In the book How Democracies Die the authors provide documentation on how authoritarian despots take over a democracy without utilizing military force by replacing people in charge of other branches of government or departments that act as checks and balances to their power. The authoritarian does this in order to put people close to their personal aura and control to do their bidding in those jobs. Authoritarians want complete control through intimidation and cowering to their demands. Authoritarians will continue to change people until they feel they have achieved this complete control with no exceptions. Trump is a textbook narcissistic, ego driven, authoritarian.