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In late October 2024, the landscape was entirely distinct. Before the American presidential vote, reflective citizens could admit the country's serious imperfections – its injustices and disparity – but they continued to see it as the US. A democracy. A country where constitutional order meant something. A nation headed by a dignified and ethical leader, despite his elderly years and increasing frailty.

These days, as October 2025 ends, numerous citizens scarcely know the nation we inhabit. Persons believed to be undocumented migrants are detained and shoved into vans, at times refused legal rights. The eastern section of the “people’s house” – is being torn down for an obscene dance hall. The president is harassing his adversaries or alleged foes and insisting legal authorities hand over a massive sum of taxpayer money. Uniformed troops are being sent across metropolitan centers on false pretexts. The defense headquarters, renamed the Department of War, has – in effect – freed itself of regular press examination during its expenditure of possibly reaching close to a trillion USD in public funds. Universities, attorney offices, news companies are yielding from leader's menaces, and billionaires are regarded as aristocracy.

“America, only a few months ahead of its 250-year mark as the globe's top democratic nation, has crossed the edge into authoritarianism and totalitarianism,” a noted author, commented recently. “In the end, faster than I imagined possible, it did happen here.”

Each day begins to new horrors. It is hard to comprehend – and distressing to accept – how deeply lost we have become, and the speed at which it unfolded.

However, we know that the leader was legitimately chosen. Even after his profoundly alarming first term and even after the alerts that came with the awareness of Project 2025 – following Trump himself said publicly he planned to rule as a tyrant only on the first day – a majority of citizens chose him rather than the other candidate.

Frightening as today's circumstances is, it's more frightening to realize that we have only been several months into this administration. How will three more years of this decline leave us? And suppose the three years turns into something even longer, as there is no one to stop this ruler from determining that a third term is necessary, possibly for national security reasons?

Certainly, all is not lost. We will have legislative votes in 2026 which might bring a different governmental control, in case Democrats recapture the Senate or House of Congress. There are public servants who are trying to impose some accountability, for example Democratic congressmen who are starting a probe into the attempted cash appropriation from the justice department.

And a leadership election in the next cycle could start us down the road to recovery precisely as last year’s election set us on this regrettable path.

There exist countless citizens demonstrating in urban areas across municipalities, like they performed last weekend at democracy demonstrations.

Robert Reich, stated lately that “the slumbering force of the US is awakening”, similar to past post-McCarthyism in that decade or amid the Vietnam war protests or in the Watergate scandal.

During those times, the listing ship ultimately corrected itself.

Reich says he recognizes the signs of that revival and sees it happening now. For proof, he points to the large-scale demonstrations, the broad, cross-party resistance to a television host's removal and the largely united rejection by reporters to agree to military mandates they only publish authorized information.

“The dormant force perpetually exists dormant before some venality grows too toxic, a particular deed so disrespectful toward public welfare, some brutality so noisy, that it is forced except to rise.”

It’s an optimistic take, and I value the author's seasoned opinion. Perhaps he will prove to be right.

At the same time, the major inquiries remain: is the US able to regain its footing? Can it reclaim its position globally and its commitment to the rule of law?

Or should we recognize that the historical project worked for a while, and then – swiftly, totally – ended?

My pessimistic brain indicates that the latter is true; that everything might be gone. My optimistic spirit, however, tells me that we need to strive, in whatever ways available.

Personally, working in journalism analysis, that means encouraging reporters to live up, more fully, to their duty of scrutinizing authority. For some people, it could mean working on election efforts, or planning demonstrations, or finding ways to defend ballot privileges.

Less than a year ago, we were in a separate situation. In the future? Or after another term? The reality is, we are uncertain. The only option is to strive to not give up.

What’s Giving Me Hope Now

The interaction I encounter during teaching with aspiring reporters, who are both visionary and grounded, {always