Democracy Advocates Fear Trump Is Already Proving Their Warnings Correct

WASHINGTON — Democracy advocates are expressing deep concern as Donald Trump’s return to the White House quickly raises alarm bells about potential threats to democratic norms.

In his first few days back in office, Trump declared both immigration and energy “emergencies,” granting him sweeping powers despite the fact that illegal border crossings have decreased and U.S. energy production is at a record high. He has issued pardons for hundreds of individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, assault on police officers and his attempted coup. Additionally, Trump has stripped security details from former aides who criticized him, despite ongoing foreign threats against them. In a further controversial move, he even suggested prosecuting his predecessor, Joe Biden, for not pardoning himself.

“This is exactly what we feared,” said Geoff Duncan, the former lieutenant governor of Georgia, who, along with many other Republicans, supported Kamala Harris in the last election. “Trump signaled these moves for the better part of two years.”

For many, Trump’s actions are a continuation of his behavior in the final months of his first term, following his 2020 election loss. During that period, he fired key officials like Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Attorney General Bill Barr for not supporting his election fraud claims. He attempted to replace them with loyalists and explored extreme measures such as invoking martial law to remain in power. Now, as Duncan and others argue, Trump seems intent on resuming the authoritarian practices he began to establish in the latter part of his first presidency.

This time around, however, Trump has surrounded himself with individuals who are fiercely loyal to him, regardless of their qualifications. For example, Kash Patel, known for his promotion of conspiracy theories and baseless claims about a “deep state,” is now poised to lead the FBI, with the power to investigate American citizens. Similarly, Trump has chosen Fox News personality Pete Hegseth, who lacks experience in large-scale organizational management, to head the Department of Defense.

“He’s consolidating power and wielding it like an authoritarian,” said Amanda Carpenter, a former Senate aide and researcher at the nonprofit Protect Democracy.

Trump’s allies, however, reject such claims. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung dismissed critics as "morons" and denied any wrongdoing.

On his first day in office, Trump signed a series of executive orders that further cement his authority. Despite U.S. energy production reaching unprecedented levels under Joe Biden, Trump declared an "energy emergency," which gives him the power to approve new drilling and pipeline projects while loosening environmental regulations. Even more concerning, he issued an order declaring an "invasion" at the southern border, potentially allowing him to invoke the 1798 Alien Enemies Act and the 1807 Insurrection Act to deploy military forces on U.S. soil, a measure not seen in significant form since the Civil War.

“His rhetoric of wanting to be a ‘dictator on day one’ is not an exaggeration. These emergency declarations serve as a means to seize extraordinary powers in the guise of national crises,” said Norm Eisen, a former Obama White House lawyer who worked on Trump’s first impeachment. “Once such powers are acquired, they are rarely relinquished.”

In addition, Trump’s orders include provisions that seem to open the door for retaliatory investigations against Biden administration officials. Trump himself faces ongoing legal issues related to both the January 6 insurrection and his handling of classified documents. These new directives appear to enable him to target those involved in his legal troubles.

Trump’s latest actions also suggest an increasing disregard for the safety of those who have criticized him. Just hours after taking office, he revoked Secret Service protection for former National Security Adviser John Bolton and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, both of whom have publicly criticized him. The move appears to be a response to their outspoken opposition, with Pompeo reportedly considering a run for president in 2024.

Trump’s behavior continues to raise alarms about potential conflicts of interest and corruption. During his first term, his Washington hotel became a hub for lobbying and foreign delegations, many of whom stayed there while seeking access to the administration. Now, just days before taking office, Trump launched a cryptocurrency token, potentially allowing him to profit from supporters and foreign investors who seek to curry favor with him.

Trump’s personal interests have also influenced his policy decisions. He reversed his previous stance on the Chinese app TikTok after meeting with a major GOP donor who had financial ties to the company. Similarly, he granted clemency to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road online black market, based on the support of libertarians, even though Ulbricht was convicted for his involvement in trafficking narcotics that led to several deaths.

“We should take Trump’s words seriously,” said Carpenter of Protect Democracy. “There’s a dangerous misconception that he won’t follow through on his threats. This is not the case.”

However, the most troubling of Trump’s actions so far has been his decision to pardon hundreds of individuals involved in the violent January 6 attack. These individuals, who used violence to try to overturn the results of the election, meet the definition of domestic terrorists. By pardoning them, Trump sends a dangerous message to his followers: that violence committed on his behalf will be forgiven.

“Authoritarianism is the transformation of rule of law into rule by the lawless,” said Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a historian at New York University. “Trump needs people who are willing to commit violence for him.”

Geoff Duncan, once a conservative, believes the only way to prevent further erosion of American democracy is if Trump’s own party turns against him. “Until Republicans find the courage to hold him accountable, he’s going to continue down this path,” Duncan said. “This could be the longest four years in U.S. history.”

This article was reported by journalist Jimmy.