Fareed’s Take: Trump’s Misguided Push for a ‘Manufacturing Comeback’

Mar 23, 2025 | CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, host of “Fareed Zakaria GPS,” explains why he thinks President Donald Trump’s push for a “manufacturing comeback” is misguided, and where the path to prosperity lies.

Tesla Sales Drop 35% in San Diego

Mar 22, 2025 | Jaime Chambers reports.

Argentine, la révolution Milei | Décryptages | ARTE

Mar 21, 2025 | Disponible jusqu'au 20/03/2026 Elu avec 55% de voix à la tête de l’Argentine en novembre 2023, Javier Milei mène une politique de dérégulation débridée et de destruction des systèmes institutionnels. Il n’a de cesse de clamer que ses méthodes révolutionnaires fonctionnent. Pourtant, tout le peuple argentin est loin d'être acquis sa cause… Premier bilan d’une politique ultralibérale à outrance.

Missed Social Security Checks No Big Deal to Trump Commerce Secretary as Attacks on Agency Escalate

Mar 22, 2025 | Rachel Maddow shares video of Donald Trump's commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, opining that missing a Social Security check for a month is no big deal and only someone committing fraud would complain about that. The remarks are only the latest in a series of dramatic moves by the Trump administration that show a lack of awareness or concern about the importance of regular Social Security checks to many Americans' survival.

See Canadian Official’s Response to Trump’s Verbal Attack on Canada

Mar 21, 2025 | Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly responds to President Donald Trump's inflammatory remarks about Canada during a Fox News interview on March 18

Stephen Fry, Stanley Tucci and Other Celebrities Speak Out against Welfare Cuts

Mar 21, 2025

Neither Keir Starmer nor many in his regime behave like socialists at all. They come over as pro-capitalist wannabees! Keir Starmer is cold and cruel. His sidekick, Cruella de Ville, is just living up to the name people have given her because of her cold-heartedness. If one cannot expect a modicum of compassion and empathy from a socialist government, there is little hope for the underprivileged. – © Mark Alexander

Unlocking Europe's Wealth: How the New Strategy Empowers Your Savings!

Mar 19, 2025 | Discover how the European Commission's Savings and Investments Union (SIU) strategy, unveiled by Commissioner Maria Luís Albuquerque, aims to transform your savings into powerful investments. With over €10 trillion currently in low-yield deposits, this initiative seeks to provide EU citizens with better access to capital markets, offering opportunities for higher returns and fostering economic growth across Europe. Learn how the SIU plans to break down barriers, enhance financial opportunities, and boost the EU's competitiveness in the global market.

Maria Luís Albuquerque, Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union

Europeans are some of the best savers in the world, but many of their savings are sitting in low-yield deposit accounts. At the same time, Europe is struggling to meet its investment needs. With the SIU, we can create a virtuous cycle for the benefit of both citizens and companies, helping Europeans get a better return on their hard-earned savings, while bringing substantial investment into the economy. There are barriers we need to overcome to make this happen, and with this communication we have a guide for this vital work.

Why the Fed’s Job May Get a Lot More Difficult

THE NEW YORK TIMES: President Trump’s plans risk stoking inflation and denting growth, an undesirable combination that economists warn could lead to much tougher trade-offs for the central bank.

When inflation was too high and the economy was resilient in the aftermath of the pandemic, the Federal Reserve’s decision to sharply raise interest rates beginning in 2022 seemed like a no-brainer. The same was true just over two years later when inflation had fallen sharply from its recent peak and the labor market had started to cool off. That paved the way for the central bank to lower borrowing costs by a percentage point in 2024.

What made those decisions relatively straightforward was the fact that the Fed’s goals of achieving low and stable inflation and a healthy labor market were not in conflict with each other. Officials did not have to choose between safeguarding the economy by lowering rates and staving off price increases by either keeping rates high or raising them further.

Economists worry that could soon change. President Trump’s economic agenda of tariffs, spending cuts and mass deportations risks stoking inflation while simultaneously denting growth, an undesirable combination that could lead to much tougher trade-offs for the Fed. » | Colby Smith | Thursday, March 20, 2025

Germany Just Dropped an Unexpected New Bombshell on Musk

Mar 19, 2025 | Germany just blindsided Elon Musk with a bombshell aimed squarely at where it hurts him the most!

