The countdown is officially underway. We’re now just 25 days away from the U.S. midterm elections, which will be a test for a democracy that has been undermined, battered, and beaten since Donald Trump retook the White House less than two years ago.

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This week in democracy saw revelations of more possible corruption, another ICE shooting, and racism at its purest form. Here’s just a taste of how Trump and his cronies harmed democracy, undermined the Constitution, and hurt Americans and societies worldwide over the last seven days:

Saturday, Oct. 3 – Talks to End War in Ukraine Include Oil Deal Tied to Trump Envoys

The New York Times reported that a multibillion-dollar oil deal has been discussed as part of the Trump administration’s negotiations with Russia to end its war in Ukraine.

The deal, which would cover oil fields, refineries, and gas stations owned by one of Russia’s biggest energy companies, is being sought by an arm of the U.S. government, a U.S. investor who donated $2 million to Trump-related causes, and two Middle Eastern investor groups with ties to Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner – the two main U.S. negotiators to end the war in Ukraine.

Sunday, Oct. 4 – On Her Last Day at DHS, Kristi Noem Secured Deal With Political Donor

The Times also reported that on Kristi Noem’s last day as Homeland Security secretary, the agency signed a multi-million-dollar agreement to buy five airplanes from a company whose owner had been one of Noem’s political donors. In a statement, Noem said “the purchase of these planes was not completed” during her tenure, but didn’t answer specific questions about the agreement.

The agreement, which saw the planes purchased at a substantial markup, came after the company’s chairman, William Walters, donated $10,000 to Noem’s PAC in 2024. During her time as Homeland Security secretary, the agency gave more than $900 million in contracts to companies led by Walters.

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Monday, Oct. 5 – Trump Says He’ll Pay for Ads Himself, But Won’t Commit To Reimbursing Taxpayers

On Truth Social, Trump said he would pay for his campaign-style TV ads himself, “and with money I raised for MAGA, INC,” a pro-Trump super PAC.

Democrats, legal experts, and even some Trump officials have labeled the ads illegal, with some saying they could be an impeachable offense.

A day after Trump’s post, the White House said the super PAC isn’t planning to reimburse taxpayers for over $10 million the government had already spent on the ads, and Trump himself refused to commit to pay back the funds himself.

Tuesday, Oct. 6 – Whistleblower Reveals Trump Wanted Protesters Investigated By FBI

NBC News reported that the Trump administration ordered the FBI to investigate protesters engaging in anti-ICE demonstrations in Los Angeles last year, according to a whistleblower report from a former agency employee.

The complaint alleged that the investigations violated protesters' First Amendment rights to free speech and peaceful assembly and also went against FBI policy. While the whistleblower said there wasn’t sufficient evidence to justify the probe, she was told by a colleague that “the president wants this investigation.”

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Wednesday, Oct. 7 – ICE Reviewed Voter Records, Targeted Nonprofits

Democracy Docket reported that ICE obtained the voting records of tens of millions of U.S. citizens. The agency also investigated hundreds of nonprofit organizations across the country last year that help people register to vote, and considered deploying undercover agents as part of its probe.

The effort targeted nonprofits in Ohio, New Jersey, D.C., Minnesota, and Pennsylvania, including the latter’s state branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations – the country’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization.

Thursday, Oct. 8 – ICE Shoots Man in New York

In New York City, an ICE agent posing as a construction worker shot 28-year-old Oscar Belgal in the neck after firing seven rounds into his vehicle, while a 5-year-old was in the backseat. Wired later reported that the agent who shot Belgal has repeatedly been accused of unlawful arrests and excessive force, including tackling a pregnant woman to the ground, during arrests in New York and Minneapolis.

Meanwhile, Trump went on his latest racist tirade on Truth Social, disgustingly claiming that Somali immigrants have “taken over” Minnesota and urging residents to “fight back.” (Read more about Trump’s efforts to start a race war to win the midterms in Zeteo’s ‘First Draft.’)

Friday, Oct. 9 – Trump Renews Push to Fire Lisa Cook

Trump signed a presidential memo establishing a panel to investigate Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook over unproven allegations of mortgage fraud she has steadfastly denied. The panel will ultimately report to Trump on whether there is “cause” for her removal.

The latest push to fire Cook follows a Supreme Court ruling in June allowing her to continue in her position. The ruling, however, didn’t prevent Trump from attempting to remove Cook from her post again.

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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:

We’re now 32 days out from the midterm election, and Donald Trump and his cronies are going into overdrive to somehow prevent what is expected to be a disappointing showing for Republicans.

This week, Trump continued his assault on the free press, put out more “obviously illegal” campaign-style TV ads – paid for by American taxpayers and the federal government – and found another way to target the election process.

The next month is bound to be a lot worse. And Zeteo will be there documenting everything, as Trump and his allies intensify their efforts to harm democracy, undermine the Constitution, and hurt societies worldwide. While we send ‘This Week in Democracy’ unpaywalled every week, we hope free subscribers will consider upgrading today to further support our brand of journalism. A free press isn’t free!

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Now, here’s ‘This Week in Democracy – Week 89’:

Saturday, Sept. 26 - CNN Blocked From Pool Duties

The White House replaced CNN with right-wing network Real America’s Voice News for TV pool duties on Air Force One during Trump’s trip to a college football game in Tennessee, days after a federal judge temporarily blocked the White House’s press ban against the network, along with MS NOW and Politico.

The news outlets’ attorney noted last week that the plaintiffs believe the court ruling also covers pool access, though the order didn’t specifically mention Air Force One.

Later, the White House also removed CNN from its press pool for Trump’s Thursday trip to Texas and Oklahoma.

Sunday, Sept. 27 - ‘Obviously Illegal’ Trump Ads Could Be ‘Impeachable’

The New York Times reported that Trump’s latest campaign-style TV ads may violate federal laws, according to ethics experts.

Richard Painter, who served as a White House ethics lawyer in the George W. Bush administration, told the Times that using taxpayer dollars for the ads could be considered “an impeachable offense,” and noted that the U.S. doesn’t “allow government-sponsored propaganda.”

Later, the Wall Street Journal revealed that the federal funds used for the ads came from the Department of Homeland Security, and one senior Trump official told Zeteo that the ads are “obviously illegal.”

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Monday, Sept. 28 – Trump’s Initial Plan To Restrict Mail-In Voting Was Even Worse

ProPublica reported that Trump’s plans to restrict mail-in voting had initially been much more expansive. According to the news outlet, the administration had wanted to require that all ballots be delivered through certified mail – a move that would have seen ballots go undelivered if voters weren’t home to sign for them.

While the effort was dismissed, Postal Service officials were excluded from important discussions as the Trump administration finalized its executive order on mail-in voting, ProPublica noted.

Tuesday, Sept. 29 – Trump’s ‘Pocket Rescission’ Funding Cancellation Is Unconstitutional

The Government Accountability Office sent a letter to congressional leaders saying that Trump’s cancellation of $810 million in federal funding, mostly for Health and Human Services programs for refugees and asylum seekers, violated the Constitution.

Trump canceled the funds using the “pocket rescission” process – a move that effectively bypassed Congress and ultimately guaranteed the funds would go unspent before the end of the fiscal year.

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Wednesday, Sept. 30 – ICE Deletes In-Custody Death Reviews From Website

The Intercept reported that ICE posted and deleted internal reviews on its website about deaths in the agency’s custody last year, which showed that poor medical care, including failing to provide CPR or other life-saving measures during emergencies, ignoring lab orders, and delaying treatment, was a factor in the deaths of at least six detainees.

The revelations from the reviews come as the death toll in ICE custody has reached at least 56 during Trump’s second term.

Thursday, Oct. 1 – Trump Administration Targets ‘Never Resided’ Voters

The Democratic National Committee sued the Trump administration after it changed a federal voter form to remove an option for U.S. citizens who were born abroad and have never lived in the U.S. to register to vote and request a mail ballot.

Additionally, the lawsuit revealed that the Trump administration also removed information from a federal voter assistance guide about which states “never resided” voters are eligible to vote in, according to Democracy Docket.

Friday, Oct. 2 – Trump’s Fuel Blockade of Cuba Continues

The U.S. Coast Guard announced it seized two ships carrying fuel to Cuba, one in September and another in June.

The seizures come as Trump continues his fuel blockade of the country, which has led to what UN human rights experts have called a humanitarian crisis, with rising food insecurity, medicine shortages, and prolonged power blackouts.

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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:

While Donald Trump was busy giving his disgusting imperialist speech at the UN and rolling out the red carpet for one of his favorite living autocrats, the U.S. president and his cronies were, as usual, busy harming democracy, undermining the Constitution, and hurting societies worldwide.

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From Trump’s continued crackdown on a free press, to a bombshell report about Republican Senator Susan Collins, to more ICE violence, here’s ‘This Week in Democracy – Week 88’:

Saturday, Sept. 19 – Removal Orders for Undocumented Children Doubled Under Trump

The Guardian reported that the number of children who have received removal orders by an immigration judge has doubled since Trump returned to office in January 2025.

More than 200,000 children have been ordered removed – 70% of them younger than 13 years old – as part of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller’s unprecedented push to ramp up the deportations of undocumented immigrant children from the U.S.

Sunday, Sept. 20 – ICE Agent Shoots Food Delivery Driver in Austin

An ICE agent shot and seriously injured 28-year-old Wilber Rafael Garcés Perez while he was delivering food for DoorDash in Austin, Texas. Garcés Perez, who is from Venezuela, subsequently “lost movement on the entire left side of his body,” and is facing paralysis, according to his lawyer.

On Wednesday, Garcés Perez’s lawyer tweeted that he remains in ICE detention “with the bullet still lodged in his body.”

Monday, Sept. 21 – Trump’s Boat Strikes Could ‘Constitute Crimes Against Humanity’

In a new report, a UN legal expert concluded that the Trump administration’s boat strikes in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific are “contrary to international law, violate the human right to life, and plausibly constitute crimes against humanity.”

The latest strike, which took place on Saturday and killed four people in the Caribbean, brought the death toll of the Trump administration’s strikes to at least 231.

