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One year ago, the landscape was entirely distinct. Before the US presidential election, reflective residents could recognize the country's deep flaws – its injustices and inequality – however they still could perceive it as the US. A free society. A country where constitutional order held significance. A state headed by a respectable and decent leader, even with his elderly years and declining health.

These days, in late October 2025, countless Americans hardly identify the nation we live in. People alleged as illegal immigrants are detained and shoved into vans, occasionally denied due process. The East Wing of the “people’s house” – is being destroyed to build a lavish dance hall. Donald Trump is harassing his political rivals or perceived antagonists and requesting legal authorities hand over a huge total of citizen dollars. Uniformed troops are deployed across metropolitan centers on false pretexts. The defense headquarters, rebranded the Defense Ministry, has effectively rid itself of day-to-day journalistic scrutiny as it spends potentially totaling nearly $1tn from citizen taxes. Universities, attorney offices, media outlets are buckling under the president’s threats, and wealthy elites are regarded as nobility.

“The United States, just months before its 250-year mark as the globe's top democratic nation, has tipped over the limit into authoritarianism and totalitarianism,” Garrett Graff, commented recently. “In the end, swifter than I imagined possible, it did happen here.”

Every morning starts with fresh terrors. And it is hard to comprehend – and agonizing to acknowledge – how deeply lost we are, and the speed at which it unfolded.

Nevertheless, it is known that the president was legitimately chosen. Even after his profoundly alarming initial presidency and despite the alerts that came with the understanding of the rightwing blueprint – following Trump himself declared plainly he intended to be a dictator just on day one – enough Americans elected him instead of Kamala Harris.

While alarming as today's circumstances may be, it’s even scarier to understand that we have only been three-quarters of a year into this presidential term. What will another 36 months of this downfall leave us? And what if the three years transforms into something even longer, because there is not anyone to stop this ruler from opting that a third term is necessary, possibly for security concerns?

Certainly, there is still hope. There are legislative votes in 2026 that could bring a different balance of power, in case Democrats recapture the Senate or House of Congress. There exist public servants who are trying to impose certain responsibility, for example lawmakers currently launching an investigation concerning the try to cash appropriation from the justice department.

And a national vote in the next cycle could start us down the road toward restoration precisely as the prior selection put us on this unfortunate course.

There are millions of Americans marching in urban areas of their cities, like they performed last weekend at democracy demonstrations.

An ex-cabinet member, wrote recently that “the great sleeping giant of the nation is stirring”, similar to past after the Communist witch-hunt era during the fifties or throughout the sixties activism or in the seventies crisis.

In those instances, the unstable nation finally returned to balance.

He claims he recognizes the indicators of that revival and sees it happening currently. As evidence, he points to the widespread marches, the widespread, bipartisan pushback against a television host's removal and the largely united refusal by journalists to sign the defense department’s demands they only publish what is sanctioned.

“The slumbering entity perpetually exists asleep until some venality turns extremely harmful, some action so contemptuous of societal benefit, certain violence so disruptive, that he is forced except to rise.”

It’s an optimistic take, and I value Reich’s experienced view. Maybe he’ll be validated.

In the meantime, the crucial issues endure: will the nation regain its footing? Can it retrieve its position in the world and its commitment to constitutional order?

Or do we need to admit that the national endeavor succeeded temporarily, and then – swiftly, totally – ended?

My pessimistic brain tells me that the latter is correct; that everything might be gone. My positive feelings, though, convinces me that we need to strive, through all methods possible.

Personally, as an observer of the press, that involves encouraging reporters to live up, more thoroughly, to their purpose of overseeing leadership. For different individuals, it could mean working on political races, or organizing rallies, or discovering methods to defend voting rights.

Less than a year ago, we were in a separate situation. Twelve months later? Or in several years? The fact is, we cannot predict. Our sole course is to strive to persevere.

What Offers Me Optimism Currently

The engagement I encounter in the classroom with young journalists, who are equally visionary and grounded, {always