Donald Trump is resurrecting a 227-year-old law and digging up long-dead authoritarian mandates that will silence free speech and criminalize our work.
In his inaugural address, Trump announced he’d invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to “eliminate the presence of all foreign gangs and criminal networks.”
But this isn’t about safety — it’s about crushing dissent and getting rid of anyone who isn’t rich, white, and English-speaking.
It’s also about making sure no one is able to speak out about it.
The Alien Enemies Act was part of a package of laws passed in 1798, including the infamous Sedition Act.
While the Sedition Act, which criminalized criticism of the government, is no longer in effect, Trump is reviving its spirit through his actions.
Through executive orders and policy changes, Trump is creating a de facto environment of the Sedition Act (actual laws be damned), where even peaceful American citizens who criticize the government could face consequences — and the GOP is okay with it.
This is just like Putin’s Russia.
Critics of Trump and the GOP might experience retaliation through investigations, lawsuits, loss of security clearances, or other forms of intimidation — such as prison.
Critics like us.
And if the Trump administration did want to deport an American citizen or detain one at Guantánamo Bay, who could stop them? How would we even know?
Trump’s playbook mirrors that of autocrats: criminalize dissent by labeling activists, journalists, and record keepers as enemies, weaponize xenophobia to scapegoat immigrants, and control the narrative by threatening those who challenge his lies.
This is how democracy crumbles — through fear, through turning citizens against each other, and through stripping away our rights more swiftly than we ever thought possible.
Now more than ever, we must all ask ourselves if we’re willing to face prison time — or worse — for standing up for what’s right and fighting to preserve truth and democracy.
At Trump File, we are.
When democracies die by the hands of elected leaders, most of the citizens don’t know what’s happening until it’s YEARS too late. We refuse to let that happen here.
Thank you for being a reader, for believing in democracy, and for making our efforts worth the risk.
The Team at Trump File
