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Searching reporters’ homes, suing journalists and repressing citizen dissent are well-known steps toward autocracy

  • Written by Konstantin Zhukov, Assistant Professor of Economics, Indiana University; Institute for Humane Studies
imageNeither of these men -- US President Donald Trump, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin -- likes being held accountable by the press.Contributor/Getty Images

The FBI search of a Washington Post reporter’s home on Jan. 14, 2026, was a rare and intimidating move by an administration focused on repressing criticismand dissent.

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