On this week’s episode of Assembly Required, Stacey Abrams breaks down the “Ten Steps to Autocracy,” a framework inspired by Princeton Professor Kim Scheppele that outlines the warning signs of a country sliding toward authoritarian rule. We’re watching Trump and the Republicans check off those steps in plain sight: expand and consolidate executive power, break down government institutions, sow distrust in the media, scapegoate vulnerable communities, incentivize violence, and their final goal: undermine free and fair elections in order to cement authoritarian rule. Today, Stacey is joined by Ari Berman, national voting rights correspondent at Mother Jones and author of Project 2026: Trump’s Plan to Rig the Next Election, to examine how Trump is poised to use this authoritarian playbook to undermine the 2026 midterms.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Learn & Do More:

• BE CURIOUS: Visit 10StepsCampaign.org to learn more about the Ten Steps Campaign and how you can help your friends, family, and community recognize the signs, activate, and build power together.
• SOLVE PROBLEMS: Pick one of the Ten Steps to Freedom and Power and make it your personal mission this week.
• DO GOOD: Reach out to someone who may be feeling lost, and share what you’ve learned. We grow our confidence by growing our numbers.

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