This Week in Democracy – Week 23: Bombing Iran, Blocking Vaccines, Bullying Muslims
Zeteo's project to document the ongoing, week-by-week growth of authoritarianism in the Trump second term.
This week showed the power of democracy. Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist, shocked the US when he won New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary. It was a stunning victory that not only had Republicans reeling, but also rocked the Democratic Party’s establishment – and it proved that a candidate with popular policies and not beholden to corporate donors can win.
Of course, this week didn’t bring only good news. Donald Trump is still president after all. He and his allies (plus several Democrats) responded to Mamdani’s victory with Islamophobic attacks and abuse. Trump also launched illegal strikes on Iran, continued his attacks on the press, was called names at the NATO summit, and did a host of other things that undermine American values, the Constitution, and the rule of law.
From the attacks on Mamdani, to ICE’s inhumane raids, to the serious consequences of the Supreme Court handing victory after victory to Trump, here's your ‘This Week in Democracy – Week 23’:
Saturday, June 21
The Trump administration launched military strikes against Iran, with the president subsequently claiming on Truth Social that “NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!” The operation went ahead without authorization from Congress and without the government taking the time to make a strong case for the need or timing of the escalation.
Just hours later, Trump warned on Truth Social that any retaliation by Iran against the US “WILL BE MET WITH FORCE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT.”
Sunday, June 22
On Truth Social, Trump called for an illegal “Regime Change” in Iran if the current government is “unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN,” despite Vice President JD Vance saying on ‘Meet the Press’ that the US doesn’t want a regime change.
During a press conference, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth admitted the Trump administration did not notify congressional leaders ahead of the military strikes, saying, “They were notified after the planes were safely out.”
Monday, June 23
On Truth Social, Trump renewed his attacks against Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, writing, “GET THIS ‘BUM’ OUT OF OFFICE, ASAP!!!” after the right-wing congressman introduced a War Powers Resolution last week and spoke out against Trump’s military strikes on Iran.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem penned an op-ed in the Washington Post, saying she remains “prepared to revoke Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program [SEVP] certification,” which would prohibit the school from enrolling international students. Noem claimed the school hasn’t complied with “lawful oversight duties” from DHS, has “fostered antisemitic extremism,” and “used taxpayer money to collaborate with an American adversary.” She also attacked the judge who blocked the administration from revoking the school’s SEVP certification, calling her “biased” and accusing her of “taking no time to weigh the merits of the case.”
Meanwhile, the same federal judge blocked another attempt by the Trump administration to prohibit Harvard University from enrolling international students, saying that officials’ “misplaced efforts to control a reputable academic institution” are a threat to freedom of speech.
A provision of the GOP’s tax and spending bill that would have restricted the power of courts to issue injunctions or restraining orders against the federal government was removed by the Senate Parliamentarian after a challenge by Democratic senators, finding it did not comply with the “Byrd rule,” which requires provisions to be directly related to taxes or spending. The provision would have required plaintiffs seeking an injunction to pay a fee equal to “the costs and damages sustained by the federal government” in order to proceed with their case, a move legal experts said would deter people from filing lawsuits.
Trump’s media company, which oversees Truth Social, announced it would buy back $400 million worth of its shares, a move that the Washington Post said is “typically used to boost a company’s stock value.”
Media Matters for America, the non-profit journalism watchdog group, sued the Federal Trade Commission, saying Trump appointees in the FTC retaliated against the organization for reporting about extremist content on Twitter on behalf of its owner Elon Musk.
In a statement to CBS News, Noem said DHS will provide funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to build new immigrant detention facilities in Florida, including a site in the Everglades that’s been nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz.”
A federal judge chastised the Trump administration for failing to comply with a preliminary injunction related to the mass firings of Voice of America employees that required it to provide information to the court about its compliance with statutory obligations for running the news organization and the US Agency for Global Media. The judge asked, “What would be the point of Voice of America if there is no voice?” He also asked the lawyer representing the Trump administration why he shouldn’t launch a contempt trial for violating the injunction.
Trump claimed on Truth Social that the nuclear sites in Iran that were subject to military strikes by the US “were totally destroyed,” and attacked a flurry of reporters and news organizations for airing coverage that didn’t support Trump’s narrative about the attack. Trump was accused of homophobia by calling CNN’s Anderson Cooper “Allison,” and referred to Comcast chairman Brian Roberts as “Dumb.” “It never ends with the sleazebags in the Media, and that’s why their Ratings are at an ALL TIME LOW — ZERO CREDIBILITY!” Trump added.
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to allow the Trump administration to move forward with sending migrants to countries other than their own, temporarily overturning a lower court ruling that prevented the deportations until the migrants can challenge them in court. On Twitter, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin wrote, “Fire up the deportation planes.”