‘Dangerous Game of Chicken’: Trump Prepping New Tariffs, Threatening the Global Economy

Mar 19, 2025 | David Gura, Anchor and Correspondent for Bloomberg News and Anthony Scaramucci, former White House Communication Director for Donald Trump join Nicolle Wallace on Deadline White House to discuss the looming date of April 2, which Donald Trump has called liberation day where he and his advisors plan to implement new tariffs on imports that could be worth trillions, and how the uncertainty and guessing game going on as to what the administration will impose has paralyzed the economy both here and abroad.

EU & Canada's Just Pulled the Trigger U.S. Again -Canada Ditches Trump’s F-35 Deal– Europe Steps In!

Mar 19, 2025 | EU & Canada's Just Pulled the Trigger U.S. Again -Canada Ditches Trump’s F-35 Deal–Europe Steps In!

Trump Plots Tariffs Worth ‘Trillions’ on World Economy

THE TELEGRAPH: Donald Trump is preparing to impose tariffs on “trillions” of dollars worth of goods next month as he ramps up his global trade war.

The US president has already raised tariffs on roughly $800bn (£616bn) worth of goods from China, Mexico and Canada and introduced levies on global imports of steel and aluminium last week.

White House officials are drawing up plans to impose the levies on imports worth “trillions” from April 2, according to the Washington Post.

Mr Trump has said he would impose “reciprocal tariffs” on that date, which he said would be “a liberating day for our country”. » | Telegraph | Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Why the Trillion Euro Spending Spree Is a 'Historic Shift' for Germany | DW News

Mar 18, 2025

NZZ erklärt: Wenn Staatsschulden zum Problem werden

Mar 14, 2025 | Die USA haben über 36 Billionen Dollar Schulden – und jede Sekunde werden es 60 000 Dollar mehr. Doch was bedeutet das? Sind Staatsschulden gefährlich? Oder sind sie eine notwendige Strategie? In diesem Video erklären wir, wie Staatsverschuldung funktioniert, warum sich Länder wie die USA, Deutschland oder die Schweiz verschulden und wann Schulden zum Problem werden.

Trump’s Trade War Will Damage Growth OECD Warns | BBC News

Mar 17, 2025 | Economic organisation has said that President Donald Trump’s tariffs will be bad for global economic growth and living standards.

The leading economic think tank the OECD has shared its forecast saying the global economy will only grow by 3.1% this year.

The biggest changes will be felt in the United States's neighbours Mexico and Canada.


This is a self-inflicted wound. What comes will be a trumpcession. – © Mark Alexander

Trump Says the Economy ‘Went to Hell’ under Biden. The Opposite Is True

THE GUARDIAN: By standard measures such as job and GDP growth and the stock market, the US economy was in excellent shape

Donald Trump keeps saying he inherited a terrible economy from Joe Biden and many Americans believe him, even though that’s not true. During his White House marketing event for Tesla on Tuesday, Trump said the US and its economy “went to hell” under Biden. Last week, in his national address to Congress, Trump said: “We inherited from the last administration an economic catastrophe and an inflation nightmare.”

But the truth is that by standard economic measures, the US economy was in excellent shape when Biden turned over the White House keys to Trump, even though most Americans, upset about inflation, told pollsters the economy was in poor shape.

When Biden left office, the unemployment rate was a low 4.1%, and during Biden’s four years in office, the average jobless rate was lower than for any president since the 1960s. Trump has repeatedly railed against the high inflation under Biden, but the fact is that by the time Biden left office, the inflation rate had fallen to just 2.9% – down more than two-thirds from its peak and near the Federal Reserve’s inflation goal. » | Steven Greenhouse | Sunday, March 16, 2025

Tesla Sales Are Dropping as Customers Turn Away from Elon Musk over Trump | 7.30

Mar 17, 2025 | Electric vehicle company Tesla used to be seen as a progressive company with its climate-saving agenda driven by tech-savvy CEO, Elon Musk.

But as Musk's 'bromance' with US President Donald Trump developed, so too has the company's image transformed in people's minds.

Antonia O'Flaherty explains.

