The sheer amount of news coming out of the Trump administration is hard to keep up with every week, but it was especially true this week: Tulsi Gabbard announced her resignation, a grand jury indicted 94-year-old former Cuban President Raúl Castro, and we witnessed what some have called the single “most brazen act of presidential corruption this century.”

On the last point, Donald Trump’s cronies at the Justice Department announced the so-called settlement of the president’s bogus lawsuit (effectively against himself), which includes the creation of a $1.776 billion slush fund to benefit his allies and immunity for Trump and his family for pending tax audits.

Trump doesn’t even rely on distraction anymore; he’s doing everything right out in the open.

From Trump’s slush fund to Republicans canceling a vote on the War Powers Resolution to shield the president from a likely humiliating result to a Democrat commuting an election denier’s prison sentence, here’s just a taste of how Trump and his allies hurt democracy, undermined the U.S. Constitution, and harmed societies worldwide:

Saturday, May 16 – Commuting Tina Peters’s Sentence Sets ‘Dangerous Precedent’

On MS NOW, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold slammed Democratic Governor Jared Polis for commuting the prison sentence of Tina Peters, a former Colorado county clerk who was convicted of tampering with voting machines following the 2020 presidential election.

Griswold called the move, which Trump had repeatedly called for, a “gross injustice” and “demoralizing” to election officials, and warned that it sets a “dangerous precedent” for future elections. (Polis was later censured by Colorado Democrats for his decision.)

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Sunday, May 17 – Acting AG Says DOJ Is Hard At Work Investigating 2020 Election

On Fox, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche spoke about the Justice Department’s investigation into the 2020 presidential election, ridiculously claiming that “there’s a ton of evidence that the election was rigged,” and adding that the DOJ is “very focused on finding out whether the right people voted.”

He also claimed that the “incredibly troubling things” the DOJ is supposedly uncovering will be made public “at some point, at the right time.”

Monday, May 18 – DOJ Approves Trump’s Very Own Slush Fund

Trump’s Justice Department officially announced the $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” as part of the DOJ’s so-called “settlement” with Trump in his lawsuit against the Treasury Department and IRS over the leaking of his tax returns.

The fund will be overseen by a commission appointed by Blanche, whose members Trump can fire “without cause,” and will be made available, in secret, to those who claim they were wrongfully targeted by the government– potentially even those Trump pardoned over their involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Tuesday, May 19 – Trump Gets Immunity From Tax Probes

Acting AG Blanche signed off on a new provision as part of Trump’s “settlement” that “FOREVER” prohibits the IRS from investigating or prosecuting the president, his family, or his businesses for pending tax claims, including a current audit that could have reportedly cost Trump more than $100 million.

Meanwhile, CNN reported that longtime Trump ally and former administration official Michael Caputo filed the first known “Anti-Weaponization Fund” claim, seeking $2.7 million and claiming the “machinery of government was clearly politically weaponized against my family.”

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Wednesday, May 20 – Trump’s Pay-to-Play Extends to the Tobacco Industry

The New York Times reported that Trump’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued new guidance opening the door to the sale of flavored vapes after a tobacco company donated $5 million to the Trump-backed super PAC, MAGA Inc.

Two days after the donation, Trump had lunch with tobacco industry representatives, during which he interrupted the conversation to complain to his administration officials about the FDA’s e-cigarette regulations. The new guidance was issued just days later.

Thursday, May 21 – House GOP Leaders Cancel Vote To Limit Trump’s War Powers in Iran

House Republican leaders abruptly canceled a vote on an Iran War Powers Resolution, which was likely to be approved due to the absences of Republican members of Congress and others who signaled their support for the measure.

The cancellation comes after the Senate advanced a similar resolution earlier this week to limit Trump’s military action against Iran without congressional approval.

Friday, May 22 – Tulsi Gabbard Resigns as Director of National Intelligence

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard notified Trump that she’s resigning from her position, effective June 30, noting her husband was recently diagnosed with “an extremely rare form of bone cancer.”

During her time on Trump’s Cabinet, Gabbard, whose job is to oversee the country’s intelligence agencies and advise the president on national security matters, spent months investigating Trump’s long-debunked claims of the 2020 presidential election being stolen, and even appeared at an FBI raid of an election center in Fulton County, Georgia, back in January. You can read Zeteo’s Swin Suebsaeng’s take here.

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Did you miss previous weeks of ‘This Week in Democracy’? Catch up here. And check out more of Zeteo’s reporting from this week below:

Corruption.

Let’s be honest, that has been the theme of Donald Trump’s entire second presidency so far. But it was especially obvious this week.

From talks to settle Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS by shelling out billions in taxpayer funds to potentially dropping charges against a billionaire accused of an “elaborate bribery” scheme by accepting an apparent…bribe(!), here’s what the U.S. president and his cronies did this week that harmed democracy and undermined the Constitution:

Saturday, May 9 – Key DOJ Office Scrambling After Comey Indictment

The Washington Post reported that the push to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey has resulted in several prosecutors being demoted or pushed out of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, with others seeking new jobs.

The fallout has also impacted major cases, including one involving a deadly attack in Afghanistan.

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Sunday, May 10 – Trump Says He’s Sending ‘Election Integrity Army’ to Every State

On Truth Social, Trump said he will send an “Election Integrity Army” to every state in the upcoming midterm elections, and baselessly accused the Democratic Party of trying to suppress Republican voters “and interfere” in elections.

Later, the Republican National Committee announced it is deploying “poll watchers” and “election observers” to at least 17 unnamed states as part of an “election integrity” operation.

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Monday, May 11 – Supreme Court Ruling Could Eliminate Another Majority-Black District

The Supreme Court paved the way for Alabama to get rid of one of its two majority-Black congressional districts ahead of the midterm elections by overturning a lower court order that blocked the use of a 2023 map approved by the Republican-led legislature that had only one largely Black district.

Alabama lawmakers have already passed a law to void the results of some May 19 congressional primaries, and the state is now moving forward with a special primary election for more than half of its congressional districts.

Tuesday, May 12 – White House, DOJ in Talks to Settle Trump’s $10 Billion IRS Lawsuit

The New York Times reported that the White House and the Justice Department have been exploring a possible settlement in Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS for releasing his tax returns.

Later, ABC News reported that Trump is expected to settle the lawsuit in exchange for the launch of a $1.7 billion compensation fund for his allies who claim they were wrongfully targeted during the Biden administration, including those Trump pardoned over their involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection – a move Mehdi called “the biggest Trump corruption scandal of all.”

The funds would be overseen by a commission that Trump would have the authority to remove members from without cause, while the identities of recipients could be kept private.

Wednesday, May 13 – Trump DOJ’s Revenge Tour Continues

Trump’s Justice Department sued the DC Bar Association for its efforts to discipline two key allies of the president, including former DOJ official Jeffrey Clark, who tried to help the president overturn the 2020 election results, and pardon attorney Ed Martin.

The lawsuit claims that the DC Bar is “weaponizing state bar discipline against Executive Branch attorneys,” which “chills them from giving candid legal advice.”

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Thursday, May 14 – DOJ To Drop Charges Against India’s Richest Man Thanks to Bribe

The New York Times reported that Trump’s Justice Department is expected to drop criminal fraud conspiracy charges against India’s richest man in connection with a bribery scheme after one of his new lawyers, who also serves as a personal attorney to the president, told DOJ officials that his client would invest $10 billion in the U.S. economy and create 15,000 jobs.

In other words, a bribe.

Friday, May 15 – Trump Calls New York Times Reporter ‘Treasonous’

Trump lashed out at New York Times reporter David Sanger after he rightly pointed out that the president’s war hasn’t resulted in political change in Iran.

“I actually think it’s sort of treasonous what you write,” Trump ridiculously said in his tirade.

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Did you miss previous weeks of ‘This Week in Democracy’? Catch up here. And check out more of Zeteo’s reporting from this week below:

In Donald Trump’s America, it’s sometimes hard to distinguish between distraction and incompetence. It’s likely always a little bit (or a lot) of both.

This week, Trump launched a new “operation” to help “guide” ships through the Strait of Hormuz, only to pause it less than 48 hours later. Is a the United States at “war,” or is it just a “mini war,” or an “excursion”? Trump can’t seem to make up his mind. And no, Iran and the US trading blows, including the US reportedly striking civilian areas, is definitely not a ceasefire violation. OK!!

Whether distraction or incompetence, it doesn’t really matter: What Donald Trump says, does, and doesn’t do has real consequences for American democracy and societies worldwide. And that’s why Zeteo continues to document how Trump and his allies are harming democracy and undermining the US Constitution.

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Outside of the whiplash of Iran news, the theme this week was Trump’s attacks on the election system and Republicans’ efforts to disenfranchise Black voters. Plus, the FBI made some worrying moves, and we got a clearer picture of the Trump administration’s attacks on immigrant children. Here’s ‘This Week in Democracy – Week 68’:

Saturday, May 2 – Trump Accuses Obama’s AG of ‘TREASONOUS’ Conduct

On Truth Social, Trump, without evidence, accused President Barack Obama’s former Attorney General Eric Holder, who is now chair of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, of committing “treasonous” conduct.

Trump’s comments came days after Holder was also named as a member of a new task force announced by Chuck Schumer to combat threats to democracy and fair elections by Republicans.

Sunday, May 3 – ‘If They Have to Vote Twice, So Be It’

On Truth Social, Trump urged states, including ones where voting has already begun, to redraw their congressional maps ahead of the midterm elections, following the Supreme Court’s ruling that gutted the Voting Rights Act.

“If they have to vote twice, so be it,” Trump wrote, adding that changing the maps is “more important than administrative convenience,” and noting that doing so would result in Republicans gaining “more than 20” House seats this fall.

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Monday, May 4, 2026 – Trump Renews Efforts to Investigate 2020 Election

The New York Times reported that, in April, Trump’s Department of Justice demanded via a grand jury subpoena the identity and personal information of workers and volunteers who staffed the 2020 election in Fulton County, Georgia.

County officials have submitted a motion to quash the request, with the chair of the Fulton County commission calling the subpoena “yet another act of outrageous federal overreach designed to intimidate and to chill participation in elections.”

Tuesday, May 5 – Trump Admin Sues the New York Times … Again

Trump’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) sued the New York Times, alleging the publication engaged in “unlawful employment practices” and discriminated against a white man after he was passed over for a promotion, a move the EEOC argues was influenced by the paper’s “stated race and sex-based representation goals.”

A spokesperson for the Times called the allegations “politically motivated,” and added the paper will “defend ourselves vigorously.” The litigation comes after Trump sued the Times and several of its reporters last fall for $15 billion, accusing them of damaging his reputation and undermining his 2024 candidacy.

Wednesday, May 6: Trump’s FBI Targets Dem Lawmaker, Atlantic Reporter

Trump’s FBI executed a search warrant at the office of Virginia state Senate President Pro Tempore L. Louise Lucas, who was at the center of the state’s redistricting efforts.

Meanwhile, MS Now reported that the FBI also launched a highly unusual criminal probe into leaks to a reporter from The Atlantic in relation to an article she wrote about Director Kash Patel’s drinking habits and unexplained absences, which he sued the outlet over last month. An FBI spokesperson denied the investigation exists and claimed the MS Now’s reporting was “completely false.”

Thursday, May 7 – Separating More Families, Pepper Spraying and Tear Gassing Children

ProPublica reported that at least 79 children, including an infant, have been harmed by tear gas and pepper spray deployed by Trump immigration officers.

Meanwhile, NOTUS reported that the number of children forced into foster care after their parents were detained or deported increased by nearly 50% in the 2025 fiscal year. The data from the Department of Health and Human Services is an undercount, as only 34 states reported foster care transfers related to immigration enforcement.

Friday, May 8 – Virginia’s New Congressional Maps Struck Down

The Virginia Supreme Court struck down the state’s new congressional maps, which had been narrowly approved by voters in an April referendum, ruling that the constitutional amendment was submitted by the legislature “in an unprecedented manner.” The new map would have paved the way for Democrats to win as many as four additional House seats in the midterm elections.

Meanwhile, Tennessee Democrats filed a lawsuit to block the new congressional map passed Thursday by state Republicans that got rid of the state’s only majority-Black district.

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Did you miss previous weeks of ‘This Week in Democracy’? Catch up here. And check out more of Zeteo’s reporting from this week below:

This week, we saw the Trump playbook rear its head once again after an alleged gunman breached a security checkpoint at Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ dinner: Attack the left in the most shameless of ways.

Not only did Donald Trump and his cronies immediately blame Democrats, comedians, and anyone else on the left, seemingly forgetting their King Donald is the most verbally abusive, name-calling, and violence-inciting politician in modern history, but they also used the alleged assassination attempt to market … Trump’s White House ballroom!

It was not a good week for American democracy – for free speech, for voting rights, for press freedom.

From moving to deny pro-Palestine immigrants green cards, to demanding the firing of Jimmy Kimmel, indicting James Comey, to gutting a key provision of the Voting Rights Act, here’s just a taste of what Trump and his allies did this week that hurt democracy, undermined the Constitution, and harmed societies worldwide:

Saturday, April 25 – You Might Not Get a Green Card If You’re Pro-Palestine

In new guidance issued by the Trump administration, criticizing Israel or participating in pro-Palestine campus protests could disqualify green card applicants, the New York Times reported.

The guidance also discourages approving green cards for applicants who have a history of “endorsing, promoting, or supporting anti-American views,” including “holding a sign advocating overthrow of the US government.”

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Sunday, April 26 – Trump Attacks CBS Journalist in Highly Edited Interview

During an interview on ‘60 Minutes,’ Trump lashed out at journalist Norah O’Donnell, calling her “a disgrace” and saying she “should be ashamed” of herself after she read an excerpt from a so-called manifesto written by the alleged gunman who tried to breach security at the White House correspondents’ dinner the previous evening.

The interview was also the subject of several significant edits, which is noteworthy considering CBS settled a lawsuit with Trump for editing a 2024 interview with Kamala Harris.

Monday, April 27 – Donald and Melania Call for Jimmy Kimmel to Be Fired

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump called for Disney and ABC to fire late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel over a video where he jokingly called Melania an “expectant widow.” Trump ridiculously called the joke a “despicable call to violence.”

In response, FCC Chair Brendan Carr seemingly threatened ABC affiliates, saying, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” when it comes to “tak[ing action on Kimmel.” Later, the FCC launched a review of Disney’s broadcast licenses years ahead of schedule.

