Can America Recover From the Trump Era?
Nicholas Kristof (op. ed. of the New York Times) poses a sobering question: Can the United States recover from Donald Trump? His reflections, drawn from decades of covering authoritarian regimes, offer both a warning and a call to resilience.Kristof notes that 21st-century authoritarianism doesn’t always wear jackboots—it often comes cloaked in democratic legitimacy, as seen in Hungary, India, and the Philippines. These regimes erode institutions gradually while holding elections, limiting press freedom, and punishing dissent in less visible ways. Trump’s efforts mirror these tactics: undermining rule of law, attacking the press, promoting vaccine skepticism, and politicizing higher education and science.
Yet, Kristof also points to hopeful signs. Independent institutions—federal courts, the press, and parts of academia—have resisted. Authoritarians often fall because they surround themselves with sycophants, blind to their own missteps. In the Philippines, journalist Maria Ressa outlasted Duterte. She was awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, sharing the honor with Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov. They were recognized “for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace”
In South Korea, the imprisoned dissident Kim Dae-jung became president.
While Kristof believes America can recover domestically, he is less optimistic about repairing our international credibility. Trump’s disdain for global cooperation has left a legacy of fractured alliances, weakened public health infrastructure, and rising global insecurity.
Still, the path forward is not despair but engagement. Kristof urges Americans not to flee but to stay and fight for the nation’s ideals. If other democracies can reclaim their future, so can we.
His message is clear: Trumpism is a crisis, but not our destiny—if we choose to defend our democracy now.
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