In his second term, Donald Trump no longer even pretends to be a president constrained by constitutional norms. In a chilling interview with The Atlantic, he boasted, "I run the country and the world," a declaration that reveals not just breathtaking arrogance but a dangerous delusion of unlimited power. If his first term flirted with authoritarianism, his second term is courting it openly.
The first 100 days have already unleashed deep economic and institutional damage. Trump's sweeping new tariffs, justified by nothing more than his gut instincts, have reignited inflation and triggered significant market declines. According to The Wall Street Journal, the S&P 500 has plunged nearly 18 percent since Inauguration Day. Meanwhile, retaliatory tariffs from Europe and Asia are hammering American exporters. This is no master strategist at work; it is, at best, reckless improvisation and, at worst, deliberate sabotage.
More alarming than the economic fallout is the political rot spreading through our government. Trump's reinstatement and expansion of Schedule F has allowed him to fire thousands of nonpartisan civil servants and replace them with loyalists. The Atlantic warns that "the Plot Against the American Civil Service" is no abstract threat; it is a systematic purge aimed at dismantling the rule of law itself. Trump isn't draining the swamp; he is flooding it with sycophants.
In public appearances, he no longer even attempts the fig leaf of democratic rhetoric. In March, he declared at a rally, "I can deport whoever I want. The Constitution doesn't say I can't." In fact, the Constitution very clearly does, through the 5th and 14th Amendments. Trump's ignorance of the most basic legal principles is not merely embarrassing; it is perilous.
What lies ahead if this continues unchecked? Historians and political scientists, including Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, authors of How Democracies Die, warn that we are following a pattern familiar from other nations' descents into authoritarianism. Courts are being pressured. Agencies are being hollowed out. Laws are twisted to serve the ruler, not the people. And should Trump face major opposition, whether from states, Congress, or citizens, he has already signaled a willingness to respond with force.
We may be facing, sooner than we ever imagined, a direct collapse of constitutional order. In this scenario, by late 2026, the United States would no longer be a functioning democracy in any meaningful sense. Elections would exist, but voter suppression, intimidation, and manipulation would render them hollow. Political opposition would face criminal charges, civil society would be neutered, and the judiciary would be little more than a rubber stamp.
Trump's recent threats against NATO allies only compound the danger. Speaking at a Fox News town hall, he said, "NATO exists because of me. If they don't pay what I say, maybe we let Russia do what it wants." Such reckless bluster not only endangers global stability but also reveals a deeper truth: Trump no longer sees alliances, laws, or even national interest as relevant. Everything is transactional. Everything is about him.
The alarming thing is not merely that Trump behaves this way. It is that so many in positions of power are acquiescing. As Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present, notes, "Authoritarians rely not only on their own will to power, but on the cowardice and ambition of others."
Yet it would be wrong to say the fight is already lost. Pockets of resistance are forming: state governments launching legal challenges, courageous judges issuing injunctions, civil society groups organizing for mass protest. Former administration officials, once silent, are beginning to break ranks and warn of the growing danger. The road back from the brink remains open, but it narrows with each passing day.
We are not powerless. But we must be clear-eyed. Trump is not merely a flawed leader. He is a man who views himself as above the Constitution, above the law, and even above the nation itself. "I run the country and the world," he said. That is the voice not of a servant of the people, but of a would-be autocrat.
If we fail to resist, history will not forgive us. Nor should it.
Disclaimer: Jim Powers writes Opinion Columns. The views expressed in this editorial are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of Polk County Publishing Company or its affiliates. In the interest of transparency, I am politically Left Libertarian.
