Donald Trump is back in the White House and making a lot of moves very quickly. Keep track of everything going on in Washington with the NPR Politics Podcast. Every day, we break down the latest news and explain why it matters to you. The NPR Politics Podcast. Listen every day. Long live the king. President Trump posted that self-referential statement on his social media platform,

Truth Social last week. He was celebrating his move to kill congestion pricing in New York City.

Several weeks ago, Trump declared, he who saves his country does not violate any law.

Now, those are just a few of the president's words, but his administration's actions are clear.

The new Trump administration appears to be abandoning American democracy as we know it.

Now, we've talked about the mass pardoning of rioters and

militia members who attack the Capitol on January 6th. There's been the attempted ouster of

inspectors general who enforce accountability in government. On Friday, Trump purged the leadership

of the U.S. military, including top military lawyers who enforce the law and prevent

illegal orders. Several weeks ago on the show, we asked, where is Congress in this moment? Why is there

not more pushback? As the president dismantles federal agencies, gives significant power to a wealthy

donor in Elon Musk, aligns himself with dictators, ignores existing laws, and challenges the

Constitution, while the voices of Democrats are getting louder.

My oath is to the Constitution of our state and of our country. We don't have kings in America,

and I don't intend to bend the need to one. This is Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker last week.

If you think I'm overreacting and sounding the alarm too soon, consider this.

It took the Nazis one month, three weeks, two days, eight hours, and 40 minutes to dismantle

a constitutional republic.

Meanwhile, Trump and his team are plowing ahead with their agenda, and constitutional checks seem to be barely slowing them down.

Our two guests say that is sending us toward a particular and familiar form of anti-democratic government.

It's the kind you see in places like Hungary or Peru or Tunisia,

and they call it competitive authoritarianism. So what does a new U.S. government look like if our system of democracy no longer holds? And what does it mean for you, regardless of your political

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