Asian Conference for Political Communication (ACPC 2025)

Steven joined Leila de Lima, Adrian Ang and Nicole Curato on a panel about political comebacks at the Asian Conference for Political Communication 2025 (#ACPC 25), organised by Konrad‑Adenauer‑Stiftung’s Media Programme Asia.

He discussed how Donald Trump, drawing from Richard Nixon’s model of fear-driven politics, has fuelled his comeback and consolidated power. His engine isn’t ideas - it’s fear: first over his party, then the media, business and education sectors. The real danger lies not only in the return itself, but in what it normalises: a democracy reshaped around personality, grievance and myth. A free, independent and vigilant media that speaks truth to power is essential to prevent that.