about the rules of force governing this deployment’
  • The Justice Department sent subpoenas to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and other state officials as part of a federal investigation into allegations that state officials conspired to impede federal law enforcement
  • Trump administration ordered Army units to be prepared to deploy to Minneapolis if necessary
  • Trump takes personal credit for military capabilities and describes using them for personal political purposes: ‘I built it, frankly. I built it in my first four years. And I’m using it a little bit in my second four years.’
  • Document describes systematic ICE raids and arrests targeting immigrants, including those with legal status. ICE’s broad targeting criteria and deceptive tactics suggest politicized enforcement patterns.
  • ICE collecting data on people suspected of potentially unlawful activity, which could include protesters, represents potential surveillance and targeting of political dissidents
  • Trump involved himself in the DOJ’s recommended sentencing of Roger Stone and his administration worked to turn the DOJ into political puppets, delegitimizing the institution
  • President deployed Marines and National Guard units to crack down on protests in Los Angeles and has thousands of Guard members patrolling the streets of Washington D.C. with plans to deploy more troops onto American streets in Chicago
  • The key planners of Trump’s Jan. 6 coup and its apologists have become ‘critical actors in the administration’
  • Trump’s Department of Justice is seeking patient files that include the names of young people who have been treated in transgender clinics, as well as hospital staff who have provided care
  • President Trump proceeded to systematically punish thousands of federal law enforcement officers, both FBI agents and Assistant United States Attorneys, who investigated and prosecuted the January 6th offenders he just pardoned
  • DOJ pursuing criminal investigations into voter roll accuracy based on Trump’s disproven claims, and Trump announcing intent to prosecute individuals who administered the 2020 election
  • Trump’s dispatch of the National Guard to Chicago was based on a faulty interpretation of the law and Supreme Court found ‘the Government has failed to identify a source of authority that would allow the military to execute the laws in Illinois’
  • ICE prioritizes the removal of public safety and national security threats, those who have violated our nation’s immigration laws
  • The Trump administration has sent thousands of federal law enforcement agents around the country to conduct immigration enforcement… The substantial increase in federal law enforcement in several states accompanies recent deployments of National Guard troops. The president has said that the military is needed, in part, to protect federal agents
  • DOGE staff placed in ‘high-level offices’ at Department of Homeland Security and other security-related agencies, indicating potential politicization of security apparatus
  • Jeffrey Clark, acting Assistant Attorney General, emailing superiors draft proposal urging Georgia officials to convene special legislative session and offering DOJ assurances to look into election fraud
  • Experts perceive declines in ‘government agencies not being used to punish political opponents’ and ‘impartiality of criminal investigations’
AC05 Election Interference / Voter Suppression click to expand
↑ Rising 10

Actions to undermine free and fair elections, including voter suppression, gerrymandering, false fraud claims, and interference with election administration.

Indicators

  • False claims of widespread voter fraud
  • Voter roll purges targeting demographics
  • Restrictions on mail-in/early voting
  • Interference with election certification
  • Attacks on election officials

Current Evidence

  • His team has undermined vertical checks on the executive by weakening voting rights and the independence of election administration
  • References to ‘efforts to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election’ involving multiple attorneys working with Trump
  • Trump’s team has undermined vertical checks on the executive by weakening voting rights and the independence of election administration
  • Trump is using California’s routine vote counting to push fraud allegations despite normal ballot counting processes
  • President Trump is casting doubt on the results of California’s primaries, claiming there was voter fraud
  • Legislatures in 38 states have already considered almost 200 bills this year that would make it easier for partisan politicians to overturn the will of the voters—and harder for trusted election officials to do their jobs
  • In Texas, two bills would allow the state to re-run an election under rules that apply to only a handful of counties
  • Other states are considering vague ‘forensic audits’ of election results or error-prone hand counts
  • Executive order aiming to drastically reshape elections and requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote, which Oregon Secretary of State said ‘will have the effect of making it harder for Oregon citizens to vote’
  • Breaking agreement to fund bipartisan semiquincentennial celebrations suggests potential pattern of undermining bipartisan democratic traditions and institutions
  • The systematic pardoning of January 6 defendants who engaged in violent disruption of election certification represents escalation of election interference through retroactive legitimization of anti-democratic actions
  • The Justice Department demanding voter rolls from 48 states including sensitive information like partial SSNs, and suing 29 states to force compliance when they refuse
  • Trump and six co-conspirators undermined the will of the American people in an effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election result… knowingly spread lies about election fraud and pressured officials and lawmakers from seven states, federal agencies, and the vice president to keep Trump in power
  • constitutional sheriffs movement and its effort to mobilize local law enforcement—and county sheriffs in particular—to intervene in election administration undermines the important norm of apolitical enforcement of laws. Those participating in this movement have threatened to interfere in elections, without any lawful basis to do so
  • Trump’s efforts to gain control of federal elections and relitigate the 2020 election
  • President Trump issued an executive order that seeks to radically change election administration, directing an independent bipartisan federal agency to impose voter registration mandates on all fifty states, place restrictions on the deadline for states to receive legitimately cast ballots, and threatens to withhold funding for election safety programs if states fail to comply
  • Trump and his co-conspirators’ attempt to prevent the lawful certification of the 2020 presidential election, and to interfere with millions of Americans’ right to vote and have that vote counted
  • false presidential elector schemes in seven states (Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin)
  • Trump making false claims about pipe burst stopping counting and ‘a lot of things happened’, prematurely claiming victory, and promoting protests at counting locations
  • Trump prematurely claimed victory in the state while results were still being counted, and made false claims about vote counting procedures including statements about a pipe burst affecting counting
AC06 Silencing Political Opposition click to expand
↑ Rising 10

Efforts to suppress, intimidate, or criminalize political opposition, including investigations of political rivals, threats against dissidents, and chilling effects on free speech.

