Doing Democracy: Trump’s Rhetoric Raises Fears of an Authoritarian Second Term

KQED's Forum

KQED

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.2 • 726 Ratings

🗓️ 16 May 2024

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential bid “is the most openly authoritarian campaign I’ve seen [from] any candidate anywhere in the world since World War II”. That’s according to Harvard political scientist Steven Levitsky, co-author of the book “How Democracies Die”. Trump’s stated plans include seeking revenge on political opponents, purging the federal workforce, ordering mass deportations, and deploying the military domestically. As part of Forum’s “Doing Democracy” series, we’ll talk with Levitsky and others about why democracy experts are sounding the alarm about a possible second Trump administration, and whether our institutions can withstand the upheaval. Guests: Steven Levitsky, professor of government, Harvard; co-author with Daniel Ziblatt of the New York Times bestseller "How Democracies Die." Their latest book is "Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point." Lulu Garcia-Navarro, host, "The Interview" podcast, New York Times; former NPR correspondent Eric Cortellessa, reporter, Time magazine - He interviewed Donald Trump for a cover story in April. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Support for Kikiweedy Podcasts comes from Rancho La Puerta, a resort with 85 years of wellness experience.
0:07.4	Three and four-night August vacations include sunrise hikes, water classes, yoga, and spa therapies.
0:14.2	Rancho LePuerta.com
0:15.7	Support for Forum comes from Broadway S.F presenting Parade, the musical revival based on a true story.
0:23.5	From three-time Tony-winning composer Jason Robert Brown comes the story of Leo and Lucille Frank,
0:29.8	a newlywed Jewish couple struggling to make a life in Georgia. When Leo is accused of an
0:35.5	unspeakable crime, it propels them into an unimaginable test of faith, humanity, justice, and devotion.
0:43.6	The riveting and gloriously hopeful parade plays the Orpheum Theater for three weeks only, May 20th through June 8th.
0:51.9	Tickets on sale now at Broadwaysf.com.
0:56.7	From KQED.
0:58.2	From KQED in San Francisco, I'm Alexis Madrigal.
1:13.9	Harvard political scientist Stephen Levitsky co-authored the book How Democracies Die.
1:19.6	He calls Donald Trump's 2024 presidential bid,
1:22.9	The Most Openly Authoritarian Campaign I've seen from any candidate anywhere in the world since World War
1:28.7	2. This morning, we explore what he means, looking at recent policy plans and reporting about
1:34.5	what a second Trump presidency might do to the nation's institutions. We'll talk with
1:39.1	Levitsky and two veteran reporters in the latest installment of our doing democracy series. That's all coming up next after this news.
1:59.2	Welcome to Forum.
2:00.6	I'm Alexis Madrigal. The spring fundraiser is officially over, y'all. Thank you so much for your support this year. We really need you and you're coming through. You know, there was a common refrain in the weeks and months after Joe Biden won the 2020 election and after the fracas of early 2021 took office,
2:19.3	liberals, moderates, and some traditional conservatives would say the nation's institutions held,
2:25.2	despite the incredible pressure Trump and his allies mounted to somehow invalidate the election.
2:30.2	Well, here we are. Four years later, and the race between Biden and Trump is somewhere between a dead heat and a Trump lean.
	...

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