Conservative historian Robert Kagan had some dire words for CNN's Christine Amanpour on Friday, warning that President Donald Trump is laying the groundwork to cancel free and fair elections as polling increasingly shows his party headed for a wipeout.
"I think we are one big step into dictatorship," said Kagan. "It's not clear to me that any institution in the United States is really prepared to stand up to Donald Trump. It seems the only people willing to stand up to Donald Trump are average American citizens in Minneapolis and elsewhere, and God bless them for that, but the U.S. Congress, both parties, are unwilling to really fight Trump. The Republicans have become the party of dictatorship."
"So I think we are one deep foot into dictatorship, and I am worried, as I have said, and others have been pointing out, about whether we will even have free and fair elections in 2026, let alone in 2028," said Kagan. "I think Trump has a plan to disrupt those elections, and I don't think he's willing to allow Democrats to take control of one or both houses, as could happen in a free election."
Trump has in recent weeks voiced his demand to federalize elections, which are constitutionally delegated to the states to run — and his party has fought hard to pass a new law that would crack down on voting rights across every state.
Amanpour then noted some hopeful signs, including that Trump's border adviser Tom Homan has announced a drawdown of federal agents in Minneapolis, that six Republicans broke with their party to rebuke with Trump on Canadian tariffs, and that grand juries are defying Trump prosecutors' moves to criminally charge Democratic critics of his administration.
But Kagan said he didn't think this was necessarily a reason to breathe easy yet.
"It's always one step forward and two steps back with Donald Trump," warned Kagan.
