Jonathan V. Last

Way back August of 2022 for The Atlantic, I wrote an article on the six things that Trump would do if he got a second term to turn the United States into Hungary. And I'm terrible at remembering lists, so I won't remember them all. But they were things like purge the military, turn the civil service into a patronage machine, weaponize the Justice Department, use the pardon to immunize his friends.

Way back August of 2022 for The Atlantic, I wrote an article on the six things that Trump would do if he got a second term to turn the United States into Hungary. And I'm terrible at remembering lists, so I won't remember them all. But they were things like purge the military, turn the civil service into a patronage machine, weaponize the Justice Department, use the pardon to immunize his friends.

There was one other. And there was a sixth one. And that's openly defy court orders. And what I said in that article is we know he'll do these six things, or at least we know he'll do five because he's already either done those five or attempted to do those five.

There was one other. And there was a sixth one. And that's openly defy court orders. And what I said in that article is we know he'll do these six things, or at least we know he'll do five because he's already either done those five or attempted to do those five.

There was one other. And there was a sixth one. And that's openly defy court orders. And what I said in that article is we know he'll do these six things, or at least we know he'll do five because he's already either done those five or attempted to do those five.

And that when he does number six, which I also predicted that he would do, and which he did do at Mar-a-Lago, that's why he was indicted, defying a judge's order, that that's the end of liberal democracy in America as we know it. So within about a month, I think, five or six weeks,

And that when he does number six, which I also predicted that he would do, and which he did do at Mar-a-Lago, that's why he was indicted, defying a judge's order, that that's the end of liberal democracy in America as we know it. So within about a month, I think, five or six weeks,

And that when he does number six, which I also predicted that he would do, and which he did do at Mar-a-Lago, that's why he was indicted, defying a judge's order, that that's the end of liberal democracy in America as we know it. So within about a month, I think, five or six weeks,

he had moved right through number one through five, and he did it faster and more brazenly than I or anyone had expected. The direction did not surprise me. The speed surprised me. I did not see Elon Musk and the geek squad coming, so that surprised me. And now we are working on number six, which is defying court orders.

he had moved right through number one through five, and he did it faster and more brazenly than I or anyone had expected. The direction did not surprise me. The speed surprised me. I did not see Elon Musk and the geek squad coming, so that surprised me. And now we are working on number six, which is defying court orders.

he had moved right through number one through five, and he did it faster and more brazenly than I or anyone had expected. The direction did not surprise me. The speed surprised me. I did not see Elon Musk and the geek squad coming, so that surprised me. And now we are working on number six, which is defying court orders.

He's playing games and defying lower courts while pretending not to, but I fully believe that's coming, and I fully believe still believe what I said then, which is that once he does that, I think he'll get away with it. I think his party and his base will back him in defying the courts. And I think then we're in a different country. So you tell me, am I... We might already be there.

He's playing games and defying lower courts while pretending not to, but I fully believe that's coming, and I fully believe still believe what I said then, which is that once he does that, I think he'll get away with it. I think his party and his base will back him in defying the courts. And I think then we're in a different country. So you tell me, am I... We might already be there.

He's playing games and defying lower courts while pretending not to, but I fully believe that's coming, and I fully believe still believe what I said then, which is that once he does that, I think he'll get away with it. I think his party and his base will back him in defying the courts. And I think then we're in a different country. So you tell me, am I... We might already be there.

So this is an idea... for which I'm indebted to a couple of political scientists named Jeffrey Kopstein and Stephen Hansen, who wrote an important, very short, very readable book I recommended. It's called The Assault on the State.

So this is an idea... for which I'm indebted to a couple of political scientists named Jeffrey Kopstein and Stephen Hansen, who wrote an important, very short, very readable book I recommended. It's called The Assault on the State.

So this is an idea... for which I'm indebted to a couple of political scientists named Jeffrey Kopstein and Stephen Hansen, who wrote an important, very short, very readable book I recommended. It's called The Assault on the State.

And what they point out is that the best way to think about what's happening right now, not just in America, but in Russia, India, Turkey, Hungary, there's an attempt to do it in Israel by the Netanyahu government, but lots of places is the resurgence, of a very old form of government. In fact, the predominant form of government until liberal democracy came along, it's called patrimonialism.

And what they point out is that the best way to think about what's happening right now, not just in America, but in Russia, India, Turkey, Hungary, there's an attempt to do it in Israel by the Netanyahu government, but lots of places is the resurgence, of a very old form of government. In fact, the predominant form of government until liberal democracy came along, it's called patrimonialism.

And what they point out is that the best way to think about what's happening right now, not just in America, but in Russia, India, Turkey, Hungary, there's an attempt to do it in Israel by the Netanyahu government, but lots of places is the resurgence, of a very old form of government. In fact, the predominant form of government until liberal democracy came along, it's called patrimonialism.