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Tuesday, Sept. 22 – FBI Probe Involving Susan Collins Shut Down

ProPublica published a bombshell report that revealed Republican Senator Susan Collins was being investigated by the FBI as part of a pay-to-play probe back in 2024, in connection with one of her top super PAC donors, an ex-defense contractor. But after Trump returned to office, the investigation was shut down.

Collins’s office denied any allegations of bribery and pay-for-play by her donor.

Wednesday, Sept. 23 – Chaos From White House Press Ban Continues

A Trump-appointed federal judge temporarily blocked the president’s ban against CNN, MS NOW, and Politico and ordered the White House to “immediately return, reinstate, and restore” press credentials for the outlets.

The Trump administration cited “national security” concerns to justify the ban, but as Status reported, the source behind one of the Politico articles it pointed to was... Vice President JD Vance, who spoke to reporters in a briefing arranged by the White House.

Reporters from the three outlets had their press credentials restored on Thursday, albeit after being turned away from the White House that morning. CNN and MS NOW were later denied access to a state dinner with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the White House.

Thursday, Sept. 24 – Trump Files Another Emergency Supreme Court Appeal

In its latest emergency appeal to the Supreme Court, the Trump administration requested approval to allow quick deportations to third-party countries to continue, after an appeals court put a halt to such deportations late Wednesday.

The appeals court ruling, which affirmed that individuals facing deportations to third-party countries where they have no ties are entitled to “meaningful notice” and an opportunity to object to their removal, resulted in the cancellation of a deportation flight set to remove 70 people to Burundi, Rwanda, and the Central African Republic.

Friday, Sept. 25 – Supreme Court OKs Trump’s ‘SAVE’ Voter Database

The Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to restore its use of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, also known as the SAVE database, an expansive and controversial digital tool to verify the citizenship status of registered voters.

Critics have warned the tool could lead to significant voter purges from states that use it.

The order likely won’t pave the way for mass purges ahead of the midterms, as federal law prohibits most states from clearing voter rolls within 90 days of a federal election, but the SAVE database could still affect future elections.

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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 the far-right Supreme Court handed Democrats a rare victory, rejecting Donald Trump’s bid to restrict mail-in voting. But (because there is always a but when it comes to Trump and his cronies), the ruling was “cryptic,” as some experts have put it, and the public should expect more “turbulence” around the issue into 2028.

Trump, of course, wasn’t happy and lashed out at his own picks on the Court. In fact, The Donald did a lot of lashing out this week at the judicial branch. He threatened to tear down the Kennedy Center if he’s not allowed to put his name on it. What a democracy we live in when the president of the United States continuously throws tantrums when he doesn’t get his way because of … the law…yet seemingly ignores the issues Americans truly care about – i.e., high gas prices due to his failing war.

Trump and his cronies found other ways to harm democracy, undermine the Constitution, and hurt free societies. From Laura Loomer’s latest vile comments to the Trump admin’s latest move to make climate change worse, to the president banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House, here’s ‘This Week in Democracy – Week 87’:

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Saturday, Sept. 12 – Laura Loomer Posts More Vile Tweets

Conspiracy theorist, Islamophobe, and Trump ally Laura Loomer attacked CNN host Abby Phillip on Twitter, saying she “may just be the biggest lying c*** on TV,” and floating the idea of suing her, after Phillip rightly pointed out that Trump brought Loomer to the 9/11 memorial back in 2024.

In another tweet, Loomer berated the family member of a 9/11 victim.

Sunday, Sept. 13 – Trump Eliminates Greenhouse Gas Emission Limits on Power Plants

The New York Times reported that the Trump administration would eliminate a rule that limited greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.

Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin announced the move on Monday, along with a new proposed rule that would make it harder for future administrations to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.

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Monday, Sept. 14 – Russian Oligarch Helped Pay for Trump Jr.’s Wedding Expenses

ProPublica reported that Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to help pay for Donald Trump Jr.’s recent wedding, including renting a private island in the Bahamas and the fireworks show.

It’s unclear why Kremlev, who ProPublica says is a member of Vladimir Putin’s circle, helped pay for the wedding, considering Trump Jr.’s reported net worth of roughly $300 million, but the move raised concerns among national security experts who question the motive for the financial assistance.

Tuesday, Sept. 15 – ICE Lost Track of Miscarriage Data

The Guardian published a harrowing exposé on ICE’s record detentions of pregnant women, reporting that the agency lost count of the number of women who suffered miscarriages while in its custody.

ICE records showed there were 18 miscarriages during the first nine months of Trump’s second term, but the agency didn’t have any data past Oct. 3, 2025. Women who spoke to The Guardian say they didn’t receive follow-up care after they miscarried or were hospitalized for pregnancy complications.

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Wednesday, Sept. 16 – ICE Deports Political Rival of Ecuadorian President

The New York Times reported that ICE hastily deported José Serrano last month – a critic of Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa – the same day immigration judges appointed by the Trump administration reversed a ruling that found he was likely to face torture if he was removed and returned to his home country. Serrano was arrested by ICE agents in Miami last year, just days after Noboa met with then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Ecuador.

Meanwhile, Mother Jones reported that the Trump administration deported a dozen Somali men to the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay last month after telling them they were being returned to Somalia. Several of the men had applied for asylum and secured work authorizations, and at least one had filed a habeas corpus petition.

Thursday, Sept. 17 – Virginia AG Warns DHS It May Have Broken Several State Laws

Virginia’s attorney general sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security warning that DHS may have broken multiple state laws during a wide-ranging investigation into so-called voter fraud, and demanded the probe end immediately.

The letter comes days after a whistleblower revealed that some DHS agents used personally identifiable information, such as birth dates and partial Social Security numbers, to pose as voters on state websites to access their voting records.

Friday, Sept. 18 – Trump Bans CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House

Trump said on Truth Social that “effective immediately” he is banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House over their negative media coverage of him, a clear violation of the First Amendment. He warned he could soon ban other news organizations as well.

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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 in democracy saw the president of the United States kick off the so-called “Trump-a-palooza” in Dallas with lies, and more lies, and a … bribe, a fake offer of $5,000 if Republicans win the midterms, as Zeteo’s Asawin Suebsaeng wrote from Texas. It saw Trump end the event, a fascist rally complete with an on-stage freakout about his hair, with more incoherent rambling, and with the U.S. president making the audience pledge their allegiance to him and … promise to cheat in the November election. (Let’s not pretend that last part was a joke, Trump and his cronies have for months been setting the stage to rig the midterms.)

Such is how it goes in Donald Trump’s America; not a day goes by when Trump isn’t laughing in democracy’s face, undermining the Constitution, and hurting Americans and societies worldwide.

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From once again trying to add a citizenship question to the U.S. census questionnaire to investigating chief election officials, here’s ‘This Week in Democracy – Week 86’:

Saturday, Sept. 5 – DOJ Investigates Virus Scientists, Including Fauci

The New York Times reported that Trump’s Justice Department has been investigating several virus scientists, including former COVID czar Anthony Fauci. Investigators have sought phone, email, grant, and payment records, as well as grand jury testimony by the scientists.

The status of the investigation is unclear, but Fauci is protected from federal prosecution for his official actions from 2014 to 2025 thanks to a preemptive pardon from former President Joe Biden last year.

Sunday, Sept. 6 – DeSantis Staffer Fired for Nazi Retweet Gets New State Dept. Gig

The Times also reported that Nate Hochman, a former staffer of Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign who was fired in 2023 after he retweeted a video that featured a Nazi sonnenrad symbol, is now working in the State Department under Secretary Marco Rubio.

Hochman was hired earlier this year to serve as deputy director of the State Department’s policy planning office. He’s also Rubio’s chief speechwriter, according to his email signature.

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Monday, Sept. 7 – Corey Lewandowski’s Corruption Exposed

The Wall Street Journal reported that, during his time as a special government employee at the Department of Homeland Security, Corey Lewandowski offered to help senior Qatari officials with any issues, including visas, if they would “hire [him] on the side.”

He also repeatedly tried to set up a one-on-one meeting with Palantir CEO Alex Karp after the company negotiated a $2.7 billion agreement with the agency, but the meeting never happened; the agreement was ultimately reduced to $1 billion.

Lewandowski denies any wrongdoing.

Tuesday, Sept. 8 – Border Patrol’s ‘Predictive’ Policing Units

404 Media reported that Border Patrol is using “Predictive Intelligence Targeting Teams,” an idea ripped straight from the dystopia ‘Minority Report,’ to analyze Americans’ financial activity, along with other data, to determine whom local police should pull over.

The data isn’t used to help identify whether an individual is suspected of committing a crime. Instead, it’s being used to determine whether the government thinks the person may be worth searching, 404 Media wrote.

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Wednesday, Sept. 9 – Trump, Once Again, Tries to Change Census

During a ridiculously long speech at the Republican National Convention, Trump made a desperate attempt to bribe voters into casting their ballots for GOP candidates this fall – pledging a $5,000 check for every U.S. adult citizen if Republicans win the midterms. It’s not the first time Trump has claimed Americans would receive a new check during his second administration. None have gone out, and no one in Trumpworld thinks the latest promise is real, either.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration issued a new proposal to add a citizenship question to the U.S. census questionnaire, a move that could exclude millions of people from the census and impact how congressional maps are drawn and how federal funding is allocated to states. The new rules would also bar the U.S. Census Bureau from asking certain questions about race and ethnicity, despite collecting data on these demographics since 1790.

Thursday, Sept. 10 – Chief Election Officials ‘Under Investigation,’ DOJ Says

The New York Times reported that Trump’s Justice Department sent letters to at least 30 senior election officials ordering states to retain all 2024 election-related records, despite laws allowing the destruction of voting records 22 months after an election takes place.

The letters indicated that chief election officials “are currently under investigation” and subject to “ongoing litigation,” though it’s unclear what is being investigated and whether it is a criminal or civil probe.

Friday, Sept. 11 – Trump DOJ Confirms Historic Deportation

Trump’s Justice Department announced that, for the first time ever, an individual was deported from the United States through the Alien Terrorist Removal Court – which has existed since 1996 but had never been used.