Tuesday, June 24
Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani declared victory in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary after former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo conceded. If elected, Mamdani would be the first Muslim and South Asian mayor of New York City.
The New York Times reported on a whistleblower complaint alleging that senior Justice Department official Emil Bove told his subordinates he would ignore court orders to further Trump’s mass deportation efforts. Bove, who once served as Trump’s criminal defense attorney and played a key role in dismissing corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, was recently nominated by the president to serve as a federal appeals judge. Bove later denied he made the comments, saying during his confirmation hearing, “I have never advised a Department of Justice attorney to violate a court order.”
Speaking to reporters, Trump lashed out at Israel for violating the ceasefire agreement with Iran, saying, “as soon as we made the deal, they came out and they dropped a load of bombs, the likes of which I’ve never seen before … I’m not happy with Israel.” He also said, “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long, and so hard, that they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing.”
The Project on Government Oversight watchdog group reported that Trump’s deputy chief of staff and homeland security adviser, Stephen Miller, owns between $100,000 and $250,000 worth of shares in Palantir, according to his financial disclosure. Palantir, a data and tech company co-founded by Peter Thiel and Alex Karp, was recently awarded $30 million by the Trump administration to develop a surveillance tool for ICE to track undocumented immigrants.
After Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Trump’s unauthorized military strike in Iran is grounds for impeachment, the president attacked her on Truth Social, calling her “one of the ‘dumbest’ people in Congress.” He suggested she should “go back home to Queens … and straight out her filthy, disgusting, crime ridden streets.” Trump also insulted Rep. Ilhan Omar, whom he said “does nothing but complain about our Country,” called Rep. Jasmine Crockett a “seriously Low IQ individual,” and referred to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is Jewish, as “our Great Palestinian Senator.”
A federal appeals court ruled the Trump administration must seek the return of another man deported to El Salvador in violation of a court order “as soon as possible.”
Bloomberg reported that the Trump administration has started hiring new employees at the National Security Council after gutting the council to just a few dozen people last month.
CNN, citing an early US intelligence assessment, reported that the core components of Iran’s nuclear program weren’t destroyed by the US military strikes, despite Trump’s claims that it was “obliterated.” The report also concluded that the strikes likely only set the program back by just a few months. On Twitter, White House Press Secretary called the report “flat-out wrong … but was still leaked to CNN by an anonymous, low-level loser in the intelligence community.” CNN responded, saying the network “stands by our thorough reporting,” and added that the White House “has acknowledged the existence of the assessment.”
Later, Trump baselessly claimed on Truth Social that CNN and the New York Times, which also covered the report, “TEAMED UP IN AN ATTEMPT TO DEMEAN ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MILITARY STRIKES IN HISTORY,” and continued to say Iran’s nuclear sites were “COMPLETELY DESTROYED!”
A coalition of more than 20 states and DC sued the Trump administration over the mass cancellation of federal grants, calling the cuts “an unprecedented and unlawful campaign” that impacts everything from crime prevention and public safety to protecting clean drinking water, addressing food insecurity, and life-saving medical research.
The Trump administration sued every federal judge in Maryland, challenging an order blocking them from immediately deporting any immigrant in the state who is challenging their removal through a habeas petition. The administration is arguing that the pause violates a Supreme Court ruling.
Trump shared fawning texts sent to him by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that were full of praise and flattering phrases. While the language may have been part of a charm offensive before a key NATO meeting, many in Europe were shocked.
A presentation scheduled for Thursday’s meeting of the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices was found to have included a study that doesn’t appear to exist after it was published on the agency’s website. The presentation by Lyn Redwood, a former leader of a anti-vaccine group, claimed that the nonexistent study found that the vaccine preservative thimerosal can have “long-term consequences in the brain.” Later in the week, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy appointed Redwood to a position in the department.
The House voted to table articles of impeachment against Trump in response to his unauthorized military strikes on Iran, with only 79 Democrats supporting the effort by Rep. Al Green.
A federal judge temporarily blocked Trump’s March executive order terminating the collective bargaining rights for over one million federal employees.
The Frontier Post, an independent English-language newspaper in Pakistan, reported that its managing editor, Jalil Afridi, was briefly detained by ICE and had his State Department press credential seized by FBI agents moments after attending a press briefing at the State Department. No charges were filed against Afridi, who has long attended press briefings at the White House, Pentagon, and State Department.
Wednesday, June 25
The Intercept reported that the Trump administration has explored, sought, or struck agreements with 53 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, and Liberia, to hold deported individuals in custody. Many of the countries are dealing with conflict or extremist violence or have been called out by the State Department for human rights abuses.
RFK said the US is pulling funding from global vaccine group Gavi until it has “re-earned the public trust,” accusing the group of silencing “dissenting views” and “legitimate questions” about vaccine safety.
