Stacey Abrams Says Trump’s a Step Away From Ending Democracy, Leavitt Levels Her [WATCH]

Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live this week and made a series of claims suggesting that President Donald Trump is steering the United States toward autocracy.

The comments were made during a segment hosted by actor Anthony Anderson, who was serving as guest host for the evening.

Abrams, who has never held elected statewide office, outlined what she described as the “10 steps to autocracy” and argued that Trump has already completed several of them.

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“Start with winning an election,” she said, “usually the last one you’ll get to have for real.”

She cited countries such as Brazil, India, Russia, and the Philippines as examples of democracies that, in her view, transitioned into autocratic regimes using similar steps.

According to Abrams, the process of autocracy includes consolidating executive power and weakening other branches of government, including Congress and the judiciary.

“Like, I don’t know, the Supreme Court is giving you unfettered power and saying we don’t have the ability to stop things,” she said, without offering specific rulings to support the claim.

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Abrams did not mention the Biden-Harris administration’s 2022 decision to move forward with student loan forgiveness, despite a Supreme Court ruling declaring the plan unconstitutional.

Nor did she reference that President Trump has been the target of four criminal indictments under the Biden-Harris administration, prompting critics to point to what they consider politically motivated prosecutions.

Abrams went on to claim that autocracies “gut the civil service” and install loyalists in federal law enforcement, including the FBI.

“So they go after your enemies,” she said.

She did not address criticism directed at the Biden-era Justice Department, which has overseen the prosecution of Trump and several of his political allies.

As part of her autocracy checklist, Abrams also accused Trump of seeking to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, framing his stance as an attempt to “find someone to blame.”

She cited Trump’s recent deployment of U.S. Marines and National Guard forces in Los Angeles as an example of escalating authoritarian behavior.

“You send the U.S. Marines into spaces where they should not be, you send the National Guard in, you kidnap people off of the streets and pretend that’s normal,” Abrams said.

AND we are still waiting for Stacy Abrams to be arrested and charged for her money laundering through USAID.

Hello @AGPamBondi @EagleEdMartin https://t.co/7nsVWSk8QM

— Kate (@kate_p45) July 8, 2025

The reference appeared to relate to Trump’s use of federal forces to secure ICE operations in Los Angeles.

The deployment was ordered after violent demonstrations broke out, with rioters targeting federal buildings and agents.

According to reports, the protests were joined by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who was seen attempting to block an Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid in a park known for gang activity.

Abrams concluded her remarks by stating, “Once you’ve done those nine steps, step 10 is easy. That’s when you decide there won’t be new elections because everyone’s either afraid, poor, broken, or complicit.”

Abrams has herself made repeated claims that the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election, which she lost to Governor Brian Kemp, was stolen. In a 2019 statement, she said, “I didn’t lose. I got the votes. But we won’t know exactly how many because of how they cheated.”

More recently, several nonprofit groups tied to Abrams have come under scrutiny.

IRS complaints have been filed alleging the organizations may have violated federal law by campaigning in support of Abrams and other political candidates under the guise of nonpartisan activity.

Karoline Leavitt went off on Stacey Abrams: “I can’t believe I heard stupid Stacey Abrams say that deportations k*ll democracy. Newsflash Stacey, wide open borders k*lls democracy.”pic.twitter.com/KWxsS8CWZB

— Thomas Sowell Quotes (@ThomasSowell) July 9, 2025

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