The court’s procedures allow for the use of secret evidence that the targets of deportation never see, a practice that has raised concerns among legal scholars about potential constitutional violations.

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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 85’ – that’s more than 19 months of Donald Trump and his cronies harming democracy, undermining the Constitution, and harming societies worldwide. Sadly, we still have a little less than two-and-a-half years to go – that is, if Trump doesn’t try to run for an unconstitutional third term.

This week, Trump and his allies ramped up efforts to disenfranchise voters, attacked the free press – again – and more. Plus, two eye-popping whistleblower reports exposed more about the Trump administration’s plan to restrict mail-in voting and revealed the terrifying hiring practices of ICE. Here’s more on those stories and others:

Saturday, Aug. 29 – Treasury Blocks Journalists From Covering G20 Meeting

The Trump Treasury Department didn’t grant press credentials to New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg reporters to cover the G20 finance meeting in North Carolina, according to the Times.

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A Times spokesperson said the move was “not just another disturbing effort by the administration to undermine independent journalism, but a blatant attempt to evade public scrutiny.”

Sunday, Aug. 30 – Trump Attacks Another Woman Journalist

On Truth Social, Trump lashed out at NBC News’s Kristen Welker after she accurately pointed out that the president has had “mixed results” in his record of political endorsements this election cycle.

The president said that Welker “will be reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment’ – a threat that Guardian columnist and former Times ombudsman Margaret Sullivan called “an attack on reality.”

Monday, Aug. 31 – DHS Ramping Up ‘Voter Fraud’ Probes Ahead of Midterms

CNN reported that the Department of Homeland Security is surging its efforts to investigate supposed voter fraud, which has already been proven to be nearly non-existent, ahead of the midterms.

The effort, which has already seen an unprecedented number of agents working on investigations, will increase probes in nine states – Washington, Wisconsin, Missouri, Georgia, California, Pennsylvania, Nevada, New York, and Connecticut.

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Tuesday, Sept. 1 – Whistleblower Exposes Trump’s Plan to Disrupt Mail-In Voting

Senator Richard Blumenthal’s office released a bombshell whistleblower report warning of a “secretive” and “rushed” effort to implement Trump’s executive order for the federal government to seize control of mail-in voting. The whistleblower warned that there is a high likelihood that new ballot mail verification processes “will result in major disruptions in mail ballots ever getting delivered to voters.”

“Potentially millions of American voters may not receive their mail-in ballot this election cycle in a timely manner, or at all,” the anonymous official said.

Wednesday, Sept. 2 – Trump Officials Blocked Serious Charges Against ICE Agent

ProPublica reported that Trump’s Justice Department leaders intervened to block civil rights charges against an ICE agent accused of shooting a Venezuelan immigrant and lying about it, over the “strongest possible” objections from a federal prosecutor. (The agent was later indicted on charges of making false statements, while the prosecutor who recommended more serious charges was reportedly fired.)

Meanwhile, the DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel decided that states could lose billions in federal funding for low-income families if they fail to report undocumented immigrants to DHS.

Thursday, Sept. 3 – Whistleblower Reveals ICE’s Improper Vetting

The New York Times reported that the Trump administration broke the law and “improperly vetted” new hires during ICE’s hiring surge, according to an August 2025 whistleblower complaint. The “unprecedented lowering of standards” led to applicants receiving job offers without fingerprint, identity, or credit checks, exposing the agency to “grave national security risks,” the complaint said.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to clear the way for the president’s plans to restrict mail-in voting to move forward ahead of the midterm elections.

Friday, Sept. 4 – Trump Argues Cases Against Him Should Be ‘Dismissed’

On Truth Social, Trump claimed his former fixer Michael Cohen “fully RECANTED” his testimony from the legal cases brought against him in New York – his civil fraud trial and his criminal conviction – alleging his former attorney was “pressured” and “coerced” to lie on the stand. The president argued the cases should be “immediately terminated and dismissed.”

(For more on Trump’s plan to use Cohen to go after his perceived political enemies, read Zeteo’s Asawin Suebsaeng’s recent reporting 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:

We’re less than 10 weeks out from the midterm elections, and Americans witnessed a whipsaw of news about mail-in voting this week that some experts fear could sow confusion and chaos as Nov. 3 nears.

On Monday, the Supreme Court sided with Donald Trump, issuing an emergency order allowing his administration – for the time being – to move forward with implementing his executive order to restrict mail-in voting. By Thursday, the lower court judge overseeing the case had again temporarily blocked the plan after those challenging the Trump administration refiled the case to comply with the high court’s ruling. The case could soon be headed back to the Supreme Court.

We get it. It’s confusing – and that confusion and chaos are exactly what Trump and his cronies want for an election that Republicans are expected to lose big. Hopefully, this time, democracy wins out.

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When they weren’t trying to disenfranchise voters, Trump and his allies continued other efforts to harm democracy, undermine the Constitution, and hurt societies worldwide. From U.S. Central Command blacklisting journalists to ICE making a record number of arrests, here’s ‘This Week in Democracy ‘ – Week 84’:

Saturday, Aug. 22 – Trump’s Financial Disclosure Reveals Timely Trades

Bloomberg reported that Trump made more than 1,000 stock trades during the month of June. The president invested in SpaceX less than two weeks before the Musk-led company’s initial public offering, bought Boeing stock the same day the Navy issued an $880 million contract to the manufacturer, and purchased shares of Palantir just weeks before the company received a $10 billion contract with the U.S. Army.

The White House says there are no conflicts of interest with Trump’s investments, claiming they are independently managed, and the assets are in a blind trust.

Sunday, Aug. 23 – U.S. Strikes First Boat Since June

The U.S. military conducted a strike on a boat in the Eastern Pacific, killing two people. It marked the first known strike by the military, which the UN has described as extrajudicial killings, in two months.

Another strike was conducted on Tuesday, killing four people in the Caribbean and bringing the death toll to at least 227 over the course of 68 strikes since the Trump administration began them last year.

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Monday, Aug. 24 – Trump Admin Plans Largest Visa Revocation in U.S. History

AP reported that the Trump administration plans to carry out the largest single mass revocation of visas in U.S. history as the State Department plans to revoke the business and tourist visas of up to 200,000 people who have sought asylum between 2016 and 2026.

Meanwhile, The Intercept reported that the U.S. Central Command has a secret list of journalists blacklisted by its press office, according to a spokesperson who threatened to add one of the outlet’s reporters to “the list of people to disregard.”

Tuesday, Aug. 25 – ICE Arrests Reach Record High

AP reported that ICE arrested almost 50,000 people during the month of July, marking the largest number of arrests in a single month since Trump returned to office.

That marked a 15% increase compared to June, with 20,000 of the arrests taking place in Texas and Florida.

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Wednesday, Aug. 26 – Trump Administration Targets Palestine Action

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the Trump administration sanctioned the British pro-Palestine group, Palestine Action, as part of its crackdown on left-leaning organizations and movements. It’s yet another example of the Trump administration targeting pro-Palestinian groups.

The move comes as Palestine Action appeals a designation by the British government that proscribed the group as a “terrorist” organization, a decision UN human rights chief Volker Türk called a “disturbing” misuse of the UK’s counter-terrorism legislation.

Thursday, Aug. 27 – Trump Admin to Ramp Up Deportation Flights to Haiti

The New York Times reported that the Trump administration is expected to expand deportation flights to Haiti from once a month to once a week, a move that could potentially result in the removal of hundreds of additional Haitians each month.

The expansion follows the Supreme Court’s June ruling that cleared the way for the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians, despite the fact that the State Department has warned against visiting Haiti “due to the risk of crime, kidnapping, terrorism, unrest, and limited health care.”

Friday, Aug. 28 – Another Court Strikes Down Unconstitutional ICE Policy

For the eighth time, a federal appeals court ruled that ICE’s policy to detain almost all undocumented immigrants without a hearing is unlawful, finding that the agency violated mandatory detention laws, as well as the Fifth Amendment.

Undocumented immigrants who have been in the U.S. for decades “are entitled to due process rights beyond those provided to noncitizens at the border,” the majority opinion reads.

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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:

If Donald Trump and his cronies spent as much energy actually listening to Americans and doing what voters want as they have on their freakout about the spotlight on Natalie Harp, perhaps the president’s approval rating wouldn’t have dipped to 33% this week.

While Trump’s allies rushed to the defense of Harp, the president’s close and influential aide dubbed the “human printer,” his administration was busy further harming democracy, undermining the Constitution, and hurting societies worldwide.

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This week, Trump’s newly sworn-in attorney general, Todd Blanche, refused to pledge that his Justice Department would act independently of the White House. That’s troubling but not surprising when it comes to Trump’s cronies, given we also learned this week the DOJ sought to interview FBI agents involved in the 2022 classified documents search of Mar-a-Lago. And Trump’s DOJ is preparing to deploy about 1,000 “election monitors” for the midterms.

Here’s more from ‘This Week in Democracy – Week 83’:

Saturday, Aug. 15 – Trump DOJ’s ‘Ridiculous Fishing Expedition’ Into Law Firm

The New York Times reported that, over the past year, Chicago prosecutors have investigated a Democratic fundraising firm that was previously co-owned by the daughter of the judge who oversaw Trump’s 2024 hush money trial, which ended in his conviction on 34 felony counts.

The founder of the firm, Mike Nellis, called the move “a ridiculous fishing expedition based on conspiracy theories that are completely divorced from reality,” and accused Trump’s DOJ of trying to seize “sensitive political communications of my clients,” including Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

Sunday, Aug. 16 – Blanche Won’t Pledge Independence

During an interview on ‘Meet the Press,’ former Trump defense lawyer and newly-minted Attorney General Todd Blanche suggested the Justice Department may ask the Supreme Court to overturn the nearly two dozen lawsuits the DOJ has lost trying to force states to turn over their voter rolls.

He also refused to pledge that the DOJ would act independently of the White House, saying, “No attorney general should ever pledge that.”

