Attorney and voting rights activist Stacey Abrams is warning that President Donald Trump’s second term marks a dangerous shift in American governance — one she says is moving the country from democracy toward outright autocracy.
Speaking on MSNBC’s The Best People with Nicolle Wallace, Abrams contrasted Trump’s first administration (2017–2021) with his current presidency, which began in January 2025.
“Trump 1.0 was an attempt to weaponize democracy to achieve power. Trump 2.0 and the Republican agenda is to dismantle democracy, so you don’t have to accede to the wishes of the people,” Abrams said.
She outlined what she described as the four steps of democratic collapse, warning that Trump’s second term shows signs of each:
- The Last Free Election: In Trump’s first presidency, Abrams argued, elections were manipulated but still functioned within democratic norms. Now, she claims, the system itself is being reshaped to ensure fewer genuine contests.
- Exceeding Executive Power: She accused Trump of pushing legal boundaries — and in some cases breaking them outright — to consolidate presidential authority.
- Weakening Congress and the Courts: Abrams pointed to a complicit Congress and a Supreme Court unwilling to act as meaningful checks on the presidency. She cited Chief Justice John Roberts’ past remarks that the Court could not stop the president as a troubling sign of judicial passivity.
- Breaking Government from Within: According to Abrams, Trump’s second term strategy is to gut federal agencies and weaken public trust, creating a disconnect between citizens and democratic institutions.
Abrams warned that this erosion of trust represents the final blow: “Democracy works when people believe their votes matter. When you break government, you break democracy itself.”
Her remarks come amid escalating debates in Washington over Trump’s aggressive use of executive orders, his clashes with federal agencies, and his administration’s sweeping reshaping of election oversight.
Critics argue that these moves amount to a deliberate strategy to tilt the political system in favor of permanent one-party control.
For Abrams, the distinction between Trump’s first and second terms is clear: one bent democracy to his will, the other is intent on dismantling it altogether.
