Featured image for the article “The Authoritarianism of the DNC,” depicting bold title text above a stylized Democratic Party flag.
Donald Trump wrote The Art of the Deal to show how he built success through negotiation. Yet the left likes to refer to him as an authoritarian.
The Democratic National Committee has written its own playbook—The Art of the Steal—a step-by-step guide to controlling the nomination process from the inside, bypassing voters, and locking in power.
Behind the speeches about “unity” and “values” lies a machine that functions less like an open, representative process and more like an authoritarian system. It centralizes authority, sidelines opposition, and manipulates outcomes long before the public has a say.
This isn’t a theory. It’s a documented pattern that spans multiple election cycles.
2016: The Coronation of Hillary Clinton
The 2016 Democratic primary was billed as a battle between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. In reality, the outcome was sewn up before the first voter ever stepped into a booth.
The Joint Fundraising Agreement
In August 2015—months before Iowa—the DNC signed a Joint Fundraising Agreement (JFA) with the Clinton campaign. These agreements normally help raise money for the party and candidates, but this one went far beyond fundraising:
It handed Clinton control over the DNC’s budget, staffing decisions, and strategy—including veto power over hires. It allowed her campaign to review and approve all press releases involving the primary. The DNC’s fundraising arm became an extension of her campaign, funneling resources and donor access toward Clinton while other candidates were left to fend for themselves.
In a supposed “neutral” primary, this is like the umpire putting on your opponent’s jersey.
Donna Brazile’s Revelations
After Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned in disgrace following leaked DNC emails showing favoritism toward Clinton, Donna Brazile stepped in as interim chair. What she found inside was worse than she imagined.
In her 2017 memoir Hacks, Brazile confirmed that the JFA was a binding agreement that gave the Clinton campaign full control of the DNC before the primary even began. She admitted that the process felt “rigged” and revealed she had even considered replacing Clinton with Joe Biden after her public health scare on September 11, 2016—but decided against it to avoid party chaos.
Brazile’s confession obliterated any plausible deniability: the DNC didn’t just lean toward Clinton—it worked as her campaign arm. For millions of Sanders supporters, it validated the suspicion that 2016 was never a fair fight.
2020: Iowa Caucus App Meltdown
The DNC’s first contest of 2020, the Iowa caucus, imploded thanks to a faulty vote-reporting app from Shadow Inc., which hadn’t been properly tested. The result:
Delayed, inconsistent, and error-filled reporting that took days to resolve. Pete Buttigieg declared victory before final tallies—creating a media narrative advantage. Sanders’ momentum was blunted as coverage shifted from his strong showing to the chaos.
Whether by incompetence or intent, the DNC’s mishandling eroded trust and skewed the race.
Read More:
2020 Iowa Caucus Scandal: Shadow Inc., Delays & Insider Ties
2020: Tulsi Gabbard’s Debate Exclusion
Tulsi Gabbard qualified for early debates but was later excluded when the DNC abruptly raised polling and delegate thresholds.
Requirements were changed midstream, without transparent reasoning. Even after winning delegates in American Samoa, she was shut out.
The move effectively removed a non-establishment voice from the national conversation, a tactic authoritarian systems use to eliminate dissent before it gains traction.
2024: Kamala Harris—Anointed, Not Elected
When Joe Biden stepped aside in 2024, the DNC moved quickly to lock in Kamala Harris:
A five-day virtual roll call handed Harris over 99% of delegate votes. Potential challengers were blocked before they could mount campaigns. Progressive activists and grassroots groups condemned the process as anti-representative and contrary to the principles of a constitutional republic.
No primaries. No debates. Just a coronation.
The Soviet-Style Nomination Model
In the Soviet Union, “elections” weren’t contests—they were ceremonial confirmations. The ruling party presented one candidate, delegates voted unanimously, and the public was told this was the will of the people.
The DNC’s approach increasingly mirrors this model:
2016: Clinton’s nomination preordained through superdelegates and the JFA. 2020: Debate thresholds and process changes ensured only establishment-friendly candidates remained viable. 2024: Harris appointed through backroom consensus, with the roll call functioning as a rubber stamp.
The mechanics are different, but the effect is the same: eliminate competition early, stage a unified “vote,” and present the result as the will of the people.
By manipulating nomination procedures, limiting access to the debate stage, and managing perception through coordinated endorsements, the DNC has transformed what should be a voter-driven process in a constitutional republic into a stage-managed performance. The result is unity—but the unity of enforced silence, not genuine consensus.
Grassroots Voices Silenced
From Sanders to Gabbard to anyone who dared challenge the machine, the DNC has shown that grassroots movements are only welcome when they align perfectly with party leadership. Calls for reforms like open primaries, reduced superdelegate power, and fair debate access have been ignored.
This is not representative governance—it’s managed consent.
Beyond Party Lines: The Republic at Stake
This isn’t about left vs. right—it’s about power vs. people. If a major political party normalizes authoritarian control over its own nomination process, the damage bleeds into the wider constitutional system.
Authoritarianism rarely marches in under its own banner. More often, it arrives wearing the language of “unity” and “protecting the republic.” The DNC’s recent history shows that when the principles of our constitutional framework become inconvenient, they are the first to go.
Sources:
Donna Brazile confirms DNC-Clinton agreement
Leaked DNC emails reveal bias Iowa caucus reporting failures
