Why the killings in Minneapolis could become a turning point for US and who can stop Trump

The killings of two innocent civilians – both US citizens – by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis this month may mark a turning point for the United States.

Read more about how Donald Trump is reshaping America and what consequences this may have in the column by Daron Acemoglu, the 2024 Nobel Prize laureate in economics: Bloody Minnesota: how Trump is attacking democracy in the United States and why the current events are decisive.

The author reminds readers that a key distinguishing feature of authoritarian governments is their ability to use excessive force against opponents.

Various institutional checks and the strength of norms against authoritarianism make it unthinkable for the police to engage in the indiscriminate killing of protesters in the United Kingdom.

In contrast, there was no surprise whatsoever when then-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad responded murderously to protests during the Arab Spring.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has now killed two innocent civilians: Renée Good, a mother of three who had just dropped her son off at school, and now Alex Pretti, an intensive-care nurse who was observing and recording an ICE raid.

"The Department of Justice has shown unwavering support for ICE’s arguably illegal actions, even refusing to investigate them," Acemoglu writes.

In his view, most significantly, however, by granting ICE agents de facto immunity, the Trump administration has given them a green light to ratchet up their violent tactics.

"If this violence goes unchecked, it could indeed be a turning point," the 2024 Nobel laureate in economics emphasises.

According to Acemoglu, in that case, the slide toward an authoritarian regime could become difficult to reverse, as civil society becomes prostrate in the face of mounting repression and the norms against such crackdowns become steadily eroded.

Acemoglu also notes that the two branches of government that are supposed to check the presidency (Congress and the Supreme Court) have proven to be highly solicitous of Trump’s agenda. And the equally important institutional check from independent agencies has also been weakened, especially by the president’s ability to appoint allies and cronies to key positions.

"The administration’s overarching aim is to form a type of unfettered imperial presidency – which is exactly how authoritarianism is consolidated, as contemporary examples from Hungary to Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Turkey, and Venezuela illustrate," the columnist argues.

In Acemoglu’s view, the biggest factor will be the resolve of civil society itself, starting in Minnesota.