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Tuesday, April 28 – Trump’s DOJ Indicts Comey…Again

Trump’s Justice Department once again indicted former FBI Director James Comey, this time over a 2025 Instagram post of seashells depicting the numbers “86” and “47.” In the restaurant industry, “86” means an item isn’t available, and Trump is the 47th US president. But the DOJ ridiculously alleges the post was meant as a “threat to kill the president.”

In a video response, Comey said he is innocent of the charges, which some legal experts believe he could try to have dismissed on the grounds of “vindictive prosecution.”

Later, Bloomberg reported that the DOJ is pursuing more charges against Comey for allegedly leaking classified information.

Wednesday, April 29 – Supreme Court Guts Voting Rights Act

In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court effectively weakened a key provision of the Voting Rights Act that has prohibited racial discrimination in voting for six decades. The move will allow Republicans to redraw their congressional maps in the South, potentially netting the GOP 19 additional seats in the House compared to 2024 maps, and could lead to the largest drop in Black representation in Congress ever.

The three Democratic justices dissented, with Justice Elena Kagan writing that the decision renders the provision “all but a dead letter,” and warned that the consequences of the ruling will likely be “far-reaching and grave.”

Thursday, April 30 – Louisiana’s Congressional Primaries Suspended After Supreme Court Ruling

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed an executive order to suspend the state’s congressional primaries just two days before early voting was scheduled to begin, citing Wednesday’s Supreme Court ruling, which struck down a majority Black congressional district.

The order postponed the congressional primaries until either July 15 or a new date set by the legislature. State Republican leaders have said they are planning to pass new congressional maps.

Friday, May 1 – Trump Admin Diverted One-Quarter of FBI Personnel to Immigration

The Intercept reported that thousands of FBI employees were diverted from criminal investigations and public safety to civil immigration enforcement during the first nine months of the second Trump administration.

Nearly 9,200 FBI personnel – almost 25% of the agency’s entire workforce – worked on “immigration-related matters” during that time period, marking a staggering increase from the 279 employees assigned to immigration before Trump took office.

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Did you miss previous weeks of ‘This Week in Democracy’? Catch up here. And check out more of Zeteo’s reporting from this week below:

Donald Trump and his cronies reek of desperation. As the president’s favorability numbers continue to plummet, his administration has intensified its weaponization of the Justice Department to go after its critics and perceived enemies.

Just this week, the Justice Department appointed an election denier to lead a probe into officials who investigated Trump, demanded Michigan’s biggest county hand over 2024 election data, and indicted a civil rights group in a move critics called “nakedly political.”

And that’s just a taste of what Trump and his allies did this week that hurt democracy, undermined the Constitution, and harmed Americans – and the world.

From the Justice Department’s latest targets to reportedly preparing an effort to denaturalize hundreds of Americans, here’s ‘This Week in Democracy – Week 66’:

Saturday, April 18 – Trump Loyalist to Lead Ridiculous ‘Grand Conspiracy’ Probe

The Justice Department announced it tapped staunch Trump loyalist Joe diGenova to lead a Florida-based federal probe into intelligence and law enforcement officials who investigated Trump.

In 2020, diGenova didn’t just peddle conspiracy theories about the results of the presidential election; he was part of a legal team, which included Rudy Giuliani, tasked with challenging and trying to overturn the results. He also reportedly worked with Giuliani in 2019 to find potentially damaging information on then-presidential candidate Joe Biden from Ukrainian officials.

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Sunday, April 19 – Trump’s Military Hits Another Boat in the Caribbean

On Twitter, the US Southern Command announced that, at the direction of General Francis L. Donovan, the US military conducted a lethal strike on a boat it claimed was trafficking drugs in the Caribbean Sea, killing three people.

Since September 2025, the Trump administration has hit more than 50 boats, killing at least 181 people. The strikes have been widely condemned as violations of international law.

Monday, April 20 – Trump Admin Expands Election ‘Oversight’

Multiple outlets reported that Trump’s Justice Department sent a letter to the Wayne County Clerk’s Office in Detroit, Michigan – a city the president has long targeted by spreading debunked claims of massive fraud in the 2020 presidential election – demanding all ballots, envelopes, and receipts from the 2024 election, arguing they are needed to ensure “federal election laws were not violated.”

Governor Gretchen Whitmer called the DOJ’s demand a “poorly disguised attempt to justify more doubt and misinformation about our elections.” The letter gave a 14-day deadline to turn over the materials before the Trump administration could seek a court order against the clerk’s office.

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Tuesday, April 21 – DOJ’s Latest Target: The SPLC

Trump’s Justice Department indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center on federal fraud charges.

The indictment alleges the civil rights group defrauded donors by secretly paying informants more than $3 million to infiltrate white supremacist and other extremist groups, including the Ku Klux Klan – a tactic USA Today dutifully noted has been used by the FBI and other federal agencies for decades.

Wednesday, April 22 – Patel Had a NYT Reporter Investigated by the FBI

The New York Times reported that Trump’s FBI launched an investigation into one of its reporters, Elizabeth Williamson, last month after she published an article detailing Kash Patel’s use of an agency SWAT team to escort his girlfriend.

The Times’s executive editor, Joseph Kahn, called the probe “alarming” and “unconstitutional,” and added that it was both an attempt to “criminalize routine reporting” and to “prevent journalists from scrutinizing” the Trump administration.

Thursday, April 23 – Revoking Citizenship Still a Priority

On Truth Social, Trump reposted a transcript of a racist segment from right-wing Newsmax that referred to China and India as “hellhole[s],” and immigrants from those countries as “gangsters with laptops” who have “stepped on our flag.” The segment also called for a national referendum on banning birthright citizenship, rather than leaving it to the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, the New York Times reported that Trump’s Justice Department is set to assign civil litigators to file denaturalization cases against 384 people, as part of an effort a DOJ spokesperson said was to pursue “the highest volume of denaturalization referrals in history.”

Friday, April 24 – DOJ Drops Criminal Probe of Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell

US Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro announced that the Justice Department dropped their criminal investigation into the Federal Reserve and its Chair Jerome Powell, over renovations to the central bank’s headquarters in Washington.

Pirro noted that the Inspector General has been asked to “scrutinize” the project, and added she wouldn’t hesitate to restart a criminal probe “should the facts warrant doing so.” The IG has already reviewed the project twice…and found no evidence of wrongdoing.

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Did you miss previous weeks of ‘This Week in Democracy’? Catch up here. And check out more of Zeteo’s reporting from this week below:

As we know far too well, when Donald Trump doesn’t get his way, he lashes out – and this week was no exception.

Trump and his cronies criticized judges, went after a whistleblower, and ridiculously lectured the… pope. Trump’s Truth Social tirades may seem like toddler-like tantrums, but they have real-world consequences, including hurting what’s left of the US’s standing in the world and harming what’s left of American democracy.

From firing judges for doing their jobs to removing the lead prosecutor from a probe investigating one of Trump’s political enemies to backing the far-right Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, here’s just a taste of what Trump and his allies did this week that undermines the Constitution, hurts democracy, and harms the world:

Saturday, April 11 – Judges Who Blocked High-Profile Deportations Fired

The New York Times reported that the Trump administration abruptly fired the immigration judges who blocked the deportations of Tufts University student Rümeysa Öztürk and Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi.

Both judges, who were appointed by the Biden administration in 2024, were approaching the end of their two-year probationary term and had granted asylum at higher rates than other judges.

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Sunday, April 12 – Trump Takes on…the Pope

Trump lashed out at his latest political target, the pope, who has been critical of the war in Iran. Trump called him “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” adding that he should “get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician.”

In response, Pope Leo XIV said he won’t shy away from “looking for ways to avoid war any time that’s possible,” and later added he’s “not afraid of the Trump administration.”

Trump also shared an AI-generated photo depicting himself as Jesus, which drew significant backlash from his Christian supporters. He later deleted the post and ridiculously claimed he believed it depicted himself as a doctor, not Jesus.

Monday, April 13 – Election Deniers in Critical Government Positions

ProPublica reported that Trump has installed roughly two dozen people to key government positions that could affect elections, including 10 who actively worked to change the 2020 presidential election results. Some of the officials have been hired from activist organizations at the center of the election denial movement.

Meanwhile, at least 75 people across several agencies who helped work to prevent the results of the 2020 election from being overturned have either resigned, been fired, or reassigned by the Trump administration.

Tuesday, April 14 – DOJ Wants to Toss Oath Keepers Jan. 6 Convictions

Trump’s Justice Department asked a federal appeals court to dismiss the convictions of members of the far-right Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, who had been charged with seditious conspiracy for their roles in the Jan. 6 insurrection.

The members previously had their sentences commuted by Trump on his first day in office, but were not pardoned by the president alongside more than 1,200 others who were convicted or had pleaded guilty for crimes related to the insurrection.

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Wednesday, April 15 – Trump Admin Continues Retribution Campaign

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard issued criminal referrals to the Justice Department for a whistleblower who filed a complaint that helped lead to Trump’s first impeachment and former Inspector General Michael Atkinson, who handled the whistleblower complaint.

It’s unclear at this time what specific crimes Gabbard alleged in the referrals.

Thursday, April 16 – Trump Attacks Another Federal Judge

On Truth Social, Trump attacked a federal judge who again blocked his administration from moving forward with above-ground construction for the White House ballroom. Trump ridiculously called the judge “Trump Hating” and “highly political,” and baselessly accused him of using “illegal overreach.”

But the judge did authorize construction to continue on below-ground construction, citing the need to protect the White House’s “national security facilities.” Trump now claims the below-ground portion will include “Bomb Shelters” and a “State of the Art Hospital and Medical Facilities.”

Friday, April 17 – DOJ Removes Prosecutor From Brennan Probe

CNN reported that Trump’s Justice Department removed the lead prosecutor investigating former CIA Director John Brennan after she resisted pressure to quickly bring charges against him. The case relates to the 2017 intelligence assessment that found Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election to boost Trump.

The news of the prosecutor’s removal comes after Reuters reported that the FBI is ramping up its investigation into Brennan, with plans to question multiple witnesses, including former intelligence officials involved in the assessment.

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Did you miss previous weeks of ‘This Week in Democracy’? Catch up here. And check out more of Zeteo’s reporting from this week below:

Welcome to ‘This Week in Democracy – Week 64’ – the week Donald Trump threatened to commit war crimes.

He, of course, pulled back on his threat. And while his announced ceasefire (if it holds) is incredibly welcomed, the leader of the supposed free world explicitly threatening to blow up a “whole civilization” in a country of 90 million people itself underscores Trump’s disregard for humanity and the rule of law. This week could be one of the darkest weeks since we began documenting the rise of authoritarianism in Trump’s America last year.

Of course, Trump’s threats of escalation in a war he had no mandate for from the start weren’t the only things he and his cronies were up to this week.

From genocidal threats to wanting to jail journalists to investigating another perceived enemy, here’s just a taste of what Trump and his allies did this week that undermines the Constitution, harms democracy, and makes the world less safe:

Saturday, April 4 – Rubio’s New Target

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that federal agents arrested those he claimed were the niece and great-niece of the late Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated by the Trump administration in 2020. But in a statement, Soleimani’s daughter said the two “have no connection whatsoever” to her father “and the claims made by the US State Department are false.”

The pair, who were taken into ICE custody and awaiting deportation proceedings, were arrested after Rubio revoked their green cards.

Rubio later quietly deleted a tweet announcing the pair’s arrest.

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Sunday, April 5 – Trump Threatens War Crimes

On Truth Social, Trump marked the Easter holiday with an unhinged, expletive-laden post escalating his threats against Iran.

“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!!” Trump wrote, adding, “Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”

Trump’s post was slammed by several politicians, including former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who called Trump’s post “evil,” adding that the president “has gone insane” and everyone in his administration is “complicit” in his “madness.”

Monday, April 6 – Trump Escalates War on Journalists

During a White House press conference, Trump threatened to jail journalists of an unnamed media outlet if they don’t identify their source who revealed that a second US airman was missing after Iran shot down a US fighter jet last week.

“[Iran] didn’t know there was somebody missing until this leaker gave the information,” Trump said. “So whoever it was, we think we’ll be able to find it out because we’re going to go to the media company that released it, and we’re going to say, ‘national security, give it up or go to jail.’”

Tuesday, April 7 – A ‘Highly Unusual’ Investigation

The New York Times reported that the civil rights division of Trump’s Justice Department is investigating former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, who implicated Trump in the Jan. 6 insurrection while testifying before Congress in 2022.

The Times described the decision to assign the probe, which is focused on whether Hutchinson lied to Congress, to the civil rights division as “highly unusual,” considering its focus is on enforcing federal statutes prohibiting discrimination.

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Wednesday, April 8 – Bondi Backs Out of Deposition

The Republican-led House Oversight and Reform Committee announced that former Attorney General Pam Bondi will no longer appear for a deposition next week to provide testimony about the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein files – testimony the White House wanted to avoid.

In a statement, Ranking Member Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) warned that if Bondi defies her subpoena to testify, the committee “will begin contempt charges in the Congress.”

Thursday, April 9 – Final Order of Removal for Mahmoud Khalil

The Board of Immigration Appeals, which Trump has cut in half and stacked with his own appointees, issued a final order of removal for Mahmoud Khalil, bringing him one step closer to being deported.

In a statement, Khalil called the ruling “biased and politically motivated.”

“The only thing I am guilty of is speaking out against the genocide in Palestine – and this administration has weaponized the immigration system to punish me for it,” he added.

Friday, April 10 – Everybody Gets a Pardon!

The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump has already promised mass presidential pardons to his staff before he leaves office, saying in a private meeting that he’d “pardon everyone who has come within 200 feet of the Oval.”

The White House didn’t deny Trump had made the promise, but claimed the president wasn’t being serious.

“The Wall Street Journal should learn to take a joke, however, the president’s pardon power is absolute,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

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Welcome to ‘This Week in Democracy – Week 63.’

First, the good: At least some levers of our democracy are still working, as shown by the millions who exercised their right to protest by marching against King Donald last weekend. Plus, the Supreme Court signaled it may rule against Donald Trump’s effort to end birthright citizenship (though we’re not giving too much credit to a court that has repeatedly given more power to the president).

Now, the bad, and as per usual, there was a lot of it: Trump’s incoherent address to the nation did little to clear up why the US is fighting a war that is costing us billions, killing thousands, and wreaking havoc on the global economy. The president continued his efforts to seize control of elections. And he reminded us, it’s ridiculous to think a nation at war (even if it’s a war the nation does not want) should pay for… day care.

