This thread will be a repository for evidence that Trump behaves and thinks more like an autocrat than a leader of a democracy. Here’s something I saw today. Trump was asked if he thought Robert Mueller would be fair and this was his response, along with a comment about it (which I agree with) from Matthew Miller, who was a spokesperson for DOJ under Obama:
This to me is by far the most interesting part of Trump’s exchange with reporters yesterday. In his mind (and I believe he thinks this), intervening multiple times in the investigation and laying waste to the FBI = just fighting back. pic.twitter.com/YeznxwBFfO
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) January 25, 2018
This also makes me think of Trump’s expression of anger and frustration at Jeff Sessions–specifically, that Sessions recused himself from the Russian investigation; that had he known that, Trump would never have chosen him as AG; that he had some respect for Eric Holder, AG under Obama, because Trump claimed that Holder defended Obama out of loyalty. This creates the strong impression that Trump doesn’t understand or doesn’t care about the independence of the DOJ or the AG and other federal appointees or workers are loyal to the Constitution, not the president. Trump doesn’t seem to understand or believe in the rule of law, but prefers, and sees no problem with, the rule of man.
7/18/2018
class authoritarian rhetorical tactic: there are only two options, my way or WAR https://t.co/Kdum6iRtqJ
— Anne Applebaum (@anneapplebaum) July 18, 2018
1/4/2019
.@TerryMoran: “Have you considered using emergency powers to grant yourself authorities to build this wall without congressional approval?”
President Trump: “Yes, I have. And I can do it if I want” #BorderWall pic.twitter.com/8zpW5eBJdj
— CSPAN (@cspan) January 4, 2019
2/9/2019
The President is already attempting to undermine the legitimacy of a potential victory by the opposition party. What would you say if you saw it in another country? pic.twitter.com/lcanaxLveQ— Brendan Nyhan (@BrendanNyhan) February 9, 2019
In the 2016 election Trump also questioned the legitimacy of the election.
Here he suggests he might not accept the election results.
Trump Ordered Mueller Fired, but Backed Off When White House Counsel Threatened to Quit (from the NYT)
Whoa! For those who said Trump would never fire Mueller, now we know they’re almost certainly wrong. Even though this isn’t really surprising, this news still jolts me a little and unnerves me–I guess, it’s the reality of this hitting me.
There’s also this:
And apropos of this thread,
(emphasis added)
Also, a few days ago there was an Axios story, FBI director threatened to resign amid Trump, Sessions pressure
Edit (1/27/2018)
From WaPo: Trump sought release of classified Russia memo, putting him at odds with Justice Department
Later,
(The thought that’s in my mind:) Trump has zero understanding of the importance of DOJ being largely independent of the POTUS, he doesn’t seem to understand or believe that this is really problematic and dangerous threat to the country, which is a democratic republic. Either that, or he doesn’t care–that he’s seeking to erase the barriers between his office and the DOJ. If this is true, then Trump, himself, is a serious threat to our county.
4/9/2018
DOJ’s Southern District of New York raided offices, home, and apartment of Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen today. Because of attorney-client privilege, getting approval to this is not easy.
Trump’s reaction:
Trump equating this raid with an “attack on our country in a true sense.”
Trump repeatedly calling the Mueller investigation a “witch hunt.”
Trump saying this is really unfair, citing that this is spurred by Democrats (and a few Republicans)–Comey, Mueller–Republicans. Trump appointed Rosenstein and Sessions (obviously). The Attorney in the SDNY also was appointed by Trump (and Trump broke protocol by interviewing him).
Time to ask Congressional Republicans what they will do if Trump fires Mueller or Rosenstein.
Sessions did this, on advice of career DOJ staff, because Sessions was involved with the Trump campaign.
4/10/2018
4/10/2018
Sounds like Trump thinks DOJ officials should be loyal to himself, not the Constitution or rule of law.
4/26/2018
Later,
and
6/14/2018
(Note: The article could have also gone in the (in)competence thread.)
7/24/2018
At a high school leadership summit.