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Monday, Aug. 17 – Trump’s DOJ to Deploy 1,000 Election Monitors for Midterms

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon told Bloomberg that Trump’s Justice Department is planning to deploy about 1,000 monitors during the midterm elections in November.

It’s unclear where the monitors will be assigned, but she hinted that they may be sent to jurisdictions where the DOJ alleges there may be “voter fraud issues,” despite the fact that voter fraud is nearly non-existent.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 – Trump’s Antisemitism Probes Against Universities ‘Predetermined’

Multiple outlets reported that a Monday whistleblower disclosure revealed that the outcomes of the Trump administration’s investigations into three Ivy League universities over allegations of antisemitism constituted an “unlawful process designed to achieve predetermined political goals” that were “without regard for the evidence.”

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against the International Criminal Court president who issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s arrest, along with one of the Court’s senior lawyers.

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Wednesday, Aug. 19 – Trump’s ‘Laughable’ Voter Report

NPR reported that the Census Bureau report Trump cited as evidence of non-citizens voting in the 2020 presidential election was drafted by individuals affiliated with the Trump-aligned think tank, America First Policy Institute.

The Center for Election Innovation & Research’s David Becker told NPR the seven-page report was “laughable” and pointed out that “Census data cannot be reliably matched to voter data.”

Thursday, Aug. 20 – DOJ Tries to Interview FBI Officials Tied to Mar-a-Lago Search

AP reported that investigators at Trump’s Justice Department have made efforts to question FBI officials tied to the 2022 search of Mar-a-Lago that led to the president’s indictment the following year for unlawfully retaining classified documents.

The move is part of an investigation based in Florida seeking to establish a conspiracy against Trump by his perceived enemies.

Friday, Aug. 21 – Ballroom Construction Can Continue For Now, Supreme Court Says

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts handed another victory to the Trump administration by allowing construction on the president’s White House ballroom to continue for now by pausing a lower court’s ruling that ordered a halt to the project.

Construction on the ballroom is already about two-thirds complete, according to one White House official, with a team of 250 people working 20 hours a day, seven days a week on the project.

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It’s no secret that Donald Trump only looks out for himself, but this week, a bombshell report from the Washington Post underscored just how expendable even those closest to him really are. As Swin laid out in ‘First Draft,’ Trump left Marco Rubio, Scott Bessent, and Stephen Miller, along with the White House press corps, as human shields in a plane the administration claims was the subject of an Iranian assassination threat. (There’s also a question about the Israeli-provided unverified intel about the threat itself, as Mehdi explained in ‘First Draft’ this morning.)

We wish we could say such stories still surprise us.

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Meanwhile, in democracy news, Trump-endorsed election denier MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell lost his gubernatorial primary in Minnesota, while another Trump-endorsed election denier, Tom Tiffany, secured the Republican nomination for governor of Wisconsin. Trump still refuses to rule out declaring a national emergency to take over the midterm elections. And ICE is planning to spend up to $20 million for agents to use electric shock gloves.

That’s not all that happened this week – another bombshell report shed light on a terrifying investigation the Trump admin conducted into left-wing groups. Here’s just a taste of how Trump and his allies harmed democracy, undermined the Constitution, and hurt societies worldwide this week:

Saturday, Aug. 8 – Former Trump Lawyer Confirmed as Attorney General

The Senate narrowly voted to confirm Trump’s former criminal defense lawyer Todd Blanche as attorney general.

As acting attorney general, Blanche greenlit the second indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, reauthorized the use of firing squads for death penalty executions, and signed off on a now-supposedly rescinded $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization fund.”

Sunday, Aug. 9 – Trump Crypto Company’s Curious $100 Million Investment

The New York Times reported that a businessman once under investigation in the UK for money laundering became one of the biggest buyers of tokens from Trump’s cryptocurrency company, spending $100 million through a newly formed firm.

As much as three-quarters of the money ultimately went to a company controlled by Trump and his sons.

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Monday, Aug. 10 – Trump Left Government Officials, Reporters as Human Shields

The Washington Post published a bombshell report that Trump hid in a catering container and was secretly shuttled into a different plane when leaving Turkey last month, in response to what the administration claims was an Iranian assassination threat against the president. (Israel provided the intel about the threat – intel U.S. officials could not independently verify.)

While Trump switched planes, he left key officials, like Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller – along with reporters in the White House press corps – aboard Air Force One, which effectively became a decoy.

Tuesday, Aug. 11 – ICE Wants Agents To Use Electric Shock Gloves

AP reported that ICE, an agency already known for its use of excessive force, is planning to spend up to $20 million to give its agents electric shock gloves to use as part of its enforcement operations.

The manufacturer says the gloves shouldn’t be used on children, pregnant people, or elderly or disabled people.

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Wednesday, Aug. 12 – Top Trump Propagandist to Leave White House

On Truth Social, Trump announced that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is leaving her post by the end of August, but will remain as one of the president’s “top outside advisors.”

Leavitt, the youngest press secretary ever, welcomed multiple far-right content creators into the “new media” seat at press briefings, lashed out at a reporter during an exchange about the killing of Renee Good, and argued that reporters who won Pulitzer Prizes for their coverage of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election should be stripped of their awards.

Thursday, Aug. 13 – DHS Investigated Left-Wing Groups After Pretti’s Killing

The New York Times reported that the Department of Homeland Security quietly launched an investigation into several left-leaning political organizations in the wake of Alex Pretti’s killing by federal immigration agents.

The probe targeted many groups and individuals who weren’t connected to any criminal activity, and involved expansive surveillance efforts, including infiltrating group chats on Signal, as well as obtaining financial records of organizations.

Friday, Aug. 14 – Trump Takes White House Ballroom Fight to Supreme Court

Trump asked the Supreme Court to clear the way for his White House ballroom to continue construction before an appeals court ruling halting above-ground work on the project goes into effect on Aug. 21.

The Trump administration argues the injunction that blocked the construction “threatens the security and safety” of the president.

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It’s always a good week when what’s left of the levers of democracy actually work the way they’re supposed to. And Abdul El-Sayed’s victory in the Michigan Senate primary against $60 million in outside spending, including over $30 million from AIPAC, showed that the people – the voters – are what truly make democracy great.

Of course, Republicans and others have already kicked into overdrive, ramping up their racism and Islamophobia against El-Sayed, as Mehdi laid out in ‘First Draft.’ And Zeteo’s politics team painted a horrifying picture this week about Donald Trump’s plans to steal the midterm election.

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Meanwhile, ICE is not investigating the Maine killing, but it is collecting DNA of migrants who have never been convicted of a crime. Trump’s former personal lawyer is one step closer to running the Justice Department. And Trump still thinks he can limit birthright citizenship. 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, Aug. 1 – Trump Sells Early Access to Truth Social Posts for $100K

Trump’s media company launched a premium version of Truth Social that includes a “Truth API,” giving users early access to the president’s posts – which often include announcements that affect the stock market and could prove lucrative to traders – for a monthly fee of up to $100,000.

One anonymous Wall Street executive told NPR the move would be “considered criminal” in a different administration.

Sunday, Aug. 2 – Questions Swirl About Rescinded ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche released two documents the Justice Department says rescind Trump’s $1.8 billion so-called “anti-weaponization fund” and narrow a provision to only retroactively protect Trump, two of his sons, and his company from tax audits.

The orders helped Blanche secure key votes from holdout Republican senators, but legal experts question whether the documents are legally binding, and they expressed concerns about loopholes that could result in the original orders being reinstated.

Blanche’s nomination was later approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee. He’s now on track to be confirmed as the permanent attorney general, albeit by an extremely slim majority.

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Monday, Aug. 3 – ICE Collected DNA From Nearly 1 Million People in 2025

Wired reported that ICE has collected the DNA of roughly 920,000 immigrants in 2025 who were in ICE custody, according to new data from Georgetown Law’s Center on Privacy and Technology.

The DNA samples, which include those of young children, have become the largest single source of new genetic profiles in the FBI’s criminal database, even though the vast majority of people in ICE custody have never been convicted of a crime.

Tuesday, Aug. 4 – Oath Keepers Off the Hook for Jan. 6, No FBI Probe into ICE Killing

A federal judge begrudgingly granted Trump’s Justice Department’s request to dismiss seditious conspiracy charges against members of the far-right Oath Keepers over the group’s involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection, but noted he wished for “a different ending” in the matter, saying the move “diminishes the gravity of that day.”

Meanwhile, CBS News reported that the FBI isn’t conducting a civil rights probe into the death of Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, who was killed by an ICE officer in Maine in July – despite the fact that such fatal shootings are typically investigated by the agency.

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Wednesday, Aug. 5 – Another ‘Inadvertent’ Deportation

The lawyer of a Maine man who was “inadvertently” deported to Guatemala after ICE claimed they had mistaken him for someone else said he will be returned to the U.S. next week. The man was removed from the country even though he didn’t have a deportation order – and a federal judge had ordered ICE not to remove him one day before his deportation.

Meanwhile, AP reported that more than 50 parents and spouses of active-duty military members have been detained by immigration agents since Trump returned to office. At least six of the loved ones were deported, while another eight remain in federal custody.

Thursday, Aug. 6 – Trump Targets Birthright Citizenship…Again

Trump signed a pair of executive orders designed to further restrict eligibility for birthright citizenship, while also seeking to stop people from coming to the U.S. to give birth.

The new executive orders, which are likely to face legal challenges, come just over a month after the Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship as constitutionally protected.

Friday, Aug. 7 – White House Once Again ‘Considering’ Axing Lisa Cook

ABC News reported that the Trump administration is renewing its effort to remove Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook after White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino sent her a letter Wednesday giving her three weeks to respond to previous allegations of mortgage fraud she has steadfastly denied.

The latest push to fire Cook follows a Supreme Court ruling in June allowing her to continue in her position. The ruling, however, didn’t prevent Trump from attempting to remove Cook from her post again.

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We’re less than 100 days from the midterms, and things are looking worse and worse for Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The MAGA president and his cronies know it and appear increasingly desperate, as Trump kicked his effort to restrict mail-in voting ahead of the midterms to his pals on the Supreme Court this week and as Elon Musk prepared to spend big to help the GOP in November.

