The website "Is This a Coup?" explains that a coup is "the undemocratic seizure of power." Are we currently in a coup? Well, not quite yet. The Coup-o-meter on their website shows that we have passed through soothing green "Democracy" and even troubling yellow "Preparing for a coup," as we currently sit at dangerously orange "Attempted coup," on the way to emergency red "Coup."
To summarize: "A coup is in progress, but has not been consolidated."
In addition to the visual representation of our march toward a coup, "Is This a Coup?" documents the current political events that are leading us there, including the Trump/Musk regime's unconstitutional targeting of journalists, federal workers, activists, academics, scientists, and more.
The website also provides an informative (and frightening) overview of our current marching-toward-a-coup situation:
This attempted coup is different than the previous attempt in that Trump is the head of the executive branch, but he is attempting to use unconstitutional means to overturn the separation of powers between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches . . .
The President of the United States is in the process of placing the entirety of the Federal government under his own control using methods that are in direct violation of the U.S. Constitution.
This is a coup.
Coup leaders consolidate power by seizing control of key government agencies, media, infrastructure, and financial institutions.
Often, the military has been used to take control, but that is not the only method: Controlling institutions is the key to a successful coup.
Modern countries run on money and data, so controlling both is key. Trump/Musk have not yet consolidated control, but they are targeting the key financial and information systems of the United States.
There is still time to resist, but real damage is being done to the systems that the United States is dependent on for day-to-day operations.
The website also describes how coup leaders can only succeed when citizens grant them legitimacy and cooperate with the coup, and when the public, politicians, and the media feel and behave as if the coup is inevitable. We must resist feeding that momentum, and fight back!
"Is This a Coup?" and the Coup-o-meter are a project of Dissent Pins, who describe themselves as designers and organizers who "create tools and actions to support organizations working for a more just and democratic world." Check out the Coup-o-meter here.
