WARNING - Democracy’s Final Breath
We are now issuing a fairly dire warning.
Centered America has uncovered that Donald Trump is following the exact footsteps of Nayib Bukele, the President of El Salvador, in order to dismantle our democratic and constitutional principles. Bukele has used fear of crime to justify mass incarceration, indefinite detention, and the destruction of democratic checks and balances—all while skyrocketing in popularity.
We urge our subscribers and anyone who is reading this article to look into this, as it may be the biggest attempt to sabotage democracy in modern U.S. history. That’s why organizations like ours are crucial in exposing these patterns before it’s too late.
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TRUMP NEXT MOVE TO KILL DEMOCRACY
Bukele dismantled democracy from within, while convincing his people that they were safer than ever. Trump’s tactics are identical.
Bukele’s strategy was simple:
Weaponize fear—tell the people that crime is out of control and that only one man can fix it.
Mass incarceration—arrest tens of thousands of people, whether guilty or not, to make it look like action is being taken.
Control the courts—rewrite the laws so there is no legal way to remove him from office.
Flood the media with propaganda—make authoritarianism seem inevitable, even desirable.
Now, Trump is taking these same tactics and applying them to America.
He has already sent migrants to Bukele’s mega-prison to test how the public reacts to mass incarceration.
He is amplifying Bukele’s propaganda on his own social media, normalizing the comparison between the U.S. and El Salvador.
He is openly discussing using these same tactics in America.
This is not just influence. Trump and Bukele are working in parallel, feeding off one another, setting the stage for a global model of dictatorship.
JANUARY 6 WAS JUST THE BEGINNING
Bukele’s Model: Sending Armed Soldiers Into the Legislature
In 2020, Bukele marched armed soldiers into El Salvador’s Congress to demand that lawmakers approve his security plan. The country had never seen anything like it. The legislature was under siege, held hostage by the government itself.
The result? He got what he wanted.
His supporters celebrated him. He made fear his currency—and the people rewarded him with power.
Trump’s Plan: January 6 Was the Trial Run—Now He’s in Power Again
On January 6, 2021, Trump sent his followers to storm the U.S. Capitol. He wanted lawmakers to overturn the election. He wanted Congress to fear him.
He failed. But the lesson was clear: violence and intimidation can work. His supporters didn’t leave him and four years later he was elected again.
He has returned to power. And this time, he has control of the state.
His administration is labeling political opponents as ‘domestic terrorists’—paving the way for real crackdowns.
His allies are discussing deploying the National Guard to Democratic cities—turning federal power against his opposition.
He has reshaped the Department of Justice to ensure that next time, there will be no legal repercussions.
What he could not accomplish with a violent mob, he will now do through the state itself.
EL SALVADOR’S STRATEGY—COMING TO AMERICA
Bukele’s Model: Turn the Country Into a Prison, Call It “Safety”
El Salvador was once one of the most dangerous countries in the world. Now it is one of the safest.
But at what cost?
Over 75,000 people arrested—many without trial, without evidence, without charges.
A new mega-prison, CECOT, built to hold tens of thousands—many who will never leave.
A legal system that no longer functions—justice is whatever Bukele says it is.
The people see the crime rate drop, and they cheer for their own oppression.
Trump’s Plan: Mass Incarceration for America
Trump is openly preparing to bring this model to the U.S.
He has already sent migrants to El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison—a direct test run.
He has reopened Guantanamo Bay for indefinite detention.
His legal team is drafting emergency powers to suspend habeas corpus—the only thing standing between Americans and mass arrests.
He and his allies are discussing mass deportation camps, large-scale arrests, and indefinite detentions.
It will not stop with immigrants.
Once Americans accept mass incarceration without due process, it will expand.
First, immigrants.
Then, protesters.
Then, journalists.
Then, you.
TRUMP’S POSSIBLE THIRD TERM
Bukele’s Model: Rewriting the Constitution for Total Rule
Bukele was not legally allowed to run for a second term.
So he fired the judges who could stop him.
He replaced them with loyalists who “reinterpreted” the constitution.
He made his re-election “legal” overnight.
He arrested and silenced political opponents.
Now, he will run for re-election uncontested.
Trump’s Plan: The Third Term Is Already Being Discussed
Trump is laying the groundwork for permanent rule.
He has publicly stated that he “deserves” a third term.
His allies are already floating the idea of revisiting term limits.
He is preparing to purge federal judges to ensure that there is no legal challenge.
Once he has the courts, there will be no stopping him.
HOW EL SALVADOR AND TRUMP ARE DOMINATING MEDIA
A key component of Bukele’s rise to power has been his control of the media, using paid media and fake accounts to promote his agenda and silence opposition. In 2021, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned two of Bukele’s officials for corruption, including illicit gang negotiations, highlighting his manipulation of media and state power to secure his position.
Trump has adopted these same tactics in the U.S., flooding media channels with pro-Trump content, amplifying fear, and labeling opponents as enemies of the state. His recent posts on Truth Social, echoing Bukele’s authoritarian rhetoric, normalize these measures, effectively desensitizing the public to the erosion of democratic norms.
Both leaders are learning from one another’s successes, using media and propaganda to lay the groundwork for a future where authoritarianism, not democracy, reigns supreme.
THE FINAL WARNING
If Americans fail to recognize what is happening, we may wake up in 2028 to an election where Trump’s constitutional term limit is suddenly up for debate, where journalists are labeled “illegal immigration sympathizers,” and where mass incarceration is used to silence political enemies.
This is a real warning. The American people must decide whether they will allow their democracy to be rewritten in the image of Bukele’s El Salvador. Because once the constitutional guardrails are removed, once detention without due process is normalized, and once the president decides that laws no longer apply to him (like he is currently doing), there is no turning back.
This is the moment to fight for the survival of democracy. Tomorrow may be too late.
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OUR MISSION AT CENTERED AMERICA:
Centered America is a non-profit organization created to reform the Democratic Party’s messaging in a way that reconnects with communities and voters across the aisle. Now more than ever, people feel underrepresented by the Democratic Party. We have to change that. We have to step out of our comfort zones to educate, empathize, and open our arms to everyday Americans—not by backing down from our values, but by finding common ground to bring all people into the conversation and fight back against Donald Trump. We care about our democratic principles and we are defending them.
Centered America won’t stop fighting for you, and won’t stop fighting to uphold our constitutional and democratic principles.
Keep fighting for our democracy, keep fighting for America,
Sharad & Gavin | The Centered America Team