Our descent into authoritarian rule continues. Over the weekend, Elon Musk raged on Twitter that people at CBS News deserve a “long prison sentence” based on a fabricated rationale. Meanwhile, President Trump tweeted out a line saying straight out that his presidency is above the law. And Trump nominated a nominee for U.S. attorney in D.C. who has elevated the idea that DOJ should have no independence from the president. According to scholars of authoritarianism, these are the things that happen when a country is sliding into authoritarian rule. We talked to one such scholar, Steven Levitsky, co-author of a great new piece that charts what the path to American autocracy looks like. He explains how the latest moves of Trump-Musk show how far along on this slide we truly are. Listen to this episode here. A transcript is here.
PODCAST
Trump-Musk Threats Darken as Their Anger at Enemies Takes Ominous Turn
As Trump and Elon Musk signal menacing new intentions on numerous fronts, a scholar of democratic breakdown explains how we’re now seeing textbook signs of a country’s slide into authoritarian rule.
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