Trump is moving fast, despite his visibly declining health. In the past year, the Trump administration has knocked down the very constitutional, judicial, and political pillars that have uplifted our democracy for centuries.
Ruth Ben-Ghiat, authoritarianism scholar, joins Jen to expose the building blocks of Trump’s authoritarian administration — shared by the likes of Orban and Putin. From establishing a Project 2025 shadow government whilst out of office to weaponizing the use of executive orders, it seems Trump’s puppets successfully prepared for populism.
The two also discuss our captive courts, delegitimized legislative branch, and discarded international treaties. For the run down on authoritarianism’s rise, listen to the full conversation between Ruth Ben-Ghiat and Jen Rubin.
Ruth Ben-Ghiat is a Professor of History and Italian Studies at New York University. She is a expert on fascism, authoritarianism, propaganda, and democracy protection. She is an advisor to Protect Democracy and an MSNBC opinion columnist. She has been a consultant on historical feature and documentary films and advises governments and corporations (including the Jan. 6 U.S. House Select Committee investigation) on autocrats and authoritarian parties and the threats to democracy they pose. You can find more from her on Lucid.
