This Week in Democracy – Week 15: 100 Days of Damage and Destruction
Zeteo's project to document the ongoing, week-by-week growth of authoritarianism in the Trump second term.
This week marked 100 days of Donald Trump’s assault on democracy.
Over the last 15 weeks, now 104 days, we’ve watched as Trump and his allies dismantled federal agencies, undermined constitutional order, and damaged the US standing in the world. While our weekly lists haven’t gotten any shorter, in many ways, Trump now appears more desperate than ever to villainize anyone – journalists, judges, protesters, foreign students, local leaders – who push back.
Here’s ‘This Week in Democracy – Week 15’:
Saturday, April 26
On Truth Social, Trump baselessly called New York Times chief White House correspondent Peter Baker “very biased and untalented” and a “lightweight reporter” over his story headlined, “How Trump Plays Into Putin’s Hands, From Ukraine to Slashing U.S. Institutions.”
Trump also whined about courts blocking or stalling his mass deportation plans, claiming it’s not possible to give due process to “millions and millions of people,” that the government knows “who the Criminals are,” and they must be removed from the US “FAST!”
AP reported that ICE officials deported a 4-year-old US citizen with a rare form of cancer and his mother without the child’s medication. The Trump administration also deported two Honduran-born mothers and their US-born children. Additionally, ICE deported the Cuban-born mother of a 1-year-old girl, separating her from her child in the process.
Sunday, April 27
On Truth Social, Trump, without evidence, called the Democratic Party’s top fundraising platform, ActBlue, an “ILLEGAL SCAM” that raises money from “foreign contributions” and said it should be investigated. Trump has already ordered a DOJ investigation into ActBlue.
Trump also baselessly claimed the “Radical Left Democrats” are paying constituents to “infiltrate” GOP town halls, calling them “disruptors and troublemakers.”
The White House communications director called The Daily Beast’s chief content officer Joanna Coles a “piece of shit” on Twitter after she speculated on CNN that Trump may be on Ozempic for weight loss.
During a '60 Minutes' broadcast, correspondent Scott Pelley said that while CBS News' parent company, Paramount, has not blocked any of the program's stories, it did "begin to supervise our content in new ways," as it tries to complete a merger that the Trump administration must approve.
A Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations report found that Musk could avoid over $2 billion in potential legal financial liabilities due to his influence on the federal government through DOGE.
Monday, April 28
A White House fact sheet indicated the Justice Department will create a “Parental Rights Task Force” in relation to gender-affirming care for minors.
Trump signed several new executive orders, including one threatening to cut federal funding from sanctuary cities and jurisdictions that “obstruct the enforcement of Federal immigration laws.”
Another seeks to provide legal aid and indemnification for police officers facing legal expenses in relation to their official duties, issue harsher sentences for crimes against police officers, and review, modify, or rescind federal consent decrees, out-of-court agreements and post-judgment orders against law enforcement agencies. In an op-ed for MSNBC, law professor John Pfaff wrote that the order “is not a recipe for actual public safety. But it is one for oppressive cruelty and retribution.”
On Truth Social, Trump said that pollsters at the New York Times, ABC News, Fox, and the Washington Post, should be investigated for election fraud, calling them “Negative Criminals,” in response to the president’s low polling numbers.
He also seemingly endorsed himself in the Canadian federal election, renewing his outlandish idea that Canada should become the 51st state.
Democratic Rep. Shri Thanedar filed articles of impeachment against Trump for obstruction of justice, abuse of executive power, usurpation of appropriations power, abuse of trade powers and international aggression, violation of First Amendment rights, creation of an unlawful office (DOGE), bribery and corruption, and tyrannical overreach. Thanedar called Trump’s defiance of the Supreme Court ruling to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia “the final straw.”
The Guardian reported that Trump’s DOJ appointees have removed all managers working in its voting unit and directing lawyers to dismiss active cases. The unit is responsible for enforcing laws preventing voter discrimination.
Forbes reported that the Trump administration may have missed a deadline for a report on restarting the US refugee admissions program, which had been halted in one of Trump’s day-one executive orders.