Tesla Stock Collapses as Elon Musk Protests Explode: Tesla Loses $127 Billion in One-day Market

Mar 15, 2025

"The Real Reason Argentina’s Economy Is Such a Mess"

Mar 11, 2025

Pres Trump Says the US Doesn’t “Need” Canada. Is He Right? | Amanpour & Company

Mar 13, 2025 | In a trade war that is spiraling out of control, the gloves are off between the U.S. and Canada. Canada's next Prime Minister has promised to stand up to Trump. Eric Lascelles is Chief Economist of the Royal Bank of Canada Global Asset Management. He joins the show to look at what all this might mean.

Scott Galloway on Markets, Musk, and Trump’s “Weapons of Mass Distraction” | Amanpour & Company

Mar 12, 2025 | Scott Galloway believes there is method in Trump's "MAGA-nomics" -- from a tariff war to tax cuts for the rich. Galloway is an NYU professor, author and podcast host. He joins the show to break down what Trump's policies mean for the American economy.

Thom Hartmann: Trump & Musk Secret Plan to Crash Economy to Make Billions!

Mar 16, 2025 | For billionaires like illegitimate President Donald Trump and apartheid oligarch Elon Musk, the only thing better than a good economy... is a bad one.

Thom Hartmann reveals how Donald Trump & Elon Musk are scheming to crash the economy so they can profit off the ruins.

Beware the Network State: The Tech Blueprint to Dismantle the USA

Mar 14, 2025 | Donald Trump has announced plans to build 10 corporate dystopia cities (aka "freedom cities") across the United States of America. But these aren’t just new urban developments. Learn about the radical billionaire-led movement some call "The Network State," which seeks to replace democracy with tech corporate rule.

1m People to Have Disability Benefits Cut by Labour

THE TIMES: Rachel Reeves vows to ‘get a grip’ on the burgeoning welfare bill but cabinet ministers express disquiet over £5 billion savings

A million people face having their ¬benefits reduced under an overhaul of the welfare system that means only the most severely disabled will qualify.

Cost-cutting reforms due to be ¬announced next week are set to deny payments to many people with mental health conditions and those who ¬struggle with washing, dressing themselves and ¬eating.

The changes to eligibility criteria have been estimated to hit about a million people and are set to be applied to new claims and reassessments of ¬existing claimants. » | Chris Smyth, Whitehall Editor | Friday, March 14, 2025

Too Hard to Swallow? Why Trump's Proposed Tariffs on European Wine Could Crush the EU Wine Industry

Mar 14, 2025 | US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose 200% tariffs on European wine. This comes after the EU retaliated against US duties on European steel and aluminum. As a top wine producer, France is particularly vulnerable to the latest levies.

They Are Fuming at Javier Milei’s Cuts

Mar 13, 2025

I said from day 1 that Javier Milei’s anarcho-capitalism with his ridiculous, symbolic chainsaw is NOT what Argentina needs. It is no long-term solution. It’s all going to end in tears. Only the well-heeled will be spared the misery. The majority of Argentinians will descend into abject poverty. This is so hard for the majority of Argentinians, who have already suffered enough/ Too much, actually. And now we can observe Elon Musk copy Milei’s policies in the USA. The Western world is going to hell in a handbasket. – © Mark Alexander

Stocks Tumble Into Correction as Investors Sour on Trump

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The S&P 500 is now more than 10 percent below its last record high — a line in the sand for investors worried about a sell-off gathering steam.

The world’s most widely followed stock-market benchmark slid into a correction on Thursday, a drop that underscores how the two-year-long bull market is running out of steam in the early days of the Trump administration.

The move stems from investors’ growing pessimism about the whipsawing policy pronouncements from Washington over the past few weeks. On-again, off-again tariffs and mass layoffs of federal workers have fomented unease on Wall Street.

On Thursday, the S&P 500 fell 1.4 percent. After weeks of selling, the index is now down 10.1 percent from a peak that it reached less than one month ago and is in a correction — a Wall Street term for when an index falls 10 percent or more from its peak, and a line in the sand for investors worried about a sell-off gathering steam.