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Here’s just a taste of what Trump and his cronies did this week that harmed democracy, undermined the Constitution, and hurt societies worldwide:

Saturday, March 28 – ‘No Kings’ Protests Break Record

More than 8 million people in all 50 states and across more than a dozen countries participated in the third series of “No Kings” protests, in opposition to the Trump administration’s executive overreach.

With more than 3,300 rallies across the country, the demonstrations marked the largest number of protests in a single day in US history, according to one of its organizers.

Sunday, March 29 – Suspicious Trading on Trump’s Policies

Reuters reported that unknown traders have netted millions of dollars in profits through well-timed trades anticipating some of Trump’s biggest policy shifts, a pattern that suggests investors may have been tipped off in advance and one that some legal experts believe should be investigated.

The lucrative policy shifts include options traders making millions just minutes before Trump announced he would pause his “Liberation Day tariffs” last April, which caused the stock market to spike. Six people generated a combined $1.2 million in profits from Polymarket bets hours before the US and Israel attacked Iran.

Monday, March 30 – DOJ Watchdog MIA During ‘Epidemic of Misconduct’

In a letter to the House and Senate Judiciary committee leaders, lawyers for a DOJ whistleblower accused the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General of failing to investigate “any of the serious allegations of misconduct” made by him and others, including complaints from members of Congress.

The letter warns that the inaction “comes at a time when the amount of governmental misconduct and violation of court orders by DOJ lawyers around the country have reached epic and unprecedented proportions.”

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Tuesday, March 31 – Trump (Who Votes By Mail) Targets Mail-In Voting

In his latest effort to take control of elections, Trump signed an executive order to restrict mail-in voting by creating a list of eligible US citizen voters in every state and prohibiting the US Postal Service from sending absentee ballots to any voter who isn’t on a state’s approved list.

The order, which is being challenged by states including Oregon and Arizona, who argue it violates the Constitution, also threatens to withhold federal funding from states that refuse to comply.

Wednesday, April 1 – Even Red States Aren’t Safe

Trump’s Justice Department sued Idaho for refusing to turn over sensitive data from its voter rolls.

The DOJ has now sued at least 30 states and DC to obtain unredacted voter rolls, including other red states such as Utah, Kentucky, and West Virginia.

Thursday, April 2 – Trump Fires Bondi

After trying (and failing) to prosecute Trump’s perceived political enemies and botching the release of the Epstein files, Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi.

CNN’s Kaitlan Collins reported that Bondi’s upcoming deposition about the Epstein files played a role in the timing of her firing “because the White House wanted to avoid it.” She’s the second woman in Trump’s Cabinet to be fired.

Trump appointed Deputy AG Todd Blanche, who was Trump’s former criminal defense attorney, to replace Bondi in an acting capacity.

Friday, April 3 – White House Wants Historic Military Budget. Sorry Healthcare!

The Trump administration asked Congress to approve roughly $1.5 trillion in defense spending, up nearly 40% from the current level and the highest in US history.

To pay for the additional warfare funds, the proposal calls for a 10% cut in non-defense spending, including cutting $73 billion from domestic programs involving healthcare, housing, and education.

The cuts could have devastating impacts on Americans nationwide. But hey, at least Trump asked for enough money – $152 million – to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz as an active prison. 🤬

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The US is at war, and possibly about to launch what will undoubtedly be a deadly ground invasion in Iran, and the president is busy, talking about… how “glad” he is that one of his perceived enemies is dead. Priorities!

Tomorrow, Americans in thousands of cities nationwide will take to the streets to protest Mad King Trump and his ongoing decimation of democracy. They will protest against the very things we highlight each week – the ways in which Trump and his cronies undermine the Constitution, harm Americans, and hurt societies worldwide.

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This week, of course, was no exception. From Trump sending ICE to airports to his administration admitting there was no evidence against Jerome Powell, here’s ‘This Week in Democracy – Week 62’:

Saturday, March 21 – ‘I’m Glad He’s Dead’

On Truth Social, Trump gloated about the death of former FBI Director and Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who investigated the president during his first term in relation to Russia’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election.

“Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!” Trump wrote.

Sunday, March 22 – ‘Test Run’ for ICE at the Polls

Trump confirmed that his administration would send ICE agents to major airports across the country on Monday to “help” TSA agents who have been working without pay for over a month due to the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown. At least one person has been violently arrested by ICE in an airport since Trump’s announcement.

Later, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon said on his podcast that the move can be used “as a test run…to really perfect ICE’s involvement in the 2026 midterms,” calling it “perfect training.”

Monday, March 23 – Judge Rules Against Trump

A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from enforcing a new policy authorizing the arrest and detention of refugees if they didn’t obtain a green card within one year of being in the US – a policy that could have put more than 100,000 refugees at risk of being arrested.

Meanwhile, ProPublica reported that Trump immigration authorities detained the parents of at least 11,000 US citizen children in the first seven months of his second term, leaving an average of 50 kids per day with a parent in detention.

Tuesday, March 24 – A Big Admission Contradicts Trump in Powell Case

The Washington Post reported that a top deputy to US Attorney Jeanine Pirro admitted during a closed-door hearing that Trump’s Justice Department didn’t have any evidence of misconduct in its investigation of the Federal Reserve and its chair, Jerome Powell.

The admission contradicted Trump’s claims that there was “criminality” in the $2.5 billion renovation of the Fed’s headquarters.

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Wednesday, March 25 – Trump Admin Goes After Letitia James Again

Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte issued two new criminal referrals to the Justice Department against New York Attorney General Letitia James over “suspected homeowners insurance fraud,” in a renewed effort to target one of Trump’s perceived political enemies.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department reached a settlement with a pardoned former Trump official, handing over what AP reported as $1.2 million in taxpayer funds to former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his conversations with Russia’s ambassador to the US. He was later pardoned by Trump.

Thursday, March 26 – Trump Admin Nears Deal on Voter Rolls

CBS News reported that Trump’s Justice Department is close to securing a deal to turn over voter roll data it has collected from states to the Department of Homeland Security, which could then be used for immigration and criminal investigations.

The data-sharing arrangement could result in a system that would allow officials to match voter registration data with DHS databases to determine whether non-citizens are registered to vote or have voted in the past, which is already illegal and extremely rare.

Friday, March 27 – Hegseth Nixes Two Black Officers and Two Women from Promotion List

The New York Times reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has blocked four Army officers – two of whom are Black and the other two are women – from receiving promotions to one-star generals, a move that the outlet called “highly unusual” and has led senior military officials questioning if the decision was rooted in racial and gender bias.

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Threats. Tirades. And tantrums. King Trump’s America on repeat.

As thousands die and oil prices soar in the illegal US-Israeli war on Iran, Donald Trump and his cronies at home are busy berating and threatening the free press, going on racist rants, and joking about…Pearl Harbor?!

Needless to say, Trump and his allies are still undermining the Constitution, hurting democracy, and harming free societies in the US and worldwide. Here’s ‘This Week in Democracy – Week 61’:

Saturday, March 14 – Brendan Carr’s Newest Threat

After Trump complained about Iran war coverage, FCC chair Brendan Carr warned broadcasters that they could have their licenses revoked, baselessly accusing them of “running hoaxes and news distortions.”

Broadcasters “have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up,” he said in a tweet.

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In response, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called Carr’s threat “straight out of the authoritarian playbook.”

Sunday, March 15 – Trump Tries to Shush Woman Reporter

Trump shushed ABC News’s Mariam Khan during a gaggle on Air Force One and called her a “very obnoxious person” after she asked why his administration was sending thousands of marines and sailors to the Middle East.

Earlier in the gaggle, he called ABC News “one of the worst, most fake, most corrupt … news organizations on the planet,” and said he wouldn’t take any more questions from the network after she asked about whether it was “appropriate” to include a photo of the president attending a dignified transfer in a recent fundraising email by his Never Surrender PAC.

Monday, March 16 – Another Racist Tirade Against Ilhan Omar

In the Oval Office, Trump went on his latest racist tirade against Somalia, calling the country “maybe a fourth-world nation” where they “shoot people all over the place” and accused Somalis of coming to the US to “steal” billions of dollars.

He also continued to peddle ridiculous claims about Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), a US citizen, being in the country illegally and encouraged his new White House anti-fraud task force to look into Omar, whom he baselessly called a “ringleader.”

Tuesday, March 17 – Bondi Subpoenaed Over Epstein Files

The Republican-led House Oversight Committee issued a subpoena for Attorney General Pam Bondi to testify about the Justice Department’s handling of the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and his associates, as well as the DOJ’s compliance (or lack thereof) with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

Later, Democrats on the committee walked out of a private briefing with Bondi about the Epstein files after she refused to commit to a deposition in accordance with the subpoena.

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Wednesday, March 18 – The FBI Is Buying Your Location Data

During a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, FBI Director Kash Patel admitted under oath that his agency is buying Americans’ location data.

His comments drew ire from even Republican lawmakers, with Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) calling the practice “a clear violation of the Fourth Amendment” and pushing for the passage of the Government Surveillance Reform Act “to close the data broker loophole that allows intelligence agencies to buy Americans’ private data.”

Thursday, March 19 – DHS Wrongfully Deported Over 100 Asylum Seekers

During a court hearing, a US Citizenship and Immigration Services asylum officer revealed that the Trump administration has wrongfully deported more than 100 asylum seekers, violating a court-ordered settlement agreement prohibiting their removals.

Friday, March 20 – Prosectors Investigate Colombian President Gustavo Petro

The New York Times reported that two US attorney’s offices are conducting criminal investigations into Colombian President Gustavo Petro, led by prosecutors focused on international narcotics trafficking.

The investigations have been probing whether Petro and drug traffickers had any meetings, as well as whether his presidential campaign sought donations from traffickers. The Times says there is no indication that the White House was involved in launching either of the investigations. Trump has attacked Petro in the past, calling him a “sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States.”

Don’t forget, it was less than four months ago, that Trump pardoned former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, who was convicted on drug trafficking charges.

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Welcome to ‘This Week in Democracy – Week 60.’ We wish we could tell you things were looking better than last week, but alas… Donald Trump and his cronies are still at it: bombing the hell out of Iran, lying to the American public, and destroying democracy.

From pushing a voter suppression bill in Congress to banning press photographers over “unflattering” photos, here’s just a taste of what Trump and his allies did this week that hurt free societies around the world, harm US democracy, and undermine the Constitution:

Saturday, March 7 – DOJ Pressures Federal Prosecutors

An investigation by the Wall Street Journal painted a frightening picture of the Trump administration’s targeting of US citizens as part of its mass immigration crackdown.

Federal prosecutors in cities where large immigration operations are taking place say they’ve faced pressure from top Justice Department officials to pursue charges against citizens for allegedly assaulting federal officers, pulling them away from cases related to public corruption, as well as drug and gun-related crimes. None of the 181 citizens accused of assault by government officials on Twitter have been convicted at trial.

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Sunday, March 8 – Trump Pushes for Voter Suppression

On Truth Social, Trump continued his push to get the Republican-controlled Congress to pass the Save America Act, which could disenfranchise tens of millions of voters.

He warned that he won’t sign any other bills until it passes, and supported using a “talking filibuster” to get the bill through the Senate – a move that’s drawn skepticism from Republican senators.

Monday, March 9 – Another Pointless 2020 Election Probe

The Trump administration expanded its pointless investigation of the 2020 presidential election, with the Republican leader of Arizona’s state Senate confirming he turned over records to the FBI related to an audit of Maricopa County – which concluded that Trump lost the state – as part of a “federal grand jury subpoena.”

Later, The Atlantic reported that the Department of Homeland Security’s investigative branch of ICE is conducting its own investigation into Arizona’s 2020 election results.

Tuesday, March 10 – Ed Martin Faces Disciplinary Proceedings

Multiple news outlets reported that the DC Bar filed an ethics complaint against DOJ Pardon Attorney Ed Martin over threats he made to the Georgetown University Law Center in February 2025, when he was Trump’s interim US attorney for DC.

According to the complaint, Martin “used coercion to punish or suppress… the teaching and promotion of DEI” by warning the dean that his office wouldn’t hire anyone associated with the school if it didn’t change its apparent policies.

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Wednesday, March 11 – Hegseth Bans Photographers Over ‘Unflattering’ Photos

The Washington Post reported that the Defense Department banned press photographers from attending briefings on the war in Iran after photos were published of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that his staff considered “unflattering.”

In a statement, the Pentagon’s press secretary suggested that if the move “hurts the business model for certain news outlets,” they should apply for the highly restrictive Pentagon press credential.

Thursday, March 12 – More Efforts to Suppress the Vote

CBS News reported that the Trump administration is considering cutting federal funding for a civil rights election program authorized under the Voting Rights Act to protect the right to vote and prevent discrimination at the polls.

Friday, March 13 – ’This Is What Authoritarianism Looks Like’

Attacking CNN for its Iran reporting, Hegseth said, “The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better.” He was referring to the Paramount Skydance chairman and CEO, whose company is on track to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns CNN.

As Mehdi put it:

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We didn’t need Donald Trump to launch an illegal war to show that he’s wrecked American democracy – but if there was any doubt about just how much damage he’s done, this week certainly has cleared things up.

Americans didn’t vote for Trump’s illegal war with Iran – nor do they support it today. Their representatives in Congress didn’t authorize it. But that doesn’t matter to a man who cares about no one but himself, nor to the cronies who do his bidding.

Hey, at least there was one small piece of good news: Trump finally got rid of puppy-killer Kristi Noem… only to replace her with another crony: Senator Markwayne Mullin.

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From launching an illegal war with no clear strategy to obstructing a DHS inspector general, here’s what Trump and his allies did this week that harm democracy, undermine the Constitution, and hurt societies worldwide:

Saturday, Feb. 28 – Trump’s Illegal Regime Change War

Trump, with Israel, launched an illegal war with Iran, carrying out massive airstrikes across the country, killing hundreds, and assassinating Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

In a video posted to Truth Social, Trump attempted to justify the war by saying Iran posed an imminent threat – despite previously claiming that the US obliterated Iran’s nuclear program last year.

He also told the Iranian people to “take over your government” when the war is finished. “This will be probably your only chance for generations,” he added.

Sunday, March 1 – A Pentagon Admission

During closed-door briefings with Congress, the Pentagon admitted that it had no intelligence to suggest Iran was planning to attack US forces first.

Meanwhile, Trump told the New York Times that US involvement in the Iran war could last “four to five weeks,” and said in a video that there will “likely be more” deaths of US troops before the war ends.

