‘I’m popping a flare’: Slotkin says Trump is using ‘same playbook as every authoritarian in history’

Former Pentagon official warns Trump is ‘following the playbook of authoritarians’

U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin sounded an alarm bell, characterizing President Donald Trump’s actions as “following the same playbook as almost every authoritarian in history,” in a speech the Democrat from Holly gave at the Brookings Institution’s 2025 Knight Forum on Geopolitics on Wednesday. Slotkin, herself a CIA officer and former Pentagon official, laid out how Trump had garnered so much power — running on a legitimate concern of cost of living,…

‘I’m popping a flare’: Slotkin says Trump is using ‘same playbook as every authoritarian in history’

Sen. Elissa Slotkin speaks to a crowd at the Brookings Institution’s 2025 Knight Forum on Geopolitics. Oct. 29. | ScreenshotU.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin sounded an alarm bell, characterizing President Donald Trump’s actions as “following the same playbook as almost every authoritarian in history,” in a speech the Democrat from Holly gave at the Brookings Institution’s 2025 Knight Forum on Geopolitics on Wednesday.  Slotkin, herself a CIA officer and…

Why Authoritarians Thrive - OrissaPOST

By Senem Aydın-Düzgit US President Donald Trump’s ferocious assault on American institutions over the last nine months is a particularly morbid symptom of the global decline of democracy. But Trump has merely capitalized on a process that was well underway before his return to the White House. Several factors have contributed to this worldwide retreat. Authoritarian regimes consolidated power by sharpening their methods of control, from electora…