The columnist M. Gessen has spent most of their career reporting on and writing about authoritarianism in Russia. They now cover President Trump and the MAGA movement in the United States. In this conversation with Rachel Louise Snyder, a Times Opinion contributing writer and an expert on domestic violence, M. Gessen draws parallels between interpersonal violence and the way authoritarians coerce and control their subjects. The two discuss a question that domestic violence victims and those who live under authoritarianism often get: Why didn’t you just leave? Read the full transcript here: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/14/opinion/trump-authoritarianism-and-domestic-violence.html Follow us: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-opinions/id1762898126 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/581OhiIm69lqSyNRbBkXnf TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nytopinion Publish Schedule: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays The Opinions podcast: "You've heard the news, here's what to make of it."