THE DAILY BLAST with Greg Sargent Trump’s Rage at Obama Explodes, Unnerving Experts: “We’re in Trouble”
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Jul 23, 2025 Ryan Enos, a Harvard Government Professor specializing in authoritarianism, dives into President Trump's escalating rhetoric against Barack Obama and political opponents. He highlights the troubling manipulation of the bureaucracy for political prosecutions. Enos articulates how Trump's aggressive strategies mirror global authoritarian threats, arguing that we must either actively combat this shift or risk accepting it as America’s new normal. The conversation underscores the urgent need for accountability and public engagement to preserve democratic values.
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Trump's Authoritarian Escalation
- Trump is escalating authoritarian tactics by threatening to prosecute political enemies with fabricated charges. - This new approach includes corrupt manipulation of bureaucracy to justify these prosecutions.
Brazenness as Authoritarian Tactic
- Trump uses preposterous claims as a tactic to intimidate opponents, showing a disregard for facts and democratic norms. - Such brazenness signals authoritarianism because it tests limits without fear of consequences.
Testing Limits Breeds New Powers
- Trump's brazen actions test the legal and democratic limits to see what he can get away with. - If unchecked, these breaches become new powers, eroding democratic norms.