Indicators

  • Investigations targeting political opponents
  • Threats against critics and whistleblowers
  • Retaliation against dissenting officials
  • Chilling effects on political speech
  • Labeling opposition as ‘enemies’ or ‘traitors’

Current Evidence

  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered contracts with the American Federation of Government Employees be terminated in April – targeting union representation
  • Federal agents have repeatedly detained or arrested public officials conducting legitimate oversight, including Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Congresswoman LaMonica McIver, and Senator Alex Padilla who was tackled and detained for asking questions
  • DOJ seeking names of hospital staff who have provided care – creating potential chilling effects on healthcare providers serving transgender youth
  • Trump rewards fanatical political loyalty with maximum legal impunity. If you commit crimes in his name, he might forgive your other crimes. These are the tactics of a gangster state running a political protection racket from the Oval Office.
  • These experienced agents and career government prosecutors, decorated and promoted in countless ways over the course of their careers, were sacked or demoted for no reason other than the fact that they conducted the investigations and prosecutions they were assigned
  • By pardoning January 6 participants, particularly organizers and those who attacked law enforcement, Trump signals that violent opposition to democratic processes will be protected rather than prosecuted
  • Harassing state officials and launching baseless investigations, with Trump announcing prosecutions of 2020 election administrators
  • NDA proposal for federal employees draws scrutiny, NIH dissenters sounding alarm about political influence
  • pressured officials and lawmakers from seven states, federal agencies, and the vice president to keep Trump in power
  • President Trump’s unprecedented reach for broad powers to prosecute political enemies
  • $10 billion defamation lawsuit against Wall Street Journal; systematic targeting of media organizations through litigation and funding cuts
  • Pardoning January 6 defendants while positioning them as political supporters rather than criminals represents a systematic effort to legitimize actions taken to support Trump’s political position, effectively signaling that illegal acts in service of the leader will be protected
  • the persecution of political opponents
  • Democracy advocates have been fired or demoted, indicating systematic retaliation against those who opposed the January 6 attack or defended democratic institutions
  • White House website includes ‘Media Offenders’ section, suggesting official targeting and listing of media organizations deemed problematic
  • In 2020, Trump dismissed CISA’s inaugural director, Christopher Krebs, after Krebs publicly rejected claims that the presidential election had been stolen
  • Trump calling Georgia election investigator Frances Watson telling her she would find ‘dishonesty’ if she scrutinized ballots, pressuring officials to reverse legitimate election results
  • the persecution of political opponents
  • Executive order targeting the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue rated as threat to democracy by three-quarters of experts
  • Georgia U.S. senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue called on Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to resign for ‘fail[ure] to deliver honest and transparent elections’ based on unsubstantiated claims
AC07 Purging Civil Service / Loyalty Tests click to expand
↑ Rising 10

Systematic removal of career civil servants and replacement with political loyalists, undermining institutional expertise and independence.

Indicators

  • Mass firings of career officials
  • Schedule F reclassification
  • Loyalty oaths or tests for government employees
  • Replacement of experts with loyalists
  • Dismantling of inspectors general

Current Evidence

  • Department of Government Efficiency [DOGE] plans to eliminate 216,215 federal government positions in March alone, representing the largest federal workforce reduction since tracking began
  • State Department official Mari Stull was searching social media profiles and investigating current employees to see if they were ‘disloyal’ to the Trump administration, including assessing whether career State employees had supported Obama-era policies
  • High-level Trump administration officials expressed concern about employees who worked in the Obama administration and the ‘loyalty’ of other federal workers, with senior Trump officials discussing ways to purge former Obama career employees
  • Inspector general’s report found rampant ‘mistreatment of career employees’ at the State Department by officials conducting loyalty investigations
  • NDA proposal for feds draws scrutiny on Capitol Hill – proposal to make federal employees sign a non-disclosure agreement
  • After year of pushing employees out, OPM embraces familiar recruiting playbook – systematic pushing out of federal employees
  • Department of Government Efficiency plans eliminating 216,215 federal government positions in March, representing the highest monthly total for government cuts on record since 1989
  • sacked or demoted for no reason other than the fact that they conducted the investigations and prosecutions they were assigned, holding to account offenders involved in the largest criminal case in American history
  • Agencies were ordered to freeze hiring, slash budgets, and implement abrupt reorganizations with no plan for continuity… the civil service demoralized
  • DOGE has hastily hobbled the federal workforce, political influence is entrenched at research agency, NDA proposal for federal employees
  • Top political leadership is purging career civil servants across government agencies who are viewed as ‘insufficiently loyal to Trump’s agenda’
  • dismissal of career civil servants
  • Former President Trump allegedly placed insurrectionists in top posts while firing or demoting democracy advocates, indicating loyalty-based appointments over institutional competence
  • Among the cuts were probationary employees, including members of CISA’s red teams, specialists responsible for simulating cyberattacks and identifying vulnerabilities, and many seasoned career federal employees with extensive experience
  • DOGE has placed ‘dozens of staff members’ with ‘most of whom do not have prior government experience’ in key positions across agencies to ‘cut jobs’ and reshape the federal workforce
  • Plans to reduce the federal workforce by 75 percent, which would involve mass elimination of 1.725 million of the 2.3 million civilian federal workers, representing systematic removal of career civil servants
  • dismissal of career civil servants
  • New hiring plan requires all applicants seeking jobs at GS-5 or above to submit an essay identifying orders or policies issued by President Trump that they like and would help implement if hired. Also requires hiring people considered ‘patriotic’ by targeting recruitment at religious colleges and homeschooling, faith-based communities.
  • Trump has fired at least 6,000 veterans and issued executive order reclassifying about 8,000 non-partisan federal jobs into a new excepted service category called Schedule Policy/Career, stripping due process rights.
  • Proposed firing rule would give agency unprecedented authority to quickly terminate federal employees within five workdays of OPM decision, compared to current 30-day notice requirement.
AC08 Weakening Legislative Oversight click to expand
↑ Rising 10

Efforts to reduce congressional oversight and checks on executive power, including defying subpoenas, withholding information, and executive privilege claims.

