A Second Trump Term Poses Significant Risk to American Democracy

Media Contacts: Danielle Brian, Executive Director of the Project On Government Oversight (POGO), [email protected]; or Caitlin MacNeal, Communications Director at POGO, [email protected] 

Given the policies President-elect Donald Trump proposed on the campaign trail, a second Trump presidency poses serious risks to our democracy and the people who call it home.  

He has recommended policies that would further expand presidential power and likely lead to abuses. He has suggested that deportations at the southern border will be violent, proposed using the National Guard to respond to crime, and touted plans to politicize the federal workforce.  

“POGO stands ready to hold Trump and his administration accountable for any corruption or abuses of power, and to work with policymakers across the political spectrum to protect American democracy,” said Danielle Brian, executive director of the Project On Government Oversight. “We called for Trump’s impeachment and conviction by the Senate twice, and subsequently declared him unfit for public office. We continue to be concerned about the policies Trump has proposed and how they could threaten our freedoms and the rule of law.” 

At POGO, we hold the firm belief that no political party is immune from corruption or abuse of power. We know Trump is not the only threat to our democratic system. POGO has spent decades working through numerous administrations and Congresses, and we have seen our fair share of corruption across the political spectrum.  

We also know our system of checks and balances was already eroded by corruption and abuse of power when Trump began his first term in office. People of color and other marginalized communities have long felt the impacts of government abuse of power.  

But we must acknowledge the harms the first Trump administration caused to so many people living in this country — and the threats his policies pose to American democracy.  

During his first term in the Oval Office, Donald Trump deepened existing cracks in our democratic system and actively worked to harm our institutions. He expanded presidential power and governed with glaring financial conflicts of interest. He obstructed Congress and broke the law. He sought to undermine the 2020 presidential election, ultimately inciting a deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol.  

Without action, we could see further democratic backsliding in this country. POGO will continue our work to ensure our political leaders cannot abuse their power free from consequences and to help enact guardrails to protect our democratic system.