In today's episode, we’re exploring how political leaders exploit moments of uncertainty, unrest, and violence to invoke emergency powers, often as a means to strip away civil liberties or to justify the persecution of groups they claim are responsible for the chaos. We’ll examine historical examples and research, focusing on Bulgaria and Vladimir Putin’s rise to power amid the turmoil of the Chechen wars. In both cases, we’ll see a familiar blueprint, one that is now unfolding in real time under the Trump administration.