This is so damn messed up. Nobody knows what DOGE is, what DOGE does, what DOGE has the authority to do/doesn’t have the authority to do, who’s in charge of DOGE, etc, etc, etc…and this is all possible bcuz Congress just stopped doing that whole “separation of powers/checks & balances” thing.

All my life I have studied democratization and autocratization. My 1st field trip was to newly democratic Argentina. I then added autocracies to my portfolio: Cuba, Ven, etc. I think I can recognize the stages of transition to authoritarianism. Here are the boxes Trump has already checked off.

What can you do?

Don’t give up hope. Dictators feed off your hopelessness.

Don’t quit. Dictators want you to give up.

Punch back. Dictators are bullies, and bullies are cowards.

Stay tethered to the truth. Dictators need you to believe their lies.

Resist. Stand with others.