How did Trump threaten American self-government when he was president?

Top Stories

Home>
Ethics & Leadership>

        Podcast: How did Trump threaten American self-government when he was president?
    

        Getty Images
    
By The FulcrumSep 01, 2023
The Fulcrum
The Fulcrum staff.
 See More Writings by author 
In this podcast episode, Miles Taylor talks about the resistance to Donald Trump when he was president. Taylor is the author of Blowback: A Warning to Save Democracy from the Next Trump. He served in the Trump administration as the Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Before that, Taylor worked in Congress and served in the George W. Bush administration. 
How did administration officials counter the threat to American self-government that they believed Donald Trump posed when he was president? Why did some Republicans resist the president while others supported him? What will happen if Trump - or Trumpism - wins the presidency in 2024? Can a great civic awakening prevent that scenario from happening? And what is the “axis of adults?” These are some of the questions hosts Miles, Julia, and Lee dive into in this peak behind the curtain. 
This episode is from the Politics In Question podcast as a part of The Democracy Group. 
Take a listen.

Join a growing community committed to civic renewal.
Subscribe to The Fulcrum and be part of the conversation.

        Confirm that you are not a bot.
      

        ×
      
Latest news
Ethics & Leadership
        The USOPC Ought to Reassess the Ted Stevens Act
    
Howard Gorrell
10h
Civic Engagement & Education
        The Professions Have Gone Hollow. The Jeanes Teachers Knew How to Rebuild Them.
    
Robert M. Ceresa
10h
Bridging & Common Ground
        The Moral Distance Between Our Dead and Theirs
    
Edward Saltzberg
11h
Community
        Federal trucking crackdown reaches Wisconsin as English-language rules tighten
    
Angeles  Ponpa
12h

The Top 5

Trump Cannot Cry “Election Interference” in the US While Meddling in Brazil

Discover More

In this podcast episode, Miles Taylor talks about the resistance to Donald Trump when he was president. Taylor is the author of Blowback: A Warning to Save Democracy from the Next Trump. He served in the Trump administration as the Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Before that, Taylor worked in Congress and served in the George W. Bush administration.

How did administration officials counter the threat to American self-government that they believed Donald Trump posed when he was president? Why did some Republicans resist the president while others supported him? What will happen if Trump - or Trumpism - wins the presidency in 2024? Can a great civic awakening prevent that scenario from happening? And what is the “axis of adults?” These are some of the questions hosts Miles, Julia, and Lee dive into in this peak behind the curtain.

This episode is from the Politics In Question podcast as a part of The Democracy Group.

Take a listen.

From Your Site Articles

Read More
US President Donald Trump arrives onstage for a campaign rally in the Mitchell Center at the University of South Alabama on Oct. 2, 2026, in Mobile, Alabama.

         (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/TCA)
    

        Trump’s obsessions help bury GOP chances
    
S.E. Cupp
Oct 10, 2026
Maine Sen. Susan Collins is facing one of the toughest reelection battles of her lifetime. And at Tuesday night’s debate, she was clearly on the defensive.
This race should not have been this competitive. Collins has held this seat for five terms. And while Maine has voted for the Democrat in every presidential election since 1992, it still has a fierce independent streak, and a healthy Republican base.
Keep ReadingShow less
Recommended
Glossary
        Redistricting
    
The Fulcrum
01 January 2025
Democracy
        Balance – The Golden Mean
    
Amy Lockard
19 May 2025
Governance & Legislation
        Trump's and Hegseth’s Officer Firings Put Pentagon Stability at Risk
    
Steve Corbin
11 May
Governance & Legislation
        What Will It Take To Truly Negotiate Paid Leave? Getting to "Yes" on Three Questions
    
Vicki Shabo
09 May
Ethics & Leadership
        A President in Sheep’s Clothing and a Democracy in Decline
    
Carolyn  Goode
16 March
Democracy
        Independents and Republicans May Hold the Power in Los Angeles – If They Actually Vote
    
Ivn  Editorial Board
27 April
Schools teach civics all day through grading and discipline policies. When rules aren’t enforced consistently, students learn that institutions can’t be trusted.