The president, however, doesn’t seem desperate enough to do what voters actually want. Instead of reigning in immigration enforcement, ICE began arresting people who overstayed their visits, including spouses of U.S. citizens who have active applications to stay in the country, at airports. Trump appears no closer to ending the war in Iran, even as his own base begins to sour on it. And instead of acknowledging the anxiety Americans feel about the economy, Trump’s lackeys continue to insist everything is “amazing.”

This is what ‘democracy’ looks like in Donald Trump’s America.

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From hundreds of thousands of Haitians losing their legal status to be in the country to new revelations about the administration’s effort to imprison the president’s perceived enemies, here’s more of what Trump and his allies did this week that harmed democracy, undermined the Constitution, and hurt societies worldwide:

Saturday, July 25 – Brazil Accuses Trump Admin of Election System ‘Ploy’

Brazil’s Foreign Ministry confirmed it rejected visas to two senior State Department officials, whom the Trump administration said were planning to meet with “authorities involved in the election process.”

Brazilian officials told the Washington Post they suspected that the trip was part of a “ploy” to meet with election skeptics to produce a report designed to undermine the integrity of Brazil’s electronic voting systems ahead of its upcoming election in October.

Sunday, July 26 – ICE Expected to Target Haitians as TPS Ends for 300,000

CBS News reported that ICE is planning to expand operations to arrest and deport Haitians as hundreds of thousands of people from the country, which is experiencing widespread unrest, are set to lose their legal status following a Supreme Court ruling in June allowing the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status programs for Haitians and Syrians.

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Monday, July 27 – Trump Asks Supreme Court to Restrict Mail-In Voting

The Trump administration filed an emergency appeal asking the Supreme Court to allow the president’s March executive order restricting mail-in voting to move forward ahead of November’s midterm elections.

The move comes two days after a federal appeals court upheld a block on the order, writing that allowing it to take effect for the midterms “would sow confusion and threaten disenfranchisement of many eligible voters.”

Tuesday, July 28 – Thousands Arrested by ICE Thanks to Office of Refugee Resettlement Tips

Reuters reported that more than 12,000 people, including children and their sponsors, have been arrested after immigration agents received tips from the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). Since January 2025, the office has shared more than 460,000 leads with ICE, and the amount of time unaccompanied children are spending in ORR custody has spiked from an average of 30 days in fiscal year 2024 to nearly 200 days by June 2026.

Meanwhile, the New York Times reported that ICE has started arresting immigrants at airports whose visas have expired, including spouses of U.S. citizens, despite many of them having active applications to stay in the country.

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Wednesday, July 29 – Trump Admin Directed Law Enforcement in Comey Probe

MS Now reported that the Trump administration directed Secret Service agents to secretly surveil James Comey’s phone in the aftermath of the former FBI director’s infamous “86 47” Instagram post that led to his second indictment by the president’s Justice Department, according to records released in court filings this week.

Meanwhile, the New York Times reported that Secret Service agents who questioned Comey about the post were told to send details of the interview to Trump so he could review them – revealing the president’s involvement in the criminal investigation.

Thursday, July 30 – Musk Spending Big on Midterm Elections

The New York Times reported that Elon Musk’s super PAC is expected to spend between $100 million and $120 million to help elect Republicans in the midterm elections. Musk had previously been the biggest donor in the 2024 presidential election.

The nine-figure funding is expected to be spent in at least eight states, including in Senate races in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, and Ohio, as well as House races in California, Wisconsin, and Washington.

Friday, July 31 – FBI Obtained Voter’s IP Address

Axios reported that Trump’s FBI requested and received the IP address of an individual who registered online to vote in South Carolina as part of a new strategy by the administration to investigate alleged voter fraud.

A former senior Justice Department official said it’s both “not typical” and “not appropriate” for the FBI to conduct a “fishing expedition to see private voter data.”

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An illegal war more and more Americans don’t want. Tariffs the country has repeatedly said it doesn’t support. And “beautification” projects in Washington, DC, the majority of Americans are unhappy with. That’s just the start.

Americans are telling Donald Trump and his cronies they don’t like their policies – yet the president and his allies are still escalating – and providing more money for – the war in Iran, announcing unpopular economic policies, and continuing to obsess over expensive projects that aren’t actually making the U.S. capital look more beautiful.

But that’s life in Donald Trump’s America – where fascism and idiocy are valued over democracy. From the Trump administration turning to a decades-old immigration court that’s never been used, to federal judges in Tennessee greenlighting a new voting map that will disenfranchise Black voters, here’s what Trump and his cronies did this week that harm democracy, undermined the Constitution, and hurt free societies worldwide:

Saturday, July 18 – DOJ Files First-Ever ‘Alien Terrorist Removal Court’ Application

CourtWatch reported that Trump’s Justice Department submitted an application to the Alien Terrorist Removal Court – which legal scholars had dubbed a “zombie” court having been established in 1996 but never used – in an effort to quickly deport noncitizens the government considers “alien terrorists.”

The law that created the court allows the secretary of state to label someone an “alien terrorist” who intends to engage in activities that “could endanger the welfare, safety, or security of the United States.”

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Little is known about the application submitted by the Trump administration. The court’s procedures allow for the use of secret evidence that the targets of deportation never see, a practice that has raised concerns among legal scholars about potential constitutional violations.

Sunday, July 19 – FBI No Longer Investigating ICE Confrontations

The New York Times reported that federal agents were informed that the FBI is no longer investigating ICE confrontations, a move that comes after multiple killings by federal officers in recent weeks and one that would make it much more difficult to collect evidence that could be used to prosecute agents.

The DOJ and the Department of Homeland Security denied the change is taking place, saying the FBI “will continue to investigate in accordance with agency policy.”

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Monday, July 20 – Trump Admin Tried to Get Phone Records of NYT Reporters, Relatives

The New York Times reported that the Trump administration sought phone records of some of its reporters dating back to Jan. 1, along with the records of their relatives, as part of its recent subpoenas surrounding an investigation into the Times’s reporting on security concerns about Trump’s new Air Force One, which was donated by Qatar.

In a court motion, the Times said the move is just one of many that amount to a “bad-faith effort to intimidate the journalists and chill their ability to report on the administration.” (Later, the DOJ withdrew its subpoenas against the journalists.)

Tuesday, July 21 – Election Deniers Win GOP Primaries in DOJ-Monitored Arizona Elections

Two election deniers involved in Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election won key primary races in Arizona, putting them one step closer to securing pivotal positions of power in November.

Alexander Kolodin, who was involved in lawsuits challenging election results in 2020 and in 2022 before being sanctioned by the state bar, became the Republican nominee for the state’s top election official. Meanwhile, Rep. Andy Biggs, who supported Trump’s push to block the certification of Joe Biden’s presidency, won the Republican nomination for Arizona governor.

During the state’s primary election, three counties were monitored by the Justice Department, as part of Trump’s plan to send federal election monitors to six states during their primaries.

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Wednesday, July 22 – Another Trump Investigator Targeted by GOP

House Judiciary Committee chair Jim Jordan sent a letter to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche urging Trump’s Justice Department to prosecute former special counsel Jack Smith, in the latest attack on officials who have charged the president with crimes.

Jordan alleged that Smith made false statements during his closed-door testimony last year, but the former special counsel’s lawyers say the referral “reflects a chilling eagerness to weaponize the justice system by attacking a career, nonpartisan public servant who faithfully and fearlessly performed his duties by following the facts and the law.”

Thursday, July 23 – Majority-Black District Split Up in Tennessee

Federal judges approved the use of a new congressional map in Tennessee that splits up a majority-Black district in Memphis, eliminating the state’s only Democrat-held seat.

The decision, which puts Republicans on the path to secure an additional seat in the midterms, comes after Republicans revised Tennessee’s congressional districts in May in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling weakening the Voting Rights Act.

Friday, July 24 – Trump Has Demanded Over $70 Billion in Lawsuits and Claims Since Late 2022

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) published a new analysis finding that Trump has sought more than $70 billion in lawsuits and claims since launching his most recent presidential campaign in November 2022.

Among the litigations CREW tracked are Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS, in which he initially sought $10 billion, as well as his $10 billion ongoing suit against the BBC.

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Two separate speeches this week – one by the president and one by the arguably shadow president – were a crock of BS and could be ignored, if only they didn’t have real and devastating consequences for democracy and Americans.

First, there was White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, and his whiny speech about the administration’s campaign against the scary “radical” left. Then came Donald Trump, and his “address to the nation” – aka lies, conspiracies, and already-known information – about the president’s greatest obsession of all: the election he lost. If you missed these speeches, we don’t blame you. Zeteo’s politics team endured both so you didn’t have to. We have more on both below, and here and here.

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The speeches, and their expected consequences, are exactly why we maintain this project – Trump and his cronies’ efforts to harm democracy, undermine the Constitution, and hurt societies worldwide continue at a rapid pace. Here’s more from ‘This Week in Democracy – Week 78’:

Saturday, July 11 – Times Reporters Subpoenaed About Trump Coverage

The New York Times reported that the Trump administration subpoenaed several of the publication’s journalists last Friday to testify before a federal grand jury about their reporting on security concerns surrounding Trump’s new Air Force One, which was donated by Qatar.

David McCraw, the top newsroom lawyer for the Times, said the move should “shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects.”

The Times later reported that the subpoenas followed a meeting at the White House where FBI Director Kash Patel was directed to lead a leak investigation into the newspaper’s reporting about the plane.

Sunday, July 12 – DOJ Investigating Head of Union Auto Workers

Bloomberg reported that Trump’s Justice Department launched a grand jury investigation into United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain over allegations that he pressured a top union official to secure special favors for his fiancée and her sister.

Fain denied the allegations and accused the union’s vice president, Rich Boyer – who had filed complaints to the UAW’s court-appointed monitor about Fain – of trying to influence its upcoming election.