Edit
7/25/2018
7/27/2018
11/7/2018
Sessions resigns and Trump installs someone who seems loyal to him.
Trump: Russia Investigation (1)
Trump: Russia Investigation (2)
Uh oh. Not feeling good about this.
Or this (Note: I didn’t read the article–I’m reacting to the tweet.)
edit
I agree.
edit
I don’t think this is hyperbolic or snarky. Americans may not want to accept the idea that we have a POTUS who is governing like an authoritarian, but the reality is that there is too much evidence to dismiss this notion. President Trump doesn’t not respect the rule of law, separation of powers, or the U.S. Constitution, and evidence suggests he would undermine the Constitution to protect and empower himself. If we’re not in a Constitutional crisis, we have taken another significant step in that direction.
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An Authoritarian Lithmus Test
That’s what the Harvard prof mentions at the end of this clip. Decide for yourself if Trump qualifies.
With regard to suspending due process, I believe Nyhan is referring to this Trump tweet:
Trump is either ignorant of our Constitution and laws, or he doesn’t respect them at all.
8/2/2018
9/5/2018
1. The claim that the book is the exact opposite of what’s really going on is highly dubious. It’s almost impossible to imagine how that could be the case, based on Trump’s own behavior and words.
2. Irony: Trump’s complaining about no consequences for someone making stuff up, when he championed birtherism (claimed to have evidence coming real soon); accused Ted Cruz’s father of being involved in the Kennedy assassination; Obama ordering wire-taps of the Trump Tower; millions voted illegally for Clinton; improper unmasking of Trump team, and I’m sure I’m forgetting things.
3. Comments about changing the libel laws falls in line with his dictatorial mindset. On this note also see the article below, which compiles a list of Trump’s authoritarian attitude towards protests:
(The headline is slightly misleading. Trump was complaining about at Kavanaugh hearing, and a charitable reading could be that he was complaining about the decorum and appropriateness of the protests at the hearing. Still, the article does list other comments by Trump that create a disturbing pattern.)
1/3/2019
This is un-American, totally inappropriate for a POTUS. That Trump is comfortable with this, likely welcomes this type of fawning, puts him in a really bad light.
1/7/2019
Maybe the worst thing Trump has said about the free press:
This is bad. The type of thing that should ruin his credibility. Autocratic and un-American. Another strong signal he is unfit to be POTUS. (I think there’s some projecting this, too.)
If Republican leaders were responsible and patriotic, they would join with Democratic leaders and push back hard against this.
8/21/2018
(Dale’s first tweet is about Trump’s remarks at a rally in West Virginia(?) today.)
8/30/2018
He is trying to get people to not believe what he said about the Russia investigation being a reason for firing Comey. Holt wasn’t fudging. At best, Trump misspoke, but that is stretch in my view. I’m worried that this is going to confuse people who don’t pay close attention to the news. He’s blatantly attacking the credibility of the press. It’s one of the main ways he can escape from the damning information that is almost sure to come.
2/17/2019
Going after Google?
Edit
This idiotic tweet makes me want to fight someone. Google is a publicly held, independent entity, and even if DID skew search results politically (which I think would be bad for business), I wouldn’t have a problem with it. First, if I thought this was true and didn’t like the results, I’d freaking find another favorite search engine, and if others didn’t like it, so would they.
Second, the MOMENT a government tries to regulate something like this is the beginning of the end of this entity, or at least its dominance in the marketplace. Because people like me (who may be a tiny minority, sure) will refuse to use it in favor of something not regulated. And if that means going underground, then that’s what I’ll do. I will beg others to follow me as well.
Holy heck. Is it me, or does this seem close to signaling to his followers to revolt if he’s impeached? I’ll say this: This is how a dictator speaks, not a real president.
Signs That Trump Might Be Gearing Up to Fire Rod Rosenstein
The memo in question is the one written by Rep. Nunes. In this WaPo article, Rosenstein, and FBI Director Wray recently told Chief of Staff Kelly to hold of on releasing Nunes’s memo, because it reveal classified information. The quote above suggests that if Rosenstein opposes the release of the memo, Trump may use that as a pretext to fire or force Rosenstein out. (See this Just Security article, Why It’s Far Worse for Trump to Fire Mueller.)