Indicators

  • Defying congressional subpoenas
  • Withholding documents and testimony
  • Broad executive privilege claims
  • Impoundment of appropriated funds
  • Pressuring party members against oversight

Current Evidence

  • Instead of honoring the funding Congress already decided to set aside, the Trump administration has withheld or frozen billions of dollars from the states
  • executive orders were never meant to replace Congress or stand in for the rule of law. These unilateral directives…have forced states to defend constitutional boundaries
  • Trump filed a lawsuit to block the release of the records… opposing former President Donald Trump’s attempt to block the release of documents about the January 6 insurrection
  • Trump filed a lawsuit to block the release of records requested by the House Select Committee investigating January 6, attempting to prevent congressional oversight through executive privilege claims despite no longer being president
  • It has circumvented congressional policies and undermined its powers
  • withholding transportation funds from states if they refuse to cooperate with the administration’s immigration enforcement efforts
  • Administration ‘ignored’ constitutional limits and ‘attempted to unilaterally install Halligan after the window for an interim appointment had already closed,’ bypassing required Senate confirmation
  • a rubber-stamp Congress doing the President’s bidding… when the Senate becomes a rubberstamp, our republic loses that safeguard – and we have lost it under Trump
  • Trying to cut billions in federal funds for states without congressional approval
  • executive orders were never meant to replace Congress or stand in for the rule of law. These unilateral directives… have forced states to defend constitutional boundaries
  • The administration tried to freeze federal funding to states unilaterally, bypassing normal legislative processes, forcing states to sue to stop it.
  • It has circumvented congressional policies and undermined its powers
  • States challenging ‘unlawful federal funding cuts’ suggesting improper withholding of appropriated resources from states
  • It has circumvented congressional policies and undermined its powers
  • OMB head Russ Vought directed agencies to freeze upward of $30 billion in spending and declined to say whether his goal was to provoke a legal challenge to overturn the Impoundment Control Act, stating ‘We’re not in love with the law.’
  • Executive orders described as attempting to ‘replace Congress’ and bypassing normal legislative processes. Polling shows majorities prefer ‘Congress—not the president acting alone—to set public policy’
  • The executive order bypasses Congress’s constitutional authority to set election laws, with Trump unilaterally attempting to change election administration through executive action
  • The operation explicitly ‘circumventing a Republican-controlled Congress’ demonstrates systematic weakening of legislative checks on executive power
  • Document describes Trump administration ‘illegally blocking funding for critical programs’ and states having to ‘spend time and resources fighting unlawful executive orders’
  • Systematic challenge to judicial checks on executive power, with claims that court injunctions are ‘abuse of the rule of law’ attempting to ‘thwart the will of the people’
AC09 Weaponizing Prosecution click to expand
↑ Rising 10

Using the justice system to target political enemies, including selective prosecution, political prisoner detention, and manipulation of legal proceedings.

Indicators

  • Prosecution of political opponents
  • Selective enforcement of laws
  • Political motivation in legal actions
  • Detention for political reasons
  • Pardons for political allies

Current Evidence

  • FBI investigations being deployed against critics suggests selective enforcement and political motivation in law enforcement actions
  • Trump has repeatedly used the power of the federal government to retaliate against his political rivals through investigations and prosecutions
  • Trump’s failure to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia from El Salvador after deportation due to administrative error, and plans for ‘sending American citizens to foreign prisons’ with 97% of experts rating it as threat to democracy
  • Criminal charges filed against government officials including Wisconsin judge Hannah Dugan and Newark mayor Ras Baraka (later dropped), with prosecutors targeting officials who resist federal immigration operations.
  • A $1.776 billion fund specifically labeled ‘anti-weaponization’ implies systematic efforts to undermine legitimate prosecutions and investigations, potentially providing financial resources to defend political allies
  • Use of Alien Enemies Act to detain and deport Venezuelan men ‘without due process’ – described as making people ‘disappear to a Salvadoran jail’
  • A defining feature of the first year of Trump’s second term has been the use of the Justice Department to bring charges against the president’s political enemies
  • James indicted Trump in a state fraud case, so prosecutors brought charges against her. The latest reports indicate that after failing to bring mortgage fraud charges, prosecutors are investigating James’ transactions with her hairdresser
  • In some cases, prosecutions have been used as an intimidation tactic to achieve the president’s other goals, like in Cook’s case
  • Administration is literally prosecuting a democratic congresswoman on invented felony charges stemming from her oversight of an ICE facility
  • Trump’s blanket pardons for January 6 participants, described as rewarding ‘fanatical political loyalty with maximum legal impunity’ and creating a ‘political protection racket from the Oval Office’
  • Granting ‘full, complete, and unconditional’ pardons to all Jan. 6 participants regardless of violence level, creating a system where political allies receive blanket immunity for crimes committed in the leader’s name
  • Dozens of pardoned insurrectionists have been arrested again after being granted pardons for January 6 crimes, suggesting a pattern of selective pardoning for political allies
  • Trump’s Department of Justice Has Dismissed Unrelated Criminal Charges Against Pardoned January 6th Rioters
  • The title and content indicate Trump has issued pardons for January 6th defendants, which reverses previous prosecutions but represents use of executive clemency power to benefit political allies
  • constitutional sheriffs assert that they have the power to determine the constitutionality of the laws they are entrusted with enforcing, and to refuse to enforce any law that they believe is unconstitutional
  • Pardoning of January 6 insurrectionists represents reversal of prosecution outcomes, potentially undermining rule of law by nullifying legal accountability for political violence
  • The comprehensive pardoning of January 6 defendants, including those who attacked police officers and organizers, represents selective use of clemency power based on political loyalty rather than justice considerations
  • Trump pardoned Jan. 6 rioters, effectively using presidential pardon power to shield political allies from legal consequences for attacking democratic institutions
  • Failure to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia from El Salvador after deportation due to ‘administrative error’ rated as threat by experts
AC10 Dismantling Regulatory Agencies click to expand
↑ Rising 10

Systematic weakening or elimination of independent regulatory agencies that provide checks on executive and corporate power.

Indicators

  • Budget cuts to regulatory agencies
  • Appointment of hostile agency heads
  • Elimination of regulations without replacement
  • Undermining agency independence
  • DOGE-led agency restructuring

