The Bulwark Podcast Robert Kagan and Marianne Williamson: Slipping Into Dictatorship
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Feb 4, 2026 
Marianne Williamson, author and spiritual activist, and Robert Kagan, foreign‑policy scholar and Atlantic writer, discuss threats to American democracy and global order. They talk about risks of authoritarian power grabs, the dangers of a return to 19th‑century multipolarity, China and Taiwan, domestic intimidation tactics, and the need for moral and political renewal.
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Domestic Authoritarianism Erodes Global Trust
- Kagan warns the world must grasp the U.S. is slipping into dictatorship and adjust expectations accordingly.
- He says a non-democratic America will further erode shared values that underpinned alliances.
Anticipate Election Disruption Tactics
- Prepare for deliberate election disruption like delays, legal challenges, and claims of foreign interference.
- Protect democratic processes by monitoring intimidation tactics and ensuring institutions can respond quickly.
Domestic Operations Can Enable Power Seizure
- Kagan argues ICE operations and brutality can be used to intimidate non-white voters and spark unrest.
- He connects provoking riots to a playbook for invoking the Insurrection Act and expanding executive power.
