This Essay was posted on 1/11/2026.
Donald Trump’s blueprint for autocracy, Project 2025, got a lot of press during the 2024 election, but Trump was able to deflect by denying any connection to Project 2025 and stressing other issues like rising costs and the economy. Trump and Republicans disavowed Project 2025 and claimed that Democratic statements about Project 2025 were just liberal scare tactics. Too many voters believed Trump’s words and elected him.
After the election, Trump changed his tune and followed the Project 2025 roadmap religiously. Government employees lost their jobs as whole sections of government were dismantled. And Trump started making all the decisions. By the end of 2025, Trump had an autocratic grip over the Federal Government. Congress’s role is now a sounding board for Trump, and the courts have granted Trump virtual immunity.
The cost of autocracy depends on the decisions of the autocrat, and Donald Trump’s decisions are costly. His adventure in Venezuela is at least partially funded by cuts to healthcare. Trump’s tariffs are fueling inflation and stretching the average family budget unnecessarily. His decision to grab Venezuela’s oil will probably drag us into a needless South American war with added loss of life. And his decision to use ICE agents to round up law-abiding resident non-citizens without due process is affecting our economy and draining our workforce. Additionally, ICE has adopted a Gestapo-like strategy that treats citizens and noncitizens as enemy combatants. These tactics have resulted in 2 wounded Venezuelan nationals and a dead US citizen.
The cost of autocracy will also include unknown pain and suffering needed to revert back to a truly democratic system. That will be our decision and our burden. Are you ready to begin?
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