Edit (1/31/2018)
From CNN: Exclusive: Trump asked Rosenstein if he was ‘on my team’
Trump asked Rosenstein this last December. There is an unmistakably clear pattern that suggests Trump believes his appointees have to be loyal to him, not to the Constitution and rule of law. What happens if there are clear signs that the POTUS believes this? Yes, he’s unfit to be POTUS, but is moving toward impeachment/removal unjustified?
And that might not be the worst thing Trump did:
Edit (2/3/2018)
It’s not going to be surprise if Trump fires Rosenstein. In fact, it seems more likely than not at this point.
Edit: More on the Nunes Memo (2/1/2018)
From CNN:
In the first post, Trump mentioned “fighting back.” You don’t fight back against the investigation against you–that’s not how it works. If an innocent person is on trial, if they’re being investigated for committing a crime, his/her innocence doesn’t allow them to fight back–doesn’t allow them to attempt to thwart or undermine the investigation, even if you’re the POTUS. Trump is behaving like a tyrant, an absolute dictator.
2018 State of Union Speech
A Slate article mentions a part of Trump’s State of the Union speech:
What it sounds like is a call to give secretaries (obviously appointed by Trump) the power to remove federal employees. One thing about Trump is that he’s fairly transparent about his authoritarian tendencies.
Edit (2/3/2018)
Comparison between Trump and Erdogan
WaPo op-ed: Want to See Where Trump is Taking America? Look at Turkey Under Erdogan
Edit (2/6/2018)
From CNN Trump Was Joking When He Accused Democrats of Treason, White House Says
This was in speech, referencing when Democrats didn’t clap during Trump’s State of the Union speech. Trump called in “un-American,” and he assented when someone in the audience shouted out, “treasonous.”
Military Parades
From WaPo: Trump’s Marching Orders to the Pentagon: Plan a Grant Military Parade
When respectable Americans are troubled by Trump’s authoritarian tendencies, included conservatives, putting on a big military parade will only reinforce those impressions. Like other things, I can’t help but take this as a sign that Trump doesn’t care that he’s projecting this image.
Also,
Edit (2/7/2018)
Former acting CIA director:
In January 2017, there were reports that Trump wanted a big military parade for his inauguration. Snopes says they couldn’t confirm that story, but it seems more believable given the recent news.
This, by itself, may not be a sign of authoritarianism per se, but I believe most presidents hold press conferences because they believe that in a democracy, they are accountable to the public, and this accountability is important. I’m pretty sure they don’t enjoy doing this. Trump has answered questions from the press in other settings, but doing a White House press conference has a symbolic significance of this accountability. It’s a way a POTUS can signals that she understands that and values this public accountability, and also that the affirms the important role the press has in our democracy. Trump avoiding this sends the opposite signal, especially when viewing this within the broader context of his rhetoric and actions.
Attacking Institutions
Sessions responds:
Rep. Trey Gowdy (R) responds:
Edit:
What stood out: None of the politicians call out the president on this–they don’t even bat an eye. I’m not sure if that would be appropriate in this setting, but I feel like someone should say something. This is one of many examples that show that the President really doesn’t understand and respect the rule of law–he doesn’t seem to even understand why by-passing due process is a bad thing. I mean saying, “Take the firearms first; go through due process second” is almost like a line from an SNL parody to me. Now, maybe he means changing laws to expedite due process in some situations, but he’s not expressing himself well. However, the problem is that he has no self-awareness about how people will perceive this, no understanding that what he’s saying is problematic. I still think he doesn’t understand and respect fundamental principles like rule of law and separation of powers and the reasons these things are so critical.
4/2/2018
7/30/2018
11/9/2018
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11/10/2018
So irresponsible. There’s no justification for him doing this.
11/21/2018
Trump, at best, has a reckless disregard for maintaining the legitimacy of the courts. Personally, I think he’s intentionally trying to undermine their legitimacy, just as he does with any institution or person that can hold him accountable. The is the behavior of an autocrat.
