Is President Donald Trump an authoritarian? This question has been increasingly debated over the past year, particularly among some partisan Wikipedia editors who have crafted articles that assert this claim.
These editors have strategically used the same sources in a way that pushes this charged notion into numerous Wikipedia entries. The effect has been to transform these articles into something akin to ChatGPT, which references “proof” that portrays Trump as authoritarian.
The most prominent example of this is the Wikipedia entry titled “Donald Trump“. This article mentions the term “authoritarian” more than seven times as of October 3rd, including in the crucial introduction. Here, it suggests that the actions of the former president contribute to the decline of democracy.
Interestingly, the article doesn’t specify who defines Trump as authoritarian, which raises some questions. In a section labeled “Second Presidency,” editors claim that Trump’s dealings with civil society have been characterized as authoritarian by numerous legal experts and political scientists.
Wikipedia cites only three sources to substantiate this sweeping assertion. One of these is an April article from The Guardian, which is known for its left-leaning perspective. Interestingly, the article echoes claims by Harvard political scientist Stephen Levitsky, who suggests that Trump exhibits “an unexpected authoritarian instinct.” However, The Guardian is often critiqued for potential bias.
In fact, Levitsky is associated with Protect Democracy, a group with political interests—something that could indicate conflicts of interest. This pattern in Wikipedia’s portrayal of Trump enters a wider context of recent efforts to label him as a “fascist,” including new articles like “Donald Trump and Fascism,” which was published roughly six weeks ago ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
This approach is telling. Wikipedia editors seem to employ a “networked tale” technique, creating a web of articles that reinforce a single narrative. As such, the frequency of repetition across various entries aims to bolster the story being told.
Similarly, another article titled “Targeting of Political Opponents and Civil Society under the Second Trump Administration” echoes the main claims found in Trump’s article.
The language closely resembles that of the main article, asserting that Trump’s actions are described as authoritarian by legal experts and contribute to the erosion of democratic norms. It seems that many articles lean heavily on the same sources, particularly the aforementioned Guardian piece.
Another article, “Trumpism,” has referenced the term “authoritarian” over 20 times and claims that the movement aligns with right-wing authoritarian populism. Douglas Koelner, a UCLA professor specializing in critical theory, is cited to support this assertion.
Moreover, in discussions around claims of authoritarianism in various articles, comparisons with actual authoritarian leaders highlight significant discrepancies. For example, articles on figures like Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei or Cuban leader Raul Castro do not even mention the term “authoritarianism.” This contrasts sharply with how Trump is discussed in the Wikipedia context.
Convoluted as this may seem, when you ask AI systems like ChatGPT if Trump is an authoritarian, they tend to respond affirmatively, referring back to these Wikipedia articles as evidence.
While Wikipedia champions itself as a crowdsourced knowledge platform, this case illustrates how a few misguided editors can skew its depiction of complex issues.