NPR reported that two members of Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency were issued accounts on classified networks containing top-secret details about the country’s nuclear weapons.
At a White House press briefing, press secretary Karoline Leavitt called on right-wing commentator Rogan O’Handley first. O’Handley had his Twitter account “DC Draino” suspended after spreading baseless claims about alleged fraud in the 2020 presidential election. He used his platform at the White House to attack “radical judges” engaged in a “coordinated assault on the rule of law.”
Leavitt also declined to answer a question about whether the administration would ever arrest a federal judge or Supreme Court justice.
Leavitt subsequently held the White House’s first press briefing for “new media,” which was made up of a group of MAGA influencers and former White House press secretary Sean Spicer. The first “reporter” engaged in thinly veiled racism, saying that she can attest to the deportations in Florida because “My Uber drivers finally speak English again.” Meanwhile, American First Policy Institute ambassador Kambree Nelson asked Leavitt for advice about “what direction” to head with her coverage.
The White House lawn was lined up with mugshot-style booking photos of immigrants the administration alleges have engaged in crimes including murder and kidnapping. The placards were placed in the same area where many reporters do live hits from the White House.
On Fox, Attorney General Pam Bondi referred to Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan, who was arrested last week on charges of obstruction, as a “criminal judge sitting on a criminal bench.”
In a news release, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights accused the University of Pennsylvania of violating the anti-sex discrimination statute by allowing trans athletes to compete in women’s sports. According to the release, the university has 10 days to meet demands that include apologizing to female athletes and committing to comply with Title IX requirements or risk facing a referral to the Justice Department for enforcement proceedings.
The Trump administration announced an investigation into Harvard University and the Harvard Law Review over allegations of race-based discrimination “permeating the operations” of the journal.
The Trump administration informed nearly 400 scientists that they would no longer be needed to contribute to the National Climate Assessment, a congressionally mandated report published every four years.
A group of labor unions, nonprofit organizations, and local governments sued the Trump administration, arguing its efforts to downsize the federal workforce are unconstitutional because Congress hasn’t approved them.
On Twitter, Republican Representative Clay Higgins of Louisiana called for the arrests of “100 more” judges, saying they’re “arrogant elitist black robes” who have been “raping our core principles for decades.” Higgins added that he would be willing to provide a list of judges to prosecute to the Justice Department.
The Justice Action Center and Innovation Law Lab sued the Trump administration to challenge a policy authorizing immigration officials from engaging in enforcement operations in schools and houses of worship.
A federal appeals court restored an injunction against the Trump administration for its attempt to fire about 90% of employees at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
The New York Times reported on a mass exodus at the DOJ’s civil rights division, where hundreds of lawyers and other employees are leaving due to the administration’s reshaping of the office to pursue cases against universities and Democratic-led cities.
Tuesday, April 29
A federal appeals court rejected a request from the Trump administration to overturn a lower court’s ruling that temporarily blocked the deportations of immigrants in Colorado under the Alien Enemies Act.
Trump repeatedly claimed in an interview with ABC News’ Terry Moran that the doctored photograph of Abrego Garcia’s hands that made it appear he had MS-13 tattooed on his knuckles was real – a claim that left even Mehdi stunned.
Trump also renewed claims that the 2020 election was rigged, called ABC News one of “the worst,” accused Moran of being “dishonest,” and said Moran’s question about whether he had 100% confidence in Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth was “stupid.”
House Republicans blocked an effort by Democrats to investigate Hegseth’s use of Signal by adding a provision into a rule that effectively prevents lawmakers from forcing a vote on “resolutions of inquiry.”
After Trump personally called Jeff Bezos to complain about a plan for Amazon to display added tariff costs next to products on its website, the company announced it would not do so. During a press briefing, Leavitt called the move a “hostile and political act.”
A group of 20 Democratic attorneys general published an open letter calling on law firms to resist capitulating to Trump in the face of executive orders targeting major firms across the country.
Trump fired several Biden appointees, including former Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish, from the board that oversees the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.
The Washington Post reported that the US Postal Inspection Service has started cooperating with ICE to locate suspected undocumented immigrants through photographs of the outside of envelopes and packages, as well as access to online account data, mail tracking information, credit card data, and IP addresses.
