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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 1, 2025
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David Scheffer; Mahmoud Khalil; Dr. Eric Topol
August 29, 2025
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Mustafa Barghouti; Karim Sadjadpour; David A. Graham
August 28, 2025
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David J. Bier; Siamak Namazi; Morad Tahbaz; Emad Shargi; Timothy Naftali
August 27, 2025
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Gary Samore; Elaine Sciolino; Mark Henson
August 26, 2025
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Ken Choi; Irina Borogan; Andrei Soldatov; Prabal Gurung
August 25, 2025
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John Kerry; Laura Bates; David Liu
August 22, 2025
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Colum McCann; Saman Yasin; Julie Andrews; Graydon Carter
August 21, 2025
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James Elder; Galia David; Tamir Hayman; Gov. Andy Beshear
August 20, 2025
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Francis Collins; Mstyslav Chernov; Carly Ann York
August 19, 2025
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Barry Diller; Tim Weiner; Dr. Jay Bhattacharya
August 18, 2025
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Rachael Cummings; Yuli Novak; Guy Shalev; Donald Whitehead Jr.
May 13, 2025
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Daniel Kurtzer; Jordan Thomas; Kelsey Grammer
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