This Week in Democracy – Week 38: Bombing Boats, Deploying Troops, Targeting Democrats
Another week of Zeteo's project to document the ongoing growth of authoritarianism in Trump's second term.
Donald Trump lost. After months of bragging about his so-called peace efforts and practically begging (or pressuring?) countries to nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize, he was passed over by the Norwegian award committee.
Perhaps the committee knew exactly what we did: He hasn’t ended seven wars like he declared at the UN last month, and while the ceasefire in Gaza is the best news this year, it’s just that – a ceasefire. Much of the Trump so-called “peace plan” still needs to be worked out, and Israel is notorious for breaking truces (that’s not to mention Israel still must be held accountable for its genocidal war). Meanwhile, the Trump administration is turning American troops on its own citizens and blowing up alleged drug boats in international waters, claiming those killed in the strikes are enemy combatants and deserve to be summarily executed.
Watching MAGA go crazy over Trump’s big loss has been entertaining, but we also couldn’t take our eyes off all the other things Trump and his allies did this week that harm democracy, undermine the Constitution, and hurt free societies.
From the indictment of yet another Trump political enemy, to calls for Illinois Democratic leaders to be jailed, to attacks on Democrats asking about the Epstein files, here’s ‘This Week in Democracy – Week 38’:
Saturday, October 4
On Truth Social, Trump once again called for the removal of New York Attorney General Letitia James, whom he called “SCUM” and a “Complete and Total Disaster.” He also baselessly accused James of “costing New York State Hundreds of Billions of Dollars in lost business.”
Federal Judge Karin Immergut temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deploying National Guard troops to Oregon, writing that the president and his officials “have made a range of arguments that, if accepted, risk blurring the line between civil and military federal power—to the detriment of this nation.” In response, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller tweeted that the decision amounted to “legal insurrection” and claimed that the refusal of Portland and Oregon law enforcement to cooperate with ICE officials is “an organized terrorist attack on the federal government and its officers.”
Trump authorized the deployment of 300 Illinois National Guard troops to Chicago. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker called the move unnecessary and a “manufactured performance—not a serious effort to protect public safety.”
Sunday, October 5
Judge Immergut broadened her order to block the Trump administration from sending National Guard troops from any state or DC to Oregon, and told Justice Department lawyers that Trump’s effort to do so was “in direct contravention” of her decision. The ruling came after Trump tried to send hundreds of California National Guard troops to Oregon, and another 400 members of the Texas National Guard to cities including Portland and Chicago.
On Truth Social, Trump attacked Rev. Al Sharpton, a civil rights activist and MSNBC host, claimed Comcast chair Brian Roberts is “afraid” to cancel his show because it wouldn’t be “Politically Correct,” and once again called on the Federal Communications Commission to “look into” NBC’s broadcasting license.
Monday, October 6
The Supreme Court rejected an appeal of Ghislaine Maxwell’s criminal conviction, meaning the longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein’s only chance of an early release from a 20-year prison sentence would likely be receiving clemency from Trump. Later, Trump didn’t rule out a pardon for Maxwell, telling reporters, “I’d have to take a look at it” and added that he would “speak to the DOJ.”
Illinois sued the Trump administration to block the deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago, arguing the move is illegal and violates the Constitution. The filing notes, “The American people, regardless of where they reside, should not live under the threat of occupation by the United States military, particularly not simply because their city or state leadership has fallen out of a president’s favor.”
Meanwhile, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order to prohibit federal immigration agents from using any city-owned property as part of their ongoing operations. In a statement, Johnson said, “We will not tolerate ICE agents violating our residents’ constitutional rights nor will we allow the federal government to disregard our local authority.”
A coalition of Chicago journalists, non-profit organizations, and unions sued the Trump administration, arguing that federal agents have engaged in a “pattern of extreme brutality” at local protests to “intimidate and silence the press and civilians.” The filing notes, “Never in modern times has the federal government undermined bedrock constitutional protections on this scale or usurped states’ police power by directing federal agents to carry out an illegal mission against the people for the government’s own benefit.”
