Here’s what Americans are doing, and what you can do, to prevent a dictatorship
Thought leaders, top Democrats, media
American voters: “More than half of all voters believe former President Trump would act like a dictator if reelected” The Hill (newspaper), 12/18/23.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit: “Former President Trump’s stance would collapse our system of separated powers by placing the President beyond the reach of all three Branches.” Court opinion, 2/6/24.
Robert Kagan, conservative op-ed writer: “Would Trump be a dictator? And can he be stopped?” Washington Post, 11/30/23. AND “How to stop the Trump dictatorship.” Washington Post, 12/7/23.
President Joe Biden: “Our democracy is at stake. It literally is.” Interview on “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” 2/27/24.
Vice President Kamala Harris: “He openly talks about his admiration for dictators and has vowed he would be a dictator on day one. Understand what dictators do. Dictators jail journalists. Dictators suspend elections. Dictators take your rights.” Speech in Las Vegas. Nevada Current, 1/27/24.
Senator Joe Manchin: Says he won’t run for president because “democracy is at stake right now.” The Guardian, 2/16/24.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries: “Donald Trump views himself as a Putin-esque dictatorial figure.” The Gazette, 2/21/24.
Liz Cheney (R), former U.S. Representative: The U.S. is “sleepwalking into dictatorship.” Multiple news sources.
Senator Bernie Sanders and U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Both have called on Cornel West not to run as a third-party candidate. Princeton Alumni Weekly, January 2024.
Retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman: Suggested that Trump has “every intention” to undo American democracy if elected. The Hill, 3/2/24.
Defense analyst Brynn Tannehill: “Lara Trump at the RNC: One Step Closer to Hereditary Dictatorship”, New Republic, 3/6/24.
Amy McGrath, retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel and PAC founder: “In just a few years, we have gone from being relatively secure in our democracy to being a few short steps, and a matter of months, away from the possibility of dictatorship. Are we going to do anything about it?” Twitter: @AmyMcGrathKY
Filmmaker Michael Kirk: “Democracy on Trial” (film). PBS, 1/30/24.
Bloomberg News: “Trump Lavishes Praise on [Hungarian Authoritarian] Orban During Fete at Mar-a-Lago,” Bloomberg, 3/9/24.
Professors Frantz, Kendall-Taylor, and Wright: “The Origins of Elected Strongmen: How Personalist Parties Destroy Democracy from Within” (book summary) The Conversation, 1/30/24.
Journalists Jason Linkins and Michael Tomasky: Op-ed calling on Democrats to name and shame Republicans beyond Trump. The New Republic, 1/20/24.
Ms. Magazine: “Project 2025: The Right’s Dystopian Plan to Dismantle Civil Rights and What It Means for Women.” Ms. Magazine, 2/8/24.
Politico: “Trump allies prepare to infuse ‘Christian nationalism’ in second administration.” Politico, 2/20/24.
Republican acknowledgers
Senator Mitt Romney (R): Trump is “not a person who ought to have the reins of the government of the United States.” MSNBC, 2/20/24
Senator Lisa Murkowski (R) said she “could not” vote for Trump. NBC News. 3/3/24
Republican-appointed judges “raise alarm over Trump attacks on law.” Washington Post. 3/29/24
17 former Trump Administration officials: Quoted in “What 17 of Trump’s ‘Best People’ Said About Him,” New York Times, 1/18/24
11 former Trump Administration officials:Newsweek, 3/24/24
Adam Kinziger, former U.S. Representative: Ex-Rep. Adam Kinzinger sounds the alarm on Trump threat to democracy if he wins a second term, Chicago Sun-Times, 11/20/23
Chris Christie, former New Jersey Governor: Christie Lashes Trump as a ‘Dictator’… New York Times, 12/6/23
Asa Hutchinson, former Arkansas Governor: Asa Hutchinson calls out Donald Trump over ‘dictator’ comment, WMUR.com, 12/17/23
Mark Esper, former defense secretary for Trump: Esper dubs Trump a ‘threat to democracy’ on Capitol riot anniversary, The Hill, 1/6/24
John Bolton, former national security adviser for Trump: “All of the things that Trump did that rendered his presidency dangerous then are going to be even more pronounced in the second term.” The Hill, 1/30/24
Three Trump White House staff: “They renounced Trump. Will they get fellow conservatives to vote Biden?” Washington Post, 2/27/24
Anthony Scaramucci, former Trump White House aide: “[Trump] has told you he wants to be a dictator.” Politico, 1/17/24
Nonprofits, Political Action Committees, and Organizations
Democratic Party campaign operations: The DNC (Presidential election), DSCC (U.S. Senate elections), DCCC (U.S. House of Representative elections), and state and local Democratic party organizations
MoveOn: Spending $32 million to organize in seven states and 26 House districts, to motivate voters who lean Democratic but don’t follow politics, e.g. by holding house parties. New York Times, 1/26/24
The Lincoln Project PAC: Plans advertising to defeat Trump, per its website.
Movement Voter Project: Funds local organizations to win the 2024 elections, per its website.
Protect Democracy: Says “Find your voice, lead a chorus.” Protect Democracy (website).
Operation Saving Democracy PAC: A pro-democracy political action committee supported by “almost 600 retired Generals, Admirals, Ambassadors, cabinet and service secretaries, appointed leaders, elected officials, and Senior Executive Service leaders,” per its website.
Vote for Biden, and discourage voting for a third-party candidate who could throw the election to Trump
Announced third-party candidates for president are Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Cornel West, and Jill Stein. The “No Labels” initiative may announce a third-party candidate, for which U.S. Representative Dean Phillips (D) has floated his name. Former U.S. Representative Liz Cheney (R) has also said she may run as a third-party candidate.
Colleges & Universities
Is anyone at your college or university working to prevent a dictatorship? Let us know!
No Dictatorship 