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Monday, March 2 – Bovino Investigated

A Minnesota county attorney’s office launched an investigation into former top Border Patrol official Greg Bovino in relation to an incident during Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota when he tossed a canister of tear gas at protesters in a park.

Bovino’s incident is just one of 17 being investigated for criminal charges by the office as part of a project to probe “potentially unlawful behavior” by federal agents.

Tuesday, March 3 – Homeland Security’s ‘Egregious’ Obstruction

The Wall Street Journal reported that the inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security sent a letter to Congress detailing nearly a dozen instances of DHS “systematically obstruct[ing]” him from accessing records and information, including a “particularly egregious” refusal to cooperate in a federal criminal investigation with national security implications.

Wednesday, March 4 – Trump’s Autopen Obsession

The New York Times reported that, due to pressure from Trump, his Justice Department investigated former President Joe Biden’s use of an autopen – which Trump has admitted to using himself – to sign presidential documents.

While the Times said the DOJ ultimately failed to build a criminal case against Biden and his aides, US Attorney Jeanine Pirro suggested the case isn’t completely closed, tweeting, “We cannot comment on ongoing investigations.”

Thursday, March 5 – Trump Axes Puppy-Killer

Following a disastrous pair of congressional hearings, Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, replacing her with Senator Markwayne Mullin.

Mullin, a staunch defender of Trump’s policies, has said the ICE officer who shot and killed Renee Good “had the right to defend” himself, called for “no amnesty for illegal aliens,” and argued that babies born in the US to undocumented parents should “go with” them if they are deported.

Friday, March 6 – Republicans Go After Key Witness in Jan. 6 Probe

CNN reported that Republican lawmakers are pushing the Justice Department to bring charges against former Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson, who gave explosive testimony against her former boss over the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) recently made a criminal referral of Hutchinson, accusing her of lying to Congress in 2022 when she testified about Trump’s role in the insurrection.

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One hour and 47 minutes of lies. Another seven days in fascist America. Welcome to ‘This Week in Democracy’ – or should we start calling it, ‘This Week in Fascism’?!

While Trump gave perhaps one of the most boring State of the Union addresses ever – it was certainly the longest(!), his allies and cronies were continuing to destroy American democracy, undermine the Constitution, and harm free societies worldwide.

From taxpayers paying for Kash Patel to party, to Trump’s fascist rally, to DHS making up a story about a missing child to detain a Columbia University student, here’s just a taste of the actions Trump and his cronies took this week that underscore the growth of authoritarianism in the country:

Saturday, Feb. 21 – Trump Threatens Netflix

On Truth Social, Trump warned Netflix that if it doesn’t fire board member and former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice, who had warned corporations, news organizations and law firms against “ben[d]ing the knee” to the current administration, the streaming service will “pay the consequences.” At the time, Netflix had been in talks to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery – a move that would have required approval by the FCC.

(Later in the week, Netflix walked away from the deal after refusing to match a last-minute higher offer from Paramount Skydance, saying it wouldn’t be “financially attractive.” Paramount is owned by Trump friend David Ellison.)

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Sunday, Feb. 22 – Kash Patel Parties on Taxpayers’ Dime

FBI Director Kash Patel celebrated the US men’s hockey team’s Olympic win in Milan – with taxpayers footing the bill. Videos on social media showed Patel in the team’s locker room, where he chugged and splashed a beer while the hockey players cheered around him, in a scene reminiscent of a frat party.

Monday, Feb. 23 – ICE Whistleblower Confirms What We Already Knew

While testifying before Congress, an ICE whistleblower sounded the alarm on the agency’s “deficient, defective, and broken” training program for new deportation officers.

Ryan Schwank, who previously worked as an ICE lawyer in the department’s training academy, noted the standard 584-hour training program had been cut by 240 hours, and he received “secretive orders” to teach new recruits “to violate the Constitution by entering homes without a judicial warrant.”

Tuesday, Feb. 24 – Dem Gets Thrown Out During Trump’s Fascist Speech

During his record-length State of the Union address, Trump lied about “rampant” cheating in American elections, falsely claimed that eliminating fraud in federal programs would balance the federal budget, and wrongly stated the man charged with killing a Ukrainian refugee last year in North Carolina “came in through open borders.” (The man was born in Charlotte.) That’s just a small handful of his many lies he told.

At the same time, Democratic Rep. Al Green was kicked out of the chamber for holding up a sign that read “BLACK PEOPLE AREN’T APES,” and Rep. Ilhan Omar’s guest, a disabled woman who went viral after video surfaced of her being dragged from her car by ICE agents last month, was forcibly removed and arrested by Capitol Police for “unlawful conduct” … for standing.

Wednesday, Feb. 25 – Trump’s Racism…on Repeat

On Truth Social, Trump launched his latest racist attack against Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, over their remarks during his State of the Union address on Tuesday. Trump said the US should send Tlaib, who was born in Michigan, and Omar, who is a naturalized citizen, “back from where they came – as fast as possible.”

Later, as part of his new role combating the so-called “war on fraud,” Vice President JD Vance announced that the Trump administration will withhold $259 million in Medicaid payments for Minnesota – another move driven by anti-Somali racism.

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Thursday, Feb. 26 – DHS Lies to Abduct Student

DHS agents lied their way into a Columbia University off-campus residence building and arrested student Ellie Aghayeva, according to the school’s president, after “misrepresenting themselves” by claiming to be “police searching for a missing child.”

Hours later, Aghayeva was released from federal custody following an apparent intervention from Trump after he met with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Friday, Feb. 27 - Another Illegal Invasion?

Speaking to reporters, Trump suggested that the US “could very well end up having a friendly takeover of Cuba.” The country, which Trump says is “in a big deal of trouble,” is suffering a humanitarian crisis, according to the UN’s top official for Cuba, as the Trump administration continues a fuel blockade.

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Isn’t it something when democracy works the way it’s supposed to? In Donald Trump’s America, that has become increasingly rare, especially when it comes to the Supreme Court, but on Friday, a majority of justices broke with the president and ruled he cannot use emergency powers to impose sweeping tariffs.

Trump, of course, had a full-blown meltdown about the decision, and has already said he will use other authorities to circumvent it.

And while this Supreme Court ruling is a win for democracy, there were still a whole host of things Trump and his cronies did this week that harm democracy, undermine the Constitution, and hurt free societies worldwide.

From unlawful arrests to one state getting closer to requiring ICE to be at the polls, here’s a quick look at just some of the harmful actions the president and his allies took this week:

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Saturday, Feb. 14 – Thousands of Illegal Detentions

The Trump administration has been found to have unlawfully detained immigrants more than 4,400 times by hundreds of judges since October alone, according to Reuters, as part of a policy that’s resulted in the total number of people in ICE detention reaching a record high and more than 20,000 lawsuits.

Sunday, Feb. 15 – Deportation Czar’s Crusade Continues

On CBS’ ‘Face the Nation,’ Trump administration border czar Tom Homan balked at demands by Democratic lawmakers for changes to ICE policies, arguing that while he doesn’t “like the masks,” he believes they are necessary for agents to “protect themselves,” even though police officers don’t wear them.

Homan also ludicrously claimed that federal agents aren’t engaging in racial profiling and that stops are only made based on “reasonable suspicion,” despite the fact that the Supreme Court opened the door for ICE to engage in racial profiling last year.

Monday, Feb. 16 – Colbert Fights Back

Late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert said that CBS refused to air an interview he filmed with Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico out of fear after FCC chair Brendan Carr issued regulatory guidance last month requiring daytime and late-night talk shows to give equal time to political candidates, even though they have historically been covered by an exemption.

On the following night’s show, Colbert noted that his team couldn’t “find one example” of the equal-time ruling being enforced for any interview on a late-night talk show dating back to the 1960s.

CBS claimed that the program “was not prohibited” from airing the interview, which was instead uploaded to YouTube, but said the network provided “legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger” the rule.

Tuesday, Feb. 17 – ICE at the Polls?

Senate Republicans in Arizona advanced legislation in an effort to require ICE agents to have a presence at voting locations in the state – a move that could violate federal law.

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Wednesday, Feb. 18 – Violating Court Orders

Politico reported that the Trump administration admitted in a court filing to violating court orders by federal judges in New Jersey more than 50 times in the past 10 weeks, including deporting someone to Peru in violation of an injunction, and missing three deadlines to release people detained by ICE.

Additionally, the administration missed six deadlines to respond to court orders, along with a dozen others to provide bond hearings to people in ICE detention, and 10 instances of failing to produce evidence ordered by judges.

Thursday, Feb. 19 - Kicking People Out of Housing

Trump’s Department of Housing and Urban Development issued a new proposed rule that could ban families with at least one undocumented immigrant in the household from living in public housing, a move that could result in tens of thousands of people being evicted from their homes, including nearly 37,000 US citizen children, or face possible family separation.

The rule would also require local housing authorities to report any tenant who isn’t eligible for rental aid to US Citizenship and Immigration Services. While undocumented immigrants don’t receive federal rental aid, they may live with family members who do, including children born in the US.

Friday, Feb. 20 - King Trump Melts Down

In its most significant rebuke of the Trump administration since the president returned to office, the Supreme Court ruled that he cannot use emergency powers to unilaterally impose tariffs.

Justices Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh, and Clarence Thomas dissented. In their opinion, it’s apparently okay to let Trump impose sweeping tariffs with emergency powers granted to presidents under a law – the International Emergency Economic Powers Act – that doesn’t even use the word “tariff” one time.

And guess what… After the ruling, Trump called the Supreme Court justices who ruled against him “very unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution”; suggested – without elaborating or evidence – that they are being swayed by “foreign interests”; and claimed he will impose a 10% “global tariff” under a different act – one that has a statute limiting tariffs to 150 days unless authorized by Congress.

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Welcome to ‘This Week in Democracy – Week 56.’ Where do we even begin?!

It was a week full of presidential tantrums: Donald Trump called American freeski Olympian Hunter Hess “a real Loser” for saying he had “mixed emotions” about representing the US. The president then called Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl appearance – an epic and historic show by an American about the unity of the Americas – an “affront to the Greatness of America.”

Later in the week, we were treated to Attorney General Pam Bondi’s finger-wagging, screaming, and unhinged accusations, as she testified about the Epstein files before the House Judiciary Committee.

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Speaking of which, there were so many terrifying things revealed about the DOJ’s handling of the files this week – clearly unnecessary redactions, mishandling of victims’ names, the “burn book” of Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s search history of the unredacted files that Bondi brought with her to the hearing – that we don’t have space to document them all in ‘This Week in Democracy.’

So instead, below, we chose to focus on the worrying actions Trump and his cronies took that you may have missed amid the president’s tantrums and the Epstein revelations.

From a new Trump pay-to-play scheme to the House passage of an election overhaul bill to the administration’s latest assault on immigrants, here’s just a small taste of what the president and his allies did this week that harm democracy, undermine the Constitution, and hurt free societies worldwide:

Saturday, Feb. 7 – Patel Blocks ICE Killing Probe

The New York Times reported that senior FBI officials, including Director Kash Patel, ordered agents to stop carrying out a warrant to search the vehicle of Renee Good, as part of what would typically be a standard civil rights investigation into the use of force, days after the 37-year-old mother was killed by an ICE agent as she pulled away in her vehicle.

Patel and other officials were concerned that such an investigation would crumble Trump’s narrative that Good “violently, willfully, and viciously ran over” the agent, which was disputed by footage of the incident, the Times reported, citing several unnamed sources.

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Sunday, Feb. 8 – Only Costs $1 Million to See Trump

In what appears to be the latest pay-to-play scheme involving the president, Trump’s allies involved with an organization assisting the White House in planning celebrations for the country’s 250th birthday are offering access to Trump and other perks to donors who cough up at least $1 million.

The solicitations are being made by Freedom 250, which claims that those who donate $1 million or more will receive an invitation to a private “thank you reception” hosted by Trump. Meanwhile, a contribution of at least $2.5 million will secure donors a speaking role at an event in DC on July 4.

A spokesperson for Freedom 250 laughably told the Times that Trump “can’t be bought by anyone.”

Monday, Feb. 9 – Way Beyond the ‘Worst of the Worst’

The Trump administration loves to tout that its mass immigration crackdown targets the “worst of the worst,” but CBS News reports that less than 14% of the nearly 400,000 immigrants ICE arrested during the first year of Trump’s second term had been charged or convicted of violent criminal offenses.

Less than 2% of people arrested by ICE during that time period had been the subject of charges or convictions related to homicides or sexual assaults, with just another 2% accused of being gang members.

A total of 40% of those arrested had no criminal record at all, and had only been accused of civil immigration offenses, like overstaying their visas or being undocumented.

One immigrant without a criminal record who ICE arrested was Tufts University student Rümeysa Öztürk, whose lawyers revealed separately on Monday that an immigration court terminated removal proceedings against her last month after the Department of Homeland Security failed to meet its burden of proving removability.

Tuesday, Feb. 10 - Flashing ‘Master Alarm’

In another blow to Trump’s efforts to go after his perceived enemies, a grand jury rejected an effort by his administration to indict six Democratic lawmakers over their involvement in a viral video urging members of the military to refuse illegal orders. NBC News reported that not a single grand juror found that the Justice Department met the probable cause threshold in the case.

While the rejection of the Trump administration’s persecution of the lawmakers is a win, the fact that it happened at all represents a nearly unprecedented threat to Constitutional rights under the First Amendment.

“This is not a ‘good news’ story,” Senator Mark Kelly, one of the six lawmakers who faced a possible indictment, told reporters. “This is the master alarm flashing for our democracy.”

Wednesday, Feb. 11 – House Passes Terrifying Election Bill

As part of Trump’s bid to overhaul elections in the US, the Republican-controlled House passed legislation that would disenfranchise millions of Americans.

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act would require proof of citizenship, like passports and birth certificates, for voters to cast their ballot in elections. But, as the Center for American Progress notes, about half of Americans don’t have a valid passport, and 69 million women in the US wouldn’t be able to use a birth certificate to prove their citizenship because they changed their last name when they got married.

The bill, which would also eliminate mail-only registration, require photo ID in every state, and make it mandatory for states to conduct voter roll purges every 30 days, now moves to the Senate.

Thankfully, it faces an uphill battle there.

Thursday, Feb. 12 – Judge Rebukes Trump

A federal judge admonished the Trump administration for effectively blocking ICE detainees in Minnesota from accessing their attorneys.

“It appears that in planning for Operation Metro Surge, the government failed to plan for the constitutional rights of its civil detainees,” the ruling reads. “The government suggests – with minimal explanation and even less evidence – that doing so would result in ‘chaos.’”

