101 Ways the Trump Administration has Undermined the Health of American Society and Democracy, and How the American Public Can Respond
Newsletter #500 — October 22, 2026
We have two items to share with you today. First is an announcement from Harry Boyte, who asked that we post an invitation to a public meeting of the Braver Angels Citizen Scholars Council.
The seminar is entitled "From Subject to Citizen: Historical Perspectives on Courageous Citizenship." It is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 29, 12 pm Pacific/3pm Eastern. The seminar will address the founding and early American citizenship, citizenship as a force for social change, and citizenship in contemporary public life.
Register for the Civic Scholar's Council Seminar: From Subject to Citizen
Please share with friends, family, and professional networks who would be interested.
The second part of this newsletter is an essay submitted by one of our colleagues, whom we’ve known for years, but who asks to remain anonymous. In the first of our updated newsletters on Subversion, Newsletter 497, we quoted Dunam and Lakoff’s statement that “Putin failed to conquer Navalny or Ukraine. He’s had better luck with Trump’s GOP.“ We then noted that the 2024 version of that post had a long list of things that Trump has done to subvert American liberal democracy. Instead of repeating that, I said we had an entire post devoted to that coming soon. This is that post.
Since the full guest essay contains a list of 101 items, it is too long for our newsletter format. So we are sharing the author’s introduction here, and are linking to the actual list which covers actions relating to immigration, DOGE, retribution and January 6th, personnel decisions, claims and falsehoods, autocratic behavior, Iran, and a miscellaneous section entitled “Follies.”
Many of our readers will see this list as a perfectly reasonable and impartial summary of the anti-democratic failings of the Trump administration — a summary of the kinds of things that we all (red and blue) should have an interest in curtailing. Indeed, as the author says in his introduction, he is an independent, not a Democrat, and he is not trying to “pit one [side] against the other, as is done all too frequently, nor demonize anyone for their beliefs and perspectives.” At the same time, he argues, “it is important to pay attention to what is happening in society as objectively as possible and call out abuses of power and malintent when necessary.” He believes (and we would agree), now is such a time. “As members of a democratic republic,” he continues, “it is our responsibility to raise issues of concern and look for ways to remedy those concerns as positively as possible. ...It is through this lens that these observations are drawn.”
However, others, including, most obviously, those who are generally supportive of the broad goals of the Trump administration, are likely to point out areas on this list in which legitimate partisan differences regarding political views are being characterized as anti-democratic. We expect this group would be able to craft a similar list of the 101 anti-democratic things that the Biden administration has done, or that an incoming Democratic, progressive, or socialist administration might do, based on statements of what they advocate. And, not surprisingly, those with a more center-left perspective are likely to see that second list as biased.
Lacking the time to recruit somebody to create such a list, we decided to ask Claude to try to produce a parallel list.
We then asked Claude to compare the two lists, to point out areas of overlap, differences, weigh in on the notion that Trump has been more disruptive than earlier presidents, and point to things that both sides would likely agree need to be prevented or remedied in future administrations. Its observations were fascinating--and long. So we will share them in a coming post.”
Here, then, is our friend’s introduction to his original list, and here is the link to the full list. “
101 Ways the Trump Administration has Undermined the Health of American Society and Democracy, and How the American Public Can Respond - Introduction
by Inde Human
101 Ways is a compendium of actions taken by the Trump administration during the past 21 months. Many of the border issues of concern at the beginning of his second term have been addressed. Beyond that, however, a nonstop array of decisions and actions have resulted in detrimental impacts on American society, and globally. Because these actions have been wide-ranging, and coming in rapid succession, their significance can be lost – to our peril. We must learn not only from history, but from recent times well. That is the goal of this essay.
To provide some context for the observations noted in 101 Ways, they are drawn from my 40 years as a political Independent. In that span, I have voted in Presidential and other elections for both major political parties, third-party and independent candidates, depending on their platforms and what can be known about their character and leadership qualities. As with many others, I have friends who have supported President Trump through two administrations (so far), some who have decided they can no longer support him, and some who have never supported him for either policy or character reasons.
In this challenging social landscape, it is important that we refuse to pit one against the other, as is done all too frequently, nor demonize anyone for their beliefs and perspectives. In contrast, we should be striving to understand each other and respect the differences that may exist. Hopefully, in the process, we come to realize again that family and friends, and the welfare of our fellow citizens, are a far greater treasure than holding on to political dogma.
At the same time, it is important to pay attention to what is happening in society as objectively as possible and call out abuses of power and malintent when necessary – a time such as this. As members of a democratic republic, it is our responsibility to raise issues of concern and look for ways to remedy those concerns as positively as possible. This is paramount to ensuring government and other sectors of our society are operating, as they should, for the betterment of the American public, and the world more broadly.
