Since his first presidential campaign in 2016, Donald Trump has become one of the most controversial figures in American history. He has fueled division in the country, incited violence, wielded his power and rhetoric as a weapon, and undermined the very fabric of American democracy. Now, as he pushes forward in his latest bid for power, his words, policies, and actions have only become more brazen, authoritarian, and dangerous. His demagoguery and disdain for democratic norms continues to pose a dire threat to the nation, and his recent executive orders solidify his agenda of cruelty, corruption, and totalitarian control.
Trump’s rhetoric has long been considered his greatest vice because of how he uses it as a vehicle to spread misinformation and instill fear into the American public, as well as the world. According to the Washington Post, Trump made well over “30,000 false or misleading claims during his presidency” (washingtonpost.com). This is a completely unprecedented level of deception and flagrant violation of his duties as an iconic public figure, and it only continues to worsen day by day as his power increases.
Beyond his lies, Trump consistently employs dog-whistle politics that appeal to and embolden white supremacists and nationalists, which, by extension, marginalize and scapegoat minority communities. This consistently appeals to those with both overt and underlying prejudices, and this — in conjunction with his constant vilification of political opponents — results in his inflammatory language being more than just reckless and false but also violent, resulting in real-world consequences. The insurrection on January 6, 2021 is the most flagrant result of his lies. The violent, painful, and most importantly, completely unconstitutional refusal of democratic principles and traditions in the United States was a direct result of his constant battery of lies and, most importantly, incitement. A congressional report from the January 6 committee found that Trump played a “central role in encouraging and directing the attack on the Capitol” (january6th.house.gov).
Yet, even after attempting to overthrow confirmed, credible election results, undermining most, if not all, of the United States’ democratic principles and the constitution itself, and positioning himself as a clear dictator, he remains the Republican undisputed leader. His base continues to rally around him (with his cult-like personality, tendencies, and following) purely built on his deceit, fearmongering, and grievance politics. His recent executive orders, just mere days and weeks into office, have cemented his autocratic ambitions, and have been a continuance of his first term. These orders are attempts to expand executive power beyond its constitutional limits, gut environmental protections, restrict reproductive rights, and attack immigrant communities, reflecting his extremist, regressive, and most scarily totalitarian agenda.
One of his most egregious orders seeks to grant near-total immunity to law enforcement officers. The Brennan Center for Justice warns that this move could lead to “increased police misconduct, further exacerbating racial injustice” in an already corrupt criminal justice system, as well as diminish already guaranteed constitutional and human rights that were guaranteed before the order (brennacenter.org). However, Trump doesn’t just intend to strip away accountability for law enforcement officers, but he intends to do so for himself, by using a controversial Supreme Court ruling that granted him presidential immunity, as a way to completely strip any ounce of credibility from his prior crimes and actions. He is using his power to enable a system that provides elites like himself with complete immunity and disproportionately affects minority groups, thus reinforcing a cycle of state and federally-sanctioned violence and systematic oppression.
His war on the press is another hallmark of his authoritarianism. Trump has consistently characterized specific papers, journals, and even individuals as “enemies of the people” if they go against his agenda or criticize him. A report from the Committee to Protect Journalists found that Trump’s first presidency was “marked by repeated attacks on press freedom, including attempts to delegitimize major news organizations and encourage violence against reporters” (cpj.org). A free and independent press is not just essential to a democracy, but it is also a guaranteed constitutional right as outlined in the First Amendment. Yet Trump’s attack on journalism continues and is designed to erode public trust in factual reporting so that it can be replaced with his own fabricated narrative.
Beyond policy, actions, and history, his character — or, more accurately, his lack thereof — is a major disqualifying factor in his holding any sort of leadership position, federally, locally, or even privately. His first presidency was marred by corruption, self-enrichment, and an utter disregard for ethical norms, which only appears to be continuing through his second. A New York Times investigation found that Trump had paid marginally less than he was entitled to do so for his federal income taxes in all four years of his presidency and that he was even greatly suspected of funneling taxpayer money into his own business and private expenditures (nytimes.com). Yet, through everything, there is no guarantee that there will be a shift in these actions and, rather, everything points to there being a continuation of them.
Trump’s character, past, and actions reveal him to be a man consumed by power, greed, and corruption, devoid of any true concern for the country that he claims to serve. His presence in American politics is not just an embarrassment to the country, it is rather a dire warning to the American people. His return to power means further erosion of democratic institutions, the continued weaponization of law enforcement, and an irreversible slide to authoritarian rule.
America absolutely cannot afford to repeat these mistakes, and despite his assumption of office already, we must do everything we can to resist his dangerous agenda. This is not a movie or book like 1984 by George Orwell; it is our reality, and we must fight the agenda before his autocratic vision and regime become reality. If democracy and the working class are meant to survive, they must reject the politics of fear, division, and lies, and by extension, they must reject Donald Trump.