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How I Learned to Spot an Autocrat

How I Learned to Spot an Autocrat

Authoritarians like Trump follow a familiar pattern. Trygve Olson has an eight-part guide on how they operate — and how they can be defeated.

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Searching for Hope
Jun 03, 2025
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How I Learned to Spot an Autocrat
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By Trygve Olson

This is the introduction to an eight-part series on the lessons I've learned confronting autocrats over the past thirty years. From post-Soviet capitals, across Africa, Asia, and South America to the frontline in America Today, I’ve seen how authoritarianism grows — and how democracy survives.

I didn’t grow up thinking I’d become an expert…

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Searching for Hope
Strategist. Pro-democracy fighter. Father. Wisconsinite. Green Bay Packers owner. Founding Lincoln Project advisor. Girl Dad, who writes about democracy, life lessons, and strategy, because we all need hope.
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