Map of documented concerns about democratic backsliding: elections, courts and DOJ, press, military and policing, immigration, and rhetoric (index, Oct. 2026) Synthesis An index of GREED entries that document actions critics cite when they warn of democratic backsliding or authoritarianism under the second Trump administration, grouped by category, with the scholarly frameworks used to judge them and The Author (site author)'s view. It makes no factual claims of its own: each pointer leads to a sourced entry. Scholars disagree on whether labels such as fascism or competitive authoritarianism fit. Elections and voting See Election denial and interference efforts before the Nov. 2026 midterms: pardons, the Tina Peters case, Georgia's federal-intervention letters and National Guard troops near a DC ballot box: pardons for people tied to efforts to overturn the 2020 result, the Tina Peters case, Georgia's letters to DOJ and DHS, and National Guard troops near a DC ballot box. See Mail delays, USPS postmark changes, armed guards at postal plants and the DHS voter-records hunt: Hartmann's "election trap" claims checked (Oct. 2026) on mail delays, postmark changes and the DHS voter-records hunt, and Mid-decade redistricting push, the DOJ pretext letter, and Trump condoning it on mid-decade redistricting and the DOJ letter. See Jan. 6, 2021 and Trump's rhetoric: the impeachment, the committee, the court rulings, the pardons, and later incidents at his events (2021-2026) (draft) and Jake Lang: pardoned January 6 defendant's post-pardon conduct on Jan. 6 and the pardons. Courts, DOJ and use of state power against critics See Claims of immunity from law for Trump and federal agents on immunity claims for Trump and federal agents, and Congressional Republicans' hearings on Jack Smith (2026) on hearings targeting a former special counsel. See HSI search of Rep. Ilhan Omar's home (Oct. 12, 2026) on the Oct. 12, 2026 search of a member of Congress's home, and DOJ Civil Rights Division hiring under Harmeet Dhillon: about 130 new lawyers, NYT investigation (Oct. 7, 2026) on DOJ Civil Rights Division hiring. See DOJ senior counsel Michael Velchik — Hitler essay/Mein Kampf praise, Harvard case, press ban brief on a DOJ senior counsel, and 'Flood the zone': overwhelming courts, opposition, and the public on the strategy of overwhelming courts and opponents. Press and speech See Press freedom rollback — AP ban, Pentagon rules, CNN/MS NOW/Politico ban and Thesis: the administration uses lawsuits, FCC leverage and funding cuts to pressure news organizations on access bans, lawsuits, FCC leverage and funding cuts aimed at news organizations. See Cell-site simulator warrants sought against Don Lemon's producer, journalist Georgia Fort and a state Senate candidate (Jan. 2026) on surveillance warrants sought against journalists and a protest-linked producer. Military, policing and surveillance See Antifa terrorist designation and NSPM-7 domestic terrorism memo and NSPM-7 in practice: first prosecutions and civil society financial surveillance (2026) on the domestic-terrorism memo and its first prosecutions and financial surveillance. See Flock Safety and the expansion of license-plate surveillance to immigration enforcement and US-Israel law-enforcement channels: ICE spyware and forensics contracts and police exchange programs on license-plate surveillance and spyware contracts. See DHS "hunt them down" messaging and enforcement harms to U.S. citizens and DHS: seal redesign and 'at war' messaging on DHS messaging. See Hegseth's planned livestreamed firing squad execution of Nidal Hasan (Dec. 3, 2026), Hegseth's "No fatties, no trannies, no beardos" State of the Force speech and post and Hegseth's Pentagon undercounting/concealing US casualties in the Iran war on Pentagon leadership. Immigration enforcement See ICE detention funding surge and private contractor revenue (2025-2026), ICE agent conduct, vetting and accountability during the 2025-2026 hiring surge (ICE agent conduct and vetting), Marble Hill ICE shooting and removal of Oscar Belgal from hospital (Oct. 2026) and Ohio Immigrant Alliance "Worst of the Worst" report: 152 DHS agents and contractors accused of abuse. See "Alligator Alcatraz": Florida's state-run detention site and the FEMA money behind it (2025-2026) and Immigration enforcement and the immigrant workforce (2025-2026). Funding as leverage over states See DOGE 'Defend the Spend': delayed and frozen funding to states and CMS Medicaid funding deferrals and withholdings against states under the CRUSH initiative (2026) on delayed or withheld funds to states. Rhetoric and conduct See Trump's documented degrading and dehumanizing statements about people (hub) (hub), Presidential conduct: AI video mocking 'No Kings' protesters, AI-generated disinformation and deepfakes on Truth Social, Trump and White House post video of fatal tiger attack on UK man (Oct. 13, 2026), Trump shares Truth Social video compilation of lion attacks on people (Oct. 