Do you remember what U.S. President Donald Trump promised back in July 2024—when he was still the Republican candidate—during a rally of Christian voters?

"You won’t have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what? It’ll be fixed, it’ll be fine. You won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians," he told the religious congregation at Turning Point Action’s “Believers Summit” in West Palm Beach, Florida.

What did Trump mean by this?

He meant exactly what he said. More than anything else, Trump despises losing, viewing it as a personal humiliation rather than a normal democratic process. Running for office does not guarantee victory, as he learned in 2020, so he may be strategizing to eliminate elections altogether.

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Trump can’t do it overnight—that would be too radical—but he has nearly four years to make it happen. His approach could mirror that of Benito Mussolini in 1920s Italy: stripping the goose of one feather at a time, eroding democracy gradually to avoid triggering widespread resistance.

A Step-by-Step Plan to Dismantle Democracy

Mussolini dismantled democratic institutions incrementally, ensuring each move was small enough to avoid immediate backlash. Trump is employing a similar strategy. His flood of executive orders—many contradicting existing U.S. laws—aims to reshape institutions to serve his personal ambitions.

His administration has already begun dismantling agencies and initiatives that could challenge his authority, including USAID, the Foreign Influence Task Force, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and Task Force KleptoCapture.

In addition, Trump has slashed student loan forgiveness and federal funding for school meals.

The question is: How far will he go? Which actions from his conservative Agenda 2025 can still be anticipated and thwarted? Just a few things to remind what Agenda 2025, developed by billionaire-backed think tanks, is about: 

✔ Abolish independent regulatory agencies (EPA, FTC), ensuring unchecked corporate control.

✔ Replace civil servants with loyalists who prioritize business interests over public welfare.

✔ Privatize public services, making healthcare, education, and infrastructure for-profit ventures.

✔ Expand digital surveillance, allowing tech oligarchs to control information flow and suppress dissent.

As the document's name suggests, all must be done by the end of 2025. 

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Echoes of the Past: Historical Parallels

Some key tactics from history illustrate the playbook Trump may follow:

1. Creating Political Turmoil – Mussolini exploited post-World War I economic crises, social unrest, and fears of communism to position himself as a strong leader. Trump, too, leverages economic instability and war-induced inflation, promising swift solutions while consolidating power.

2. Staging a Show of Force – Mussolini's 1922 March on Rome forced King Victor Emmanuel III to appoint him as Prime Minister to prevent civil war. Trump’s own attempt at a coup—the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack—was a preview of how he might use political violence to his advantage.

3. Gradual Legal Changes – Mussolini passed laws like the Acerbo Law (1923) to ensure his party’s dominance. Trump’s executive orders are methodically altering the U.S. legal framework to entrench his authority.

4. Suppressing Opposition – Mussolini used secret police and censorship to weaken rivals. Trump is installing loyalists in key departments and law enforcement agencies (Justice Department, FBI) to ensure opposition faces legal retaliation.

5. Propaganda and Indoctrination – Mussolini reshaped public perception through state-controlled media and nationalist rhetoric. Trump is doing the same, using conservative media outlets while ensuring independent journalists are squeezed out of institutions like the Pentagon.

By the time Mussolini declared himself Il Duce and Italy a one-party fascist state, opposition had been eroded. Trump is following the very same script.

Hitler Comparison: Another Warning 

While different in ideology and context, Trump and Adolf Hitler share strikingly similar strategies:

✔ Rising to Power Through Legal Means – Hitler was legally appointed Chancellor in 1933, then dismantled democracy. Trump, despite losing the popular vote in 2016, gained power and has since worked to weaken democratic institutions.

✔ Scapegoating Minorities – Hitler blamed Jews; Trump blames immigrants and minorities, using policies like Muslim bans and mass deportations to justify authoritarian measures.

✔ Undermining the Free Press – Hitler called journalists the "Lügenpresse" (lying press); Trump brands them "Fake News" and the "Enemy of the People."

✔ Exploiting Crises – Hitler used the Reichstag Fire to justify emergency rule; Trump falsely claimed election fraud and incited the January 6 insurrection.

✔ Targeting the Judiciary – Hitler replaced independent judges with loyalists; Trump has packed courts with judges who will shield him from legal consequences.

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How Trump Could Stay in Power Indefinitely

Knocking down one of the basic pillars of democracy – free and fair elections – will significantly weaken the democratic regime. Trump could follow these pathways to extend his rule: