Snyder: Tech Billionaires Use Trump as Gateway to US Government Power

Timothy Snyder, a professor at the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs, stated that President Donald Trump is managing United States foreign policy "as though he were an organized criminal." The historian, author of On Tyranny and On Freedom, made the assessment during an interview ahead of the midterm elections. He positioned the upcoming vote as a critical test for American democratic institutions.

Snyder argues that the financial power of technology billionaires currently functions as a gateway to government influence. He contrasts this dynamic with Vladimir Putin's Russia, where the leader sits at the apex of the oligarchic hierarchy. In the United States, Snyder suggests that these tech magnates use the president to secure political leverage and access.

The professor draws parallels between today's tech leaders and the robber barons of nineteenth-century America. He warns that the concentration of wealth risks turning democratic institutions into tools for private power. Unlike the previous Gilded Age, which eventually led to antitrust legislation and progressive reforms, Snyder notes there is no guarantee that history will repeat itself in the current economic climate.

Snyder identifies political cynicism as a primary driver of authoritarian trends. He describes a normalization of corruption where citizens are persuaded that dishonesty is universal and that no meaningful alternative exists. "Everybody is corrupt. Everybody just wants to be a billionaire. Everybody cheats. So you might as well vote for us because we're good at it," Snyder said, outlining how this narrative facilitates the rise of authoritarian politics.

The stakes of the election, according to Snyder, extend beyond the political fortunes of the Republican Party. He stated the vote is largely about whether the president will become a transition to more or less open rule by tech oligarchs. The election tests whether Americans still believe that democratic politics can make a difference and whether collective action can counter the growing concentration of private power.

Snyder acknowledged that the electoral system is distorted by money and unequal political influence. However, he pointed to grassroots organizing and public protests as signs of democratic resilience. "So of course it's not a fair election," he argued. "But it's a free election in the sense that people are persistent, struggle, support one another."

The historian concluded that the outcome is not predetermined. "The encouraging thing is that we're not there yet," Snyder said. "I think people care."