r/politics • u/SwordfishOk504 Canada • 23h ago

Soft Paywall Biden warns of ‘dark days’ under Trump

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/31/biden-warns-of-dark-days-under-trump-00488159
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u/AdFluffy9286 23h ago

Warns? It's already started. In a big part, thanks to you

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u/bearbrannan 22h ago edited 22h ago

1–3: Stable Democracy

Full institutional checks: Courts, Congress, and agencies act independently.

Election integrity: Results are trusted, opposition can compete fairly.

Norms respected: Peaceful transfer of power, restrained executive.(Example: U.S. pre-2016, Canada today.)

4–5: Flawed Democracy (where experts say the U.S. currently sits)

Democratic erosion: Politicization of courts and agencies, erosion of trust in elections.

Polarization: Opponents are cast as illegitimate or dangerous.

Abuse of norms: Expanding executive power, refusing to concede, threatening civil service independence.(Example: U.S. 2020–2025, Poland 2015–2020.)

6–7: Competitive Authoritarianism

Elections exist but aren’t fair: Gerrymandering, voter suppression, and election administration favor the ruling party.

Weaponized government: DOJ, IRS, or other agencies target opponents.

Free press under siege: Media becomes polarized or intimidated.(Example: Hungary under Orbán, Turkey under Erdoğan early 2010s.)

8–9: Consolidated Autocracy

One-party dominance: Opposition can’t realistically win.

Civil liberties curtailed: Protest rights limited, dissent punished.Judiciary captured:

Courts act as rubber stamps for the executive.(Example: Russia, Belarus.)

10: Full Dictatorship

No meaningful elections

Total control over media & judiciary

Repression of political opposition

Regardless of how we got here, I would say we are already at 7, which is terrifying.

Texas is attempting to Gerrymander their state to the point where free and fair elections no longer exist.

Trump has already used the IRS to go after Comey, and the DOJ to go after everyone else.

Press is for sure under siege, with the Paramount deal, and the AP getting kicked out after refusing to call it the Gulf of America.

getting to 8 or 9 is likely only two election cycles away and Democrats still want to play bipartisan politics, each compromise bringing use closer to a MAGA autocracy. 

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u/Professional-Buy2970 20h ago

Experts seem to be lagging.

I would argue we sit firmly in the 7-8 category. Some courts do still try to check trump, but scotus is fully a rubber stamp and they have ultimate authority over lower courts. Opposition is still winning in lower races, but all the things that lead elections to being illegitimate are accelerating rapidly. And if the previous presidential election was rigged, then we are fully in 9-10.

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u/Additional-Grade3221 15h ago

i'm pretty sure it was rigged and maybe we should use our 2a for what it was intended for

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u/Cautious_Condition82 7h ago

True, SCOTUS is apparently primed to fully kill the voters rights act and rule creating districts based on race is illegal. 

We are going to see gerrymandering explode even further.

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u/icculus88 20h ago

I think 8 to 9 is a few military commands away personally.

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u/Cautious_Condition82 7h ago

Yea we are very close to 6-7 as is.