Trump discovers that the road to autocracy is lined with potholes

President Donald Trump gaggles with reporters while aboard Air Force One on February 6, 2026, en route to Palm Beach, Florida. | Samuel Corum/Getty Images

A little over a year into his second presidency, President Donald Trump has yet to turn America into a pure, uncut authoritarian nightmare — but not for lack of trying.

Back in January 2025, if you asked a liberal what the new Trump administration would do in the worst case scenario, they would probably have said things like:

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