Current Evidence

  • Several changes Trump is attempting to make would only be made possible by turning an independent bipartisan federal agency (Election Assistance Commission) into an arm of the executive branch
  • eliminating entire agencies… called for the elimination of the Consumer Financial Protection Board
  • DOGE actions have been attributed to 280,253 layoff plans of federal workers and contractors impacting 27 agencies
  • DOGE has hastily done that, and more – DOGE-led restructuring and hobbling of federal workforce
  • DOGE actions attributed to 280,253 layoff plans of federal workers and contractors impacting 27 agencies, with 216,670 federal government job cuts in March alone representing a 672% increase
  • DOGE tasked with working to ‘dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies’
  • DOGE has gutted government agencies. Regulatory oversight, scientific research, environmental protections, retirement services—many of these have been hollowed out or stalled completely. Agencies were ordered to freeze hiring, slash budgets, and implement abrupt reorganizations with no plan for continuity.
  • DOGE-led restructuring has hobbled federal workforce, after year of pushing employees out
  • Prominent placement of ‘Reform Government (DOGE)’ as a top priority, indicating systematic restructuring of government agencies
  • President Trump’s unprecedented reach for broad powers to close government agencies
  • The order attempts to co-opt the independent bipartisan Election Assistance Commission to impose mandates that exceed federal authority
  • the complete dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID); the elimination of nearly all grants under the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL); and canceling more than $1.3 billion in funding for pro-democracy programs
  • In November, a federal judge said agents in Chicago were violating the constitutional rights of peaceful protesters and the media with their use of excessive force… federal agents have met peaceful protesters and journalists with rubber bullets, flashbangs, and tear gas
  • DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) listed as top priority for ‘Reform Government’, suggesting systematic restructuring of federal agencies
  • CISA has lost roughly one-third of its workforce since early 2025 through DOGE led workforce reductions, including seasoned career federal employees and specialists responsible for simulating cyberattacks
  • DOGE systematically targeting agencies for budget cuts, contract cancellations, and workforce reduction, with specific mention of ‘DOGE-led agency restructuring’ and targeting over 15 agencies including Treasury, Agriculture, and Homeland Security
  • Trump tasked DOGE to ‘dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies’ and ‘cut the federal government down to size’ with plans to cut $2 trillion from the $6.1 trillion federal budget and reduce the federal workforce by 75 percent
  • the Trump administration has gutted several agencies and programs that help protect and promote democracy, defend civil society, and gird the rule of law globally. This included the complete dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
  • the elimination of nearly all grants under the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL); and canceling more than $1.3 billion in funding for pro-democracy programs
  • DOGE’s initiatives may lead to the restructuring of various federal agencies, including potential adjustments to their operational scope and staffing levels

Markers of Authoritarianism (Rhetorical / Behavioral)

AU01 Dehumanizing Language Toward Out-Groups click to expand
↑ Rising 10

Use of rhetoric that strips humanity from targeted populations, including immigrants, minorities, political opponents, and other out-groups.

Indicators

  • Comparing people to animals or vermin
  • Describing immigrants as ‘invaders’ or ‘poisoning blood’
  • Characterizing opponents as subhuman
  • Using disease/contamination metaphors for people
  • Collective punishment rhetoric

Current Evidence

  • Creating discriminatory refugee policy based on race and using ‘assimilation’ rhetoric that implies racial hierarchy in immigration worthiness
  • Use of arrest quotas for immigration enforcement, treating immigrants as targets to be processed through numerical goals rather than individuals with rights
  • Implementation of policies allowing federal agents to stop and question people about immigration status based only on their ethnicities or languages they speak, suggesting targeting based on racial/ethnic characteristics
  • Refers to ‘millions and millions of illegal aliens poured across our borders totally unvetted and unchecked’ – dehumanizing language toward immigrants
  • Executive orders describe migrants as an ‘invasion’ requiring protection against, and strip federal recognition from transgender and non-binary people, ‘effectively erasing their existence from key legal protections’
  • Reference to ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ – language that trivializes massive enforcement expansion targeting immigrant communities
  • The administration has intensified the criminalization of asylum seekers and immigrants, pushed immigrant detention to all-time highs, and indiscriminately raided city after city
  • intensified the criminalization of asylum seekers and immigrants… indiscriminately raided city after city
  • Called journalists ‘lying, disgusting people’ and referred to them as ‘scum’ and ‘slime’
  • Reference to immigrants as ‘threatening’ Europe’s future, using invasion framing for immigration
  • Plans to ‘drastically increase the number of denaturalizations of American citizens’ suggests targeting of naturalized citizens as out-group
  • Reference to ICE’s ‘deportation dragnet’ – while this is the advocates’ characterization, it reflects systematic targeting described as having ‘little regard for constitutional principles’
  • Text describes ‘years-long campaign of dehumanization and demagoguery of immigrants’ and references to immigrant ‘invasion’ language in the Alien Enemies Act proclamation claiming ‘invasion of and predatory incursion into the United States’
  • Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller declared ‘The Democrat party is not a political party. It is a domestic extremist organization’
  • Targeting transgender youth and their healthcare providers for government surveillance and potential persecution
  • The headline indicates Trump is renewing call for Muslim ban, which represents systematic targeting and dehumanization of religious group
  • ‘Criminal Aliens’ terminology used in official government communications dehumanizes immigrants by defining them primarily through criminality
  • Trump used explosive rhetoric targeting judges including ‘radical Left lunatic,’ ‘troublemaker and agitator,’ ‘radical rogue judges’ to characterize federal judges.
  • Section titled ‘Criminal Aliens Receiving Medicaid’ uses dehumanizing ‘criminal aliens’ terminology on official government website
  • Plan to send American citizens to ‘foreign prisons’ – 97% of experts say this would pose threat to democracy, 78% say extraordinary threat
AU02 Cult of Personality Promotion click to expand
↑ Rising 10

Efforts to build and maintain a personality cult around the leader, including demands for loyalty, personality-centered governance, and messianic framing.

Indicators

  • Demands for personal loyalty over constitutional oath
  • Personality-centered governance style
  • Messianic or ‘chosen one’ framing
  • Merchandise and iconography promoting individual
  • Rewriting of history to center leader

Current Evidence

  • ‘I am your retribution’ framing
  • MAGA movement centered entirely on personality
  • Demands that party members publicly pledge loyalty
  • Golden statue at CPAC / messianic imagery in campaigns
  • Trump wants the celebration of our country’s 250th anniversary to be not only about him
  • Government resources being used to benefit Trump family members, indicating governance centered around personal/family interests rather than public interest
  • Treasury Department preparing a $250 bill with Trump’s face on it – using currency to promote personal image and create iconography centered on the leader
  • Trump’s name being ordered removed from Kennedy Center renovation, suggesting attempt to attach personal branding to public institutions
  • Trump successfully retained American trust through his cult-like persona to mobilize voters with the promise of making America great again
  • Extensive focus on personal narrative – ‘I came to Washington as the only true outsider ever to win the presidency’ and positioning himself as uniquely qualified builder with special vision for America
  • Claims of achieving ‘the fastest and most dramatic economic turnaround in our country’s history’ and ‘growth like I believe you will see very shortly, our country has never seen before, perhaps no country has ever seen before’ – attributing unprecedented historical achievements to personal leadership
  • Trump suggested an event celebrating America’s 250th birthday should instead be a rally with him as the headliner
  • Trump planted his name on USIP’s Washington headquarters building, personalizing control of previously independent institutions
  • Claims of personal transformation: ‘we have achieved a transformation like no one has ever seen before and a turnaround for the ages’ and ‘What a difference a President makes’ – attributing all national success to personal leadership
  • I decided a long time ago that I would not let this happen… We worked as a team. Like perhaps no team has ever worked before
  • ‘There is no military in the world that could have done what we did tonight. Not even close. There has never been a military that could do what took place’
  • Trump dismissing criticism by rejecting the idea that his actions contradict his campaign promises, suggesting his decisions are beyond accountability to prior commitments
  • Trump repeatedly takes personal credit for military achievements and frames military actions around his personal decisions and legacy: ‘I built it, frankly’ and personalizes military operations
AU03 Scapegoating / Enemy Creation click to expand
↑ Rising 10

