Several followers have told me that they appreciate my attempts to put a more positive spin on the future of American democracy but still have doubts that it can be saved from President Trump’s autocratic assaults.  I understand that.  But with every day that brings a new overreaching, attack on America’s foundation by this president and his Republican lackies, I become more convinced they will fail.  And here are just a few reasons why.

The United States is not like Russia, Hungary, or other nations where a democracy surrendered to an authoritarian.  America’s basic democratic institutions have been well established for almost 250 years under a dramatically different political system.  Their maturity makes them stronger and more resilient.  Like a healthy person, they may get sick and weakened by a virus (or a tyrant), but they have a much greater capacity to recover after the malady is eliminated. 

If in doubt, read a September 2025 article, accessed here on politico.com, that explains the resiliency of America’s democracy.  It outlines several attributes of nations that are most likely to sustain a democracy that is being attacked by an illiberal leader like Trump, and the economic and other conditions that cause a nation to fall prey to a dictator. 

It details how well established, wealthy democracies, like the United States, have a long history of surviving authoritarians.  That is because these nations value the rule of law over almost all other factors, including party affiliation.  Hard core MAGA types, of course, will not care about the rule of law, as long as the laws are applied against their opponents. 

Still, I believe that most 2024 Trump supporters did not vote for eliminating the rule of law, deporting almost all undocumented immigrants, severely limiting legal migration to the U.S., or shrinking the federal government to a small group of ineffective bureaucrats, which Trump is clearly attempting to do.

Nations that have typically succumbed to a would-be dictator were suffering from an economic or societal upheaval, like runaway inflation, rampant corruption or gang violence, and the man the people turned to was popular, with 80% of the population in some cases.  Once installed, these authoritarians gradually cemented their control, while not alienating the people, particularly their strongest supporters.  And unlike the difficult to amend U.S. Constitution, some easily amended their country’s constitution to allow them to serve for life.

So, are conditions in America ripe for a strong man takeover and does Trump fit the mold of a popular authoritarian?

Well, the U.S. economy has some weaknesses, inflation is creeping up and the job market is getting tighter.  But the stock market is bouncing around record highs and unemployment is still quite low.  It is Trump’s tariff and economic policies, however, that are being blamed for the inflation numbers and even anemic job creation. He is not a savior come to solve vexing economic problems; he is causing them. And that is driving down his approval ratings.

A recent YouGov/Economist poll showed that Trump’s handling of the economy, apparently the public’s number one issue, is underwater by 22 points, with 35%, approving with 57 percent disapproving.  This poll also showed Trump’s job approval rating at an all-time low, with 39 percent approving and 57 percent disapproving.  And VP JD Vance’s 32% approval makes him less popular than Trump, while 21% don’t seem to know anything about Vance.

Trump has enjoyed strong support from several different constituencies, businesspeople and rural populations, including farmers.  He even garnered added support in the 2024 election from minorities, younger Americans and lower income voters. 

Recent polls, however, are quite negative for the president in many ways:

An early August poll showed that almost two-thirds of Americans believed that Trump was corrupt, and 45% thought he was “very corrupt.”  Corruption in politicians is not a partisan issue, both conservatives and liberal voters tend to reject corrupt politicians.

Share of Americans in September who said the country is off track was 75%, an increase from 62% in June. This was likely due to the 51% of Republicans who are now concerned about the direction of the country.  Among Republicans 45 and younger, 60% said things are on the wrong track, a whopping 30-point increase since May.  And only 14% of independents believe the nation is on the right track. 

Trump and his administration are suffering mightily due to missteps with the Epstein files, with 81% blaming Trump for the coverup.  I believe this has eroded his support across most issues, because a September poll has him with negative approval on his handling of major issues that concern voters, tariffs, the economy, inflation, even immigration and crime.

Lastly, do not get me wrong, I am not trying to discount the terrible policies being imposed on us by Trump 2.0.  He is making drastic changes to the economy, the federal government and U.S. foreign policy that will be very difficult to reverse.  But that does not mean Trumpism will be the government of the future or that our democratic republic and its institutions as we have known them will cease to exist after he is gone.

I firmly believe that Americans have lived under the rule of law and the Bill of Rights for far too long to allow Trump and his Republican sycophants to destroy these bedrocks of democracy that have long made America great.