The Authoritarian Red Line: When Following the Constitution Becomes a Crime By Tony Pentimalli There is a reason every authoritarian movement begins by warping language. It is not enough to pressure institutions. You must redefine the meaning of loyalty so that obedience to a leader outweighs obedience to the Constitution. That is what unfolded this week when Stephen Miller claimed that a group of veterans in Congress had “openly called for insurrection.” Their supposed rebellion was a short, so