U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders has joined the chorus of politicians and pundits who warn that the United States is sliding into authoritarianism under Donald Trump. But he's kind of wrong about how.
There are indeed reasons to worry that civilian and constitutional rule are giving way to institutional post-democracy. President Trump's Cabinet and top White House staff contain enough military generals to give Pakistan a run for its money. Trump's party controls both the House and Senate yet he prefers to dash off executive orders rather than making the necessary effort to shepherd legislation through Congress. And of course there's his police-state rhetoric, like when he "joked" that cops should bash their suspects' heads into the sides of their squad cars.
But the most reliable indicator of looming authoritarianism can be found in the media, specifically in its obsession with the president.