Systematic identification and demonization of target groups to redirect blame and build political support through shared enmity.

Indicators

  • Blaming specific groups for national problems
  • Creating ‘enemy’ narratives for political gain
  • Conspiracy theories targeting groups
  • Redirecting economic/social frustration at out-groups
  • Rally rhetoric centered on enemy groups

Current Evidence

  • Systematic targeting of immigrants including those ‘who pose no threat to public safety’ and ‘contribute greatly to the economy and social fabric of their communities’, suggesting scapegoating beyond legitimate law enforcement
  • The White House site states ‘they do not belong here’ about undocumented immigrants, creating enemy narratives and othering specific groups
  • Official White House site declaring that undocumented immigrants ‘do not belong here’ creates enemy narrative targeting specific population
  • Trump has cultivated connections to extreme elements of his base that have spawned violence.
  • Systematic blame attribution: ‘The Biden administration and its allies in Congress gave us the worst inflation in the history of our country’ and repeated references to inheriting ‘crisis’ conditions
  • Iran, the bully of the Middle East… world’s No. 1 state sponsor of terror… For years, Iran has been saying death to America, death to Israel
  • RULE THREE: Demonize the Enemy Within
  • Iran characterized as ‘the bully of the Middle East’ and ‘world’s No. 1 state sponsor of terror’ to justify military action
  • Law firms defending migrants and advocating for DEI policies are portrayed as ‘enemies of the state’, and immigration is framed as ‘invasion’ requiring protection
  • $170 billion massive enforcement expansion specifically targeting immigrant communities, with 2,450% increase in detention of people with no criminal record
  • Fixating on immigrants as threat while downplaying actual military invasion, creating immigrants as primary enemy narrative
  • Systematic targeting of immigrants as enemy groups, designation of gangs as ‘foreign terrorist organizations,’ framing immigration as ‘invasion’ and protesters as ‘violent, insurrectionist mobs’
  • Systematic targeting of transgender youth and their healthcare providers through DOJ investigation
  • Renewing call for Muslim ban demonstrates systematic scapegoating of religious minority group for national security concerns
  • Sections like ‘Arrested: Worst of the Worst’, ‘Criminal Aliens Receiving Medicaid’ indicate systematic targeting and demonization of immigrant populations
  • Politicians prospered – but the jobs left, and the factories closed… Washington flourished – but the people did not share in its wealth.
  • Trump and allies have systematically targeted judges as enemies, speaking of a ‘judicial coup’ and ‘judicial insurrection’ to frame the judiciary as an enemy undermining his administration.
  • Featured section ‘Arrested: Worst of the Worst’ and focus on ‘Criminal Aliens’ creates enemy narratives targeting specific groups
  • Attacking Georgia officials Kemp and Raffensperger, stating ‘we haven’t been able to find the people in Georgia willing to do the right thing’
  • exploited the politics of grievance and promised retribution against his enemies
AU04 Demands for Personal Loyalty Over Institutional Loyalty click to expand
↑ Rising 10

Requiring personal allegiance to the leader rather than to the Constitution, rule of law, or institutional norms.

Indicators

  • Loyalty oaths to individual rather than Constitution
  • Punishing institutional loyalty as ‘disloyalty’
  • Rewarding personal devotion over competence
  • Framing criticism as betrayal
  • Cabinet and staff loyalty as primary qualification

Current Evidence

  • Network of ‘Trump-loyal think tanks’ creating replacement lists shows prioritization of personal loyalty to Trump over institutional expertise or merit
  • Creating Subservient Federal Workforce Loyal to Trump, Not Constitution
  • I do not believe that the leadership of the department can trust you to assist in implementing the president’s agenda faithfully – indicating firing based on personal loyalty to president rather than institutional duty
  • Career officials are removed because they are seen as insufficiently loyal to a president’s personal interests… Plaintiffs were targeted for removal based on the perception that they were disloyal to the personal interests of President Trump
  • Brief warns of prosecutors ‘chosen for loyalty rather than experience’ and prosecutors becoming ‘accountable to only the President and not the Constitution they serve’
  • Trump rewards fanatical political loyalty with maximum legal impunity. If you commit crimes in his name, he might forgive your other crimes.
  • Pack the Government with Loyalists… Authoritarian presidents, however, care less about someone’s qualifications or character and more about their loyalty. Many have been replaced by Acting IGs loyal to Trump.
  • President Trump has instructed his White House to identify and force out officials across his administration who are not seen as sufficiently loyal
  • Expert warning about ‘politicizing what should be an apolitical military’ and concern about eroding the guardrail of ‘keeping our military out of political fights’
  • The president is exploiting his power to punish those who stand in his way… targeting state officials and other people who disagree with him politically
  • establishes a test of loyalty to President Trump for Americans who apply to work for the federal government… prioritizing loyalty over expertise… partisan interest to ‘advance the President’s Executive Orders’
  • The president values loyalty over qualifications and experience, and expects public servants to be loyal to him personally
  • Trump rewards fanatical political loyalty with maximum legal impunity. If you commit crimes in his name, he might forgive your other crimes.
  • Trump rewards fanatical political loyalty with maximum legal impunity. If you commit crimes in his name, he might forgive your other crimes.
  • pardon-the-perpetrators-and-purge-the-prosecutors offensive has made clear that the Executive Branch…now stands firmly on the side of autocratic political violence
  • Federal government employees’ loyalty should be to the Constitution, not to the political masters of the moment – implying Trump is demanding personal loyalty instead
  • Pardoning individuals who committed crimes in Trump’s name, including those who attacked law enforcement officers defending democratic institutions, rewards personal loyalty to Trump over loyalty to constitutional order and rule of law
  • Framing judicial constitutional duties as disloyalty to Trump’s agenda and ‘thwarting the will of the people’ rather than upholding rule of law
  • Federal workers are hired and fired based on whether they are loyal to Trump rather than their commitment to following the Constitution. Job applicants must write essays about Trump policies they support.
  • 22-year-old Trump campaign worker with no national security expertise promoted to lead terrorism prevention at DHS, demonstrating loyalty-based appointments over competence.
AU05 Delegitimizing Elections and Democratic Processes click to expand
↑ Rising 10

Undermining public confidence in democratic processes, including elections, vote counting, peaceful transfer of power, and democratic institutions.

