Historian says Trump win brings ‘authoritarianism and dictatorship’ to US, says Trump could ban historians

Liberal presidential historian and frequent MSNBC guest Michael Beschloss uttered a dire prediction about former President Trump securing re-election this week.

Appearing on MSNBC’s "Morning Joe" on Tuesday morning, the commentator said that if America chose Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris, it would have chosen a dictatorship over democracy.

"In the future, historians are going to look back on this day and say, this is the day that America made a choice between freedom and democracy on one side and authoritarianism and dictatorship on the other," Beschloss said. 

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"Morning Joe" co-host Willie Geist prompted Beschloss’ assessment, asking about how he and other historians view this year’s Election Day as a "hinge day" in America’s history.

"This does feel in many ways like a hinge day, which is to say we’re going down one of very two different paths by perhaps tomorrow morning," Geist declared, inviting the commentator to weigh in.

Beschloss agreed with that sentiment and then insinuated that future historians may not be able to characterize Nov. 5, 2024, as such a "hinge day" if Trump gets into office, because he will outlaw historical records of his time in office. 

"If historians in the future are allowed to write books – and by the way that question is open this morning. And if people are allowed to go on television and say what they think in the future – which again that question is open this morning," he continued, adding the line about dictatorship under Trump.

Co-host Joe Scarborough chimed in, adding to Beschloss’ Orwellian prediction.

"It’s not that historians won’t be able to write those books, it may be that the billionaires and the corporations that own the publishing houses will refuse to print those books," he said.

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"Absolutely," the guest said. Scarborough continued, "We have seen that with the L.A. Times, we have seen that with The Washington Post."

Both The Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post declined to endorse a presidential candidate this year at the behest of their owners. USA Today also declined to endorse either Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris this year.

Scarborough noted how powerful leaders throughout the world are already bracing and "preemptively kowtowing to someone they fear will be an authoritarian leader." He then ripped Post owner Jeff Bezos, accusing him of coercing his paper to not endorse Harris for fear of Trump’s wrath.

Beschloss followed up by comparing Trump to 20th century dictators. 

"And that’s what happens when strongmen come to power," he said. "That happened in Italy in the 1920s and 1930s. Germany in the 1930s – certainly has happened in Hungary. And Viktor Orbán, of course, is one of Donald Trump’s most notorious heroes. He said, we should follow that model, and so it may be."

"And this is what happens when America begins to go toward dictatorship," Beschloss added.