As President Donald Trump’s second term enters its closing months, the United States finds itself at a crossroads, with the nation’s democratic fabric under strain and the boundaries of presidential power being tested as never before. In a series of unprecedented moves, Trump has wielded the authority of his office to pursue political retribution, target perceived enemies, and consolidate power in ways that critics say threaten the very foundations of American democracy.
According to Pearls and Irritations, the U.S. was already labeled a “flawed democracy” before Trump’s reelection. But since his return to office, the pace of democratic erosion has quickened, with Trump’s actions casting a darker and more autocratic shadow over the nation. The separation of powers—long considered a cornerstone of American governance—has been fundamentally undermined, as Trump increasingly blurs the lines between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
Recent weeks have seen a dramatic escalation. Trump called on U.S. Attorney-General Pam Bondi to ramp up investigations into his political opponents, including former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney-General Letitia James, and Democratic Senator Adam Schiff. The president’s demand was soon followed by the resignation of Erik Siebert, the U.S. attorney for East Virginia, who stepped down after refusing to bring charges against Trump’s targets, citing insufficient evidence. Siebert’s removal drew sharp rebuke from legal circles. Abbe Lowell, a lawyer for Letitia James, called it a “brazen attack on the rule of law,” warning, “Punishing this prosecutor, a Trump appointee, for doing his job sends a clear and chilling message that anyone who dares uphold the law over politics will face the same fate.”
Siebert was replaced by Lindsey Halligan, Trump’s former personal lawyer and a special assistant in the White House, signaling a further tightening of loyalty-based appointments within the administration. This move was just one in a series of actions that have alarmed legal experts and opposition lawmakers alike. According to TVNZ, Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, stated, “Donald Trump has made clear that he intends to turn our justice system into a weapon for punishing and silencing his critics.” Warner called the interference “a dangerous abuse of power” and emphasized, “Our system depends on prosecutors making decisions based on evidence and the law, not on the personal grudges of a politician determined to settle scores.”
The pressure campaign reached a new high when, on September 25, 2025, a grand jury indicted James Comey for allegedly lying to Congress during 2020 testimony. Trump celebrated the indictment, posting “JUSTICE IN AMERICA!” on social media, while Comey maintained his innocence and expressed confidence in the judicial process. “My heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I have great confidence in the federal judicial system, and I am innocent,” Comey said in a video statement.
But the campaign of retribution has not stopped with Comey. Trump’s Justice Department has pursued mortgage fraud investigations into Letitia James and Adam Schiff—both of whom have denied any wrongdoing. Attorney General Pam Bondi named a special prosecutor to oversee these cases, while the Department also began examining allegations against Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, who has successfully challenged Trump’s efforts to remove her from office. Trump has now appealed to the Supreme Court to force Cook’s ouster, a move critics see as an attempt to erode the central bank’s independence.
Trump’s efforts have extended beyond the legal system. He has called for the impeachment of 11 federal judges who ruled against his administration, with these judges and their families facing threats and harassment. The president also pardoned nearly 1,600 people connected to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot—a move widely interpreted as an attempt to rewrite the legacy of that day and solidify loyalty among his base.
In another controversial step, Trump ordered the gerrymandering of electoral boundaries to ensure a Republican majority in the mid-term elections, undermining the principle of “one vote, one value.” He has issued a flurry of executive orders, bypassing Congress to enact laws—one of which targeted law firms that had previously investigated him. These actions, according to Pearls and Irritations, are hallmarks of rule by decree, a key attribute of autocratic regimes.
First Amendment protections have also come under attack. Trump has used the power of his office to suppress criticism from both individuals and the media, filing lawsuits against print outlets and threatening to revoke licenses or funding from broadcasters critical of him. Earlier this week, he threatened ABC over its programming decisions, boasting, “I think we’re going to test ABC out on this. Let’s see how we do. Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars. This one sounds even more lucrative.”
Trump’s antagonism toward his opponents has been blunt and personal. At a funeral-turned-political rally for slain right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, he declared, “I hate my opponents and I don’t want the best for them,” even accusing former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden of “treason.” Such rhetoric, paired with the firing of “disloyal” civil servants—including the heads of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Defense Intelligence Agency—has fostered a climate of fear and enforced loyalty within the federal workforce.
The president’s reach has even extended to the personal security of his rivals. Trump stripped Secret Service protection from several former officials, including his 2024 Democratic rival Kamala Harris, members of Joe Biden’s family, and former aides such as John Bolton and Mike Pompeo. He has also revoked security clearances for attorneys at disfavored law firms and pulled billions in federal research funds from elite universities.
Financial self-interest has not been absent from Trump’s tenure. Days before taking office, he launched the “Trump meme coin” ($Trump), then swiftly deregulated the cryptocurrency industry, leading to a 50% jump in the coin’s value and a personal profit of over $1 billion by mid-2025. Trump also greenlit the sale of restricted semiconductor chips to the UAE after a $2 billion investment in his business and accepted a $440 million jet from Qatar—transactions that, according to Pearls and Irritations, amount to the sort of brazen conflicts of interest more commonly seen in authoritarian states.
As Trump’s second term continues, the consequences of these actions ripple outward—testing the resilience of American institutions and raising urgent questions about the nation’s democratic future. With more than three years left in his presidency, the world is watching to see how the United States will respond to a leader determined to redefine the limits of executive power.