Indicators

  • False claims of election fraud
  • Refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power
  • Attacks on election officials and processes
  • Undermining confidence in vote counting
  • Encouraging disruption of democratic processes

Current Evidence

  • In State of the Union address, Trump ‘reiterated lies about widespread voter fraud’ and continues raising concerns about federal interference in midterm elections
  • Trump’s repeated claims that the 2020 election and last week’s California primaries were ‘rigged’
  • Continued framing of January 6th participants as unfairly treated despite their violent actions against democratic institutions, with claims they were ‘politically targeted’
  • Making false claims that normal ballot counting procedures are signs of election fraud
  • President Trump is casting doubt on the results of California’s primaries, claiming there was voter fraud
  • Trump is described as ‘laying the groundwork now for challenging the outcome’ of the midterm elections before they have even occurred, indicating preemptive delegitimization of electoral processes
  • Even when these bills don’t pass, they allow lies and conspiracy theories about elections to spread
  • Pardoning ‘all the rioters and insurrectionists who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021’ effectively legitimizes attacks on democratic processes
  • Pardoning ‘all the rioters and insurrectionists who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021’ and excusing ‘mass street violence against the constitutional order’
  • The continued reference to January 6 participants as ‘insurrectionists’ who were pardoned implies ongoing undermining of democratic processes and the peaceful transfer of power
  • Pardoning those who violently disrupted the peaceful transfer of power sends a clear message that such actions are acceptable and justified, further undermining democratic norms
  • The pardoning of January 6th participants continues the pattern of legitimizing actions taken to disrupt democratic processes and peaceful transfer of power
  • Continuing false claims about voter rolls being rife with errors and fraud, recycling disproven claims about Obama’s ‘treasonous conspiracy’ and Chinese interference
  • Long after recounts and litigation confirmed his clear loss, Trump and his allies knowingly spread lies about election fraud… attempt to prevent the lawful certification of the 2020 presidential election
  • under the false, disproven, but enduring claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen and that there exists widespread voter fraud
  • Long after recounts and litigation confirmed his clear loss, Trump and his allies knowingly spread lies about election fraud and pressured officials and lawmakers from seven states, federal agencies, and the vice president to keep Trump in power
  • By pardoning January 6 defendants, Trump is effectively legitimizing the actions of those who sought to disrupt the certification of the 2020 election, reinforcing narratives that the democratic process was illegitimate
  • Pardoning those who attacked the Capitol on January 6 effectively legitimizes the underlying election fraud claims that motivated the attack, further undermining confidence in democratic processes
  • False claims of fraud and irregularities despite lacking factual basis, claiming widespread voter fraud at rally, attacking election officials Kemp and Raffensperger
  • Document describes rallies and activities ‘attempting to discredit the 2020 presidential election process and challenging the official election results, including in Georgia, despite lacking factual basis for their allegations’
AU06 Promoting Violence or Threatening Force click to expand
↑ Rising 10

Use of violent rhetoric, threats of force, or encouragement of political violence, including against protesters, opponents, and institutions.

Indicators

  • Rhetoric encouraging violence against opponents
  • Threats to deploy military against civilians
  • Praise for political violence
  • Threatening force against institutions
  • Normalizing political violence

Current Evidence

  • Federal agents have ‘shot and killed two Minnesota citizens on the street’ and are ‘using physical force against civilians, including peaceful protestors, sometimes fatally’
  • Endorsed attacks on protesters, said ‘I would never kill them but I do hate them’ about reporters, promised to cover legal fees for beating protesters
  • Trump’s plan for ‘sending American citizens to foreign prisons’ represents unprecedented threats of extrajudicial detention
  • Public vow to hit Iran ‘very hard tonight’ represents explicit threat of imminent military violence
  • Deployment of military forces against civilian protesters. ICE raids met with ‘state violence, including tear gas and flash bang grenades.’ Military deployment despite governor stating it’s ‘putting fuel on this fire’
  • Trump casually discusses military conquest of multiple nations and threatens continued force: ‘if we don’t have a deal, we’ll do it one way or the other. Either way, we win.’
  • Deployment of troops is a fear tactic meant to silence opposition and criminalize dissent, with military forces being used to police civilians in violation of Posse Comitatus Act
  • Trump gave clemency to ‘the bloodiest cop-beaters, the most premeditated seditious conspirators and all of the extremists who crushed police officers in doorframes, sprayed chemicals into their eyes and drove stun guns into their necks’
  • Trump gave clemency to ‘the bloodiest cop-beaters, the most premeditated seditious conspirators and all of the extremists who crushed police officers in doorframes, sprayed chemicals into their eyes and drove stun guns into their necks’
  • The violence of January 6, 2021, would never have happened without then-President Trump’s instigation and involvement
  • The pardoning of ‘Rioters sentenced for attacking police officers’ and those ‘found guilty of attacking police officers’ legitimizes and rewards political violence
  • This was an assault on our democracy… It led to the January 6 attack, and Trump and his co-conspirators exploited that violence in a final attempt to delay the electoral count
  • ICE crackdown in Minneapolis included the killing of two American citizen protesters, with former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem falsely claiming they were involved in ‘domestic terrorism’
  • Use of rhetoric like ‘judicial coup’ and ‘judicial insurrection’ carries implicit threats of force and delegitimizes institutional authority, though not explicitly violent.
  • It led to the January 6 attack, and Trump and his co-conspirators exploited that violence in a final attempt to delay the electoral count
  • Pardoning individuals convicted of attacking police officers and engaging in violence during January 6 sends a clear signal that political violence in service of Trump’s agenda will be rewarded rather than punished
  • By pardoning January 6 rioters who committed violent acts against the Capitol and then placing some in government positions, this normalizes and rewards political violence
  • The president has said that the military is needed, in part, to protect federal agents and their detention facilities with ‘full force, if necessary.’… numerous examples of excessive use of force and brutality against people, including U.S. citizens, peaceful protesters, clergy, and members of the media
  • Trump’s ‘oft-discussed idea of sending American citizens to foreign prisons’ viewed as extraordinary threat by 78% of experts
  • promised retribution against his enemies
AU07 Conspiracy Theories as Governance Tools click to expand
↑ Rising 10

Promotion and use of conspiracy theories to justify policy, delegitimize opposition, and maintain supporter loyalty.