Favorable Comments About Other Authoritarians and Dictators
(emphasis added)
This kinda gives me the shivers, as I suspect the “right people” are people that are loyal to Trump, not the Constitution. “Yet” indicates that he’s trying to get those people in while pushing out those loyal to the Constitution.
4/24/2018
Kim Jong-un also assassinated his half-brother with a deadly nerve agent.
6/15/2018
Trump’s understanding and approach to governing are more similar to an dictator than a U.S. president. Republicans would have their hair on fire if a Democratic president said this, and they would be justified.
Trump claimed he was kidding:
It didn’t seem that way to me. Trump doesn’t seem to joke around much. Plus, his comments are in line with other authoritarian behaviors and attitudes that he has displayed or have been part of his administration.
2/3/2019
2/8/2019
Thread by economist:
2/14/2019
This isn’t a favorable comment so much as the fact that Trump trusts Putin over our intelligence agencies.
Heavy Handed Intervention/Retaliation in Private Sector to Flex Muscles
Thread:
Also, notice how his attitude towards Amazon and Facebook is all about how the impact himself (and his friends), not the impact on the country:
and
3/31/2018
Thread on explaining economic consequences of what Trump’s doing:
4/2/2018
This is outrageous and wrong.
4/3/2018
4/12/2018
5/18/2018
This is based on three sources. So far the Postmaster General has resisted this, trying to explain that she can’t do this without proper review of the existing contract, and used slides to show the contract benefits USPS.
5/21/2018
Consequences of Trump targeting Amazon.
6/25/2018
6/26/2018
I’m not sure, but I wouldn’t blame people who think Trump is threatening Harley-Davidson.
7/23/2018
Trump attacking Amazon again.
8/13/2018
11/26/2018
Theory About Trump’s Conception of Truth and Lies
My hypothesis on Trump’s conception of truth and lies goes like this. To Trump, anything that is favorable to him is the “truth,” while anything that is not favorable are “lies,” or even a “disgrace.” This hypothesis seems unreasonable, but I think it does seem to fit. Today Trump also tweeted something that seems to confirm this:
He seems to be equating negative news with “Fake News.” And his ongoing attempts to undermine the legitimacy of the press, and the suggestion of taking away press credentials, are additional evidence of his authoritarian behavior.
8/2/2018
From Jennifer Jacobs
(Aside: Trump is delusional if he thinks the meetings with Kim Jong Un, Putin, and NATO were great. If he thinks it’s great, then it must be great and everyone who says otherwise is fake.)
9/8/2018
He’ll quote the New York Times when it provides favorable coverage for him. See what I mean?
11/9/2018
Another example:
He can claim to know Whittaker and not know him, whenever it suits him, and he has no qualms of doing things like this.
11/20/2018
I agree with the following, and I think it’s relevant:
12/15/2018
2/15/2019
Notice that the people who say nice things about Trump are seen as favorable and good. I think this is related to the hypothesis above.
I don’t think I completely agree with this thread from David Roberts of Vox, but I think he makes some good points:
2. Anyone who’s read my articles (or followed this feed) knows that I think the answer to these questions is both extremely clear & extremely important. To wit: it is not conscious AT ALL. It is 0.0% a strategy. At no point has Trump been capable of behaving otherwise.
3. Trump is a malignant narcissist, which means he’s got a gaping, insatiable beast of an ego that needs constant reinforcement & affirmation. He’s a slave to it (& is ultimately miserable, like all narcissists). It tells him what reality must be; he builds a world to support it.
4. To be a good liar — to “deceive,” as a conscious act — one must be able to hold reality & one’s lies separate. That very, very basic feature of most people’s cognitive landscape simply doesn’t apply to Trump. There is ONLY the raging ego & the world it demands.
5. This is why narcissists are so successful so often (at least for limited times): their internal architecture is profoundly unfamiliar to normal people. The separation — what I want/feel/need over here, the world & other people w/ their own needs over there — is absent.