Speaking at the NATO summit in The Hague, Hegseth announced that the Pentagon launched a criminal investigation into the leak of the classified assessment of the military strikes on Iran and claimed that news reports about it are being spun “to make the president look bad when this was an overwhelming success.”
CNN reported that the Trump administration is planning to dismiss the asylum claims of potentially hundreds of thousands of immigrants in an effort to make them immediately deportable.
A federal judge ordered the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia on bail while he awaits trial on criminal charges, but acknowledged that he would likely be taken into ICE custody upon his release and could face a possible second deportation.
On Truth Social, Trump called for the firing of CNN Pentagon correspondent Natasha Bertrand in response to her reporting of the US military strikes in Iran, saying she should be “IMMEDIATELY reprimanded, and then thrown out ‘like a dog.’” He also published a flurry of posts lashing out at CNN and the New York Times, including one calling the former “SO DISGUSTING AND INCOMPETENT” with “SOME OF THE DUMBEST ANCHORS IN THE BUSINESS.”
Trump called for Republican lawmakers to defund Voice of America, calling it a “Democrat ‘mouthpiece,’ and a “TOTAL, LEFTWING DISASTER.”
In response to Mamdani’s primary win in New York City, Trump called him a “100% Communist Lunatic” and said “Democrats have crossed the line” by voting for him.
ProPublica reported that the Trump administration is seeking to deepen the influence of the White House and give new authority to DHS to prosecute drug traffickers and transnational criminal groups in a plan that would reduce the control of federal prosecutors over investigations and shift key decisions to the new Homeland Security Task Forces.
The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights said it determined the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) were in “clear violation of Title IX,” which prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programming and activities that receive federal funding. The violations relate to the state allowing trans student athletes to compete in school sports, which runs afoul of an executive order by Trump. The Trump administration has given the CDE and CIF 10 days to change their policies or “risk imminent enforcement action,” which includes a criminal referral to the DOJ and could also result in a loss of federal funding.
A Honduran mother and her two children, ages 6 and 9, sued the Trump administration, challenging the arrests of children by ICE at courthouses after the three were detained last month following a court hearing where their asylum case was dismissed. The 6-year-old has been diagnosed with leukemia and has missed a medical appointment during his time in ICE custody.
The Wall Street Journal reported that a mediator proposed a $20 million settlement between Trump and Paramount over the 2024 Kamala Harris ‘60 Minutes’ interview, which would include a $17 million donation to Trump’s presidential foundation or museum, along with millions in legal fees and public service announcements on Paramount-owned networks to combat antisemitism.
Rep. LaMonica McIver pleaded not guilty to federal charges accusing her of assaulting and interfering with immigration officers outside a detention facility in New Jersey while conducting an oversight visit. Outside the courthouse, McIver said, “They will not intimidate me. They will not stop me from doing my job.”
Axios reported that the Trump administration is planning to restrict access to classified information for members of Congress after the leak of an intelligence assessment on the military strikes against Iran.
Thursday, June 26
The Supreme Court ruled that Medicaid patients can’t sue to enforce their right to pick a medical provider, clearing the way for states to exclude Planned Parenthood from their Medicaid programs.
Republican lawmakers called for the firing of Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough after she declared that several measures in the GOP’s tax and spending bill couldn’t be passed via the reconciliation process, meaning they would need 60 votes to pass. The provisions include several restrictions on Medicaid, student aid, and other assistance for many immigrants who aren’t US citizens, as well as a block on funding for gender-affirming care through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
Five of the new members on the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to recommend that no one get a flu vaccine containing the preservative thimerosal, despite the CDC saying there is “no evidence of harm” caused by the preservative, which has been used since the 1930s, “except for minor reactions like redness and swelling at the injection site.”
During a press briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt lashed out at CNN Pentagon correspondent Natasha Bertrand, saying she has “been unfortunately used by people who dislike Donald Trump and this government to push fake and false narratives,” and added that Bertrand “should be ashamed of herself.”
Prosecutors told a federal judge that the Trump administration plans to initiate deportation proceedings against Kilmar Abrego Garcia to an unspecified country other than El Salvador after he’s released from a Tennessee jail.
Trump continued his Truth Social tirades against CNN and the New York Times, baselessly claiming there are rumors that the reporters who covered the intelligence assessment on Iran will be fired by the news organizations “because they got it so wrong.” In another post, he called the reporters “BAD PEOPLE WITH EVIL INTENTIONS!!!” Trump also accused the Democrats of leaking the information to the press, saying, “They should be prosecuted!”
The Trump administration expanded its targeting of post-secondary institutions as the Justice Department sent the University of California a letter saying it opened an investigation into the school’s hiring practices.