Other major indexes, including the Russell 2000 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite, had already fallen into correction. On Thursday, the Nasdaq fell 2 percent, while the Russell 2000 index of smaller companies, which tend to be more exposed to the ebb and flow of the economy, was 1.6 percent lower. » | Joe Rennison and Danielle Kaye | Graphics by Karl Russell | Thursday, March 13, 2025

Why ever did investors and electors believe that Donald Trump knew how to manage the economy? In his working life, he declared business bankruptcy at least four times (click here and here for details), practising on himself first. Now, he's putting the expertise he has gained to use, practising on us. Now, he wants to make the country bankrupt instead! You can't say you weren't warned. Enjoy the rough and bumpy ride! Have plenty of tablets to hand for motion sickness! You're going to need them. This is just the start. Nearly four more years to go of this – at least. – © Mark Alexander

Donald Trump Threatens 200% Tariff on EU Wine and Champagne

THE GUARDIAN: US president says levy on alcohol imports would be retaliation for ‘nasty’ 50% tariff imposed on bourbon whiskey

Donald Trump has threatened a 200% tariff on wine and champagne from European Union countries, in the latest threat of escalation in the global trade war started by the US president against the country’s biggest trading partners.

Trump said in a post on Thursday on his Truth Social platform that the tariffs on all alcoholic products from the bloc would be retaliation for a “nasty” 50% levy on American bourbon whiskey announced by the EU.

The EU’s action against bourbon whiskey – due to come into force on 1 April – was itself part of a €26bn response to Trump’s 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, which came into effect on Wednesday.

Trump claims the US’s trading partners have taken advantage of the US and that tariffs will help him to bring back jobs – a theory that is roundly rejected by most mainstream economists. » | Jasper Jolly, and Angelique Chrisafis in Paris | Thursday, March 13, 2025

Black Tuesday: The People Who Lived through the Great Depression | When the World Breaks | Timeline

Sep 27, 2020

Wall Street Journal Slams Trump for ‘Dumbest Trade War in History’

Mar 12, 2025 | Susanne Craig, New York Times Investigative Reporter and Catherine Rampell, new Co-host of the evening edition of MSNBC's "The Weekend" joins Nicolle Wallace on Deadline White House to discuss how even the Conservative leaning, Rupert Murdoch owned Wall Street Journal’s Editorial Board are quite skeptical of Donald Trump’s tariff policy, which they have dubbed “the dumbest trade war ever.”

EU Retaliates Against Trump's New Metal Tariffs | Full Remarks

Mar 12, 2025 | The European Union launched countermeasures on Wednesday against new US metals tariffs, with plans to impose its own duties on €26 billion ($28.3 billion) worth of American goods. The announcement came hours after the US administration imposed 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports in a massive escalation of the trade war between two longstanding allies. The EU will immediately begin consultations with member states, with adoption of the tariffs expected in mid-April. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the EU's trade chief, Maros Sefcovic gave a press briefing setting out the full scope of their response at a press briefing in Strasbourg

Australian and American Stock Markets Tumble Due to Trump’s Tariffs | 10 News First

Mar 11, 2025 | A whopping $35 billion was wiped off the Australian stock market - at it's worst point today - after Wall Street plunged on the back of fears the US will go into a recession.

THE NEW YORK TIMES:

Stocks Fall Again on Trump’s Latest Tariff Talk: Investors were shaken by President Trump’s latest tariff threat, dragging the S&P 500 down further after its worst day of the year. »

'We Will Not Back Down, We Will Be Relentless': Ontario Premier Slams Trump Tariffs

Mar 11, 2025 | President Trump just announced a 50% tariff on steel and aluminum coming from Canada. Premier of Ontario Doug Ford joins Ana Cabrera to react to the tariffs, saying Trump is hurting both Canadian and American families when he should be focusing on China.

Danish MEP Explains Why He Advised Trump to "F*** Off" | Anders Vistisen

Mar 11, 2025 | All eyes are on Greenland as a decisive election approaches. Greenland, the world’s largest island, strategically located exactly in the middle between Russia and the United States remains a self-governing territory of Denmark. As Greenland holds parliamentary elections on March 11, the island’s future is at stake. Will it push for independence, amid Donald Trump’s interests? Let’s get the Danish perspective on the matter with Danish MEP from the Patriots for Europe Group Anders Vistisen.

