Is Trump the Next Orbán?

Today I’m writing a piece for The Big Picture substack. It’s a piece some might take issue with, given the fear and anxiety Trump has engendered recently through his threats and lawsuits.

But I’ve been listening carefully to Trump’s recent threats and watching his lawyers and lackeys in action as he attacks his political opponents and the broadcast and print media.

And I am unimpressed by them.

To be sure, some big networks and papers, such as ABC News and the Washington Post, have disturbingly signaled they are ready to bend the knee and transact with Trump on his terms rather than stand upon principle. That is the road to what some are calling the “Orbánization” of America—where the U.S. becomes an illiberal democracy in the mould of Hungary under Viktor Orbán.

I’m a bit skeptical things have descended quite so far. To support this, I’ll look specifically at three instances that I believe show Trump’s threats are empty and could even embolden resistance: jailing members of the January 6 Committee, revoking FCC licenses of networks that cover Trump negatively, and a lawsuit to punish a paper for publishing a bad poll.

If you’d like to receive my analysis in your inbox, be sure you’re subscribed to The Big Picture. It’s free and a great complement to my daily writings here at The Status Kuo. Of course, we do love and appreciate whatever voluntary paid support you might like to give to our efforts!

I’ll see many of you later today over at The Big Picture, then back here tomorrow with The Status Kuo, where I’m pretty sure I need to talk about the looming government shutdown and Speaker Mike Johnson’s political future.

Yours in resistance,

Jay