One Year Into Trump's Second Term: Is American Democracy Over?

One year after Donald Trump's inauguration for a second term, experts are issuing a stark warning. Historians and scholars say the U.S. president has pushed American democracy to a breaking point. Observers of authoritarian regimes say they are stunned by the scale and speed of Trump's actions. In just twelve months, he has moved to consolidate power dramatically. His administration has dismantled federal agencies and purged the civil service. It has fired independent government watchdogs and sidelined the U.S. Congress. The president has also challenged judicial rulings and deployed federal forces in Democratic-led cities. Further actions have targeted dissent and political opponents. The administration has persecuted enemies, targeted immigrants, and scapegoated marginalized groups. In foreign policy, it ordered the capture of a foreign leader. At home, experts cite the leveraging of the presidency for private profit. They also point to attacks on academic freedom and an escalating campaign against the news media. Together, these moves raise a fundamental question for many observers: Is American democracy in peril?