It is to be hoped that Greenlanders choose to stay with Denmark. To reject Denmark in favour of the USA would be very unwise indeed. The whole world can observe how shabbily people are treated in the USA. In the USA, if you don’t have billions, you are treated as expendable trash. My advice to Greenlanders is this: Stick with Denmark, stick with the refined and civilised Danes! – © Mark Alexander

The Dawn of the Great Depression I Slice HISTORY | Full Documentary

Sep 3, 2023 | October 24, 1929, the Wall Street Stock Exchange crashes, the greatest economic crisis of the 20th century suddenly breaks out.

Fuelled by frenetic speculation, and by the idea that everyone can get rich without limits, it puts a final stop to the euphoria of the 1920s.

America is then caught in a devastating cycle which spreads around the world a few months later like a malign infection. Documentary: 1929 - Part 1: The Crash Directed by: William Karel Production: ROCHE Productions

‘Not What Trump Promised’: Wall Street Sell-off Worsens amid Recession Fears

Mar 10, 2025 | President Trump’s “love of tariffs” has led to a “wild instability” of the U.S. economy as the Dow falls over 1,000 points. New York Times Chief White House Correspondent Peter Baker, National Affairs Correspondent at The Nation John Nichols, and NBC News Correspondent Brian Cheung joins Katy Tur to break down what is happening on Wall Street.

US Stocks Plunge as Fears Grow over Economic Slowdown | BBC News

Mar 10, 2025 | US stocks plunged on Monday as fears grew over an economic slowdown, after President Donald Trump did not rule out a recession.

The Nasdaq sank by 4.0% at the close of trading, its largest single-day loss since 2022, and there were heavy losses on other markets with tech stocks seeing the largest drops.

President Trump said the US economy was in a period of transition, after he was asked about concerns over a potential recession.

US Stocks Register Heavy Falls as White House Tries to Talk Up Trump Tariffs

THE GUARDIAN: Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq all down by at least 2% and Tesla shares fall 15% for worst day since September 2020

The US stock market continued to drop on Monday as the White House denied that Donald Trump’s trade policies were causing lasting chaos within the economy.

The S&P 500 fell 2.7%, the Dow Jones dropped 2%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq dropped 4% as investors sold shares in the so-called “magnificent seven” – Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Nvidia and Tesla. Tesla’s shares had their worst day since September 2020, falling 15%.

The fall came a day after Trump skirted around questions about a potential recession on Sunday. Asked if he expected a recession, Trump said: “There is a period of transition, because what we’re doing is very big … It takes a little time, but I think it should be great for us.” » | Lauren Aratani in New York | Monday, March 19, 2025

BBC2 Documentary: The Great Crash of 1929 | Reupload

Jun 28, 2014

US Shares Plunge amid Fears of Trump Recession

THE TELEGRAPH: Wall Street’s stock markets plunged amid fears Donald Trump’s tariff trade war will hammer American growth.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite sank by 2.5pc to its lowest level since September after the US president said on Sunday that the world’s largest economy faces “a period of transition.”

The benchmark S&P 500 dropped 1.5pc and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell as much as 1.2pc - a fall of more than 500 points - as Wall Street reassessed the outlook for the US economy.

Morgan Stanley warned the S&P 500 could drop another 5pc to 5,500 points by mid-year, having already slumped more than 3pc so far in 2025 and by more than 7pc from its peak in February. » | Chris Price | Monday, March 10, 2025

The "very stable genius" is doing rather well, I see! He's demonstrating his grasp of economics to the world. – © Mark Alexander

Trump Declines to Rule Out Recession as Tariffs Begin to Bite

THE NEW YORK TIMES: President Trump said that Americans would be better off in the long run from his tariffs, which he said would prevent the country from being “ripped off.”

President Trump declined in an interview aired Sunday to rule out the possibility that his economic policies, including aggressive tariffs against America’s trade partners, would cause a recession.

In the interview with Maria Bartiromo, the host of “Sunday Morning Futures” on Fox News, Mr. Trump also said that he was considering increasing tariffs against Mexico and Canada. The interview took place on Thursday at the White House.

Referencing “rising worries about a slowdown,” Ms. Bartiromo asked Mr. Trump: “Are you expecting a recession this year?”

“I hate to predict things like that,” Mr. Trump responded. “There is a period of transition, because what we’re doing is very big. We’re bringing wealth back to America. That’s a big thing, and there are always periods of, it takes a little time. It takes a little time, but I think it should be great for us.”