Monday, July 13 – Trump’s IRS Settlement Voided by Federal Judge

A federal judge voided Trump’s $1.8 billion settlement with the IRS that included an “anti-weaponization fund” and immunity from tax audits, ruling that the president’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over his leaked tax returns was filed “to manipulate the judicial process.”

The judge sanctioned two of Trump’s personal attorneys, one of whom was banned from practicing in the Southern District of Florida for at least one year. She also suggested that acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and associate Attorney General Stan Woodward could face investigations or disciplinary actions by state bar associations.

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Tuesday, July 14 – Mahmoud Khalil Sues Trump Under KKK Act of 1871

Mahmoud Khalil, who was detained by ICE for more than 100 days last year and is currently challenging a deportation order, sued the Trump administration and pro-Israel groups, including Canary Mission, Betar, and the Heritage Foundation.

The lawsuit, which was brought under a statute of the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, argues that the Trump administration conspired with the organizations to “terrorize and make an example of” Khalil to “intimidate and silence the growing movement for Palestinian rights and political freedom.”

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Wednesday, July 15 – Trump Wants ICE Traffic Stops to Continue Despite String of Deaths

On Truth Social, Trump called for ICE officers to continue conducting traffic stops, calling the practice one of the agency’s “most important and effective Crime Fighting tools,” one day after administration officials told ICE to suspend most vehicle stops.

The move came after ICE shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo last week in Texas. He had been living in the U.S. for 35 years. Another ICE officer killed Joan Sebastian Guerrero in Maine, letting him bleed out in front of his 3-year-old daughter on Monday. A third man died on Tuesday in Florida after he was hit by a tractor-trailer while trying to flee from immigration officers.

Thursday, July 16 – Trump Relitigates His 2020 Loss Live on Television

In an address to the nation, Trump delivered a sluggish speech chock-full of debunked lies and conspiracy theories about foreign interference in the 2020 presidential election, in an effort to pressure Republicans to pass the voter suppression bill, the SAVE America Act. He also called for ABC and NBC to have their broadcasting licenses revoked for refusing to air his propagandic tirade live on their networks.

Hours earlier, in helping launch the Trump administration’s global campaign against so-called “radical left terrorism,” White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller delivered a speech that Zeteo senior politics editor Andrew Perez described as “characteristically apocalyptic and authoritarian” and that only served to help Miller live out his “violent fantasy.”

Friday, July 17 – Election Officials Threatened With Jail Time

Speaking to reporters, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin escalated the Trump administration’s threats to jail election officials, warning that they could be criminally prosecuted if they refuse the federal government’s baseless demands to turn over their voter rolls.

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Every week, we struggle to choose which of Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy to highlight for each day. This week was no exception.

The U.S. president started the week off in Turkey, embarrassing himself (if you missed his litany of gaffes, check them out at the bottom of this piece) and making threats against everyone from Tehran to his NATO allies – while at the NATO summit (not to mention ordering more strikes on Iran). He ended the week firing the rest of the Democratic election commission members (thanks to his right-wing Supreme Court) and his administration gutting protections for endangered species.

A lot happened in between, as you can see below. Here’s just a taste of what Trump and his cronies did this week that harmed democracy, undermined the Constitution, and hurt societies worldwide:

Friday, July 3 – Trump Pardons 11, Including a Major GOP Donor

Trump pardoned 11 people, including Adam Kidan, a former business partner of Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff who pleaded guilty in 2005 to fraud and conspiracy charges. Kidan, who has donated nearly $4 million to Republican Party campaigns and committees since 2017, was reportedly among the hosts of a March fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago.

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Those who received pardons also included Jack Harvard, a ranch owner and former mayor of Plano, Texas, who was convicted of bank fraud, and nine people who faced charges related to violations of the Clean Air Act, including for helping people bypass vehicle emissions control systems.

Saturday, July 4 – White Supremacists Mark July 4 in DC

The white supremacist Patriot Front group descended on Washington, DC, wearing masks and carrying baseball bats and flags, on the morning of the country’s 250th birthday as they chanted “reclaim America.” DC police said they were tracking Patriot Front’s “First Amendment” activities.

Sunday, July 5 – Trump Asked FIFA to Review U.S. World Cup Red Card

After Trump called FIFA’s president and asked him to review the suspension of the U.S. soccer team’s top goal scorer in the World Cup, Folarin Balogun, FIFA reversed the suspension – the first time it has allowed a player to participate in a game they would have been suspended from in the World Cup since 1962.

Balogun, who was eligible to play for the U.S. because of birthright citizenship, was suspended after being given a red card. But the Trump administration worked with lawyers to help the U.S. Soccer Federation try to appeal, even though there is no way for teams to appeal.

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Monday, July 6 – ICE’s Watchdog Investigates U.S. Citizens

Wired reported that ICE’s internal watchdog, which is tasked with conducting internal probes, is now investigating U.S. citizens who have spoken out against the agency.

Between January 2025 and March 2026, the Office of Public Responsibility launched 131 investigations into “incidents of doxing and threats directed towards ICE employees nationwide,” according to an April court declaration by an ICE official.

Meanwhile, AP reported that the Trump administration is planning to open a new immigrant holding facility with a capacity for more than 500 beds on a former U.S. Air Force base in Alexandria, Louisiana. The facility, which would be next to an airport hub, is expected to help ICE speed up deportations.

Tuesday, July 7 – ICE Kills Father of Three in Houston

A federal agent shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican man who had been in the U.S. for 35 years, while he was traveling to work in Houston. Officials later said Salgado Araujo, a father of three, wasn’t the intended target, but that he “resembled” the target of an operation (we all know what that means).

The three men in the van Salgado Araujo was driving disputed the Department of Homeland Security’s claim that Salgado Araujo was attempting to ram ICE officers, saying there were no agents in front of the van.

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Wednesday, July 8 – Trump Says He Wants Rehearing in Birthright Citizenship Case

A week after the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionally-protected right of birthright citizenship, Trump said he would “IMMEDIATELY” ask the Supreme Court to rehear the case, calling the ruling “wrong” and an “absolutely insane decision.”

The last time the Supreme Court reheard a case was more than half a century ago, and requires a majority of the court to approve a rehearing.

Thursday, July 9 – Election Commission Has No Members Left

Trump fired the two remaining Democratic members of the bipartisan U.S. Election Assistance Commission, which provides federal grants to states, maintains the national voter registration forms, and oversees voting systems testing, while the sole remaining Republican resigned from her post after the firings.

In a statement, the White House argued that Trump has the right to fire the commissioners, citing last week’s Supreme Court ruling that expanded the president’s power to remove individuals from independent commissions and agencies.

Friday, July 10 – Trump Shreds Protections for Endangered Species

The Trump administration drastically cut protections for endangered species by announcing a final rule that would open vulnerable animals’ habitats to farming, drilling, mining, and real estate development.

Environmentalists say the move marks the biggest erosion of wildlife protections in half a century.

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Did you miss Trump’s flubs at the NATO summit? Watch the lowlights Zeteo put together below:

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This week, Donald Trump’s corruption was on full display, the Supreme Court granted him more king-like powers, and the U.S. president hosted an election-denying convict in the Oval Office. Happy 250th Birthday, America!

It’s hard to celebrate American democracy, when America is looking more and more like a dictatorship.

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As Americans reflect on 250 years since their independence, 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, June 27 – So-called ‘Board of Peace’ Preps Immunity Resolution

The Guardian reported that Trump’s so-called “Board of Peace” is planning to grant itself sweeping immunity from “any arrest, detention, or legal proceedings in the courts or other entities in Gaza,” according to a draft of a resolution that also lets the organization take over public property in Gaza “free of charge.”

The resolution also states that Trump, the board’s chair, would have the right to waive someone’s legal immunity with the support of the majority of the board.

Sunday, June 28 – Trump Family Continues Cashing in on His Presidency

The New York Times reported that within weeks of the Trump administration securing a billion-dollar mining deal with the president of Kazakhstan, a firm partly owned by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump partnered with others to take a 20% stake in an entity connected to the project.

Meanwhile, the Times found that either the Trump family or Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s family has financial ties to at least 14 companies working with the federal government on mining deals – all of which have benefited directly from the administration.

The Trump Organization sent a letter to the Times demanding the outlet retract the story, calling it “deeply misleading.” But as the Times notes in its response to the letter, the Trump Organization “does not deny … that Eric and Donald Jr. have profited” from the mining deal.

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Monday, June 29 – Supreme Court Ruling ‘Reshapes Our Government’

The Supreme Court overturned a 90-year-old ruling that protected members of certain independent agencies from being fired by the president without cause, a move that Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned “reshapes our government.”

In her dissent, Sotomayor noted that dozens of independent commissions “are now likely to become purely executive agencies, shifting tremendous power over broad swaths of American life into the president’s hands.”

(In another pivotal ruling this week, the Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship, but not by a 9-0 margin, a shocking outcome considering birthright is clearly laid out in the Constitution.)

Tuesday, June 30 – Trump’s Presidency Profits Soar As He Hosts Election Denier in Oval Office

Trump made a staggering $2.2 billion in the first year of his second term as president, compared to the $622 million he pulled in during 2024, according to a new financial disclosure. Of the $2.2 billion, $1.4 billion came from his family’s cryptocurrency businesses – making Trump the highest crypto earner in the United States.

Meanwhile, on Truth Social, Trump revealed that he hosted election denier Tina Peters in the Oval Office. Peters, a former Colorado county clerk who was convicted of tampering with voting machines following the 2020 presidential election, was recently granted clemency by Governor Jared Polis and released from prison.

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Wednesday, July 1 – ICE Arrests 10,000 People in 5 Days

The New York Times reported that ICE is ramping up its arrests, detaining more than 10,000 people in the last five days – roughly doubling the 1,000 people who were arrested each day earlier this year.

The dramatic increase comes as the White House pushed for more arrests, which have taken place at immigration check-ins, during traffic stops, and on the street. ICE officials have been told the 2,000 arrest rate per day is to be considered the new normal.

