Seven Minutes to Midnight: Authoritarianism on the March

March 6, 2025: 11:53:00

Following a deeper assessment of events, the Democracy Death Clock has been adjusted from 8 minutes after Trump’s election and inauguration to 7 minutes to midnight as of today—marking an even more dangerous slide toward authoritarian rule. Since the beginning of 2025, key developments in executive power consolidation, economic nationalism, election interference, media suppression, and international destabilization have accelerated the collapse of democratic norms.

Seven Minutes to Midnight

After today’s Supreme Court ruling and the White House’s refusal to condemn rising political violence, the Democracy Death Clock has moved forward by another minute. We are now just 6 minutes from democratic collapse.

• The Supreme Court barely ruled against the White House’s illegal impoundment of funds.

• The administration hinted at legitimizing violence against judges.

• State courts continue to entrench partisan election laws.

We are no longer creeping toward authoritarianism—we are accelerating toward it. But why? What exactly happened, and what does it mean?