At another “press briefing” for MAGA influencers, Leavitt conceded that talks of Trump running for an unconstitutional third term in 2028 is “Trump trolling,” but added that Trump 2028 merchandise is “flying off the shelves.”
Speaking to reporters, Trump joked that he would like to be the next Pope, calling himself his “number one choice.”
Trump held a campaign-style rally to mark 100 days in office in Michigan, where he baselessly claimed that Democrats cheated in the 2024 election, said he believes the court rulings against his mass deportation efforts won’t be “allowed to stand,” called pollsters “a bunch of crooked people,” and referred to Jan. 6 rioters as “hostages.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene baselessly claimed that the Senate seats in Georgia, currently held by Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, were “stolen” in 2021.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting sued the Trump administration to block the president from firing three of its five board members, a move the lawsuit argues the president doesn’t have the power to do.
On Twitter, Hegseth bragged about gutting the State Department’s Women, Peace & Security Program, which was introduced by GOP lawmakers and signed into law by Trump during his first term in 2017. The program, which Hegseth claimed is “pushed by feminists and left-wing activists,” sought to ensure more women were involved in peace-building and conflict resolution.
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore $12 million in federal funds to Radio Free Europe that had been appropriated by Congress.
Judge Hannah Dugan was temporarily suspended from her duties as a Milwaukee county circuit court judge by the Wisconsin Supreme Court after being arrested last week on obstruction charges.
Wednesday, April 30
Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian student at Columbia University, was released from ICE detention after a judge ordered him to be immediately freed on bail. Mahdawi spoke to a crowd of supporters, telling Trump and his Cabinet, “I am not afraid of you.” In his ruling, the judge compared the administration’s targeting of student activists to the Red Scare and McCarthyism.
A day after the New York Times reported on Tuesday that Trump’s lawyers and Paramount were set to begin mediation over the $10 billion ‘60 Minutes’ lawsuit, the president wrote on Truth Social that the newspaper could be liable for “tortious interference” for writing that legal experts have called the case “baseless.”
The Trump administration sued Michigan and Hawaii in an effort to stop the two states from filing lawsuits of their own against major oil companies for their role in the climate crisis. Neither state has filed lawsuits yet.
A federal judge temporarily blocked the Department of Homeland Security from transferring migrants to other federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, as a way to avoid due process rights.
A federal appeals court upheld a preliminary injunction blocking DOGE from accessing sensitive social security records.
A second commissioner resigned from the Federal Election Commission, leaving the agency without a quorum, which means it can no longer take official actions like citing committees for violating campaign finance laws or issuing guidance for campaigns.
At a Cabinet meeting, Trump attacked Harvard University, saying the “attitude” of their students and professors is “not American” and indicated his administration would cut more grants to the post-secondary institution.
During the meeting, national security adviser Michael Waltz was photographed by a reporter browsing a less secure Signal-like app created by an Israeli firm on his phone.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that the Trump administration is “actively searching for other countries” to incarcerate migrants.
In an interview on MeidasTouch, New York Attorney General Letitia James indicated that her office is looking into potential market manipulation by the Trump administration.
For the third day in a row, Leavitt held a “press briefing” for MAGA influencers, which included alt-right commentator Jack Posobiec, who has ties to white nationalist movements, and Dominick McGee (who posts under the name Dom Lucre), a right-wing conspiracy theorist who was once banned from Twitter for sharing child sexual abuse material, who asked whether the Trump administration would investigate Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton over “election integrity.”
The Washington Post reported that the FBI reassigned agents who kneeled with protesters during a Black Lives Matter demonstration in 2020.
Chris Krebs, the former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, had his CBP Global Entry membership revoked. Krebs, who was targeted by Trump in an executive order last month that stripped his security clearance and directed the Justice Department to investigate him, told CNN he “finds it hard to believe this isn’t another act of retribution from the administration.”
Puck News reported that Paramount owner Shari Redstone asked CBS CEO George Cheeks whether ‘60 Minutes’ segments about Trump or his administration could be delayed until after the company closed its merger deal with Skydance.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. baselessly claimed that the MMR vaccine “contains a lot of aborted fetus debris.”