Thursday, July 2 – FBI’s 2020 Georgia Election Probe Intensifies

MS NOW reported that Trump’s FBI has authorized hundreds of intelligence analysts to work overtime as part of a “priority” investigation related to the 2020 presidential election in Georgia, according to an unclassified memo issued Wednesday.

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This week, Donald Trump kicked off America’s 250th celebrations with a campaign-style rally, declaring “America is back.”

You’ve got to hand it to the president, perhaps America is back: Back to a time when racism dictates policy; back to a time, when just a few ultra-rich (white) men – whose wealth was built at least in part on corruption – hold all the power; back to a time, when climate change wasn’t acknowledged, much less thought about. We could go on and on.

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This year should be about celebrating American democracy – the progress the U.S. has made, and recognizing the progress yet to come. But instead, it’s a reflection of the very worst of America.

Just this week, Trump and his cronies ramped up their efforts to interfere with elections, ended temporary protective status for hundreds of thousands of people, and held bipartisan legislation meant to lower housing costs because… the president isn’t getting his way on voter restrictions.

It was yet another week that exemplified the fascism that has defined Trump’s second term. Here’s more about how Trump and his allies harmed democracy, undermined the Constitution, and hurt societies worldwide this week:

Saturday, June 20 – FBI Tried to Turn Delaney Hall Protesters Into Informants

The Intercept reported that at least half of the roughly 90 people who have been arrested in recent weeks for protesting at the Delaney Hall ICE detention center in New Jersey have been contacted by FBI agents who tried to get them to become informants.

The move prompted a complaint by a deputy public defender representing multiple protesters, who argued it violated the constitutional rights of his clients.

Sunday, June 21 – Trump Admin Quashed Criminal Investigation of Clemency

The New York Times reported that the Trump administration shut down a criminal investigation into Trump’s December 2025 commutation of the sentence of David Gentile, a private equity executive who was convicted in 2024 of securities and wire fraud charges in a case prosecutors described as a $1.6 billion scheme that defrauded thousands of investors.

As part of the probe into Gentile, who served less than two weeks of his seven-year prison sentence, investigators learned about jailhouse communications where he discussed making payments of $2.5 million or more to people or companies to help secure his clemency.

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Monday, June 22 – Trump Ramps Up Efforts to Interfere in Elections

CNN reported that the Trump administration is threatening to withhold tens of millions of dollars in federal Homeland Security funds to states unless they make sweeping changes to their election laws, including submitting their voter rolls through the DHS’s citizenship verification database.

The changes, which would be required under new rules for several homeland security grant programs, would also force states to phase out certain electronic voting systems and instead use hand-marked paper ballots.

Tuesday, June 23 – Anti-ICE Protesters Get Up to 100 Years in Prison

Federal judges gave a group of anti-ICE protesters, who were convicted for their roles in a 2025 demonstration in Texas as alleged members of “antifa,” prison sentences that ranged between 30 and 100 years. The person who got 30 years wasn’t even at the protest. The person who received 100 years was convicted of attempted murder, along with other charges, after a police officer was shot and injured.

The landmark case marks the first to incorporate Trump’s presidential declaration that labeled “antifa” as a domestic terrorist organization (antifa, which simply means “antifascist,” is not an organization). The protesters’ sentences are notably longer than those given to Jan. 6 insurrectionists.

“The prosecution of the protesters is part of an increasingly disturbing pattern of the Trump administration criminalizing speech and assembly in the United States,” Zeteo contributor Kim Wehle wrote. “And it should alarm us all.”

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Wednesday, June 24 – Trump Holds Housing Bill Hostage

On Truth Social, Trump abruptly canceled the signing of a bipartisan bill designed to lower the cost of housing until the Republican-led House and Senate pass the SAVE America Act, which would disenfranchise millions of voters by requiring proof of citizenship and photo ID to cast a ballot in elections.

Trump doesn’t have much leverage to hold the bill hostage, as legislation can still become law 10 days after it’s presented to the president while Congress is in session. Additionally, the bill received enough support from Congress that lawmakers could override a veto by the president if he tries to do so.

Thursday, June 25 – Supreme Court Allows Trump to End TPS for Haitians, Syrians

The Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to remove the Temporary Protected Status of roughly 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians, in a move that will require them to leave the country or risk being arrested and deported once a termination date is set.

In the ruling, Justice Samuel Alito concluded that the TPS law authorizes Trump to end the program without intervention from the courts, a finding that threatens protections for people from the other 15 countries under the program.

Friday, June 26 – Hundreds of Thousands of Children Have No Lawyer for Deportation Hearings

Drop Site reported that more than half of the over 750,000 children facing deportation hearings have no legal representation, according to data from the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review.

The rate of children navigating immigration court proceedings without a lawyer (57%) is slightly higher than the 54% of adults who are unrepresented in their cases.

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Thankfully, there’s a preliminary deal to end Donald Trump’s illegal, deadly, and costly war on Iran. Unfortunately, as Zeteo’s ‘First Draft’ pointed out this week, his war on Americans continues.

Just this week, reports revealed that Trump and his cronies were weighing suspending a Constitutional right, that the FBI director may have a “personal slush fund,” and that deaths in ICE custody have more than doubled since the MAGA leader retook the Oval Office.

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That’s why we continue ‘This Week in Democracy’ – to document Trump’s ongoing war on the U.S. Constitution, democracy, and his own citizens. Here’s just a taste of what that war looked like this week:

Saturday, June 13 – Trump to Appoint His Own Lawyer for US Attorney Position

On Truth Social, Trump announced that he will appoint one of his personal lawyers, James McDonald, to succeed his National Intelligence chief nominee Jay Clayton as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

McDonald is part of the legal team appealing the president’s convictions in New York that stemmed from his hush money payments to Stormy Daniels.

Sunday, June 14 – Trump’s Big Fight Night

Trump marked his 80th birthday by holding a UFC fight on the White House’s South Lawn – an event that cost at least $60 million (paid for by UFC’s parent company TKO), and required the help of more than seven federal agencies. Some of the fighters received bonuses paid in cryptocurrency from the Trump family’s World Liberty Financial.

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Monday, June 15 – Trump Weighed Suspending Constitution Right, Newsom Under DOJ Investigation

The New York Times reported that Trump actively considered suspending habeas corpus – the constitutional right for people to challenge their detention in court – in an effort to accelerate his mass deportation campaign early in his second term after the Supreme Court ruled that migrants expelled under the Alien Enemies Act were entitled to challenge their deportations in court before being removed.

Meanwhile, California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a video that Trump’s Justice Department is investigating him and his wife, noting that the couple have been placed on the president’s political “hit list” and posted on X that federal agents are on a “fishing expedition” to find a crime to indict him as he prepares a possible run for president in 2028.

Tuesday, June 16 – Patel’s ‘Personal Slush Fund’

FBI Director Kash Patel may be using part of the agency’s budget as a “personal slush fund” to provide more than $1 million in “unlawful ‘bonus’ payments” to special agents on his Director’s Advisory Team and his security detail, according to a letter from Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin that was obtained by MS NOW.

Raskin noted that by issuing the payments, Patel’s office “may be knowingly breaking federal law.” He also said the payments have been sent at “such a frenzied rate” that some of them have bounced from “exhausted accounts.”

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Wednesday, June 17 – ICE Deaths More Than Double Under Trump as Agency Buys Immigrants’ Tax Info

Reuters reported that the number of people who have died in ICE detention centers has more than doubled since Trump’s second term began last year, rising from one death per year for every 3,848 detainees between 2009 and 2024 to one death for every 1,630 people under Trump.

Meanwhile, 404 Media reported that ICE appears to be buying records of tax identifiers of immigrants from a data broker as part of a $10 million contract that could potentially be a workaround of a court order banning ICE from obtaining those records.

Thursday, June 18 – Record Number of Denaturalization Cases Planned by Trump Administration

CNN reported that the Trump administration is ramping up its efforts to revoke the citizenship of naturalized Americans, with plans to file at least 250 cases by October. Trump’s Justice Department has filed 29 denaturalization cases in less than two months.

Only 166 denaturalization cases were filed between 2008 and June 12 of this year.

Friday, June 19 – Trump’s Acting Intel Chief Weighs Firing Hundreds, CNN reports

CNN, citing two sources, reported that Trump’s acting director of national intelligence, Bill Pulte, showed up to work a day early and asked for a list of all employees in the office, with plans to potentially fire hundreds.

Pulte, who has no previous intelligence or national security experience, will likely remain in the acting role longer than lawmakers had hoped.

In an effort to pressure the Senate to pass a strict voter ID bill, Trump intervened earlier this week in what was expected to be a quick confirmation process for Jay Clayton, the president’s pick to lead the intel community permanently.

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Donald Trump turns 80 this weekend. He’s preparing to celebrate with a bash that’s gobbled up resources from seven different agencies and adorned the White House lawn with a towering octagon arena and a “cage” where, as the New York Times put it, grown men will soon “beat one another to a pulp.”

If that doesn’t say ‘Happy Birthday’ to a U.S. president in the throes of trying to get a deal to end an unpopular (and illegal) war with Iran, contending with a near-record low approval rating, and raging over a soon-to-be-released book that’s already produced embarrassing details about his time back in office – most recently about the ‘White House freakout over the Epstein Files – we’re not sure what would.

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Happy Birthday, King Trump. Happy 250th, America.

But even his birthday bash prep hasn’t kept Trump and his cronies from continuing their efforts to destroy U.S. democracy, undermine the Constitution, and hurt societies worldwide. From new corruption revelations to fresh lashings of the media to a report that Trump and his allies may seek to expunge his first-term impeachments, here’s ‘This Week in Democracy – Week 73’:

Saturday, June 6 – Accepting Only White South African Refugees

Mother Jones reported that the only refugees admitted to the U.S. under the Trump administration this year, through the end of May, are white South Africans.

Since Oct. 1, 2025, all but three of the 6,668 refugees accepted by the U.S. are white South Africans. The three, who were admitted in November, were from Afghanistan.

Sunday, June 7 – Trump’s Big Walkout

Trump stormed off the set of an interview with NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’ after host Kristen Welker asked the president to provide evidence for his baseless claims that the 2020 presidential election and the recent California primary elections were “rigged.”