13, 2026) and Protester punched at Trump's Youngstown rally and Trump's remarks about her (Oct. 12, 2026) (draft). Blueprint documents See Heritage Foundation, Project 2025, and its implementation on Project 2025 and how much has been carried out. Perspectives Editorial read — The Author (site author) The Author's view is that the actions collected in this map form a pattern of escalating state and rhetorical violence and an effort to move the country toward an authoritarian or fascist system, and that this must be documented in detail and stopped. This is the Author's characterization. The map links to the sourced entries so readers can judge the pattern, and scholars disagree about which label fits. Expert view — Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way, and Robert Paxton (as cited by WFAE and ABC News) Levitsky and Way use \"competitive authoritarianism\" for election-related behavior, and Levitsky cites the Jan. 6 pardons as part of the picture. Historian Robert Paxton has said Jan. 6 removed his earlier reservations about the word fascism, while also saying the word generates more heat than light. Neither scholar's position, as summarized in these sources, is a verdict on every item in this map. Expert view — Historians who reject the fascism label (e.g., those surveyed by History News Network) In an informal 2016 survey of 16 historians of fascist-era countries, the vast majority did not consider Trump a fascist, usually because he does not lead a coherent movement with a specific ethos. They saw similarities in particulars or style rather than sufficient proof. The survey is old and small, and it predates Jan. 6 and the second term. Official position — Trump administration The administration's stated position, as recorded in the linked entries, is that its actions are lawful policy: for example, it describes the pardons as correcting a \"grave national injustice,\" its immigration enforcement as enforcing the law, and its election measures as election integrity. This map did not re-source those statements; see the individual entries for each, and add a direct statement per category where one is available. Research notes Navigation entry. Pointers use topic-id links and carry no citations of their own; check each linked entry for sourcing. Gaps to fill (no entry or thin sourcing yet): (1) courts: compliance with and defiance of court orders; (2) DOJ prosecutions of critics (Comey, James, Bolton and others) — search found no entry; (3) use of troops or National Guard in cities; (4) Hegseth's other media appearances (the thesis on rhetoric and violence needs specific, dated examples); (5) primary text of Project 2025 sections on the death penalty and executive power; (6) peer-reviewed research on rhetoric and political violence, including studies that cut against a causal claim; (7) the Author's thesis entry on leaders' rhetoric and public violence, not yet written. The scholarly references below are taken from the published election-denial entry and have not been re-read for this index. Note Whether these actions amount to authoritarianism or fascism is contested among scholars, and the administration describes its actions as lawful policy, election integrity and law enforcement. Sources [1] WFAE — Is the U.S. slipping into 'competitive authoritarianism'? (https://www.wfae.org/world/2026-05-13/is-the-u-s-slipping-into-competitive-authoritarianism) · 2026-05-13 [2] ABC News — What is fascism? A look at the term being hurled at Donald Trump (https://abc13.com/post/what-is-fascism-look-term-being-hurled-donald-trump/15467954/) · 2024-10-25 [3] History News Network — We Asked 16 Historians If They Think Trump Is a Fascist (https://www.historynewsnetwork.org/article/we-asked-16-historians-if-they-think-trump-is-a-fa) Connections Related — Author's working thesis (not a sourced finding) The Author's working thesis is the interpretive frame this map organizes sourced entries around. Related — Election denial and interference efforts before the Nov. 2026 midterms: pardons, the Tina Peters case, Georgia's federal-intervention letters and National Guard troops near a DC ballot box Index entry covering elections; that entry holds the sourced detail. Related — IRS delays release of data on the impact of the 2025 GOP tax law, 19 days before the midterms (Politico, Oct. 14, 2026) A data-transparency lead timed just before the midterms; no finding of intent. Related — Jan. 6, 2021 and Trump's rhetoric: the impeachment, the committee, the court rulings, the pardons, and later incidents at his events (2021-2026) Index entry covering Jan. 6 and rhetoric. Related — Map of documented war-related allegations against the administration: unlawful force, aid and intelligence leverage, and war-powers disputes (index, Oct. 2026) Companion index covering the military and policing category of backsliding concerns. Related — Press freedom rollback — AP ban, Pentagon rules, CNN/MS NOW/Politico ban Index entry covering press and speech.