Historian Warns of Potential Trump Coup Attempt

Renowned scholar Timothy Snyder says Trump's proposed military budget hike could be a 'bribe' to secure loyalty for a power grab.

Apr. 5, 2026 at 2:10am

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Renowned historian Timothy Snyder has leveled two explosive accusations against President Donald Trump: that his proposed 50% defense budget increase could be a bribe to secure military loyalty for a coup attempt, and that a staged domestic terror attack is his best remaining path to nullifying elections and seizing permanent power.

Why it matters

Snyder's warnings come as the U.S. is engaged in an ongoing war with Iran, providing a potential pretext for Trump to exploit national security concerns and undermine democratic institutions. The historian's analysis highlights the grave threat of authoritarianism and the fragility of American democracy.

The details

In a Substack post, Snyder argued that Trump's proposed defense budget hike is "meant as a payoff for officers, soldiers, and sailors" to assist him in a coup against Americans. He also warned that Trump could stage a false flag terrorist attack, drawing a parallel to Vladimir Putin's 1999 apartment bombings in Russia, in order to "discredit or undo elections." Snyder said Trump's position is ultimately weak, but only if Americans actively resist.

  • On April 5, 2026, historian Timothy Snyder published his Substack post outlining his concerns about a potential Trump coup attempt.

The players

Timothy Snyder

A renowned Yale historian recognized as one of America's foremost scholars of authoritarianism.

Donald Trump

The former president of the United States who Snyder believes may be planning a coup attempt.

Vladimir Putin

The president of Russia, whom Snyder describes as Trump's "client in the White House".

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What they’re saying

“The war has not been run in a way that brings military commanders to trust the president. Again, one has to see Trump's proposal to increase the defense budget by nearly 50% as a kind of desperate bribe. There are sound strategic reasons why it is a terrible idea, but there is also a political one.”

— Timothy Snyder, Historian

“Some variant of terrorism is Trump's best bet. And so one should be (preemptively, now) skeptical of Trump's account of any future terrorist attack; we can be sure that, whatever its true origins and character, Trump will provide a self-serving account meant to serve a coup and a dictatorship.”

— Timothy Snyder, Historian

What’s next

Experts and lawmakers will likely scrutinize Trump's proposed defense budget increase and monitor for any signs of a false flag operation or other attempts to undermine democratic processes.

The takeaway

Snyder's warnings underscore the grave threat of authoritarianism and the fragility of American democracy, particularly when a former president is willing to exploit national security concerns and stage potential false flag attacks to cling to power.