The High Costs of Authoritarianism: David Frum on Trump’s Policies at Home and Abroad
JUDJ-Prepared Summary from September 17, 2025 | America’s Democracy: Where Do We Go From Here? The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the speaker.
In a recent America at a Crossroads discussion, David Frum—political commentator, former speechwriter for President George W. Bush, and senior editor at The Atlantic—spoke about the real-world consequences of authoritarian-style governance. Moving beyond rhetoric, Frum outlined how economic policies, immigration crackdowns, attacks on science, and distortions of history carry heavy costs for Americans and weaken democratic society.
Tariffs and the Hidden Tax on Families
Frum highlighted tariffs as one of the most tangible examples of how Trump’s policies burden ordinary Americans. While the administration frames tariffs as a tool of economic nationalism, the reality is higher prices for everyday goods. In August alone, tariffs extracted roughly $30 billion from consumers—more than the entire cost of Trump’s much-touted “no tax on tips” plan. Coffee, groceries, holiday decorations, and clothing all cost more because of deliberate policy choices. Far from benefiting working families, tariffs function as a regressive tax, shifting financial strain from the wealthy to those least able to absorb it.
Immigration Enforcement on a Massive Scale
Another central pillar of Trump’s agenda, Frum explained, is the expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) into a law enforcement body larger than the FBI or DEA. With an enormous budget and low hiring standards, ICE is empowered to carry out mass raids—such as the high-profile operation at a Hyundai facility in Georgia that ensnared South Korean engineers and executives, damaging relations with a key ally. Beyond foreign policy fallout, the broader strategy is one of intimidation: spreading fear in immigrant communities, discouraging even legal residents from public life, and deterring voter turnout in areas the administration views as politically unfavorable.
Undermining Science and Public Health
Frum expressed deep concern about the administration’s assault on biomedical research and public health institutions. He pointed to appointees such as RFK Jr., who openly deny the germ theory of disease, as emblematic of a dangerous drift away from evidence-based policy. The damage, he warned, will not be immediate but long-lasting. Because medical breakthroughs depend on decades of research, disruptions today may leave the world vulnerable to resurgent or new diseases in the 2030s and beyond. Already, the consequences are visible in the return of illnesses like measles and fears about polio.
Rewriting American History
Alongside economic and scientific concerns, Frum noted efforts to reshape cultural memory. One example: removing images of slavery, such as the well-known photograph of Peter Gordon’s scarred back, from Smithsonian exhibits. For Frum, these efforts to sanitize history reflect a deeper political project: fostering a narrative of grievance while downplaying evidence that contradicts it. Authoritarianism, he argued, doesn’t just control the present; it rewrites the past to consolidate power.
Global Fallout: From Mexico to Ukraine
On foreign policy, Frum described a pattern of destabilizing choices. Drone flights over Mexico, conducted without consent and later retroactively approved, reflect appeasement from Mexican leadership rather than protection of sovereignty. Meanwhile, U.S. posture toward Ukraine has been one of delay and obstruction, with promises of aid often evaporating into inaction. The result, Frum suggested, is a steady tilt toward Russia, raising doubts about America’s reliability as an ally and emboldening authoritarian leaders abroad.
A Heavy Price
Frum’s overarching point was clear: authoritarian approaches may appear to offer quick wins, but they exact profound costs—higher household expenses, weaker public health, distorted history, damaged alliances, and eroded freedoms. The burden falls not only on political opponents but on everyday citizens, both in their wallets and in their rights.
The lesson, Frum concluded, is that democracy and prosperity are intertwined. When governments abandon transparency and accountability, it is ordinary people who pay first—and most dearly. The challenge for citizens is to recognize these costs, resist intimidation, and insist on policies that reflect democratic values rather than authoritarian impulses.
About America at a Crossroads
Since April 2020, America at a Crossroads has produced weekly virtual programs on topics related to the preservation of our democracy, voting rights, freedom of the press, and a wide array of civil rights, including abortion rights, free speech, and free press. America at a Crossroads is a project of Jews United for Democracy & Justice.