“The Constitution does not permit the government to arrest thousands of individuals and then disregard their constitutional rights because it would be too challenging to honor those rights.”

Friday, Feb. 13 – Another Assault on Migrants

In the latest front of her war on Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced her department will terminate TPS for Yemen, leaving Yemenis with the status 60 days to leave the country or risk being arrested and deported.

Did you miss previous weeks of ‘This Week in Democracy’? Catch up here. And check out more of Zeteo’s reporting from this week below:

Just when you thought the vile, racist rhetoric coming out of the White House couldn’t get any worse, Donald Trump simply outdoes himself.

Just take Thursday: In the morning, Trump, at the National Prayer Breakfast – the National Prayer Breakfast – went on a racist tirade against immigrants. By Thursday night, his racism reached new levels – if that was even possible – when he posted on Truth Social a disgusting AI-generated video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes (of course the White House blamed a “staffer,” despite the fact that, as Zeteo’s politics team pointed out, Trump’s posts often go through levels of approval, including from the president himself).

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Trump’s racism, his sexism, his denialism, his utter hate for Americans who are unlike him, isn’t distraction; it’s the point. As ‘This Week in Democracy’ shows every week, especially this week, it seeps through his policy decisions, his attacks, his cronies’ actions.

From suggesting Republicans should “take over” and run elections in states he lost to lashing out at yet another woman journalist, here’s just a taste of the actions Trump and his allies took this week that hurt democracy, undermine the Constitution, and harm free societies worldwide:

Saturday, Jan. 31 – ’Corruption, Plain and Simple’

In a bombshell article, the Wall Street Journal reported that Abu Dhabi royal Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan reached a secret $500 million deal with the Trump family just four days before Trump was inaugurated for his second term.

As part of the deal, Tahnoon, also known as a “spy sheikh,” bought a 49% stake in the Trump family’s cryptocurrency venture World Liberty Financial, just two months before the United Arab Emirates secured a deal of its own with the Trump administration to access enough American AI chips to build one of the largest AI data center clusters in the world.

“This is corruption, plain and simple,” Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said, demanding Trump reverse chip deal and administration officials testify before lawmakers. “Congress needs to grow a spine and put a stop to Trump’s crypto corruption.”

Sunday, Feb. 1 – Trump Unilaterally Closes Kennedy Center for 2 Years

On Truth Social, Trump abruptly announced that the Kennedy Center will temporarily close on July 4 for two years to undergo “Construction, Revitalization, and Complete Rebuilding.”

Coincidentally, the move comes after dozens of performers canceled their appearances following Trump’s takeover of the center and his decision to put his name on the building. The closure still must be approved by the Kennedy Center Board, which, fortunately for Trump, is made up of members he handpicked.

Monday, Feb. 2 – What States’ Rights?

In a stunning escalation of his assault on democracy, Trump encouraged Republicans to “nationalize” elections and “take over” voting in at least 15 “places” that he falsely claims to have won but didn’t.

Trump’s remarks during an interview on former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino’s podcast come less than one week after his FBI raided an election office in Fulton County, Georgia, and seized ballots from the 2020 election.

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Asked later about his comments, Trump claimed that “states are an agent of the federal government in elections,” and referred, without evidence, to “horrible corruption” in Detroit, Philadelphia, and Atlanta — adding that the “federal government should get involved” and “take over.”

So much for states’ rights.

Tuesday, Feb. 3 – Trump Attacks a Woman Journalist – Again

In yet another disgusting on-camera attack on women journalists, Trump lashed out at CNN’s Kaitlin Collins for asking what he would say to survivors of Jeffrey Epstein “who feel like they haven’t gotten justice.”

“You are the worst reporter,” Trump said. “No wonder CNN has no ratings because of people like you…. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile.”

Disappointingly, none of Collins’s colleagues in the White House Press Corps stood up for her as the president attacked her or repeated her question, which he clearly never answered.

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Wednesday, Feb. 4 – Democracy Dies in Darkness…or at the Washington Post

In a move by billionaire Jeff Bezos described as a “murder,” an “absolute bloodbath,” and an effort to “ingratiate himself with Donald Trump,” the owner of the Washington Post took a blowtorch to his outlet and laid off one-third of its workforce.

It’s apparently being described as a “strategic reset” by editor-in-chief Matt Murray, but the decision to effectively gut the Post’s sports, local news, and international coverage threatens to tank one of the country’s most well-known outlets for nearly 150 years.

Thursday, Feb. 5 – ICE at the Polls?

During a briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she couldn’t guarantee that ICE wouldn’t be at voting sites in November during the midterm elections but claimed Trump doesn’t currently have any “formal plans” to send federal immigration agents to polling locations.

Leavitt called the question “very silly,” “hypothetical,” and “disingenuous,” but it followed comments from former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, who said on his podcast Tuesday, “You’re damn right we’re going to have ICE surround the polls come November,” and added, “We’re not going to sit here and allow you to steal the country again.”

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Friday, Feb. 6 – Fast-Tracking Deportations

It’s about to get even more difficult for immigrants to receive due process in the US, thanks to a new interim final rule that makes sweeping changes to the procedures of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA).

The new rule restricts the amount of time immigrants can file for an appeal after receiving a deportation order from 30 days to just 10 days. Even worse, the rule mandates the dismissal of all cases within 15 days unless the majority of BIA members vote in favor of an appeal.

Craig Relles, an immigration lawyer in the New York City area, told NOTUS that the rule will “flood the federal courts,” and warned that it will result in more immigrants being detained by ICE.

Did you miss previous weeks of ‘This Week in Democracy’? Catch up here. And check out more of Zeteo’s reporting from this week below:

Another week. Another insane – and terrifying – seven days in Donald Trump’s America. It’s as if the worst of Donald Trump and his cronies is playing on repeat: another murder of a US citizen by federal agents; more attacks on the First Amendment; and another week of Trump’s allies fueling his obsession with the 2020 election.

Plus, two Democratic lawmakers were physically assaulted, and Tulsi Gabbard made a strange appearance. Here’s just a taste of what Trump and his allies did this week that harmed democracy, undermined the Constitution, and hurt people in the US and worldwide:

Saturday, Jan. 24 – DHS Murders Another American

Border Patrol agents murdered 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, marking the third shooting by federal agents in the area in recent weeks and the second fatality. The agents fired at least 10 shots at Pretti, who had been recording them with his phone, after they pepper-sprayed and tackled him to the ground.

In true Trumpian fashion, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller cruelly and falsely labeled Pretti a “domestic terrorist,” spreading blatant lies that he was holding a gun and trying to “assassinate law enforcement.”

Just hours later, a Trump-appointed federal judge felt compelled enough to issue a late-night order, directly telling the administration not to destroy or alter evidence in the case.

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Sunday, Jan. 25 – Bondi’s ‘Extortion’ Letter

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz rejected the Trump administration’s request to turn over voter data to the Justice Department and repeal sanctuary policies to “bring an end to the chaos” in Minnesota, a move lawmakers said amounted to “extortion” and “blackmail.”

The request, which was made by Attorney General Pam Bondi in a ridiculously-written letter sent hours after Pretti’s killing, drew widespread condemnation among Minnesota Democrats, including Secretary of State Steve Simon, who called it “an outrageous attempt to coerce Minnesota into giving the federal government private data on millions of US Citizens in violation of state and federal law.”

Monday, Jan. 26 – What First Amendment?

While appearing on right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson’s show, FBI Director Kash Patel said he launched an investigation into Signal group chats used by protesters in Minnesota to share information about federal immigration agents, including their locations and license plate numbers.

The move flies in the face of the First Amendment, which protects those who share legally obtained information, as well as the act of recording law enforcement officials.

Tuesday, Jan. 27 – Ilhan Omar Attacked

Just hours after Rep. Ilhan Omar was attacked at a Minneapolis town hall, Trump baselessly called the Minnesota lawmaker a “fraud,” and accused her of having set up the assault, in which she was sprayed with a substance by a man with a syringe.

It is Trump and his Republican Party, of course, who have repeatedly put Omar in danger through years of spreading hateful and racist rhetoric about the lawmaker.

This comes just days after Rep. Maxwell Frost was attacked at the Sundance Film Festival. On Twitter, Frost said a man told him Trump was going to deport him before punching the lawmaker in the face and screaming racist remarks.

Wednesday, Jan. 28 – Why Was Tulsi Gabbard in Fulton County?

Trump’s FBI raided an election center in Fulton County, Georgia, as part of a search warrant authorizing agents to seize all “physical ballots from the 2020 general election” along with all ballot images and voter rolls from that year.

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It wasn’t just FBI agents who descended on the election office – Reuters snapped a photo of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard lurking in the building. The Wall Street Journal later reported that Gabbard, whose job is to oversee the country’s intelligence agencies and advise the president on national security matters, has instead been spending months investigating Trump’s long-debunked claims of the 2020 presidential election being stolen.

Thursday, Jan. 29 – A New Escalation Against the Free Press

In a dramatic escalation of Trump’s attacks on the First Amendment, federal agents arrested Don Lemon and three other journalists in relation to their coverage of a recent anti-ICE protest inside a St. Paul, Minnesota, church. The arrests come one week after a federal magistrate judge rejected the Justice Department's initial request to bring charges.

Reuters reported that Lemon has been charged with conspiring to deprive others of their civil rights, as well as violating the FACE Act by allegedly obstructing access to a house of worship.

In a statement, Lemon’s lawyer Abbe Lowell called the move an “unprecedented attack on the First Amendment” and a “transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration.”

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Friday, Jan. 30 – Trump’s Fed Pick

After a year of attacking Jerome Powell and chipping away at the independence of the Federal Reserve, Trump named Kevin Warsh as the new Fed chair. Warsh, who, if confirmed, would replace Powell when his term ends in May, previously served as a member of the Fed’s board from 2006 to 2011.

After Trump’s repeated attacks on Powell, the Justice Department earlier this month opened a criminal investigation into the Fed chair over whether he lied to Congress about the renovation of the Federal Reserve headquarters. Powell called the probe “unprecedented,” saying he has always carried out his duties at the Fed “without political fear or favor.”

Warsh’s Senate confirmation could already be in jeopardy as Republican Senator Thom Tillis said he will oppose the nomination until the Justice Department’s investigation into Powell is “adjudicated or withdrawn.”

Did you miss previous weeks of ‘This Week in Democracy’? Catch up here. And check out more of Zeteo’s coverage from this week below:

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Welcome to ‘This Week in Democracy – Week 53’ – the first edition of our new abridged format, highlighting Donald Trump and his cronies’ biggest attacks on democracy on each day of the week. We had so much to choose from that Trump’s deranged Tuesday press conference and his even more insane Davos speech on Wednesday didn’t even make the cut.

From attacks on the press to Trump’s personal paramilitary invading Maine, here’s just a taste of what Trump and his allies did this week that harmed democracy, undermined the Constitution, and hurt people in the US and worldwide:

Saturday, Jan. 17 – ‘We’ll Sue Your Ass Off’

The New York Times reported that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil and his colleagues that Trump would sue the network again if there were any edits made to the president’s 13-minute interview that aired on the Jan. 13 edition of the show.

“Make sure you guys don’t cut the tape, make sure the interview is out in full,” Leavitt said, according to a recording, adding, “If it’s not out in full, we’ll sue your ass off.”

In a statement, CBS News noted that “The moment we booked this interview, we made the independent decision to air it unedited and in its entirety.”

Sunday, Jan. 18 - Readies the Troops

Roughly 1,500 active-duty soldiers in Alaska have been ordered by the Pentagon to get ready for a potential deployment to Minnesota, days after Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy the military to the state, Reuters reported.

The Trump administration has already sent 3,000 federal agents to the state, in what the Department of Homeland Security described as its “largest enforcement operation” ever.

Monday, Jan. 19 – Honors MLK by Threatening a Black Journalist

The Justice Department’s Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Harmeet Dhillon, threatened to invoke the Ku Klux Klan Act to bring a conspiracy charge against a Black journalist on MLK Day after the reporter, Don Lemon, covered an anti-ICE protest inside a St. Paul, Minnesota, church.

Later in the week, a federal magistrate judge rejected the Justice Department’s initial attempt to bring charges against Lemon.

Tuesday, Jan. 20 – Bullies Dems in Minnesota

Trump’s Justice Department subpoenaed several Minnesota officials, including Democratic Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, as part of a federal investigation into whether they obstructed or impeded federal agents conducting a mass immigration crackdown through their public statements.

Frey, who has described the probe as a bullying tactic to quash political opposition, said: “We shouldn’t have to live in a country where people fear that federal law enforcement will be used to play politics or crack down on local voices they disagree with.”

Wednesday, Jan. 21 – A Day of Terrifying ICE News

AP reported that an internal ICE memo from May 2025 authorizes agents to use force to enter people’s homes without a warrant from a judge. Legal experts say such guidance flies in the face of the Fourth Amendment, which protects people from unreasonable search and seizure by the government.

That’s not all: The Department of Homeland Security launched an immigration crackdown operation in Maine, disgustingly dubbed “Catch of the Day”; a Texas medical examiner ruled that the death of a 55-year-old man in ICE custody, who died after guards held him down, was officially a homicide due to asphyxia; and a federal appeals court decision paved the way for federal officers to continue using tear gas and pepper spray against peaceful protesters in Minnesota.

(Guess how senior US Border Patrol official Greg Bovino celebrated that ruling? Yep, by throwing tear gas at protesters in Minneapolis.)

Thursday, Jan. 22 – Attacks Jack Smith – Again

Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee embarrassed themselves by trying – and failing – to create a “gotcha” moment during former special counsel Jack Smith’s public testimony about his investigations into Trump. They spent much of the time either repeating their go-to political attacks or focusing on his procedure during the probe, not his findings.

During the hearing, Smith said he believes Trump administration officials will “do everything in their power” to indict him “because they’ve been ordered to by the president,” but added that he “will not be intimidated.” He also noted that he doesn’t understand why Trump would “mass pardon people who assaulted police officers.”

“I think all of us, if we’re reasonable, know that there’s going to be more crimes committed by these people in the future,” Smith said.

On Truth Social, Trump responded to Smith’s testimony by calling for him to “be prosecuted for his actions,” arguing that, “At a minimum, he committed large scale perjury!”

Friday, Jan. 23 – Patel Fires FBI Agents for Doing Their Job

FBI Director Kash Patel ramped up his purge of senior agents and field office leaders who were involved in investigations into Trump, MS Now reported.