6. Most people aren’t like that & have trouble believing others are. (Ask anyone who’s ever been in an abusive relationship w/ one; it can take a LONG time to accept that it is what it is.) People end up rationalizing narcissists’ behavior for them, just to make some sense of it. (emphasis added)
Pause: I know there is a tendency in me to find some rational explanation for words and deeds that make Trump seem totally ignorant, incompetent, mentally unstable, and autocratic. I resist this because to accept such ideas makes me feel like an irrational person. People who view a politician this way appear unreasonable, and maybe unhinged.
7. Anyway, I’ve been over this a million times. So why does it matter? Lies are lies, bad behavior is bad behavior, who cares how much is conscious? The answer is, it matters because it informs how you assess the ugly political situation we’re in.
8. If Trump is some sort of evil communications genius who figured out how to manipulate angry white people & the media enough to hack the system, take over a political party, & win the presidency, then the rest of us are, at least to some extent, exonerated.
9. We were fooled by an evil genius, who saw more deeply than us, tapped more cleverly into the zeitgeist. It’s unfortunate, but the solution to the problem is pretty clear — get rid of the evil genius & return things to normal.
10. But if Trump is a blundering, flailing buffoon, blinded by unquenchable need & bottomless resentment, incapable of the mental discipline necessary to distinguish fantasy from reality … well then responsibility for all this does not belong with him, but with US. The system.
11. America — its people, its media, its politics, its institutions, all its systems of self-correction — is so weakened that even a lumpen orange tangle of uncut venality can trample it. No evil genius required. Raw, theatrical ignorance & resentment will do.
12. Anybody can find themselves outmaneuvered by an evil genius. But when you find yourself laid low by a dimwitted jackass, it’s time for some introspection.
13. I’m not going to get into WHY America found itself so vulnerable in 2016. It’s some mix of decades of right-wing attacks on US institutions, rapid demographic changes, & lingering pain from the 2008 recession. The lion’s share of blame goes to conservative media, IMO.
14. But a thread on that stuff would take forever. My only point here is that it really DOES matter whether Trump is doing what he’s doing consciously, strategically, with a plan. If he’s not — and I think the evidence overwhelmingly supports that take — well, that’s real grim.
15. Among other things, it means the problems cannot be solved just by booting Trump out. America’s weakness — its susceptibility to bullshit, demagoguery, gaslighting, lies, & corruption — is greater than just Trump, and will outlast him.
16. In sum: the fact that Trump is diminishing & degrading America does not mean he is secretly brilliant & diabolical. It means America is secretly weak, afraid, and hollowed out — not nearly so powerful as it imagines. Er … Happy New Year!
17. All right, one other thing to add! (This is all going bye-bye when I nuke my archives on Monday night anyway.) A few people have cited the quote from Trump to Lesley Stahl on 60 Minutes. Basically: “I bash the press so people won’t believe bad stories about me.”
18. Some people point to that as evidence that he DOES have a strategy. But I think it indicates just the opposite, The way Trump sees it, if X person/institution criticizes him, he attacks X. For any value of X. That’s all there is to it: press bashes him so he bashed press.
19. WE read special significance into it because for US the press is not just another institution; it is the main mechanism by which the electorate is informed. It’s *special*. To go after the press, despite its special status, must be part of some larger evil plan.
20. But to Trump, like any malignant narcissist, NOTHING is special – not the press, not veterans or Gold Star parents, not heads of state. To him, all that stuff is on a flat, undifferentiated plane of Not Me. He will eagerly wage war on any of it to protect his ego.
21. The press has no special status for him, it’s just something that is threatening his narcissistic ego protection. “You say bad things about me so I try to destroy you” — he would say the same to/about any person or institution.
22. I mean, consider: if you had a diabolical plan to systematically weaken a truth-finding institution so that you could lie without restraint … would you SAY SO, out loud, to a f’ing journalist? That’s not how diabolical plans work!
23. To me, this is a classic example of people projecting layered intentions onto Trump because the stupid, stupid truth is too disturbing to contemplate. He said, “you mean to me so I mean to you.” Surely there’s more to it than that? No. No, there isn’t.
