08:00 PM PST (December 02, 2025) - An Editorial by So Sure, Contributor to NSN

I once worked under a boss who ruled her staff with an iron fist. She didn’t lead through inspiration or competence, but through fear. Meetings became theater: she would slam binders on the table, glare at dissenters, and reward sycophants with public praise while humiliating anyone who questioned her. Her power was not grounded in skill but in emotional manipulation and outright bullying.

The staff divided into three predictable camps. Half fell in line, parroting her talking points and laughing at her jokes, even when they cut deep. A quarter resisted silently, doing their jobs but retreating into cynicism, whispering complaints in the break room but never daring to confront her. The final quarter openly rebelled, filing complaints, requesting transfers, or simply quitting. The office became a microcosm of authoritarian rule: compliance, silent resistance, and rebellion.

This anecdote is not just about one toxic workplace. It illustrates a broader truth about authoritarian structures, and nowhere is this more visible than in Donald Trump’s control over the Republican Party and the MAGA movement 

Majority Compliance: Fear and Loyalty

Just as half the staff fell in line under my boss, the majority of Republicans have aligned themselves with Trump. Polls in 2025 show that 71% of Republicans identify as MAGA, and his approval rating among Republicans remains extraordinarily high, 87%. Like my coworkers who laughed at the boss’s cruel jokes, many GOP members echo Trump’s rhetoric not out of conviction but out of fear: fear of losing primaries, fear of being labeled a “RINO,” fear of exclusion from the party’s power structure.

Authoritarian leaders thrive on this dynamic. They create a climate where loyalty is rewarded and dissent punished, ensuring that most people comply even if they privately disagree.

Silent Resistance: Pragmatism Over Principle

A quarter of my colleagues resisted silently, keeping their heads down and waiting for the storm to pass. In the GOP, this silent resistance is visible in the one-third of Trump’s 2024 voters who do not consider themselves MAGA Republicans. These individuals support him pragmatically, perhaps for policy reasons or party loyalty, but resist the cult-like aspects of his movement.

Silent resistance is dangerous for authoritarian systems because it erodes enthusiasm. It creates a hollow loyalty that can collapse when pressure mounts, just as my coworkers’ whispered complaints eventually led to turnover.

Open Rebellion: Fracture and Defection

The final quarter of my office openly rebelled, filing complaints or transferring to other schools. In Trump’s case, rebellion is smaller but significant. His approval among Republicans has slipped from 91% to 84% in late 2025, showing cracks in loyalty. Some figures, like Marjorie Taylor Greene, have broken with Trump on specific issues, while others defect to non-MAGA factions. Electoral data shows rebellion too: Democrats have become competitive in deep-red districts, suggesting that some voters are “transferring out” of the MAGA orbit.

Rebellion in authoritarian systems is costly. It fractures unity, weakens legitimacy, and exposes the leader’s reliance on fear rather than genuine support.

Argument: Authoritarianism Is Predictable and Self-Limiting

The comparison between my boss and Trump reveals a clear argument: authoritarian structures follow predictable patterns of compliance, silent resistance, and rebellion, and they ultimately sow the seeds of their own instability.

• Compliance ensures short-term control but is fragile, built on fear rather than conviction.

• Silent resistance undermines enthusiasm, creating a hollow base that can collapse under stress.

• Rebellion fractures the system, exposing its reliance on coercion rather than legitimacy.

Whether in a school office or a national political party, authoritarian leaders manipulate emotion, stigmatize dissent, and demand loyalty. But these tactics cannot sustain themselves indefinitely. The cracks, silent resistance and rebellion, are inevitable, and they grow over time.

Conclusion

My boss’s reign of fear ended when too many staff members transferred out, leaving her isolated. Trump’s control over the GOP may appear ironclad, but the same dynamics are at play. Authoritarianism breeds compliance, silent resistance, and rebellion in predictable proportions. The lesson is clear: authoritarian power may dominate in the short term, but it is inherently unstable, because people will always seek ways—quiet or loud—to resist domination and control