        Getty Images, FreshSplash
    

        What Schools Teach When the Rules Stop Mattering
    
Rebecca Burtram
Oct 09, 2026
Long before Americans decide whether to trust the government, respect workplace expectations, or take responsibility within their communities, they spend more than a decade learning how institutions work. Institutional credibility is learned, and schools are one of the first places students experience whether rules are legitimate, predictable, fair, and meaningful.
While formal civics courses teach the branches of government, voting, rights, constitutional structures, and maybe even civil discourse, there is also a hidden civics curriculum taking place daily. These lessons are taught through the policies and practices of the school. Research on adolescent institutional trust describes adolescence as a period when young people develop beliefs about the fairness and legitimacy of institutions, with their experiences with authority playing a role in the trust they develop.
Keep ReadingShow less

        American flags fly near Washington Monument.
    

        Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images
    

        America’s Democracy Needs a Renewal Movement
    
Christopher Purdy
Oct 09, 2026
Every election now feels existential.
That's the word NYU law professor Richard Pildes used in a recent New York Times interview with Sarah Isgur: many Americans on both sides of the political spectrum are convinced the country will never be the same if the other side wins. He points to a striking pattern. Since 2000, control of the House, the Senate, or the White House has changed hands in every election but two. Razor-thin margins, enormous stakes, and fading trust in institutions add up to real dread.
Keep ReadingShow less
People voting

        Hill Street Studios/Getty Images
    

        Catch a Wave
    
Joan Blades
Oct 09, 2026
Millions of Americans no longer fully trust our elections, and the mid-term elections are on Tuesday, November 3rd. Can we fix this? We can make a meaningful impact if enough of us choose to join. After this election, we can keep building trust for all the right reasons.
While talking with faith leaders about Faith in America events this fall, I heard concern that we lack sufficient time to make this as fabulous and widespread as it needs to be. We have a vision of massive engagement to help shift us toward a culture of faith in our elections and trust in each other.
Keep ReadingShow less
Load More

Site Navigation

The President Invited Iran to Bomb My Home

How Anti-Bribery Laws Apply to Trump’s Promise of $5,000 Payments if Republicans Keep Control of Congress

New York Is Making Childcare Affordable. Don’t Forget the People Providing It.

Beyond Campus Walls: Why the Attack on Minority Support Should Worry Every Donor

Supreme Court Restores Flawed Federal Voter‑Check System

Podcast: How did Trump threaten American self-government when he was president?

Latest news

The USOPC Ought to Reassess the Ted Stevens Act

The Professions Have Gone Hollow. The Jeanes Teachers Knew How to Rebuild Them.

The Moral Distance Between Our Dead and Theirs

Federal trucking crackdown reaches Wisconsin as English-language rules tighten

The Top 5

Immigration, Borders, and Belonging: Toward a More Honest Conversation

Our National Debt Won’t Bankrupt Us. It Can Still Paralyze Us.

The Second AI Election: Testing the Safeguards Before November

Schmitt’s smoking gun backfires on him

Trump Cannot Cry “Election Interference” in the US While Meddling in Brazil

Discover More

Read More

Trump’s obsessions help bury GOP chances

Recommended

Redistricting

Balance – The Golden Mean

Trump's and Hegseth’s Officer Firings Put Pentagon Stability at Risk

What Will It Take To Truly Negotiate Paid Leave? Getting to "Yes" on Three Questions

A President in Sheep’s Clothing and a Democracy in Decline

Independents and Republicans May Hold the Power in Los Angeles – If They Actually Vote

What Schools Teach When the Rules Stop Mattering

America’s Democracy Needs a Renewal Movement

Catch a Wave

Latest Stories

Join a growing community committed to civic renewal.

Podcast: How did Trump threaten American self-government when he was president?

Join a growing community committed to civic renewal.

Latest news

Read More

Recommended