Mr. Trump’s imposition of sweeping tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China last week rocked stock markets and invited pushback from industries, including the largest automakers, who told the president that the duties would decimate their business. Canada immediately retaliated with tariffs on $20.5 billion worth of American exports and threatened additional measures. China has also placed tariffs on U.S. goods and plans to impose another round on Monday. » | Luke Broadwater, Colby Smith and Ana Swanson | Sunday, March 9, 2025

Dokumentation: Welche Macht haben Musk, Zuckerberg & Co. unter Präsident Trump? | auslandsjournal

Mar 9, 2025 | Mit Hilfe der Tech-Giganten aus dem Silicon Valley hat Donald Trump das Weiße Haus zurückerobert. Wer sind diese Milliardäre? Was wollen sie erreichen und was treibt sie an?

Why the US and Europe Are Battling for Greenland’s Future | Mapped Out

Mar 8, 2025 | Greenland finds itself at the center of a lot of geopolitical attention. US President Donald Trump’s push to control it has sparked tension with NATO ally Denmark and reinforced Europe’s growing wariness that the US is no longer interested in their security. But why is the world suddenly so interested in this remote island in the far north? And what do the people in Greenland want for their own future?

The American Empire Is Over: Richard Wolff on Trump, Tariffs and the Rising Power of BRICS | UpFront

Mar 7, 2025 | United States President Donald Trump is pushing to slash public spending and implement tariffs on countries including China, Canada and Mexico, straining diplomatic relations.

He, together with billionaire Elon Musk, is also gutting the federal government and purging its workforce.

What impact will these measures have on US citizens? And how will they affect the country’s global standing?

This week on UpFront, Marc Lamont Hill speaks with economist Richard Wolff about Trump’s economic policies and their impact on the US’s international standing.

Schiff Exposes Trump & Elon's Billionaire Giveaway Scheme

Feb 20, 2025

Sen. Sanders Responds to Trump's Congressional Address

Mar 5, 2025

This is the man who should be the president, not Trump! We would see a very different, much fairer America were he to be POTUS. He would turn Trump’s kleptocracy into an economy that serves the people, not the plutocrats. It is such a pity that the American electorate cannot come to its senses. – © Mark Alexander

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Slams Trump’s Tariffs

Mar 4, 2025 | President Donald Trump launched a trade war Tuesday against America’s three biggest trading partners, drawing immediate retaliation from Mexico, Canada and China and sending financial markets into a tailspin as the U.S. faced the threat of rekindled inflation and paralyzing uncertainty for business.

Trump Could Destroy Dollar’s Safe Haven Status, Bank Warns

THE TELEGRAPH: The dollar is at risk of losing its status as a safe haven for global investors, one of Europe’s biggest banks has warned as Donald Trump presses ahead with tariffs against China and his nearest allies.

Deutsche Bank said several developments at the start of the year indicated the weakening appeal of the US currency, which declined against both the pound and the euro today despite tariffs threatening to stoke inflation in the world’s largest economy.

George Saravelos, global head of FX research at Deutsche Bank, said: “We do not write this lightly. But the speed and scale of global shifts is so rapid that this needs to be acknowledged as a possibility.” » | Chris Price | Tuesday, March 4, 2025

The New Authoritarianism

THE ATLANTIC: This isn’t single-party rule, but it’s not democracy either.

With the leader of a failed coup back in the White House and pursuing an unprecedented assault on the constitutional order, many Americans are starting to wrap their mind around what authoritarianism could look like in America. If they have a hard time imagining something like the single-party or military regimes of the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany, or more modern regimes like those in China or Russia, that is with good reason. A full-scale dictatorship in which elections are meaningless and regime opponents are locked up, exiled, or killed remains highly unlikely in America.

But that doesn’t mean the country won’t experience authoritarianism in some form. Rather than fascism or single-party dictatorship, the United States is sliding toward a more 21st-century model of autocracy: competitive authoritarianism—a system in which parties compete in elections but incumbent abuse of power systematically tilts the playing field against the opposition. In his first weeks back in office, Donald Trump has already moved strongly in this direction. He is attempting to purge the civil service and directing politicized investigations against rivals. He has pardoned violent paramilitary supporters and is seeking to unilaterally seize control over spending from Congress. This is a coordinated effort to dig in, cement power, and weaken rivals. » | Steven Levitsky | Monday, February 10, 2025