Column: Classes aren't connecting Trump to authoritarian trends - The GW Hatchet

Last week, President Donald Trump disinvited two democratic governors from a historically bipartisan National Governors Association meeting at the White House. This decision clearly signifies an unwillingness to cooperate with opposing political viewpoints, adding to the list of actions Trump has taken to consolidate power in the Republican Party. But in the context of more shocking news in the country, like the Jeffrey Epstein files or the aggressive expansion of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers, media outlets often place less emphasis on actions like these, leading fewer people to talk about them. Even at GW, a highly political university, I have heard almost no discussion from professors and students alike about this latest shift in political norms.

When people describe the Trump administration’s actions, they often refer to them as controversial, hypocritical or irrational. These descriptors aren’t wrong, but they don’t capture the severity of what is happening in America. Numerous of Trump’s actions over the last year and a half follow the historical pattern of a transition towards authoritarianism.

In my political science classes at GW, democratic erosion is a common topic of discussion. Many professors will detail the characteristics of authoritarian regimes but avoid making an explicit connection between these identifiers and the changes in current U.S. politics. In courses aimed at teaching students how to recognize the implications of national decisions and cultivate political awareness, it is a disservice to avoid the conversation about how these patterns are manifesting in America. It is the responsibility of a higher-education institution to expose students to information they may not get anywhere else and encourage them to make connections they may not otherwise make so that they can understand the true ramifications of national developments.

The changes in invitations to the National Governors Association White House event are congruent with a common power-grabbing tactic deployed by authoritarian regimes in other countries that are suppressing oppositional political parties. There certainly are more extreme examples of this tactic in other countries, like the killing of political opponents under dictators like Saddam Hussein in Iraq, but the lack of accountability for the current administration is not inconsequential. As more and more individual actions get swept under the rug by those in the political sphere, it becomes easier for the administration to get away with its moves to consolidate power without drawing the attention of most Americans.

In many historical instances of transition toward authoritarianism, administration eroded democracy slowly. Even in one of the most well-known autocracies today, Vladimir Putin’s Russia, the transition toward autocracy began slowly by dismantling institutions and undermining the opposition. What we are witnessing now in America heavily mimics those beginning stages of transition, similar to what we have recently seen in Hungary under Viktor Orbán or in El Salvador under Nayib Bukele.

Political competition is essential for a functioning democracy, and when certain politicians or political groups are excluded, that element of democracy weakens, making it easier for a select few to consolidate power. The exclusion of democratic governors from the White House meeting is just one example of how the Trump administration is carrying this out in America. Additionally, a few weeks ago, Trump said in an interview that Republicans should nationalize future elections, meaning the party would oversee the voting process and the counting of votes, despite the fact that Article I of the Constitution delegates election regulation to the states.

This would give Republicans an unprecedented amount of power in determining representation. In politically focused classes, professors should be discussing these developments and encouraging students to think critically about the true implications of such actions. But instead, many avoid talking about current events or leave their significance up to interpretation.

The repression of opposition parties is not the only symptom of democratic erosion in America. In the last year and a half, we have also witnessed various instances of media censorship, like ABC’s removal of Jimmy Kimmel from the air in response to pressure from the Trump administration and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s move to limit reporters’ access to the Pentagon. The free press is an essential cornerstone of democracy, and these actions actively work to weaken it. Controlling the media is one of the most common tactics of authoritarian regimes, so seeing this happen in the United States should sound alarms.

Furthermore, the Trump administration has weakened America’s longstanding system of checks and balances in numerous ways. Maybe the most prevalent way right now is by authorizing the unconstitutional use of force by ICE. Another instance of how Trump has ignored the separation of powers is by passing tariffs without congressional approval. These actions are often viewed separately, rather than within the context of one another. Together, they work to concentrate power in the hands of one person, which has had detrimental effects on the American people, such as the recent fatal shootings by ICE agents in Minneapolis.

Often, Americans write off these actions as trivial in comparison to the severity of other national issues, but these seemingly small instances collectively work to erode the constitutional framework that can be used to address the most pressing issues in the country. We are not looking at a coincidental series of poor decisions by the Trump administration but rather an ongoing power grabbing scheme that resembles historical instances of transitions to authoritarianism. It is time for GW students and professors to make this connection out loud and call out the current and future implications of Trump’s policies. Without increasing pressure on the federal government to hold the President accountable, we are likely to see a rise in authoritarian tactics and the erosion of democracy.

The GW community must be aware of the broader implications of the Trump administration’s actions — especially those that don’t receive extensive news coverage. Part of GW’s appeal is its location in the heart of D.C., which must be capitalized on by discussing the actions of the federal government in class. Staying aware and being vocal about executive actions that contradict American principles is essential to holding politicians accountable. As engaged citizens, we must put pressure on the government to prioritize constitutionality. This can take many forms, from reaching out to representatives, protesting and educating ourselves and others. We must stop viewing Trump’s actions as isolated but rather as part of a systemic tactic and insist that democratic representatives do the same. We must encourage them to actively work to interrupt the pattern of authoritarian policies, which will make it more difficult for the administration to complete power grabbing actions on a large scale.

Willow Harrington, a sophomore majoring in political science and psychology, is an opinions writer.