Slate News Amicus | The Three Faces Of Trumpism
Nov 29, 2025
Jedediah Britton-Purdy, a Duke law professor and author of 'Two Cheers for Politics,' joins David Pozen, a Columbia law professor and scholar on constitutional law. They dissect the complex nature of Trump's influence, introducing three frameworks: an authoritarian crisis, business as usual, and constitutional regime change. The conversation touches on how historical perspectives shape views on Trump's legitimacy and the necessity of cross-ideological cooperation to strengthen democracy amid fragmented narratives and media.
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Authoritarian Playbook In Plain Sight
- Trumpism can be read as an authoritarian playbook modeled on leaders like Orban and Bolsonaro.
- It involves consolidation of executive power, attacks on institutions, and friend-enemy politics.
How The Project Began
- Jedediah and David started by toggling between extreme reactions among colleagues about fleeing the country and seeing it as ordinary regime change.
- Their shared bewilderment prompted the article mapping the three competing scripts.
Trumpism As Intensifier, Not Originator
- Many left-leaning critics view Trumpism as intensifying preexisting structural problems rather than inventing them.
- Longstanding trends include executive consolidation, harsh immigration enforcement, and racialized authoritarianism.