Trump accused Welker of being either “crooked” or “stupid,” and said she has “no credibility.” Trump also called ‘Meet the Press,’ ABC, CBS, and CNN “one-sided” and “crooked,” and told Welker she “oughta straighten out your press” as he took off his microphone and walked away.

Monday, June 8 – Trump Wants Senate Parliamentarian Fired

On Truth Social, Trump urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune to “immediately fire” and replace Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough in order to pass the party’s voter suppression bill, the SAVE America Act.

MacDonough, who Trump called a “nasty holdover from Mitch McConnell” and a “Radical Left Lunatic,” had previously ruled that the legislation didn’t comply with the Senate’s Byrd Rule and wouldn’t be eligible to be included in a budget reconciliation package, which can be passed with a simple-majority vote.

Tuesday, June 9 – Indian Billionaire Invests in Company Secretly Linked to Trump Jr.

ProPublica reported that an Indian billionaire, whose family’s energy empire was targeted by Trump, “secured major policy wins from the Trump administration” after pouring at least $100 million into a Texas start-up that Donald Trump Jr. had secretly acquired a stake in.

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Wednesday, June 10 – Mail-in Voting at Risk

CNN reported that newly proposed rules could result in the U.S. Postal Service refusing to deliver mail-in ballots in states that refuse to turn over lists of all voters who are set to receive mail ballots to the agency.

The proposed rules seek to comply with Trump’s March executive order targeting mail-in voting, which is currently being challenged in the courts.

Thursday, June 11 – Trump Seeks to ‘Expunge’ His Impeachments

The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump and his allies have talked about urging Republican lawmakers to pass a resolution “expunging” the president’s two impeachments from his first term.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said the move, which would only be symbolic and carry no legal weight, is a “priority,” though the Journal noted that a measure to void the impeachments likely wouldn’t be considered until after the midterm elections.

Friday, June 12 – Thousands of Parents Deported, Hundreds of Babies and Toddlers in ICE Custody

ABC News reported that just 3% of people detained by ICE during the first 14 months of Trump’s second term had been convicted of a violent felony, despite the president promising he would target the “worst of the worst.” During the same period, ICE apprehended the parents of about 14,450 children who were born in the U.S., roughly half of whom were later deported.

The reporting comes days after MS Now and the Marshall Project revealed that at least 500 babies and toddlers have been in ICE custody at some point during the second Trump administration, 10 times more than during the previous year under the Biden administration.

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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:

Today, Senate Republicans passed a $70 billion bill to fund Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for three years.

The latter is the same agency that just this week faced a number of troubling reports – from worms in the food fed to detained children to dozens of children re-separated from their parents. That’s not even mentioning that it’s the same agency that’s killed U.S. citizens and that half of Americans said earlier this year they want to see abolished.

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But, as we know, in Donald Trump’s America, the lives of citizens, polling, human/children’s rights don’t matter. (In a bit of good news today, a judge did rule that the Trump administration must restart processing of asylum and immigration applications it had halted last year.)

From the horrific reports about ICE to more illegal boat strikes to dangerous new hires by the Trump admin, here’s what the president and his cronies did this week that harmed democracy, undermined the Constitution, and hurt societies worldwide:

Saturday, May 30 – More Than 200 People Now Killed in Trump’s Boat Strikes

U.S. Southern Command announced that, at the direction of Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, the U.S. military conducted a strike on a boat in the Eastern Pacific, killing three people.

It followed a strike the day before that killed three others, bringing the total number of people killed by the Trump administration’s likely illegal strikes to more than 200.

Sunday, May 31 – Children Served Food With Worms in ICE Detention

Children are being served meals with live worms, bugs, and mold in ICE detention, CBS News reported in an explosive piece about the horrific conditions at the ICE facility in Dilley, Texas.

Nearly half of the more than 6,300 children detained by federal agents during Trump’s second term – 97% of whom have no criminal record – are being held at this detention center.

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Monday, June 1 – Tina Peters Claims Democrats Will ‘Cheat’ Hours After Prison Release

Tina Peters, a former Colorado county clerk who was convicted of tampering with voting machines following the 2020 presidential election, was released from prison early after serving less than a quarter of her nine-year sentence.

Hours later, Peters went on fellow election denier Steve Bannon’s podcast and picked up right where she left off, saying without evidence, “I know the Democrats are going to cheat” in the midterm elections this fall.

Tuesday, June 2 – Dangerous New Trump Admin Hires

Trump named Federal Housing Finance Agency Director and staunch MAGA ally Bill Pulte, who is being investigated for targeting the president’s perceived enemies, as the acting director of national intelligence.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported that the Trump administration has hired a convicted Jan. 6 rioter to work inside an office at the Pentagon responsible for managing highly classified military operations.

But that’s not all: Reuters reported that Trump’s Justice Department hired Kurt Olsen, a White House official who participated in efforts to overturn the 2020 election, as a senior attorney who will report to a prosecutor building a criminal case against Trump’s enemies.

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Wednesday, June 3 – Trump Attacks Kaitlan Collins … Again

While speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump once again attacked CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, calling her a “corrupt reporter” who “never smiles” and has “hatred in her eyes.”

Later, when she asked Trump whether the DOJ’s $1.776 billion weaponization fund was dead or on hold, Trump told Collins she “should be ashamed of yourself.”

Thursday, June 4 – Re-Separating Families and Canceling ICE Reporting Requirement

AP reported that despite a legal settlement meant to reunify migrant families separated during the first Trump administration, the government has re-separated dozens of children from their families, including deporting some people who were legally prohibited from being removed from the country.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported that ICE acting director David Venturella sent a memo to employees announcing the elimination of a guideline that required the agency to report deaths that take place less than 30 days after people are released from ICE custody – a policy meant to ensure the agency doesn’t release people in an effort to avoid deaths in custody.

Friday, June 5 – Trump Admin Tried to Classify 2.7 Million Living People as Dead, Whistleblower Says

The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration planned to mark 2.7 million living people as dead, according to a whistleblower who worked at the Social Security Administration for 25 years and refused to help reclassify the people after agency lawyers warned doing so could violate federal law.

The move, which the whistleblower says was possibly meant to intimidate immigrants and affect their finances, included some U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents.

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Donald Trump wants his face on a $250 banknote. It would be laughable – depictions of living individuals on banknotes have been banned since 1866 – if it weren’t yet another example of King Trump’s obsession with autocrats and turning DC into his very own version of Pyongyang.

There were plenty of other examples this week of Trump harming what’s left of American democracy, undermining the constitution, and hurting societies worldwide.

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From Trump and his cronies gutting the crypto enforcement agency to his immigration authorities pepper-spraying a U.S. senator to his Justice Department subpoenaing Hasan Piker and Medea Benjamin, here’s ‘This Week in Democracy – Week 71’:

Saturday, May 23 – DOJ Scrubs Jan. 6 Releases, Subpoenas Hasan Piker and Medea Benjamin

AP reported that Trump’s Justice Department admitted it was scrubbing press releases from its government website about criminal cases associated with the Jan. 6 insurrection, including those involving multiple people who were sentenced to several years in prison for assaulting police officers. On Twitter, the DOJ Rapid Response account ridiculously called the move an effort to strip the department’s website of “partisan propaganda.”

Meanwhile, Fox reported that the Trump administration subpoenaed Hasan Piker and CODEPINK co-founder Medea Benjamin over their trips to Cuba.

Sunday, May 24 – Trump Admin Is Gutting Crypto Enforcement Agency

The New York Times reported that during the past 16 months of the Trump administration, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has gutted its workforce, sidelined several senior officials, massively cut back on cryptocurrency enforcement, and consistently helped prediction markets.

The commission placed two top officials on leave after they expressed concerns about three companies with ties to the president’s family business and placed them under internal investigation. The same thing happened to three others, who enforced crypto laws.

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Monday, May 25 – U.S. Senator Pepper-Sprayed at ICE Detention Facility

Federal agents used pepper spray on anti-ICE protesters outside of an immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, where detainees have staged a hunger strike against poor conditions in the facility and the denial of medical care.

Those pepper-sprayed included Senator Andy Kim, who had been denied entry to the facility, despite saying he had ICE approval for a congressional oversight visit. In a Twitter thread, he noted that detainees have been “threatened with retaliation” for their hunger strike.

Tuesday, May 26 – Kash Patel Fires Another Top FBI Official

MS NOW reported that FBI Director Kash Patel fired a top intelligence analyst who worked on an assessment following the 2017 mass shooting at a House Republican baseball practice in Virginia.

The report, which looked at the motives of the gunman, was controversial among Republicans who complained that the incident wasn’t labeled as an act of domestic terrorism.

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Wednesday, May 27 – More People Are Dying By Suicide In ICE Custody Than Ever

AP reported that at least 10 men have died by suicide while in ICE custody since Trump’s second term began last year. Nine of the 10 men were Hispanic, and the other was a citizen of China. Seven of the men had no record of violent crimes in the U.S.

In this fiscal year alone (since October), ICE has recorded seven deaths by suicide – the highest number for any fiscal year in ICE’s history. ICE typically reports one or no deaths by suicide each year.

Thursday, May 28 – Corruption Abounds

ProPublica reported that a $620 million loan approved by the Pentagon last year to a company linked to Donald Trump Jr. was initiated by White House adviser Peter Navarro, with one unnamed Pentagon source being told, “The call came from the White House: We have to get this done.”

Meanwhile, the New York Times reported that the Pentagon’s announcement of a $9.7 billion contract with Dell is likely to bolster Trump’s investment portfolio, after the president bought more than $1 million worth of the computer company’s stock earlier this year.

Friday, May 29 – Trump’s Slush Fund Blocked … Temporarily

A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from moving forward with the creation or operation of its planned $1.776 billion slush fund for people who claim they were wrongfully targeted by the government – potentially even those Trump pardoned over their involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection.

The order prohibits the Trump administration from considering any claims that have been submitted or transferring or disbursing any funds from the so-called Anti-Weaponization Fund ahead of a June 12 hearing.

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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: