The 2026 Midterm Illusion: Why Trump’s Executive Coup Is Already Unstoppable

As the 2026 midterm elections approach, traditional political commentators are treating the moment like business as usual. But behind the scenes, historical norms no longer apply.

In this video, we break down how Donald Trump’s rolling, inside-out coup against American democracy has evolved from the events of January 6 into a permanent shift toward autocratic rule. From governing almost exclusively through executive decree to expanding domestic deportation forces and pivoting toward Moscow, the formal structures of democracy are rapidly giving way.


ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here »

How Trump’s Pursuit of Absolute Power Is Leaving the Free World Behind

Sep 26, 2026 | Is the United States shifting away from its traditional democratic allies in favor of global authoritarianism? From high-profile summits with foreign strongmen to sweeping changes in foreign policy, this video examines the ideology, economic framework, and historical parallels driving the current administration.

ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here »

Trump has FU America. But not only that, he has FU the rest of the world, too! On a banal point, does anyone know why he always looks as if he’s got a stiff neck? Perhaps Melania keeps on wringing it for him! 😊 — © Mark Alexander

‘What I Saw with Putin Is Happening with Trump’ | Martin Sixsmith

Sep 9, 2026 | “I saw it happen in Russia and I can see it happening in America”

The direction of Trump’s presidency “needs to be a wake-up call” for an American society that “doesn’t realise the danger it’s in” of falling to Putin’s authoritarian playbook, warns Martin Sixsmith.

Corey Brettschneider on Trump’s Blatant Destruction of the Constitution and Lessons from History

Jun 29, 2026 | Political scientist Corey Brettschneider joins Anthony Davis to discuss Trump’s blatant destruction of the Constitution, the Executive and the Judiciary - and how history teaches us that he is not the first President to seek a unitary style authoritarian government - only on The Weekend Show.

ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here.

Here is a selection of Corey Brettschneider’s articles which have appeared in the Guardian.

It astonishes me to observe how WEAK and SUBSERVIENT Americans are. They just lie down and play dead! I would have expected more SPUNK and DETERMINATION from them to put a stop to Trump’s CORRUPTION and DESTRUCTION of the POLITICAL SYSTEM and WAY OF LIFE. But Americans have turned out to be WEAKLINGS, satisfied for their country to be RAPED, PILLAGED, and PLUNDERED. It’s truly quite astonishing! — © Mark Alexander

Back to Autocracy - A Short-lived Win for Democracy in Tunisia | DW Documentary

May 10, 2026 | The Revolution of Freedom and Dignity took place in Tunisia in 2010. In 2024, President Kais Saied was re-elected by a large majority. In 2019, he was still seen as a man of integrity and loyal to the constitution. Today, Saied’s ruling style is autocratic.

In December 2010, the self-immolation of Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi sparked what became known as the Revolution of Freedom and Dignity. The spark spread throughout the region and became the starting point of the Arab Spring.

With the flight of Tunisian ruler Ben Ali in January 2011, a decade of hope began: free elections, an internationally praised constitution, and political pluralism that was exceptional for the region. But the democratic experiment faltered. Islamist influence, political infighting and an ever-deepening economic crisis caused the initial euphoria to fade. Disappointed young people took to the streets once again, chanting "work, freedom and national dignity".

In this politically-torn country, a reserved professor of constitutional law entered the scene: Kais Saied. His demonstrative independence from the political establishment and his supposed loyalty to the ideals of the revolution made him a beacon of hope for many. But after Saied's surprise election in 2019 and his overwhelming re-election in 2024, things took a drastic turn. Saied concentrated power in his own hands, brought the judiciary into line, marginalized the opposition and restricted press freedom.

Step by step, he undermined Tunisia's young democracy - while the international community focused primarily on protecting Europe's external borders and barely reacted.

This documentary hears from witnesses and airs previously unpublished archive material to paint a vivid picture of political change: from the enthusiasm of the revolutionary years to the authoritarian developments that, 15 years later, appear to be a definitive betrayal of the hopes of the Arab Spring.

Michael Popok on Trump's Illegal Moves to Take Over the World | The Weekend Show

Feb 9, 2026 | Michael Popok joins Anthony Davis to discuss Trump’s threat to federalize elections, steal ballots and rig the midterms. Plus, the legality of ICE entering homes with a faux administrative warrant. And the fake Board of Peace with which Trump plans to become King of the World - only on The Weekend Show.

ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here.

Post-Truth Is Pre-Fascism: Can We Still Save American Democracy?

Dec 11, 2025 | “Post-truth is pre-fascism.” In this conversation, we dig into what that actually means for the United States right now — the state of American democracy, the collapse of local news, tech oligarchs, social media, and even the impossible question: how do you know when it’s time to leave?

We talk about why democracy is not a thing you have but something you do, why facts are a form of protection for the least powerful among us, and how “both-sides” coverage and endless online outrage are quietly doing the work of authoritarians for them.

Autocracy Is Here

Father David explains why.

Sarah Kendzior on America's Autocratic Turn and How America Lost Its Guardrails

Oct 16, 2025 | The Mark Thompson Show

The US Needs a Democracy Movement

Oct 13, 2025 | Anne Applebaum is an award-winning historian and journalist who studies democracy and dictatorship. Her latest book, Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World, explores how autocracies are working together to undermine democracy across the globe. Fortunately, Applebaum also considers how democracies can maintain their power against the siege of authoritarianism. Today, why is democracy worth fighting for and how can it be protected in the U.S. Plus: why Poland is a guide for how to reverse years of democratic backsliding.

Is the Insurrection Act the Final Step in Trump’s American Autocracy

Oct 10, 2025 | How the Insurrection Act could become the 21st-century Enabling Act, with six justices and the GOP standing by…

The endgame for Trump, Vance, Noem, and Bondi is coming into clearer focus, and it’s nearly a one-for-one, step-by-step implementation of Nazi jurist/philosopher Carl Schmitt’s ideas that created and sustained the early Third Reich.

Vance has even gone so far as to directly quote Schmitt. The concepts aren’t particularly complicated, and it’s easy to see how Trump and his enablers are implementing them.

Agents of Democracy : Civil Society under Attack

Sep 7, 2025 | Around the world, civil society — the backbone of democracy — is under threat. From India and Russia to Poland, populists and autocrats are tightening their grip, silencing activists, shutting down NGOs, and criminalising dissent. What happens to democracy when those fighting for it are silenced?

Hungary Opposition Figures Urge Democrats to Organize against Autocratic Takeover by Trump

THE GUARDIAN: Forum speakers said Donald Trump’s second term resembles strongman Viktor Orbán’s first years in power

Democrats must organize urgently for the 2026 midterm elections and avoid a “it can’t happen here” mentality to stop Donald Trump from staging a full-scale autocratic takeover, a Hungarian opposition parliamentarian has said.

Katalin Cseh, a critic of Hungary’s strongman prime minister, Viktor Orbán, told a forum on authoritarianism that the central European country’s experience held vital lessons for Trump’s opponents in their attempts to resist his assaults on US institutions and democratic norms since his return to the White House.

Hungary was important because Trump and his “Make America great again” (Maga) movement have used Orbán and his ruling Fidesz party as a role model, she said.

“I invite everybody to study the processes that happened [in Hungary] and elsewhere, because autocratic learning is real,” said Cseh, a member of Hungary’s opposition Momentum Movement. “Backsliding just went by us like a train, without anybody realizing how far it had gotten. So it’s very important to pay attention from the very beginning … [and] to mobilize.” » | Robert Tait | Wednesday, July 16, 2025

MAGA Is Telegraphing How They'll End Democracy (w/ Anne Applebaum) | The Michael Steele Podcast

Aug 15, 2024 | Michael Steele speaks with Pulitzer Prize-winning author and staff writer at The Atlantic, Anne Applebaum about her new book, "Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World.” The pair discuss the network of countries united by their common interest in maintaining absolute power, the reasons why people are attracted to autocratic regimes, the tactics used by modern autocrats, and the importance of civic engagement in preserving democracy.