Among those fired by Patel were as many as six agents in Miami who had done work related to the FBI’s raid of Mar-a-Lago for classified documents. Others were forced out for their involvement in the “Arctic Frost” investigation that focused on Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

It’s unclear how many officials were fired by Patel, but the outlet called the turnover “unheard of at the FBI.”

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Did you miss previous weeks of ‘This Week in Democracy’? Catch up here. And check out more of Zeteo’s coverage from this week below:

52 Weeks. 52 weeks of Donald Trump’s assault on democracy. 52 weeks of attacking Americans, immigrants, and people worldwide. 52 weeks of assailing free speech, due process, and a free press. 52 weeks of making the world less safe.

When we at Zeteo started this project a year ago, we promised to keep track of all of the attacks Trump and his cronies made on the US democratic and constitutional order, despite the president’s attempt to distract, to “flood the zone,” to overwhelm. It wasn’t easy. Our small team worked tirelessly to ensure we didn’t miss a day. Our producers, editors, and fact checkers scoured government websites, officials’ social media, news reports, and court records, to not only document the attacks on democracy that made the front page, but also to highlight the actions that didn’t get the coverage it would have received under any other president.

Our goal: To ensure there would be a historical record of this dark time; to not normalize Trump and his administration’s extreme rhetoric and actions; and to provide a resource for anyone struggling to keep track of many, many ways the administration is threatening their rights.

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While we wish there was no need for this project, we are incredibly proud of this work. What we produced is unlike any other piece of journalism published by mainstream and independent media alike. If you put the 52 weeks of ‘This Week in Democracy’ together, it would include more than 3,740 items totalling over 168,000 words. Each week averaged more than 73 bullet points. Week 10 – the week of Signalgate and when Rümeysa Öztürk was detained by plainclothes ICE agents over an op-ed – had the longest list, nearly 100 items.

Moving forward, ‘This Week in Democracy’ will look different. Starting next week, we will highlight only the single worst attack on democracy for each day. It will hit your inbox on Fridays, not Saturdays. Zeteo, however, remains committed to documenting, in detail, the growth of authoritarianism in the US – through the important reporting of our politics team, Mehdi’s hard-hitting interviews, the smart analysis of our contributors, and via our new morning newsletter, ‘First Draft’ (have you signed up for that yet?).

If you’re not already a paid subscriber, subscribe today to ensure you get all of Zeteo’s content in your inbox without a paywall. If you are already a paid subscriber, we thank you for supporting our journalism and projects like ‘This Week in Democracy.’ You can always further that support with a donation.

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That said, below is the last ‘This Week of Democracy’ of the first year of Trump’s second term; the last in this current extended format.

From saying the US ‘shouldn’t even have an election’ this year, to declaring war on Minneapolis, to escalating threats against Iran, Greenland, and Cuba, to pausing immigrant visa processing in 75 nations, to giving an autoworker the middle finger, here’s what Trump and his allies did this week to harm democracy and undermine the Constitution:

Saturday, January 10

• The Trump administration refused to allow Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar to conduct an oversight visit at an ICE detention facility in Minneapolis, two days after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem quietly signed a new policy memo restricting congressional visits. Speaking to reporters, including Zeteo’s Prem Thakker, after being denied entry, Omar said, “What happened today is a blatant attempt to obstruct members of Congress from doing their oversight duties.”

Sunday, January 11

• The New York Times reported that during an interview with Trump last week, the president said he regretted not ordering the National Guard to seize voting machines in swing states after he lost the 2020 presidential election to find evidence of fraud. Trump also said he believes “white people were very badly treated” as a result of civil rights-era protections and claimed it resulted in “reverse discrimination.”

• A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore $12 million in grants to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for projects, including efforts to reduce sudden infant death, address fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, and identify autism early.

• Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell announced that the Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into his June 2025 testimony to Congress about renovations of the Fed’s headquarters. Powell said the threat of criminal charges “is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the president.”

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• Asked by a reporter on Air Force One whether deadly force was necessary in the shooting of Renee Good, Trump said Good and her widow were “highly disrespectful of law enforcement,” falsely claimed they were “professional agitators,” and argued that “law enforcement should not be in a position where they have to put up with this stuff.”

• On Fox, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said her department will deploy “hundreds more” federal agents to Minneapolis, joining more than 2,000 agents already in the city in what DHS has described as its largest operation in history.

• The Guardian reported that ICE deported a man in a vegetative state after his health deteriorated rapidly while in custody. Randall Gamboa Esquivel, a 52-year old from Costa Rica, was deported in an air ambulance after spending nearly 10 months in detention, and died in October 2025 after arriving in his home country.

• On Truth Social, Trump continued to threaten Cuba, saying “THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA” and adding, “I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.”

Monday, January 12

• At least six leaders of the criminal section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division resigned in protest after the DOJ decided not to investigate the ICE officer who shot and killed Renee Good in Minneapolis last week, a process that usually takes place after any fatal shooting by a law enforcement officer.

• Minnesota and Illinois sued the Trump administration in separate lawsuits that argued the president’s immigrant crackdown operations in the Minneapolis and Chicago areas violated state sovereignty under the 10th Amendment of the Constitution. Illinois’s lawsuit urged a judge to block US Customs and Border Protection from “conducting civil immigration enforcement” in the state without “express congressional authorization.”

• MS NOW reported that the Justice Department fired a federal prosecutor who served as first assistant to the now-disqualified US Attorney Lindsey Halligan after he declined to lead the prosecution of former FBI Director James Comey.

• Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) sued Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Pentagon to block their efforts to punish him for a video he participated in last year with other Democratic lawmakers calling on military members to refuse illegal orders, asking a federal judge to find the move “unlawful and unconstitutional.”

• Meanwhile, Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) said in an interview that federal prosecutors are investigating her for participating in the same video as Kelly.

• A dozen House Democrats asked a federal judge to compel the Department of Homeland Security to explain how its new policy requiring a seven-day notice for congressional oversight visits to immigration detention facilities doesn’t violate a December 2025 court order blocking DHS from implementing a virtually identical policy.

• In a court filing, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Judge James Boasberg that it’s impossible for the Trump administration to return or facilitate due process hearings for 137 Venezuelan men who were illegally deported in March 2025 under the Alien Enemies Act because the move may “risk material damage to US foreign policy interest in Venezuela” with interim President Delcy Rodríguez.

• The ACLU dropped its lawsuit against the Trump administration to restore tens of millions in Title X family planning funds that had been withheld from health clinics, including Planned Parenthood, after the Department of Health and Human Services quietly issued the funds in December.

• The New York Times reported that the Environmental Protection Agency is planning to roll back a decades-long policy for calculating the health benefits of reducing air pollution when setting regulations, a move that could make it easier to repeal limits on coal-burning power plants and oil refineries.

• The Times also reported that the Pentagon used a secret aircraft designed to appear like a civilian plane in its first strike on a boat in September that killed 11 people, a move that could be considered a potential war crime called “perfidy” under the laws of armed conflict.

• On Truth Social, Trump continued escalating tensions with Iran, announcing that any country doing business with Iran will face a 25% tariff “on any and all business” with the US, effectively immediately.

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Tuesday, January 13

• Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) said he would take steps to hold Bill and Hillary Clinton in contempt after the couple refused to testify as part of the House’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. In a letter to Comer, the Clintons wrote, “Every person has to decide when they have seen or had enough and are ready to fight for this country, its principles, and its people, no matter the consequences. For us, now is that time.”

• Zeteo reported that federal investigators assigned to the killing of Renee Good are set to look into possible connections Good and her widow have to legal-observer and racial-justice groups in the Minneapolis area, including any organizations that have received funding or grants linked to George Soros.

• In another racist move against Somalis in the US, the Trump administration announced that it was terminating the Temporary Protected Status of Somali immigrants living in the US, claiming that conditions in the country have improved.

• In an interview with USA Today, Trump’s Arctic commissioner Thomas Dans said the US could take action towards annexing Greenland within “weeks or months.”

• The Trump administration filed a motion to dismiss its appeal of a November 2025 court decision that blocked it from withholding federal transportation funding from states that refuse to cooperate with immigration enforcement.

• Six federal prosecutors in Minnesota resigned over efforts from the Justice Department to open a criminal investigation into Renee Good’s widow rather than investigating the shooter responsible for killing Good.

• While speaking at the Detroit Economic Club, Trump said his administration would suspend all federal funding for sanctuary cities and states, beginning Feb. 1. He also said the US will “revoke the citizenship of any naturalized immigrant from Somalia or anywhere else who is convicted of defrauding our citizens.”

• In an interview with CBS News, Trump warned that his administration would “take strong action” against Iran if it starts hanging protesters.

• Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appointed two new members to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices who have questioned the safety of COVID-19 vaccines and the use of antidepressants by pregnant people.

• CNN reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the Pentagon to select judge advocate general officers who could be selected to serve as special assistant US attorneys in Minneapolis to assist in federal prosecutions related to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in the city. One official told CNN that the move, which Hegseth has done before, is “bleeding legal resources from the military.”

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• The Trump administration designated the Lebanese, Jordanian, and Egyptian chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations and imposed sanctions on them and their members.

• On Truth Social, Trump went on an unhinged rant about Minnesota, and ominously warned that the “DAY OF RECKONING & RETRIBUTION IS COMING!”

• Video footage showed Trump giving the middle finger and appearing to mouth the words “fuck you” to an autoworker who appeared to yell “pedophile protector” at him while the president toured a Ford factory in Michigan.

Wednesday, January 14

• The FBI executed a search warrant at the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson, who has spent the last year covering the Trump administration, in connection with an investigation into a government contractor accused of unlawfully retaining classified materials. In an email, the Post’s executive editor Matt Murray called the move an “extraordinary, aggressive action” that is “deeply concerning and raises profound questions and concern around the constitutional protections for our work.” Natanson has not been accused of any wrongdoing.

• On Twitter, the State Department announced that the Trump administration will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries, including Afghanistan, Brazil, and Somalia, starting next week, claiming immigrants from those countries “take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates.” The tweet added that the suspension “will remain active until the US can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people.”

• The Republican-controlled Senate voted against a war powers resolution designed to limit Trump’s ability to conduct further strikes on Venezuela after two Republican senators who joined with Democrats last week to advance the resolution flipped under pressure from Trump.

• A federal court allowed California to move forward with its new congressional maps, which could net Democrats as many as five extra seats in the House in the 2026 midterm elections, rejecting claims from California Republicans that the new maps were unconstitutional.

• NBC News reported that if Trump were somehow actually able to buy Greenland, it could cost American taxpayers as much as $700 billion.

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• Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) introduced three articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, which were backed by nearly 70 other House Democrats. The first article accuses Noem of obstruction of Congress by implementing policies limiting lawmakers from conducting oversight visits at ICE detention facilities. The second accuses her of violating public trust by directing DHS agents to arrest people without warrants, use tear gas against citizens, and ignore due process. The third accuses Noem of self-dealing by steering a federal contract to a firm run by her friend.

• Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein sent a letter to the Justice Department’s Inspector General requesting a review of the Epstein files released by the DOJ and oversight for future releases to “ensure full compliance with US law and basic standards of survivor protection,” adding that “the manner in which these materials were released reflects serious failures in redaction practices, survivor protection, and oversight.”

• The Justice Department sued Minnesota over its so-called affirmative action “regime,” accusing the state of using diversity, equity, and inclusion policies in its hiring practices at state agencies. On Twitter, Attorney General Pam Bondi called the practices “discriminatory DEI codified into bad state policy” and added that the Trump administration “will not stand for it.”

• Four additional Democratic lawmakers said they are being investigated by the US attorney for the District of Columbia over their participation in a viral video calling on military members to refuse illegal orders.

• E. Jean Carroll asked the Supreme Court to dismiss Trump’s petition calling for the court to review her successful $5 million defamation case against him, in which the president was found liable for sexually abusing her in the dressing room of a department store in the 1990s and then defaming her by claiming it never happened.

• Trump’s Education Department launched Title IX investigations into 15 school districts and three colleges over their policies allowing trans athletes to compete in girls’ and women’s sports. The targets of the investigations include the New York City Department of Education, the largest public school system in the country.

• The Congressional Budget Office estimated that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s rebranding of the Defense Department to the “Department of War” could cost taxpayers as much as $125 million, with the number growing to “hundreds of millions” if Congress officially changed the department’s name.

• Immigrant rights lawyers urged a federal appeals court to reinstate the Temporary Protected Status of 600,000 Venezuelan immigrants living in the US, which had been terminated by the Trump administration last year.

• The Trump administration restored nearly $2 billion in federal funding for more than 2,000 addiction services and mental health programs across the country, less than 24 hours after it told the program’s that their funding would be terminated immediately.

• The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press asked a federal judge to unseal all judicial records related to the search warrant used by the FBI to raid the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson.

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Thursday, January 15

• A federal appeals court reversed a lower court’s ruling that allowed Mahmoud Khalil to be released from ICE custody, finding that the federal district court in New Jersey that issued the ruling did not have jurisdiction over his habeas corpus petition. In a statement, Khalil said, “The door may have been opened for potential re-detainment down the line, but it has not closed our commitment to Palestine and to justice and accountability.”

• CNN reported that the Trump administration is planning to use private military contractors in Venezuela to protect oil and energy assets instead of deporting US troops.

• Reuters reported that the US seized another oil tanker linked to Venezuela in the Caribbean, with the US Southern Command saying the tanker was “operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean.”

• In an interview with Reuters, Trump argued that the US “shouldn’t even have an election,” referring to the 2026 midterm elections.

• During a White House meeting, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado presented Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize medal. However, the Norwegian Nobel Committee and the Norwegian Nobel Institute said last week that “once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others,” adding, “The decision is final and stands for all time.”

• On Truth Social, Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota if the “corrupt politicians” don’t stop the “professional agitators and insurrectionists” from “attacking” ICE officers.

• The Washington Post reported that the El Paso County Medical Examiner is expected to classify the death of 55-year-old Cuban immigrant Geraldo Lunas Campos in ICE custody as a homicide, with a witness saying he saw Campos choked to death by detention staff.

• The ACLU filed a class-action lawsuit against the Trump administration to end the warrantless arrests and racial profiling of Latino and Somali residents in Minnesota by ICE and other federal agents.

• A group of House Democrats sent a letter to House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) demanding an investigation into the Justice Department’s probe of Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, which they called a “blatant abuse of DOJ’s prosecutorial power.” The lawmakers said the investigation is necessary to “ensure that the DOJ is not being used to coerce” the Federal Reserve “into artificially juicing the economy to benefit the President and his party ahead of the midterm elections.”