Indicators

  • Promoting unsubstantiated conspiracy theories
  • Using conspiracies to justify policy actions
  • Delegitimizing opposition through conspiracy framing
  • ‘Deep state’ and ‘rigged system’ narratives
  • QAnon and adjacent conspiracy validation

Current Evidence

  • The arson suspect targeted a room that housed Dominion voting equipment—a target of conspiracy theories in the election denial movement.
  • Ellis drafted memoranda that ‘relied on the demonstrably false premise that disputes existed among slates of presidential electors in six swing states’
  • This is the president using the executive branch to continue pushing lies and conspiracy theories and attacking those who challenge him.
  • Widely circulated the baseless theory that noncitizens are voting illegally on a large scale and investigated local election offices based on discredited lies about the 2020 election
  • Ongoing ‘false claims about widespread irregularities in the 2020 election’ being used to justify FBI seizure of election records
  • Trump has widely circulated the baseless theory that noncitizens are voting illegally on a large scale
  • investigated local election offices based on discredited lies about the 2020 election
  • Administration investigated local election offices ‘based on discredited lies about the 2020 election’ and activists advocate for declaring national emergency to ‘ban mail ballots, seize voting machines’ based on conspiracy theories
  • Executive orders are described as continuing a ‘decade-long public opinion campaign of dangerous speech and disinformation’ and contain inflammatory rhetoric unlike previous administrations
  • The executive order is described as ‘based on lies and conspiracy theories about elections’ despite the fact that ‘American elections are fair, secure, and accurate’
  • Using unfounded fraud conspiracy theories to undermine confidence in legitimate election processes
  • The ‘anti-weaponization’ framing promotes the conspiracy theory that legitimate legal processes are coordinated political attacks, institutionalizing this narrative through government funding
  • Analysis characterizes Trump as using Putin’s propaganda technique of flooding people with contradictory stories to confuse and exhaust them, suggesting systematic disinformation deployment
  • Trump claimed ‘The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them’ when criticizing prosecutors pursuing his ally
  • Using conspiracy theories about Obama leading a ‘treasonous conspiracy’ and false allegations that China used fake mail ballots as basis for criminal investigations and policy
  • Trump and his allies knowingly spread lies about election fraud
  • Featured sections include ‘Lab Leak: The True Origins of Covid-19’ and ‘January 6: A Date Which Will Live in Infamy’, suggesting promotion of conspiracy narratives as official government positions
  • Featured sections promoting ‘Lab Leak: The True Origins of Covid-19’ and declassification of ‘JFK Files’ and ‘RFK Files’ suggest conspiracy theory validation as official policy
  • Promoting unsubstantiated claims about pipe burst affecting counting, false fraud allegations used to justify calls for overturning election results
  • Trump promoted false narratives about election irregularities, including claims about a pipe burst that ‘totally unrelated to the location of what was happening’ affecting vote counting
AU08 Nationalist / Populist Demagoguery click to expand
↑ Rising 10

Exploitation of nationalist sentiment and populist grievances to build personal power, including ‘us vs. them’ framing, xenophobia, and anti-elite rhetoric that serves elite interests.

Indicators

  • Xenophobic nationalism
  • Anti-elite rhetoric serving elite interests
  • Us vs. them population division
  • Ethno-nationalist overtones
  • Populist promises contradicted by policies

Current Evidence

  • ‘America First’ framing with exclusionary overtones
  • Anti-immigrant nationalism as central policy platform
  • Populist economic rhetoric contradicted by tax policies favoring wealthy
  • Division of population into ‘real Americans’ vs. others
  • America as a white republic
  • Mass deportation campaign targeting immigrants who ‘contribute greatly to the economy and social fabric of their communities’ while framing enforcement as public safety despite targeting those with ‘no criminal record’
  • Critical to this success was his ability to garner support through a platform built on division…with the promise of making America great again…this American exceptionalist narrative
  • Outsider vs. establishment framing – ‘I had not spent my career as a politician’ and ‘I came to Washington as the only true outsider ever to win the presidency’ – classic populist anti-establishment rhetoric
  • Framing America as previously in ‘nightmare’ state under predecessor with ‘open and dangerous border’ but now ‘closed and virtually impenetrable’ – classic us vs. them framing with nationalist overtones
  • Framing civil rights protections as discrimination against white people represents populist appeal to white grievance politics
  • Executive orders to ‘Make Federal Architecture Beautiful Again’, designating English as ‘Official Language’, and restoring ‘Truth and Sanity’ to American History reflect nationalist cultural positioning
  • Implementing race-based immigration policy that favors white immigrants while stopping refugee admissions, embodying ethno-nationalist policy preferences
  • Exceptionalist rhetoric: ‘the most incredible and exceptional nation ever to exist on the face of the Earth’ and ‘This is the golden age of America’ – using nationalist sentiment to build personal political capital
  • Framing as protecting America from foreign threat with religious nationalism: ‘God bless the Middle East. God bless Israel, and god bless America’
  • Anti-immigrant rhetoric framing immigration as invasion, xenophobic nationalism targeting specific ethnic groups (Venezuelans), us vs. them framing of immigrants as threats
  • Trump promotes aggressive nationalism through military conquest narratives: ‘We have the most powerful military in the world’ and celebrates taking over Venezuela
  • Muslim ban framing exploits nationalist sentiment and xenophobic fears in the context of national security speech
  • For too long, a small group in our nation’s Capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost… The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country.
  • January 20th 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again. The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.
AU09 Rejection of Accountability / Rule of Law click to expand
↑ Rising 10

Systematic rejection of legal accountability, rule of law, and institutional checks, including claims of immunity, obstruction of investigations, and self-pardoning claims.