ABC News reported that in August, former special counsel John Durham told federal prosecutors investigating former FBI Director James Comey that he found no evidence to support charges of false statements or obstruction after spending nearly four years examining the origins of the FBI’s investigation into Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and its alleged connections to Russia.
Non-profit organization Democracy Forward sued the FBI and the Justice Department after the agencies failed to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request for the release of a key recording from 2024 that reportedly captured border czar Tom Homan accepting a $50,000 cash bribe from undercover agents posing as business executives in exchange for government contracts if Trump returned to the White House.
The Trump administration sent 10 migrants to the African nation of Eswatini, bringing the total number of migrants deported to Africa to more than 40 since July.
The CDC released a new immunization schedule that removed a universal COVID-19 vaccine recommendation. It is also recommended that toddlers receive the chickenpox vaccine separately from the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, changes that Trump had recently called for despite the lack of any scientific evidence that the combined shot is unsafe.
MSNBC reported that a top prosecutor in Virginia told colleagues she sees no probable cause to believe New York Attorney General Letitia James engaged in mortgage fraud and is planning to decline seeking charges against her.
Reuters reported that Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, broke standard ethics procedures by making criminal referrals to the Justice Department against targets, including Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, a move that is typically done by an agency’s inspector general’s office.
CNN reported that the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel’s classified memo justifying the Trump administration’s lethal strikes against suspected drug trafficking boats argues that the president has the power to designate drug traffickers as enemy combatants and have them summarily killed without legal review. One former associate general counsel at the Defense Department noted that if the opinion is as broad as it seems, “it would mean the DOJ has interpreted the president to have such extraordinary powers that he alone can decide to prosecute a war far broader than what Congress authorized after the attacks on 9/11.”
Trump told reporters he would consider invoking the Insurrection Act to deploy the military to US cities, saying, “If I had to enact it, I’d do it, if people were being killed and courts were holding us up, or governors or mayors were holding us up.”
The New York Times reported that Trump ordered Richard Grenell, a special presidential envoy, to stop all diplomatic outreach with Venezuela, including with President Nicolás Maduro. The move comes as the Trump administration has drafted multiple military plans for an escalation with Venezuela, with operations possibly including plans designed to force Maduro from power.
The Times also reported that the deputy director of the CIA abruptly demoted the agency’s acting general counsel and installed himself in the role while also retaining his current position, a move that a New York City professor of legal ethics called “rather bizarre.”
MSNBC reported that a coalition of 282 former Justice Department officials, including former prosecutors, FBI agents, immigration judges, and civil rights attorneys, signed an open letter to “sound the alarm about this administration’s degradation of DoJ’s vital work, and its assault on the public servants who do it.”
Tuesday, October 7
The Washington Post reported that while the Trump administration is keeping most ICE offices open during the government shutdown, employees have been furloughed at its Office of Detention Oversight, which is responsible for conducting inspections at detention facilities to ensure they meet federal standards.
The news site Government Executive reported that the Office of Management and Budget quietly revised a guidance document last week to remove references to a law passed during Trump’s first term, guaranteeing all federal workers back pay following a government shutdown.
Speaking to reporters alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trump suggested that not all furloughed federal employees should receive back pay following the government shutdown. He noted, “It depends on who we’re talking about,” and added, “We’re going to take care of our people. There are some people that really don’t deserve to be taken care of, and we’ll take care of them in a different way.”
Trump once again suggested he would invoke the Insurrection Act, saying, “It’s been invoked before,” and adding, “Chicago is a great city where there’s a lot of crime, and if the governor can’t do the job, we’ll do the job.” The last time the Insurrection Act was invoked was more than three decades ago, and it hasn’t been used against a state’s wishes since the 1960s Civil Rights Movement.
On Truth Social, Trump called for the jailing of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, accusing them of “failing to protect” ICE officers. In response, Pritzker called Trump “unhinged,” “insecure,” and a “wannabe dictator,” adding, “If you come for my people, you come through me. So come and get me.”
While testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Attorney General Pam Bondi refused to say who ordered that records in the Epstein files containing Trump’s name be flagged, or whether the FBI has incriminating photographs of Trump with half-naked young women. She claimed an Epstein client list doesn’t exist despite saying publicly back in February that it was “sitting on my desk right now.” Bondi also said she didn’t know whether a recording of border czar Tom Homan taking a $50,000 bribe from undercover federal agents exists and refused to say whether Homan kept the cash. She also wouldn’t answer a question about whether she was directed by the White House to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey.
Politico reported that the Trump administration is considering selling off parts of the government’s $1.6 trillion student loan debt to the private market, which is owed by about 45 million people.
Zeteo’s Asawin Suebsaeng and Andrew Perez reported that while Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are expanding their crackdown on press leaks from the Pentagon, multiple government sources say that leakers are “practicing beating polygraphs” and planting additional disclosures to retaliate against pressure.
Wednesday, October 8
NBC News reported that the FBI fired at least two special agents who worked in connection with former special counsel Jack Smith’s investigations into Trump, one of whom was months away from becoming eligible for retirement.
NBC News also reported that Trump administration officials have engaged in increasingly serious discussions about the president invoking the Insurrection Act, though a decision to do so wasn’t expected to happen imminently.
A federal judge ruled that the Pentagon must provide information about Elon Musk’s security clearances to the New York Times, writing that Musk reduced his privacy interest by posting on X about issues that would factor into security clearance decisions, including his drug use and contacts with foreign leaders.
The Pentagon Press Association (PPA) released a statement saying new restrictions by the Defense Department for reporters “appear designed to stifle a free press and potentially expose us to prosecution for simply doing our jobs.” It added that the restrictions convey “an unprecedented message of intimidation” to everyone within the department. The PPA noted that the new policy could result in reporters losing their credentials “by seeking information that hasn’t been pre-approved for formal release, even when the information is entirely classified.”
The Washington Post reported that nearly one out of every four FBI agents has been reassigned from their duties to work on immigration enforcement, which includes upward of 40% of the country’s largest field offices staff, according to FBI data obtained by Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.).
The Post also reported that the Pentagon has investigated nearly 300 Defense Department employees, including service members, civilian workers, and contractors, over their online comments critical of Charlie Kirk following his killing.
Trump held an “antifa” roundtable with right-wing commentators, including “Pizzagate” conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec. Talking about his effort to criminalize flag burning, a move protected by the First Amendment through the Supreme Court, Trump said, “We took freedom of speech away.” Attorney General Pam Bondi noted that, “just like we did with cartels, we’re going to take the same approach with antifa.” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem compared “antifa,” which has no organized structure or leadership, to Tren de Aragua, MS-13, Hamas, and ISIS, saying they are “just as sophisticated” and “dangerous” as other “terrorist” organizations, and that “they have an agenda to destroy us.”
ABC News reported that federal prosecutors investigating former FBI Director James Comey determined that a central witness would prove “problematic” and could unravel their case in front of a jury, and would result in “likely insurmountable problems” for the prosecution. Prosecutors allege the witness, law professor Daniel Richman, was authorized by Comey to leak information to the press, but Richman told investigators that Comey directly instructed him at least twice not to engage with the media and said he was never authorized to provide anonymous information to a reporter.
Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty to criminal charges of false statements and obstructing a congressional proceeding. During his arraignment, Comey’s lawyer said that the defense team intended to file two motions to dismiss the case. One motion centers on a claim that the charges against Comey amounted to “vindictive prosecution” and “selective, retaliatory prosecution” at Trump’s direction to “silence” the former FBI director. The other motion will argue that US Attorney Lindsey Halligan’s appointment was unlawful.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump’s September post on Truth Social demanding Attorney General Pam Bondi prosecute Comey and his other political enemies was meant to be a private message and that the president was surprised to learn it was public.
On Truth Social, Trump said Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of his so-called “peace plan,” which he says would include the release of all remaining hostages and Israel’s military withdrawal “to an agreed upon line.”
Bloomberg reported that the DHS reassigned hundreds of national security specialists, including cyber personnel, to work on efforts related to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Employees who refuse their mandatory reassignment could lose their jobs.
