Searching reporters’ homes, suing journalists and repressing citizen dissent are well-known steps toward autocracy

President Donald Trump’s threats against independent media and free speech look a lot like the actions of autocrats elsewhere intent on undermining the institutions meant to keep them in check.

By: Konstantin Zhukov, Indiana University; Institute for Humane Studies, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: January 14, 2026

Words: 1,317

Last Updated: 2 months ago

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By Konstantin Zhukov, Indiana University; Institute for Humane Studies

The FBI search of a Washington Post reporter’s home on Jan. 14, 2026, was a rare and intimidating move by an administration focused on repressing criticism and dissent.

In its story about the search at Hannah Natanson’s home, at which FBI agents said they were searching for materials related to a federal government contractor, Washington Post reporter Perry Stein wrote that “it is …

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