The Times also responded to a Wednesday letter from Trump’s personal lawyer who threatened to sue the news organization, along with CNN, for its coverage of the intelligence assessment on the military strikes in Iran, saying that “No retraction is needed,” and that “No apology will be forthcoming.”
Politico reported that DHS restored counter-terrorism funding and reimbursement for security at major events to Chicago, Seattle, and San Francisco. The funding had been frozen by the Trump administration in retaliation against local Democrat-led governments.
Bloomberg reported that the dismantling of USAID is expected to cost more than $6 billion, according to a draft assessment by the State Department.
An appeals court ruled that Trump’s former lawyer, Kenneth Chesebro, should be disbarred and lose his license to practice law in New York because of his 2023 conviction in Georgia for his efforts to try to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Chesebro orchestrated a plan to create false pro-Trump slates of electors in Georgia and other states Biden won.
Republican Rep. Andy Ogles sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi asking the Justice Department to initiate denaturalization proceedings against Zohran Mamdani in an effort to deport him. His letter, and matching Twitter post, came after multiple Republicans smeared Mamdani as a “jihadist” and tried to link him to 9/11.
Friday, June 27
California Governor Gavin Newsom sued Fox for over $787 million, accusing the network of defamation after host Jesse Watters claimed on his show that Newsom lied about his conversation with Trump.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s lawyers asked a federal judge for an emergency order to keep him in custody out of fear that the Trump administration will abruptly deport him upon his release.
The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration is planning to resettle 1,000 Afrikaners to the US by the end of September, while also trying to bar entry for refugees from countries that fall under the president’s travel ban.
On Truth Social, Trump lashed out at Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying, “I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH,” after the ayatollah said his country had delivered a “slap to America’s face” by striking a US air base in Qatar.
In the birthright citizenship case, the Supreme Court issued a ruling limiting the ability of lower courts to issue nationwide injunctions in response to Trump’s executive orders. The ruling, however, “left untouched the potential for plaintiffs to seek wider relief through class action lawsuits, but that legal mechanism is often harder to successfully mount,” per Reuters. The justices did not rule on the constitutionality of Trump’s effort to end birthright citizenship, and stopped his order from taking effect for 30 days.
Shortly after the Supreme Court issued that decision, an organization representing immigrants fighting the birthright citizenship executive order amended its lawsuit into a class action case as a way to allow an emergency block on the policy.
During a press conference, Trump claimed the Supreme Court ruling will allow his administration to move forward with a number of executive orders that have been subject to nationwide injunctions, including the termination of federal funds for sanctuary cities, the suspension of refugee resettlement, and banning public funding for gender-affirming care.
Trump also took a question from Cara Castronuova, who asked if he would consider appointing an investigator at the Justice Department to probe judges who “allowed for the political persecution” of him. Castronuova is a White House reporter for LindellTV, a media network created by MyPillow CEO and Trump ally Mike Lindell, who helped push conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election.
People in Minnesota lined up outside its State Capitol to pay respects to State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark. Both were fatally shot in their home earlier this month in an allegedly political motivated crime by a conservative man.
The Supreme Court also issued a ruling to allow parents to opt their children out of public school lessons that include storybooks with LGBTQ characters or themes. In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the decision “threatens the very essence of public education,” and that “the reverberations of the Court’s error will be felt, I fear, for generations.”
The New York Times reported that James E. Ryan, the president of the University of Virginia, said he will resign from his position due to pressure from the Trump administration for the school to fire him in an effort to resolve a DOJ investigation into DEI practices at the university.
Noem announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status for over 500,000 Haitians, taking effect on Sept. 2.
Environmental groups filed a lawsuit to block the immigration detention center dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” from being built on an airstrip in the Florida Everglades until it undergoes an environmental review.
Trump announced on Truth Social that his administration is terminating all trade negotiations with Canada due to an incoming digital services tax being placed on US technology companies.
Did you miss previous weeks? Catch up here.
Subscribe to Zeteo to make sure you get ‘This Week in Democracy’ in your inbox every week.
If you are already a Zeteo subscriber but would like to increase your support for our accountability journalism in this era of Trump and authoritarianism, please do consider a donation, too.
Gillibrand has once again shown her social truth color. She led the parade to oust Al Franken from the Senate. She’s attempting to sabotage once again. Obviously she can’t stand new, fresh and MUCH needed new younger (& bit older) voices to the Democrat Party. With the state of quisling Cheeto Chump’s fascism infecting our country, folks like her are assisting the repugnant invertebrates.
Really, reading this week’s list of arbitrary, ill-thought commands and tirades from an assortment of badly-trained government “officials” leaves me with the impression that no one at all is running the federal government now. I suppose that is the goal.