Mixed Evidence
“Scholars say that after the last year under President Trump, the U.S. has slid closer to autocracy or may already be there”
Multiple political scientists and democracy scholars have expressed concern about democratic backsliding in the United States during Trump's second term, with some organizations downgrading U.S. democracy ratings. However, scholars hold varying views on whether the U.S. constitutes an autocracy, with debate centering on specific institutional changes rather than universal consensus on autocratic status.
democracy
4 sources
Updated Feb 17, 2026