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Former intelligence officials warn Trump's presidency would emulate autocratic leaders
🇫🇮 Finland /Conflict & Security

Former intelligence officials warn Trump's presidency would emulate autocratic leaders

From Helsingin Sanomat · () Finnish

Translated from Finnish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Former U.S. intelligence officials warn that Donald Trump's second term would mirror autocratic leaders, weakening checks on power.
  • The group, The Steady State, expresses concern over Trump's potential to undermine democratic institutions and make the U.S. less secure.
  • Experts cite Trump's past actions, including trade disputes and pressure on the Justice Department, as evidence of his authoritarian tendencies.

A network of over 400 former U.S. intelligence and national security officials is warning that a potential second term for Donald Trump would follow the playbook of autocratic leaders, significantly weakening the mechanisms that limit presidential power and ultimately making the United States less secure. The group, known as The Steady State, was formed out of concern over the rise of authoritarianism within the U.S.

Paul Kolbe, a former CIA chief of station who worked in the former Soviet Union and the Balkans, told the Financial Times that autocratic leaders exhibit similar patterns to Trump in how they seize and wield power. He is one of the former officials speaking out about their concerns.

autocratic leaders have quite similar operating models compared to Trump for seizing power and using it.

— Paul KolbeFormer CIA chief of station, comparing Donald Trump's actions to those of autocratic leaders, as reported by the Financial Times.

The group's warnings, as reported by the Financial Times, highlight that Trump's erosion of institutions and executive power checks threaten both American democracy and its business interests. While only some members of the network are publicly identified, their collective voice aims to draw attention to what they perceive as a growing authoritarian trend.

I don't think we are anywhere near the worst of what this is heading towards.

— Mark ZaidNational security lawyer collaborating with The Steady State, expressing concern about the direction of authoritarianism in the U.S., as cited by the Financial Times.

Mark Zaid, a lawyer specializing in national security who collaborates with the organization, echoed these concerns, cautioning that Trump's efforts to consolidate power could lead to further negative consequences. "I don't think we are anywhere near the worst of what this is heading towards," Zaid stated, according to the FT.

Former CIA analyst Gail Helt also expressed worries about the "cult of personality" forming around Trump, citing his desire to place his own image on U.S. passports as an example. The Financial Times noted that Trump has previously sought to expand presidential authority through measures such as imposing tariffs on goods from numerous countries, ordering military actions without prior congressional notification, and pressuring the Justice Department to pursue charges against political opponents.

he has tried to increase presidential power

— The New York TimesDescribing Donald Trump's actions during his presidency, as referenced in the article.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Helsingin Sanomat in Finnish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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