John Hickenlooper: “we like to believe that when democracy erodes, it is unpredictable and in some ways out of our control, but history…”

“we like to believe that when democracy erodes, it is unpredictable and in some ways out of our control, but history tells us a different story. Authoritarianism rises through a time-tested playbook. These leaders have learned which moves weaken opponents, which tactics will rally a crowd, and which moments of fear or crisis work best to their advantage. They don't need to invent new strategies. They can run familiar plays. There is one target we are watching this administration go after the hardest, and that is the truth. They begin by attacking every source of independent information. It started with universities and colleges. They moved on to our largest research institutions. They discredited or tried to discredit every journalist whose reporting differs from their own narrow point of view, and in doing so, they have tried to make the administration and the President the sole source of truth. We have seen this play out in Minneapolis during the past few weeks. So let's get a few facts straight. On January 7, ICE officers shot and killed Renee Good while she was in her own car. She was a mother of three, originally from Colorado Springs. Then, again, this past weekend, Americans watched the videotape of Federal immigration agents shooting and killing Alex Pretti. They fired 10 times in 5 seconds. It is sickening. No family should have to witness their loved one being killed in such a fashion, and yet, obviously, Alex's parents did.”