It is through this lens that these observations are drawn. Many observations well documented from publicly accessible sources. Others are based on 30+ years of experience in the world of public policy involving leaders at every level of government and typically a diverse array of stakeholders. The observations are not a commentary on what are commonly termed conservative or progressive, or Republican or Democrat values. They are a commentary on the leadership and decisions of one man and those around him, independent of party, who currently resides in the White House.
Why focus in detail on the activities of President Trump? In the 75+ years since World War II, this presidency, by most measures, has clearly been the most disruptive to American society. Through his actions, he has challenged the legitimacy of the Constitution as no other president has. His level of effort to expand the reach of the presidency and executive privilege run counter to the safeguards built into the Constitution to provide balance between the three branches of government. Yes, other presidents from both parties have sought to expand presidential power, and complained about the press and judicial decisions, but not in the manner, spirit or extent to which this president has done so.
President Trump has also made it clear through both word and action that he does not work for all of the American public, only those who agree with his agenda. He has stated publicly that he is not interested in uniting the country. Erratic, ill-conceived decisions have wreaked havoc, with negative impacts on people across partisan lines and beyond our borders. While some of his policies have been widely supported, polls indicate that even more people believe their implementation have been unduly harsh – a reflection of character.
While policy considerations are certainly important, they should not overshadow issues of character and virtue. Important policies are usually implemented through a complex set of negotiations which require both major parties to come together to reach agreements. Much, if not most, of what a President is intended to do, however, is to model servant leadership, to bring parties together for solutions that benefit all Americans. Effective leadership rests on demonstrating high standards of integrity, honesty and accountability. These qualities are what guide leaders, especially in times of crisis, when the unexpected requires a rational, high-ground, well-conceived response.
So, as accomplishments in the first 100 days of a new Presidential administration are often used as the marker for a successful start, the 100 plus 1 actions identified are intended as a marker on how the Trump Administration has undermined the health of the American people and American democracy, with detrimental impacts on international relations and stability as well.
But this is only part of the story. What can we learn from current times and then do in response, to work towards the achievement of the aspirational values on which America is founded? Being a civil society, we need to make efforts, as objectively as possible, to learn from our experiences, our successes and our mistakes.
George Washinton warned the nation upon his departure from office that political parties are a danger when allegiance to a political party overrides allegiance to the underlying foundational principles of our nation (or when one party presumes it has all the answers). This can be further problematic if people put their faith in one person who continuously challenges the validity and intent of the constitution and puts his/her interests first. Further, unexamined loyalty to one party or person or policy approach can blind us to broader truths, realities, needs and concerns encountered by many in our society.
Here, then, are four examples of what we can learn and actions we can take to bring civil discourse and thoughtful decision-making back to forefront:
1. Oppose the divisiveness fostered by any elected official, including and perhaps especially , the president, since elected officials are expected to be responsive to the interests of all, not just those who agree with them. We need to support efforts to bring people together, to develop healthy relationships. As a counter to divisiveness, we can get involved in efforts to build bridges across differences – it’s much more satisfying and can change the course of the future.
2. Recognize that character matters. We have heard many people say, “Well, I don’t particularly like how he acts, but….” Or “He just likes to joke around and tweak people.” Or “character doesn’t matter as much as policies.” But perspectives which lead to diminishing the importance of character and integrity are now under a bright light. The character of our elected officials, as best as we can determine, must be an essential part of the equation for who receives our votes.
3. Be willing to grow beyond our tendency to be fed only by information that reinforces what we want to believe, for whatever reason. Let us not fall prey to partisan news outlets and other purveyors of information which feed people the information they want to hear, often demonize others, but never report the full story for fear of losing viewers. We can demand better by not ‘tuning in’ to media outlets or supporting leaders who deliberately misrepresent the issues or their opponents.
4. Reject efforts of those who foster divisive politics and simple one-approach solutions to complex issues and demand better, starting with ourselves. We can start by actively building stronger relationships with others in our communities. This includes supporting leaders who break out of the stale mold of using platitudes to promise what they cannot individually deliver, and who offer new ideas for solving problems rather than relying solely on negative campaigning. These changes will only come if we work for them together.
I offer the observations complied in 101 Ways with no pleasure. We need to root for our elected officials, regardless of their party, to do and be their best, and support them if at all possible. But we must not gloss over, or be held in such a state of malaise, that we ignore serious problems when they exist, and do nothing to counter and learn from them.
Heidi and Guy’s note: This newsletter links both to Inde Human’s list of Trump’s “follies,” and Claude’s parallel list of Biden’s and the Democrat’s follies. In our next newsletter, we will share some of Claude’s observations about the overlaps (and lack thereof) and explain why this is not a case of asserting “false equivalence,” but rather an exercise in understanding why both sides distrust the other and are so unhappy with the state of American democracy. We will also explore the surprisingly many suggestions Claude has about common concerns and ways of addressing them that both sides are likely to support. These supplement the ideas listed above, which we agree are likely to be helpful in addressing some, but by no means all, of these concerns.
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