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• The New York Times reported that the Trump administration is pressuring Mexico to allow US military forces, either Special Operation troops or CIA officers, to conduct joint operations in the country to fight cartels producing fentanyl and smuggling it into the US.

• During a press briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt lashed out at The Hill reporter Niall Stanage after he said Renee Good was killed “because an ICE agent acted recklessly and killed her unjustifiably.” Leavitt responded by calling Stanage a “left-wing hack” who is “posing” as a journalist and said he “shouldn’t even be sitting in” the briefing room.

• A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from trying to obtain sensitive data from California’s voter rolls, including driver’s license numbers and Social Security numbers. In his ruling, the judge wrote that “the centralization of this information by the federal government would have a chilling effect on voter registration which would inevitably lead to decreasing voter turnout as voters fear that their information is being used for some inappropriate or unlawful purpose.”

• During a court hearing, the federal judge who issued a scathing ruling against the Trump administration last year over its efforts to deport pro-Palestinian activists called the move “an unconstitutional conspiracy to pick off certain people.” He also said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio “have failed in their sworn duty to uphold the Constitution” by infringing on the First Amendment rights of pro-Palestinian activists.

• ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan announced she would resign from her position to run for Congress in Ohio.

Friday, January 16

• During a roundtable at the White House, Trump said he may impose tariffs on countries “if they don’t go along with” the US annexing Greenland.

• CBS News reported that Trump is set to pardon Puerto Rico’s former governor, Wanda Vázquez Garced, who pleaded guilty last year in a federal public corruption case related to her 2020 campaign, with one White House official arguing her prosecution was “politically motivated.”

• On Truth Social, Trump continued to rage against those protesting ICE in Minnesota, calling them “Troublemakers, Agitators, and Insurrectionists” who he claimed, without evidence, are “in many cases, highly paid professionals.” He added that “If, and when, I am forced to act, it will be solved, QUICKLY and EFFECTIVELY!”

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We knew Donald Trump would be busy harming democracy, Americans, immigrants, and the world during the holidays and start of the new year, but we never imagined it would be this horrific.

Just since Christmas, the president and his cronies have bombed Nigeria, invaded Venezuela and kidnapped its president, seriously threatened Greenland, Mexico, and Colombia, killed a US citizen in Minneapolis, Minnesota, shot and wounded two people in Portland, Oregon, and spewed some of the most vile lies, rants, and disinformation yet (and that says a lot if you’ve read the last 49 weeks of ‘This Week in Democracy’).

That’s not even mentioning Trump’s rewriting of the history of the Jan. 6 insurrection on the White House website, his administration’s latest efforts to cover up the Epstein files, and the additional likely illegal strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific.

Welcome to Trump’s America.

Brace yourself for a long list this week, as we picked up from where we left off before the holiday break. Here’s ‘This Week in Democracy – Weeks 50 and 51’:

Wednesday, December 24

• A dozen senators sent a letter to the Justice Department’s Inspector General calling for an investigation into the DOJ’s failure to release the entirety of the Epstein files by the Dec. 19 deadline, accusing the department of withholding files, releasing documents that were largely already available to the public, heavily redacting documents, and removing files after releasing them.

• Meanwhile, the DOJ tweeted that the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York and the FBI have “uncovered over a million more documents potentially related to” Jeffrey Epstein and claimed the department has “lawyers working around the clock” to review the documents and make necessary redactions, a process the DOJ says “may take a few more weeks.”

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• The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration has drawn up draft solicitations for contractors to help massively overhaul the country’s immigration detention system, with plans to renovate seven large-scale industrial warehouses to hold more than 80,000 people at a time. As part of the overhaul, ICE is expected to detain people in processing sites for a few weeks before transferring them to one of the warehouses, which are expected to hold between 5,000 and 10,000 each, while awaiting deportation.

• On Truth Social, Trump called late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert a “pathetic trainwreck,” adding he’s “running on hatred and fumes,” and is a “dead man walking!”

• In another ridiculous post, Trump continued to call for the revocation of broadcast licenses for networks he claims are “almost 100% Negative” to him, MAGA, and the Republican Party.

• Reuters reported that the Trump administration ordered the US military to spend at least the next two months enforcing a “quarantine” of Venezuelan oil, with one official saying that the White House’s belief is that, by late January, “Venezuela will be facing an economic calamity unless it agrees to make significant concessions to the US.”

• A federal judge issued a ruling prohibiting ICE and the DOJ’s Executive Office for Immigration Review from conducting “sweeping” arrests at immigration courthouses in Northern California.

Thursday, December 25

• On Truth Social, Trump announced that, at his direction, the US launched a deadly strike against “ISIS Terrorist Scum” in Nigeria, who he claims have been “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!” He also warned there will be “many more” dead “Terrorists” if the “slaughter of Christians continues.” Zeteo reported that Nigerian officials and those monitoring political violence in the country have accused the Trump administration of spreading misinformation, noting that Christians make up a smaller percentage of the death toll attacks in the country than Muslims.

• Also on Truth Social, Trump wished a Merry Christmas to “the many Sleazebags who loved Jeffrey Epstein,” before “falsely claim[ing] they had nothing to do with him,” as well as those involved in the “ongoing Radical Left Witch Hunt” against the president, warning that “this time so many of their friends, mostly innocent, will be badly hurt and reputationally tarnished,” and adding, “Enjoy what may be your last Merry Christmas!”

• A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from detaining Imran Ahmed, the CEO and founder of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, two days after the State Department imposed visa bans on Ahmed and four Europeans accused of working to censor freedom of speech in the US.

Friday, December 26

• AP reported that a federal judge canceled Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s trial for human smuggling charges and instead ordered a hearing to determine whether Abrego Garcia’s prosecution was sought vindictively in an effort to selectively target him. If prosecutors fail to explain their reasoning for charging Abrego Garcia, the charges against him could be dismissed.

• In an interview with Politico, Trump claimed the original plan to launch strikes in Nigeria was slated to take place earlier, but he directed them to “give them a Christmas present,” adding, “They didn’t think that was coming, but we hit them hard.”

• During another interview, Trump potentially leaked new information by claiming that, on Wednesday, his administration “knocked out” what he described as a “big plant or big facility” in Venezuela, “where the ships come from.” It wasn’t clear what the president was talking about at the time, even to some Trump administration officials, as Zeteo reported.

• On Truth Social, Trump lashed out about the one million additional documents found by the Justice Department related to Epstein, complaining that the DOJ “is being forced to spend all of its time on this Democrat inspired Hoax,” and asking, “When do they say NO MORE, and work on Election Fraud etc.”

Saturday, December 27

• The BBC reported that Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell sent a letter to jazz musician Chuck Redd threatening to file a $1 million lawsuit against him after Redd canceled a Christmas Eve performance at the venue following the addition of Trump’s name to the building.

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Sunday, December 28

• The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration is using a novel interpretation of the False Claims Act, which is normally used to probe government contractors committing fraud, to investigate US companies over the use of DEI initiatives in hiring and promotion, including Google and Verizon.

Monday, December 29

• The Trump administration made another significant cut to the amount of money the US has traditionally pledged to the UN, saying it would only contribute $2 billion, a massive drop from contributions in recent years that reached as high as $17 billion. Additionally, the administration warned UN agencies to “adapt, shrink, or die,” with Secretary of State Marco Rubio tweeting that “this new model…will require the UN to cut bloat, remove duplication, and commit to powerful new impact, accountability, and oversight mechanisms.”

• A federal judge allowed the Trump administration to move forward with sharing information about Medicaid recipients, including their “basic biographical, location, and contact information” with ICE, but blocked the administration from sharing additional information beyond that.

• The New York Times interviewed outgoing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who said that after she threatened to expose the names of men who had abused survivors of Epstein, Trump yelled at her during a phone call and warned that “my friends will get hurt,” and that the victims had done nothing to merit a meeting in the Oval Office.

• The Times also reported that the only drug that washed ashore following a Nov. 6 lethal strike by the Trump administration against a boat in the Gulf of Venezuela was traces of a substance that looked and smelled like cannabis.

• On Twitter, the US Southern Command announced that, at Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s direction, the US military conducted a lethal strike on a boat in the Eastern Pacific, killing two people.

• The Trump administration sued Virginia over its policies allowing some undocumented students to pay in-state tuition, arguing the laws discriminate against US citizens. It marks the seventh state the Trump administration has sued over in-state tuition policies for eligible undocumented students.

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• CNN reported that the mysterious Venezuela strike Trump referred to last week was conducted by the CIA on a dock where US officials claim Tren de Aragua was storing and planning to transfer narcotics onto boats. Those briefed on the strike say no one was on the dock at the time and there were no fatalities. Asked about whether the CIA conducted the strike, Trump said, “I know exactly who it was, but I don’t want to say who it was.”

• Trump said he would support an attack by Israel on Iran if it rebuilds its nuclear missile program, warning that “We will knock the hell out of them.”

• Trump welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Mar-a-Lago, marking Netanyahu’s fifth visit to the US since Trump’s second term began in January. During the visit, Trump said he spoke to Israeli President Isaac Herzog and suggested a pardon is “on its way” for Netanyahu, who he called a “war-time prime minister.” He also claimed without evidence that “more than half” of Gaza’s population would leave the territory if given the opportunity, something he called “common sense.” Netanyahu also awarded Trump the Israel Prize, making him its first non-Israeli recipient.

Tuesday, December 30

• MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) reported that then-top Trump transition official Emil Bove was alerted by a Justice Department lawyer days before Trump was inaugurated that Tom Homan was being investigated for bribery after accepting $50,000 from undercover agents in exchange for help securing lucrative contracts if Trump became president. Homan later received a security clearance despite career DOJ officials believing he wouldn’t be able to get one due to evidence gathered in the bribery probe.

• A federal judge ruled the Trump administration can’t move forward with efforts to defund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which is responsible for enforcing consumer financial laws and taking action against companies that violate those laws. The judge found the administration’s legal argument to do so is “an unsupported and transparent attempt to starve the CFPB of funding and yet another attempt to achieve the very end the Court’s injunction was put in place to prevent.”

• On Twitter, Deputy Health Secretary Jim O’Neill announced that the Trump administration will freeze federal childcare funds to Minnesota in response to “blatant fraud that appears to be rampant” in the state and across the country, citing a right-wing influencer who claimed Somali residents operating daycares in Minneapolis committed up to $100 million in fraud. In response, Governor Tim Walz said the move was “Trump’s long game,” and that it’s “been his plan all along.” (Watch Mehdi’s 60-second rant about the right’s blatant racism towards Somalis here.)

• A federal judge released excerpts of emails as part of a newly unsealed order that showed senior Justice Department officials, including Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, were involved in the decision to charge Kilmar Abrego Garcia with human smuggling, disputing claims from DOJ lawyers that the move was made solely by local prosecutors.

• Reuters reported that the Justice Department is still reviewing more than 5 million Epstein files and needs 400 lawyers to help review them, a process that is expected to extend into late January.

• At the direction of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the US military conducted strikes against three boats, though it’s unclear where the strikes took place. Later on Twitter, the US Southern Command said three people were killed in the first strike, while other targets “abandoned the other two vessels.” (The Intercept later reported that the US military actually killed 11 people in the boat strikes, bringing the total number of people killed in US strikes to 123.)

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Wednesday, December 31

• The House Judiciary Committee released the transcript of former special counsel Jack Smith’s testimony delivered earlier this month, during which he noted that “there is no historical analog for what President Trump did” in his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Smith also said he was still considering indicting some of Trump’s co-conspirators when he won the 2024 presidential election, and repeatedly denied there was any political interference in his investigation by the Biden administration to charge Trump.

• A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to facilitate the return of a man to the US after he was deported in violation of a court order.

• A federal appeals court ordered the Trump administration to return control of hundreds of California National Guard troops to Governor Gavin Newsom. Meanwhile, Trump announced on Truth Social that he would be removing the National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, following a Supreme Court ruling the week earlier that said he couldn’t deploy troops to Chicago. However, Trump signaled he would be open to redeploying troops again, saying, “We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again – Only a question of time!”

• Also on Truth Social, Trump continued to call for the freeing of Tina Peters, the former Colorado county clerk who was convicted of tampering with voting machines following the 2020 presidential election, and said he wishes “only the worst” for the state’s governor and district attorney, adding, “May they rot in Hell.”

• Trump went on another racist rant against Somalis and Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, saying on Truth Social that “Lowlifes like this can only be a liability to our Country’s greatness,” and added, “Send them back where they came from.”

• A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from ending the Temporary Protected Status of nearly 90,000 immigrants from Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua, and noted that statements by Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem “reflect a stereotyping of the immigrants…as criminal invaders and perpetuate the discriminatory belief that certain immigrant populations will replace the white population.”

• On Twitter, the US Southern Command announced that, at the direction of Hegseth, the US military conducted lethal strikes on two boats. Five people were killed in the strikes, though the tweet did not specify where they took place.

• The Washington Post reported that the Kennedy Center changed its bylaws earlier in May to limit voting to presidentially appointed trustees, a move legal experts say could conflict with the institution’s charter.

• The Post also reported that ICE is planning to spend $100 million for a year-long recruitment campaign specifically targeting gun rights supporters and military enthusiasts to join the agency as deportation officers as part of a “wartime recruitment” strategy.

Thursday, January 1

• Zohran Mamdani was inaugurated as mayor of New York City. Mamdani is the city’s youngest mayor in more than a century, and its first Muslim mayor, first South Asian mayor, and first mayor born in Africa. (Read more of Zeteo’s coverage of Mamdani’s inauguration here.)

• A group of employees affected by the Trump administration’s new policy eliminating coverage for gender-affirming care from federal health insurance programs filed a legal complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, arguing the move is sex-based discrimination and should be rescinded.

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• The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a new memo suspending immigration applications for people from 20 additional countries included in Trump’s expanded travel ban, including Nigeria, South Sudan, and Syria. The memo also directs USCIS employees to review cases that were approved during the Biden administration for people from those countries.

• In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump claimed that he actually got a CT scan back in October, contradicting his earlier assertions that he received an MRI. His doctor told the Journal that the CT scan was done to “definitively rule out any cardiovascular issues” and the results showed no abnormalities. Trump also said he takes a higher dosage of daily aspirin than his doctors recommend, which causes him to bruise easily.

Friday, January 2

• On Truth Social, Trump threatened to take military action against Iran if the country “shots [sic] and violently kills peaceful protesters,” saying the US “will come to their rescue” and that the military is “locked and loaded and ready to go.”