Thursday, May 1
Waltz became the first senior official in Trump’s second administration to resign from his post, more than one month after the Signal scandal. His deputy, Alex Wong, also departed his role. Trump subsequently announced he would nominate Waltz as US ambassador to the UN, and Rubio will serve as his interim national security adviser.
Trump also responded to the impeachment filings announced by Thanedar, writing on Truth Social that the “Democrats are really out of control,” and calling on Republicans to consider expelling Democrats from Congress “for all of the crimes that they have committed, especially around Election time(s).”
Trump signed an executive order that seeks to cut the federal funding of public broadcasters NPR and PBS, a move that PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger called “blatantly unlawful.”
He also signed an executive order creating a Religious Liberty Commission, which will advise the White House Faith Office on policies, recommend executive actions, and study threats to religious liberty in the country. Trump named former talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw as one of the commission’s members.
A Trump-appointed federal judge permanently blocked the president’s administration from using the Alien Enemies Act to detain, transfer, or deport Venezuelan immigrants, finding that its invocation “exceeds the scope” of law. The ruling was limited to the Southern District of Texas.
The Trump administration sued New York and Vermont over their climate superfund laws, which AG Bondi called “burdensome and ideologically motivated.”
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to remove temporary legal protections from 350,000 Venezuelan immigrants, which could lead to their deportations.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the inspector general at the Pentagon is expanding his investigation into Hegseth’s use of Signal to relay military attack plans to include a second chat that included his wife and brother.
A federal appeals court temporarily reversed parts of two lower-court rulings, allowing the Trump administration to continue withholding federal funds from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, and Middle East Broadcasting Networks.
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued a sharp rebuke of Trump’s attacks on judges, saying, “The threats and harassment are attacks on our democracy, on our system of government, and they ultimately risk undermining our Constitution and the rule of law.”
Five Planned Parenthood affiliates sued the Department of Health and Human Services, along with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for freezing funds for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program.
The Popular Information newsletter reported that, beginning this fall, thousands of high school students in Oklahoma will be required to “identify discrepancies in 2020 election results” as part of a new curriculum, which will see students explore “the sudden halting of ballot-counting in select cities in key battleground states, the security risks of mail-in balloting … an unforeseen record number of voters” and other conspiracy theories spouted by Trump and his affiliates.
Friday, May 2
On Truth Social, Trump said his administration will be taking away Harvard University’s tax-exempt status, saying, “It’s what they deserve!” The school’s president later told The Wall Street Journal that it would be “highly illegal” to do so.
The Trump administration reached a settlement agreement with the state of Maine, restoring federal funds for a state child nutrition program that the government froze because of Maine’s trans athlete policies. Maine is dropping its lawsuit against the Department of Agriculture as part of the settlement.
The Trump administration also reached a “settlement in principle” for a financial payout to the family of Ashli Babbitt, a Trump supporter who was killed during the Jan. 6 insurrection while trying to climb through a smashed window into the Capitol.
CNN reported that Radio Free Asia is laying off most of its staff and shutting down many news broadcasts and streams as a result of Trump’s decision to withhold Congressionally-appropriated funds from the news organization.
The White House released a budget proposal that calls for a record $1 trillion in defense spending, while slashing education funding, climate science research, rental assistance, and funds for the National Park Service, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Trump administration filed an emergency appeal asking the Supreme Court to authorize DOGE access to sensitive Social Security records.
A federal judge ruled the Trump administration can move forward with the termination of grants related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, as well as environmental justice.
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A small point: Ashli Babbitt had already trespassed into the Capitol, and was shot trying to climb through a broken window next to a barricaded door leading to the Speaker's Lobby just outside of the House chambers where many Representatives were sheltering.
"During the meeting, national security adviser Michael Waltz was photographed by a reporter browsing a less secure Signal-like app created by an Israeli firm on his phone."
Who was on Pete Hegseth’s Signal chat about national security plans? Check this relationship map.
https://thedemlabs.org/2025/04/20/pete-hegseths-signal-chat-with-national-security-plans-disaster/