Is Trump Getting Obsessed With His Pardoning Power?
Pressing DOJ to Go After Political Enemies
I worry that the average citizen isn’t as bothered about this as they should be. I would be far less worried if the congressional Republicans, who control Congress, would push back hard, but they’re not.
Reiterates how unfit Trump is to be POTUS. He’s acting like a dictator, not POTUS.
11/21/2018
Reactions not only from Gonzales, but Alan Dershowitz and John Dean–all negative.
Inappropriate Demand for Loyalty
(On a side note, is a “a former food and beverage lobbyist-turned-wine blogger” is really qualified for her position?)
I’m putting the following clip below because Senator Corker, himself, describes the GOP as a “cult-like” and that seems closely related to an inappropriate demand for loyalty:
7/19/2018
9/18/2018
(Also, more evidence that Trump is delusional.)
12/7/2018
Here, the loyalty involves the AG and specifically the loyalty refers to protecting Trump from an investigation. This is shockingly and blatantly wrong. It’s like he’s publicly saying, “I’m above the law.” The fact that the GOP has allowed this is so appalling and reprehensible.
Retaliation Against Individuals
Edit
Important to note that revoking Brennan’s classification can hurt the country. People like Brennan retain their security clearance because it allows them to assist those who are still in government. Therefore taking away his clearance, without good justification, can hurt the those working to protect the country.
I’m still not sure if Trump is using an insecure phone as well.
Sounds like obstruction of justice as well.
8/16/2018
A tweet that supports impression Trump is obstructing justice:
Twitter thread from Carrie Cordero (Adjunct Professor @GeorgetownLaw Analyst @CNN & Contributing Editor @lawfareblog. Fmr USDOJ & IC national security lawyer.):
Admiral McRaven’s letter is very short. I recommend reading it.
Edit
8/17/2018
Alarms bells are ringing
Not related to security clearance issue, but still constitutes alarm bells ringing:
Ben-Ghiat is a professor that has studied Mussolini. Recommended.
Trump Acts More Like a Mob Boss
12/17/2018
12/29/2018
1/23/2019
Important thread explaining the complex relationship between the POTUS and DOJ/FBI, and how Trump is violating important norms, and why that matters. Recommended.
Trump tweets today:
He’s the POTUS–he should be able to get this information, and he could give it to DOJ. One could say that this would be interfering in the investigation, but his tweets already do that. People got mad at Bill Clinton being seen talking to Loretta Lynch, the then AG under Obama, because it created impression that he was influence investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails. We don’t know what they even said, and Bill Clinton was not the POTUS at the time. Still, this was not insignificant Compare this to what Trump has been saying (e.g., mentioning Russia investigation for firing Comey and revoking security clearance for John Brennan).
9/3/2018
Trump seems to be complaining that Sessions and the DOJ has hurt Republicans politically, implying that political considerations should trump legal ones. I’m pretty sure that some Americans will agree with Trump on this, and that makes me sad.
12/21/2018
and
(emphasis added)
Congress should call Whitaker and anyone else present and question about what was said. If Trump did these things–and you add them his comments about Sessions (and Holder), asking for loyalty; firing Comey, etc.–Congress needs to do something. If a Democratic POTUS did this, a GOP Congress would be looking to impeach, and I think I would sympathize with them.
Examples of Demagoguery
After Trump made his first Oval Office prime time address, someone said that presidents usually try to calm the public, but this was the first time the POTUS tried to make them afraid. That comes to mind when seeing these two tweets today. What we know doesn’t warrant fear of immigrants and others coming in from the southern border.
He’s also tweeting this after a bombshell story last night that says Trump told Michael Cohen, his lawyer, to lie to Congress.
1/25/2019
I believe Trump repeated what seems to be a fabrication about women being taped up with duct tape and dragged over the border by traffickers. Here’s a previous article about that, collecting the instances when Trump has said this:
1/26/2019
Demagoguery and idiocy:
1/31/2019