ABSTRACT
Throughout his one-term presidency Trump broke many long-standing democratic norms and traditions and, on multiple occasions, skirted legality and moved into unlawful and authoritarian territory. In particular, there were three factors, which turned him into the first autocrat in the White House. They explain why Trump became the only president who was impeached twice by the US House of Representatives. There was, first, Trump’s frequent obstruction of justice; it was the basis upon which many of Trump’s illegal and autocratic activities as president rested, including some of his foreign policy decisions. Second, Trump actively courted autocrats abroad and White supremacists at home. Third, there was Trump’s adamant refusal to accept Joe Biden’s electoral victory in November 2020 and his insistence that he had in fact won the election. These three factors provide clear evidence for Trump’s undemocratic leanings and authoritarian presidency. This chapter explores them. But it was in particular the insurrection and storming of the Capitol building on January 6, 2021, which Trump actively incited, that exposed the real nature of his political convictions.
