Dictatorship: A form of government in which one person or a small group possesses absolute power without effective constitutional limitations.

The United States is undergoing a radical transformation from a constitutional democracy into a dictatorship, defined as a form of government where one person possesses absolute power without effective constitutional limitations. Under Donald J. Trump, the nation is witnessing a methodical consolidation of power that mirrors the rise of historical tyrants, employing force, fraud, and propaganda to suppress civil liberties and eliminate opposition.

Modern dictators maintain power through intimidation, terror, and the suppression of basic civil liberties, often employing mass propaganda to manufacture public support. The Trump administration exhibits all these hallmarks. The deployment of heavily armed federal troops to Democratic-led cities like Washington D.C., Chicago, and Baltimore under the false pretext of combating crime—which was at historic lows—is a clear tactic of intimidation. This move, targeting areas with large Black populations and strong opposition to his rule, signals the use of state force to quell dissent and establish control, blatantly disregarding the constitutional principle of limited federal power.

A defining feature of a totalitarian dictatorship is the use of state institutions to legitimize the regime and persecute enemies. Trump has weaponized the government to target his critics, a fact demonstrated by the armed raids on dissidents like former National Security Advisor John Bolton. He has attempted to use federal agencies to unseat officials like Federal Reserve board member Lisa Cook on specious charges engineered by his loyalists. This pattern of using government power to hound foes leaves no check on his authority and erodes the impartiality of vital institutions.

Perhaps the most brazen tactic of an aspiring dictator is to undermine the very mechanism that could remove him from power: a free and fair election. Trump is actively working to corrupt the electoral process to make a democratic transfer of power impossible. This includes:

• Gerrymandering: Commanding Republican states to redraw congressional maps to artificially secure more seats, as seen in Texas.
• Baselessly Attacking Voting Methods: Following the lead of autocrats like Vladimir Putin, he decries postal voting as fraudulent without evidence, seeking to disenfranchise voters and preemptively delegitimize any future Democratic victory.
• Manipulating the Census: Advocating for the exclusion of undocumented migrants from the census to shift political power away from diverse urban centers and toward his own base.

Furthermore, Trump’s demand for personal loyalty over all else—firing health officials who prioritize science and demanding fealty from the justice system—proves his goal is control, not governance. His willingness to abandon conservative economic orthodoxy to have the federal government intervene in private companies reveals an ambition to rule over every aspect of American life, a classic trait of totalitarian control.

The evidence is overwhelming and unfolds in plain sight. From deploying the military against citizens and weaponizing the government against critics to rigging the electoral system and demanding absolute personal loyalty, Donald J. Trump is ruling as a dictator. His own words confirm the trajectory: “A lot of people are saying, ‘Maybe we would like a dictator.’” His actions leave no doubt that he intends to be one.

Michel Ouellette JMD, ll.l., ll.m.
 Continuity Strategist

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Michel Ouellette / J. Michael Dennis, is a Former Attorney, a Trial Scientist, a Crisis & Reputation Management Expert, a Public Affairs & Corporate Communications Specialist, a Warrior for Common Sense and Free Speech.