There's a word that the left has been using a lot lately, and it's getting really annoying to hear it repeated endlessly: Authoritarianism.
Authoritarianism used to describe actual dictatorships — real threats to democratic institutions. Now it's just another buzzword tossed around by the media every time President Donald Trump does something they don't like. The latest hand-wringing about democracy "slipping away" says far more about the agenda of those pushing the narrative than it does about any actual threat to the republic. When warnings of tyranny magically appear only when certain people win office, what we're really seeing isn't a principled defense of democratic norms; it's a calculated attempt to control the narrative by any means necessary.
This follows the same predictable pattern we've seen with other terminology. Call someone a "Nazi" for supporting border security, and suddenly the word loses its historical gravity. Label political opponents as "bigots" for disagreeing with progressive orthodoxy, and the term becomes meaningless. Scream "fascist" at everyone from moderate Republicans to concerned parents at school board meetings, and you've successfully drained the word of its power to describe actual fascism.
The left’s latest faux-panic about "authoritarianism" in America reveals everything you need to know about its credibility and agenda — and sadly, the media is playing along. For example, consider NPR's April report about over 500 political scientists claiming Trump is rapidly pushing America toward authoritarianism.
But now, let's go back a few years to see how NPR responded when Barack Obama started abusing his power and signing executive orders to implement his agenda.
"President Obama has a new phrase he's been using a lot lately: 'I've got a pen, and I've got a phone,'" the article began. "He's talking about the tools a president can use if Congress isn't giving him what he wants: executive actions and calling people together. It's another avenue the president is using to pursue his economic agenda."
Noticeably missing from the report is any outrage over a sitting president openly declaring that if Congress won't act, he'll simply sidestep them with an executive order. This wasn't a vague threat or offhand remark — it was a clear-cut case of a president discarding the Constitution's checks and balances — and yet, NPR didn't bat an eye. No "authoritarian" alarms sounded then.
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NPR wasn't alone, either. The media didn't sound alarm bells about creeping authoritarianism back then. Instead, they provided sympathetic coverage, treating Obama's unilateral governance as pragmatic leadership. Political scientists weren't wringing their hands about the erosion of checks and balances when Obama said that he would "act on my own if Congress is deadlocked." No one was called a "fascist" for supporting executive overreach when it came from the right political party.
It's funny — I don't remember any "No Kings" protests, either.
This is a blatant corruption of both journalism and academia. What we're seeing isn't scholarship or reporting; it's partisan warfare cloaked in the language of credibility. The same people who casually throw around "Nazi" and "bigot" have now moved on to "authoritarian," stripping it of meaning through selective application.
When 500 political scientists can look at the same Constitution and declare Trump a threat to democracy — after saying nothing as Obama repeatedly bypassed Congress and bragged about acting unilaterally — they're not offering objective analysis; they're pushing a partisan agenda. Why didn't these same experts downgrade America's democracy rating when Obama ignored the separation of powers? Why weren't they screaming about "fascism" then?
It all has to do with the D at the end of Obama's name.
The panic over Trump — whether it's coming from academia, the legacy media, or Democrats in Congress — isn't rooted in principle; it's pure political opportunism. What these institutions call a "threat to democracy" is often just a president they don't like using powers they once applauded. They've cried "wolf" so many times with words like "Nazi," "bigot," and "fascist" that when they add "authoritarian" to their arsenal, it carries about as much weight as calling someone a "poopy head."
The real danger to our constitutional system doesn't come from President Trump lawfully exercising executive authority; it comes when Democrat presidents abuse their power with the full support and encouragement of the media, academic elites, and a chorus of partisan "experts" who've abandoned objectivity for political gain. By stripping serious terms of their meaning through partisan overuse, they've made it harder to recognize and respond to actual threats when they emerge.
