Our enfeebled guardrails are still vastly stronger than the ones existing in Russia when Putin took power. But in Trump’s second term, the unthinkable cannot be ruled out. Besides, what outright thuggery accomplished in Russia, mercenary interests and cowardice may accomplish in the United States.
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/how-far-will-trump-go-in-attacking-press-bezos-washington-post-cbs-60-minutes-paramount-fcc-first-amendment