Indicators

  • Claims of presidential immunity
  • Obstruction of investigations
  • Self-pardon or blanket pardon claims
  • Defiance of legal norms and precedent
  • Attacking prosecutors and investigators personally

Current Evidence

  • Justice Department nominees dodged questions about ignoring court orders and ‘suggested there may be instances where they could do so.’ VP Vance claimed judges aren’t allowed to control executive power.
  • Walking out of interview when pressed on election fraud claims demonstrates avoidance of accountability and scrutiny
  • Mass pardoning without individual case review violates traditional clemency standards requiring remorse and atonement, described as unprecedented use of pardon power
  • Investigation into attorneys who ‘engaged in professional misconduct while undermining democracy’ and ‘efforts to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election’
  • The president has already shown contempt for the rule of law by ignoring court orders, attacking election officials, and trying to force states to comply with and adopt his policies
  • Trump pardoned approximately 1,575 January 6 insurrectionists within days of taking office, and DOJ argued these pardons cover other crimes after ‘consulting with Department leadership.’
  • Trump dismisses international law regarding naval blockades and refuses to engage with legal frameworks: ‘I don’t consider that a war, but if you want to define it as such, I guess you can.’
  • Trump interfered with DOJ sentencing recommendations for his close political ally Roger Stone, calling the recommended sentence ‘horrible and very unfair’ and claiming ‘Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice!’
  • President has targeted law firms whose attorneys investigated him, stripping their security clearances, barring attorneys from federal buildings, and terminating government contracts unless firms agree to coercive demands
  • Trump ordered ‘full, complete, and unconditional’ pardons for January 6 participants regardless of the ‘brutality or lethality of offenses’
  • Granting blanket pardons for violent crimes committed during Jan. 6, overruling the justice system and legal accountability for political violence
  • On his first day back in office, President Donald Trump pardoned nearly 1,600 rioters and insurrectionists for crimes connected to the storming of the United States Capitol
  • Mass pardons of January 6 defendants, including violent offenders and organizers, represents systematic rejection of legal accountability for anti-democratic actions
  • Trump’s presidential immunity appeal… Trump’s appeal of his presidential immunity claim to the United States Supreme Court
  • Federal judges have criticized the Justice Department as unreliable with 90 cases of court distrust of Justice Department lawyers’ statements and assurances in court
  • Administration continued restrictions on press coverage despite federal judge ordering restoration of AP’s access, with appeal pending
  • The blanket pardoning of January 6 defendants represents a systematic rejection of legal accountability for actions taken to support Trump’s political position, undermining the rule of law principle that no one is above the law
  • Trump issued pardons to January 6 rioters who had criminal records including rape and domestic violence, representing a rejection of legal accountability for serious crimes
  • Multiple references to defying court orders: ‘refused to comply with several federal court rulings’ and ‘Ignoring a federal court order is a direct attack on our system of government’
  • Administration characterizing judicial oversight as ‘abuse of the rule of law’ and claiming ‘constitutional crisis is taking place within our judicial branch’ when courts exercise constitutional authority
AU10 Suppression of Dissent click to expand
↑ Rising 10

Active efforts to suppress protest, dissent, and opposition voices, including threats against protesters, retaliation against critics, and use of state power to silence opposition.

Indicators

  • Threats against peaceful protesters
  • Retaliation against critics and whistleblowers
  • Use of state apparatus to intimidate dissent
  • Chilling effects on free expression
  • Surveillance of political opponents

Current Evidence

  • The threat to invoke the Insurrection Act was made in response to ‘demonstrations protesting the deployment of 3,000 federal immigration enforcement personnel and the killing of an American citizen by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent,’ indicating use of military force to suppress protest and dissent.
  • Trump’s effort to suppress protests in Los Angeles over his immigration policies using the California National Guard
  • A federal judge said agents in Chicago were violating the constitutional rights of peaceful protesters and the media with their use of excessive force
  • excessive use of force and brutality against people, including U.S. citizens, peaceful protesters, clergy, and members of the media
  • ICE presence at polling places would create chilling effects on voting participation, particularly among immigrant communities and those who might be perceived as ‘other’ – effectively suppressing democratic participation
  • RULE FIVE: Silence Free Speech… RULE NINE: Use the Military to Suppress Dissent
  • Trump’s threat that Democratic lawmakers’ reminder about military officers’ right to refuse illegal orders constituted sedition punishable by death
  • Systematic targeting of protesters documenting enforcement actions, with agents ‘attacking and arresting people peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights’ and using fatal force
  • The brief states that Hegseth’s actions ‘would chill public participation by veterans around the country’ and represents retaliation against Kelly for his public reminder about refusing illegal orders
  • Endorsed attacks on protesters, proposed to dramatically limit right to protest near White House and National Mall, supported imprisonment of flag burners
  • 21 state attorneys general published an open letter condemning the Justice Department’s ‘campaign of intimidation’… Intimidating political opponents hurts free speech
  • ICE database collecting information on protesters represents surveillance of political opponents and creates chilling effects on free expression
  • Experts perceive declines in ‘protections for unpopular speech or expression’ and attacks on academic freedom at universities
  • Frey called the investigation ‘an obvious attempt to intimidate me for standing up for Minneapolis, our local law enforcement and our residents’
  • Government surveillance apparatus being used to monitor protesters suggests chilling effects on free expression and use of state power to intimidate dissent
  • Students, including green card holders, have been detained and threatened with deportation for writing op-eds or expressing views that deviate from what the administration deems acceptable
  • This view espoused by adherents of the constitutional sheriffs movement raises serious potential for voter intimidation and election meddling that poses a threat to free and fair elections
  • Systematic targeting of media outlets for ‘exercising their First Amendment rights’; removing legacy media from Pentagon workstations; funding cuts targeting outlets whose coverage administration disapproves
  • federal agents have met peaceful protesters and journalists with rubber bullets, flashbangs, and tear gas. Agents have even pointed guns or shot at protesters… administration officials lied about the threats posed by demonstrators and journalists, ‘chilling’ First Amendment protections
  • Administration actions to ‘withdraw funding from leading universities and to limit their academic freedom’ rated as serious threat by three-quarters of experts
Analyses are not current. The newest completed analysis is from 2026-06-15 (82 days ago); collection has been interrupted. Marker scores below reflect that date, not today.
Page rendered 2026-09-05 14:35 UTC.