Saturday, January 3

• In the middle of the night, Trump authorized a series of strikes in Venezuela, as well as the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, by the US military. The illegal strikes took place without congressional authority. Maduro and Flores were transported to New York, where they face drug and weapons charges. Venezuela’s Vice President ​​Delcy Rodriguez was subsequently sworn in as interim president following Maduro’s kidnapping.

• During a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, Trump referred to the operation as an “assault like people have not seen since World War II,” said the US will “run” Venezuela “until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition,” and warned that the US military is “ready to stage a second and much larger attack if we need to do so.”

• Trump also threatened Colombian President Gustavo Petro, claiming without evidence that he “has factories where he makes cocaine,” and adding, “he does have to watch his ass.”

• Semafor reported that the New York Times and the Washington Post learned about the Trump administration’s plan to invade Venezuela ahead of time but held off on reporting about it in an effort to avoid endangering US troops.

• Wisconsin circuit judge Hannah Dugan resigned from her post following threats from state Republicans to impeach her after she was found guilty last month of obstruction after being accused of misdirecting federal agents to help an immigrant evade arrest in her courthouse. In her resignation letter to Governor Tony Evers, Dugan warned that the “unprecedented federal legal proceedings” against her “threaten the independence of our judiciary.”

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• On Truth Social, Trump shared a conspiracy video that ludicrously claimed that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was behind the assassinations of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband. In response, Walz called the post “dangerous, depraved behavior” that is “going to get more innocent people killed.” The Hortmans’ children also published a statement asking Trump to delete the post and apologize for spreading misinformation about their parents’ murders. (A conservative, 57-year-old Vance Boelter, was indicted in July on six federal charges in connection with the stalking and murders of the Hortmans.)

• The Justice Department missed a statutory deadline set by the Epstein Files Transparency Act to explain which documents had been redacted or withheld within 15 days after the files were mandated to be released on Dec. 19.

Sunday, January 4

• The Cuban government said 32 of its citizens were killed during the Trump administration’s raid on Venezuela to capture the country’s president and first lady.

• On ‘Meet the Press,’ Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued that congressional approval wasn’t required for the administration’s attack on Venezuela, saying, “This was not an invasion or an extended military action.” Asked whether Cuba is the next target of the Trump administration, Rubio responded, “I think they are in a lot of trouble.”

• Aboard Air Force One, Trump threatened to strike Venezuela again if the country “doesn’t behave.” He also admitted that he had notified oil companies before attacking Venezuela, despite deciding not to notify Congress. Asked about taking US action in Cuba, Trump said he thinks the country “is going to fall.” Senator Lindsey Graham took a stronger stance, saying Cuba’s “days are numbered.”

• Zeteo reported that Trump is still “very interested” in secret plans drawn up last year to send US Special Forces into Mexico to capture or kill cartel figures, according to one administration official.

Monday, January 5

• The CDC cut the number of vaccines recommended for every child from the childhood immunization schedule, including the removal of vaccines for the flu, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and RSV.

• Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and weapons charges during their arraignment in a Manhattan courthouse. Maduro called himself a “kidnapped president” who is a “prisoner of war.” During the hearing, Flores’s attorney told the judge that his client “sustained significant injuries” during her abduction and added that “there’s belief she may have a fracture or a severe bruising on her ribs.”

• Politico reported that more than 300 federal judges, including some appointed by Trump, have ruled against the administration’s “mandatory detention” policy. In more than 1,600 cases, judges have either ordered the release of immigrants or a bond hearing.

• On Twitter, Hegseth announced that his department is moving forward with administrative action against Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), including censuring and reducing his retirement grade from a Navy captain to a lower rank, over a viral video where he and other Democratic lawmakers called on military service members to refuse illegal orders. Hegseth called Kelly’s remarks “seditious statements” that were part of a “pattern of reckless misconduct,” and warned that “further violations could result in further action.”

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• In an interview with NBC News, Trump claimed the US is not at war with Venezuela but “with people that sell drugs” and added that the country will not have new elections within the next 30 days, saying, “We have to fix the country first. You can’t have an election. There’s no way the people could even vote.”

• The Washington Post reported that the Department of Homeland Security has outlined plans to cut the FEMA workforce by thousands in 2026, including firing 85% of standby workers who are typically the first on the ground during a disaster, along with a 41% reduction in the Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery staffers, who often spend years helping communities recover from disasters.

• The New York Times reported that the Trump administration has stopped claiming that Cartel de los Soles, which it accused Maduro of leading, is an actual organization. The old indictment mentions the “organization” 32 times, but the revised indictment only refers to it twice, calling it a “patronage system” and a “culture of corruption.” (Cartel de los Soles is a figure of speech used in Venezuela since the 1990s to describe military officials corrupted by drug money.)

• The Wall Street Journal reported that the CIA conducted a classified intelligence assessment ahead of Trump’s invasion of Venezuela, which concluded that top officials of the Maduro government, including Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, would be the best to lead a temporary government in the country if Maduro lost power.

• In an update to a federal judge, Justice Department officials revealed that they have released less than 1% of the total documents it possesses as part of the Epstein Files, with more than 2 million documents “remain[ing] in various phases of review and redaction.”

• On CNN, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller refused to rule out the Trump administration using military force to take over Greenland, saying, “Nobody is going to fight the US militarily over the future of Greenland.”

• The Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s (CPB) board voted to dissolve the organization after 58 years as a result of Trump’s move to defund it. The organization’s president and CEO said in a press release that its “final act would be to protect the integrity of the public media system and the democratic values by dissolving, rather than allowing the organization to remain defunded and vulnerable to additional attacks.”

• CBS News reported that the Trump administration deployed 2,000 federal agents to Minneapolis as part of its immigration crackdown.

Tuesday, January 6

• In an effort to rewrite history, the White House published its own “timeline” of the Jan. 6 insurrection, falsely claiming Trump invited those who participated in the riots to DC for “a peaceful and historic protest,” blaming the Capitol Police for turning a “peaceful demonstration into chaos,” referring to then-Vice President Mike Pence’s decision to certify the election an “act of cowardice and sabotage,” and accusing Democrats of manufacturing a “gaslighting narrative” about the insurrection in an attempt to certify “a fraud-ridden election” and to “persecute innocent Americans.”

• On Truth Social, Trump announced that the “Interim Authorities” in Venezuela will turn over between 30 and 50 million barrels of “Sanctioned” oil to the US, with the funds generated being controlled by his administration.

• Also on Truth Social, Trump said a “Fraud Investigation” of California is underway, but he didn’t give any specifics about the probe.

• In a statement to Reuters, the White House said Trump and his administration are “discussing a range of options” to acquire Greenland, noting that “utilizing the US military is always an option at the commander-in-chief’s disposal.”

• Reuters also reported that the Trump administration put Venezuela’s interior minister, a Maduro loyalist who controls security forces, on notice as a potential target unless he assists Interim President Delcy Rodriguez with meeting US demands and maintaining order in the country following Maduro’s ouster.

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• ABC News reported that the Trump administration warned Rodriguez that the Venezuelan government must meet the White House’s demands before it’s allowed to pump more oil, including severing economic ties with China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba, and agreeing to partner exclusively with the US on oil production.

• The New York Times reported that the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel declared that Trump’s decision to attack Venezuela and kidnap the country’s president was lawful in a signed memo.

• The Justice Department sued Arizona and Connecticut for failing to turn over their unredacted voter lists, which include information like birthdates and full or partial Social Security numbers.

• NPR reported that the Pentagon is set to conduct a six-month review to measure the “effectiveness” of women serving in ground combat, according to a memo that also seeks to collect any internal research and studies on the “integration of women in combat.”

• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the state’s Attorney General is “looking very seriously” at bringing state charges against captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Unlike his federal indictment, which focuses on drug trafficking and weapons, the case would likely include immigration charges. DeSantis also claimed that Maduro “was obviously very involved with bringing drugs, particularly to Florida.”

• A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from banning words it associates with diversity, equity, and inclusion from grant applications for Head Start, an early education and family support program that serves hundreds of thousands of vulnerable youth. The judge also prohibited the administration from laying off additional federal employees in the Office of Head Start.

• The Trump administration froze $10 billion in funding for child care subsidies, social services, and cash support for low-income families in five states controlled by Democrats — Minnesota, New York, California, Illinois, and Colorado — claiming, without evidence, widespread fraud in those states.

• The Wall Street Journal reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers during a closed briefing on Monday that Trump aims to purchase Greenland rather than invade it.

• Trump border czar Tom Homan and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem both made threats to expand the federal crackdown on fraud in Minnesota’s social safety net programs to other Democratic-controlled states, including New York and California.

Wednesday, January 7

• An ICE agent shot and killed 37-year-old US citizen Renee Nicole Good, a legal observer, in Minneapolis. Horrific footage of the incident showed Good in her vehicle, apparently attempting to leave the scene as an agent aimed his gun and shot her in the head.

• On Truth Social, Trump falsely called Good a “professional agitator” who was driving “very disorderly, obstructing and resisting.” He also falsely claimed that she “violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer,” arguing the agent shot Good in self-defense.

• During an interview with the New York Times, Trump once again falsely claimed that Renee Nicole Good “ran over” the ICE agent who shot and killed her in Minneapolis. After being pressed on the matter, Trump insisted on watching a slow-motion video of the incident, which Times reporters pointed out did not appear to show Good running over the ICE agent.

• Trump also said the US may be running Venezuela and extracting oil from its reserves for years. When asked how long his administration would demand direct oversight of the country, Trump said, “Only time will tell.”

• Trump filed a court motion seeking more than $6.2 million in legal fees and costs from the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office following the dismissal of the election interference case brought against him and his political allies.

• Trump announced the US is pulling out of the foundational climate treaty known as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which was established in 1992, along with a number of other major international climate organizations.

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• Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the US will sell Venezuelan oil “indefinitely” and that profits from the sales would be “deposited into accounts controlled by the US government” and then “flow back into Venezuela.”

• Officials announced the US military had seized two Venezuela-linked oil tankers in the North Atlantic and Caribbean.

• Florida Governor DeSantis said he plans to call a special session to draw new mid-decade congressional districts in the state, but noted that he will wait until April to do so, in order to see whether the Supreme Court will strike down an anti-discrimination provision of the Voting Rights Act, which he says could affect “at least one or two” districts.

• On Truth Social, Trump announced that, due to “very troubled and dangerous times,” he would call for the US defense budget to be increased by a whopping 66% in 2027, from $901 billion to $1.5 trillion.

• Also on Truth Social, Trump said that Venezuela will be exclusively purchasing US-made products with the funds the country receives from its new “Oil Deal.”

• CNBC reported that more than 100 people were killed during the US military raid in Venezuela that captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, according to Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, who added that a similar number of people were injured.

Thursday, January 8

• The New York Times reported that documents suggest at least 100 more federal agents are being deployed to Minnesota following the killing of Renee Good.

• During a White House press briefing, Vice President JD Vance disgustingly blamed Renee Good, the victim, for her killing by an ICE agent.

• The New York Times reported that federal prosecutors are conducting a new investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James’s financial transactions with her longtime hairdresser, who was charged with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charges last month.

• A federal judge ruled that Acting US Attorney John Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York was unlawfully serving in the position, marking the fifth federal prosecutor appointed by Attorney General Pam Bondi to be disqualified from their post. The ruling also invalidated the grand jury subpoenas he issued last year to the New York attorney general’s office, which were part of an investigation into potential violations of constitutional rights during the state’s probes into Trump and the NRA.

• Zeteo reported that the Trump administration has been planning how to respond if Democrats, or state or local prosecutors, ever tried to arrest or prosecute an ICE officer or federal agent, with the goal of protecting the accused agents “no matter what.” Two administration sources said that Trump has privately said that he could retaliate by refusing to hand over the agent, bringing federal “obstructing” charges, or threaten to further cut off federal funding to a state where an agent is arrested or prosecuted.

• The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration has jailed multiple unaccompanied migrant boys, including some with no pending charges, in a juvenile detention facility in Pennsylvania known for its history of physical and sexual abuse against minors. Conditions at the facility were so bad that the state revoked one of its licenses, saying it committed “gross incompetence, negligence, and misconduct.”

• The Republican-led House passed a bill to extend expired health care subsidies for millions of recipients who receive coverage through the Affordable Care Act. Seventeen Republicans voted alongside Democrats to pass the legislation, despite objections from Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson. The bill now moves to the Senate.

• Bloomberg reported that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was left out of months of planning by the White House to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro due to her past opposition to taking military action in the country.

• Reuters reported that US officials, including White House aides, discussed sending individual payments ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 to Greenland residents as part of an effort to convince them to secede from Denmark and join the US.

• The Senate voted to advance a bipartisan resolution to prevent Trump from using military force “within or against Venezuela” without prior approval from Congress. Five Republicans voted with all 47 Democrats to advance the motion —Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Todd Young (R-Pa.). In response, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Republicans “should be ashamed” of the senators who voted for the bill and claimed the War Powers Act is “Unconstitutional” and violates Article II of the Constitution.

• Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) sent a letter to a federal judge suggesting a Special Master and Independent Monitor should be appointed to ensure the Justice Department released the entirety of the Epstein files, arguing that the DOJ “cannot be trusted” to do so after failing to meet its statutory deadlines.

• US Border Patrol agents shot two people in Portland, Oregon, during a “targeted vehicle stop.”

Friday, January 9

• On Twitter, the US Southern Command announced it seized a fifth oil tanker linked to Venezuela.

• On Truth Social, Trump said he has “cancelled the previously expected second Wave of Attacks” against Venezuela, saying it “looks like it will not be needed” because of the country’s cooperation with the US.

• Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the Trump administration is launching an investigation of money services businesses in Minnesota.

• Speaking to reporters, Trump said he “can’t think of anybody in history that should get the Nobel [Peace] Prize more than me,” less than one week after invading Venezuela and just two weeks after striking Nigeria.

• Trump continued to threaten Greenland, telling reporters that while he’d like to make a deal to acquire the territory, “If we don’t do it the easy way, we’re going to do it the hard way.”

Did you miss previous weeks? Catch up here.

Don’t Miss It: If you’ll be in the DC area later this month, Zeteo is hosting a special LIVE in-person event you won’t want to miss: Join Mehdi, Swin, Rep. Ro Khanna, Joy Reid, Jim Acosta, Sarah Matthews, and Miles Taylor for a powerful evening at the Howard Theatre in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, Jan 20, 2026!

Click HERE for tickets