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Amanpour & Co.

What Makes People Want Autocracy?

What separates President Trump’s behavior from that of the average autocrat? Masha Gessen is a Russian-American journalist who has been writing about authoritarianism for decades. Their latest book, "Surviving Autocracy," makes the case that Trump’s presidency has endangered American democracy and the world’s faith in it. Gessen speaks with Michel Martin about all this--and about the road ahead.

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September 16, 2025
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David Frum; Petra Costa; Susan Mayne
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Martin Luther King III; Cynthia Miller-Idriss; Jenny Saville; Dan Wang
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Nick Paton Walsh; Sen. Elissa Slotkin; Jill Lepore; Matthew Cole
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Amos Yadlin; Mustafa Barghouti; Marwan Muasher; Aaron David Miller; Mina Al-Oraibi
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Michael Kofman; Ivan Briscoe; Jeremy Diamond; Stacey Abrams
September 5, 2025
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Lech Walesa; Elizabeth A. Hanks; Deanne Criswell; Katherine Landers; Dame Stephanie Shirley
September 4, 2025
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Yossi Belin; Hiba Husseini; Imani Perry; Dr. Michael Osterholm
September 3, 2025
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Kurt Campbell; Matthew Bartlett; Fania Oz-Salzberger; Emma Ashford
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Richard Haass; Ronen Bergman; Robert Reich
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David Scheffer; Mahmoud Khalil; Dr. Eric Topol
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