What Americans can do to avoid authoritarianism

Twenty years ago, Garry Kasparov, world chess champion from 1985-2000, retired from professional chess to help Russia resist what he calls Vladimir Putin’s "budding dictatorship."

Now, he writes in The Atlantic, "Putin is still in the Kremlin, and I’m writing this from New York City — my family has made its home there, as well as in Croatia, since we were forced to leave Russia in 2013."

And "President Donald Trump and his allies in power are trying to erect an authoritarian Mafia state like the one Vladimir Putin and his cronies established in Russia," he says.

"Never lose sight of the fact that the Trump administration’s aim is to weaken and devalue the machinery of government, on one hand, and privatize the levers of power on the other," Kasparov says.

Americans have a "well-stocked toolbox" with which to defend democratic institutions, he says: a free press, strong economy, separation of powers, and federalism (power shared by the national government and the states).

So "political pressure must be brought to bear — through the courts, the press, and the states, but also applied to legislators," he says.

"Americans should invest their time and money fighting in the arena where political power still lies: with the American people and in Washington, D.C., with the handful of Republican representatives who could put a stop to the power grab. Go after the weakest links and call them out. Promise to support them against Musk’s threats to fund primary challenges if they defy him—and to raise millions against them if they don’t."

"Four votes in the Senate. Three votes in the House. That’s all it takes," Kasparov says.

How Americans can take action right now:

The House Energy and Commerce Committee could meet as soon as the week of May 5 to work on making $880 billion in spending cuts from the programs under its jurisdiction — including Medicaid, the joint federal-state safety net program for health care, says Politico.

Twelve House Republicans have sent a letter to the House leadership opposing potential Medicaid cuts. They are, according to the American Hospital Association: Reps. David Valadao, R-Calif., Don Bacon, R-Neb., Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., Rob Bresnahan Jr., R-Pa., Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., Jen Kiggans, R-Va., Young Kim, R-Calif., Robert Wittman, R-Va., Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., and Jeff Hurd, R-Colo.

In the Senate, Josh Hawley, R-Mo., says he won’t support any proposal that would lead to cuts in Medicaid benefits for people in his state, Roll Call reports.