Trump Wants to Remodel America: Historikerin Anne Applebaum zu Trumps Politik in den USA - Englisch

Mar 9, 2025 | The USA is “still a democracy”, but Trump and his team are trying to change the rules of the political system, says historian Anne Applebaum.

Die USA seien zwar "immer noch eine Demokratie", aber Trump und sein Team würden versuchen, die Regeln des politischen Systems zu ändern, sagt die Historikerin Anne Applebaum.

‘People Are Going Silent’: Fearing Retribution, Trump Critics Muzzle Themselves

THE NEW YORK TIMES: People say they are intimidated by online attacks from the president, concerned about harm to their businesses or worried about the safety of their families.

The silence grows louder every day.

Fired federal workers who are worried about losing their homes ask not to be quoted by name. University presidents fearing that millions of dollars in federal funding could disappear are holding their fire. Chief executives alarmed by tariffs that could hurt their businesses are on mute.

Even longtime Republican hawks on Capitol Hill, stunned by President Trump’s revisionist history that Ukraine is to blame for its invasion by Russia, and his Oval Office blowup at President Volodymyr Zelensky, have either muzzled themselves, tiptoed up to criticism without naming Mr. Trump or completely reversed their positions.

More than six weeks into the second Trump administration, there is a chill spreading over political debate in Washington and beyond.

People on both sides of the aisle who would normally be part of the public dialogue about the big issues of the day say they are intimidated by the prospect of online attacks from Mr. Trump and Elon Musk, concerned about harm to their companies and frightened for the safety of their families. Politicians fear banishment by a party remade in Mr. Trump’s image and the prospect of primary opponents financed by Mr. Musk, the president’s all-powerful partner and the world’s richest man. » | Elisabeth Bumiller | Reporting from Washington | Thursday, March 6, 2025

"Are We Sleepwalking into Autocracy?" Trump Embraces Authoritarian Playbook of Hungary's Orbán

Feb 12, 2025 | Is Trump embracing the authoritarian playbook of far-right Hungarian dictator Viktor Orbán? Princeton professor Kim Lane Scheppele walks us through Orbán's sudden rise to power and how the Trump administration's recent actions appear to follow his anti-democratic "blueprint," with Trump "echoing a lot of Orbán's rhetoric," consolidating power in the executive branch and bypassing federal checks and balances. "Trump is trying to break things quickly," says Scheppele, a professor of sociology and international affairs at Princeton University. She also notes Orbán's involvement in the right-wing Project 2025 initiative and his adoption of the motto "Make Europe Great Again" during Hungary's presidency of the Council of the European Union last year as further evidence of the close ties between the two leaders. As Orbán works to "consolidate this movement of anti-democratic far-right forces" in Europe, warns Scheppele, Trump is tightening his grasp on the other side of the Atlantic.

Democracy Now! can be supported here.

Is the U.S. Heading for Autocracy?

Since he took office four weeks ago, President Trump has taken a series of actions that have upended the traditional role of government. Are they pushing the United States closer to an autocracy?

Anne Applebaum: Autocracy Is “Infecting U.S. Politics” | Amanpour & Company

Aug 5, 2024 | In a momentous deal struck between Moscow and several Western nations, the biggest prisoner swap since the Cold War was concluded last week. Some 24 detainees were returned to their home soil, including American Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. Many of those released by Russia were opposition figures imprisoned for criticizing the Kremlin. In her new book, "Autocracy Inc.," journalist Anne Applebaum argues that many of today's dictators collaborate to help keep one another in power. She joins the show to discuss this phenomenon. Originally aired on August 5, 2024

The Biggest Electoral Year in History: Will Democracy Survive 2024? | DW News

Feb 3, 2024 | 2024 is the biggest electoral year in history, with people heading to the polls in dozens of countries. This is DW’s preview to the most consequential elections of 2024 across Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas – and what they mean for the health and future of democracy. Correspondent Rosie Birchard speaks to DW experts on Taiwan, India, South Africa, Mexico, the EU and the US.