The White House posted a video on its Twitter account that it implied showed ICE agents making arrests in Chicago, writing, “Chicago doesn’t need political spin—it needs HELP,” but the Daily Beast later reported that much of the footage used in the video was actually filmed in the Republican state of Florida last spring.
A federal appeals court paused an order prohibiting Trump from federalizing 200 members of the Oregon National Guard, but left in place a second order barring them from being deployed to Portland.
Politico reported that Vice President JD Vance would visit Indiana to mount a “hard push” for Republican Gov. Mike Braun to move forward with a mid-decade redistricting of its congressional map after top state Republican officials warned the White House that efforts to do so were on the verge of stalling.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro claimed on Twitter that an alleged drug boat struck in the Caribbean by the US military last week was carrying Colombian citizens. The White House called the allegation “baseless and reprehensible.”
Thursday, October 9
On Truth Social, Trump thanked the FBI agents he claims were “forced” by then-director Christopher Wray to respond to the Jan. 6 insurrection and “risked their careers to blow the whistle about the Political Bias and Abuses they witnessed.”
During a Cabinet meeting, Trump continued to push debunked claims about a link between vaccines and autism, saying the disorder is “something that is artificially induced,” and ludicrously claiming that babies receive vaccines twice the size of a glass of water. Meanwhile, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy admitted that his department is conducting studies to “make the proof” of a connection between Tylenol use and autism.
Trump said his administration will be “cutting some very popular Democrat programs that aren’t popular with Republicans,” and claimed that Democratic lawmakers wanted to shut down the government, “so we will give them a little taste of their own medicine.” Trump didn’t specify what programs would be cut.
Trump refused to directly answer a question from a reporter about whether he would promise Palestinians that they could remain in Gaza, saying, “They know exactly what we’re doing” and adding, “You can’t live right now in Gaza.”
Reuters reported that the Trump administration is planning a multi-agency effort to investigate the finances and activities of liberal groups and non-profit organizations with White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller playing a key role in the crackdown.
Politico reported that Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel, Paul Ingrassia, was investigated for allegedly sexually harassing a lower-ranking female colleague in July while serving as the White House liaison for the Department of Homeland Security. The woman later withdrew her complaint against Ingrassia, who denied wrongdoing, out of fear of retaliation.
Politico also reported that the IRS walked back its guidance promising back pay for employees just one day after nearly half of the agency’s staffers were furloughed.
A federal judge issued a 14-day order prohibiting federal agents from using physical force or arresting journalists in Chicago without probable cause. The order also restricts agents from using riot control weapons unless it is “necessary to stop an immediate and serious threat of physical harm to a person,” as well as limiting their ability to fire weapons like gas canisters and compressed air launches.
The CDC announced that vaccine advisers, under the direction of RFK Jr.-appointed officials, will review the safety and efficacy of the childhood immunization schedule, including the timing and order of vaccines, as part of a “multi-year effort” to inform future recommendations.
New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted and charged with bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution in a case brought by the same top prosecutor leading the case against James Comey. In a statement, James said the charges were “baseless” and called the indictment “nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system.” James’s indictment follows months of pressure from Trump, who was found liable for business fraud in 2023 in a case James brought against him.
AP reported that the US is sending approximately 200 troops to Israel to help support and monitor the Gaza ceasefire deal, along with partner nations, nongovernmental organizations, and others from the private sector.
A second federal judge blocked the Trump administration from sending National Guard troops to a major city, saying from the bench that a deployment to Chicago “is likely to lead to civil unrest.”
Dominion Voting Systems, the ballot machine company Trump and his allies falsely claimed had manipulated the 2020 election results, announced it had been sold to Liberty Voting, a Missouri-based firm run by a former Republican election official. The new company’s CEO said he will push for paper ballots. As part of the purchase, officials at Liberty Voting asked Dominion to settle several defamation lawsuits against Trump allies who challenged the results of the 2020 presidential election, including Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell.
Friday, October 10
The Intercept reported that the Trump administration appears to be ignoring official guidance directing ICE to avoid detaining pregnant, postpartum, and lactating women, except when legally required or under exceptional circumstances. Evidence suggests that the DHS is detaining pregnant women at alarming rates amid worsening conditions in detention centers.
ABC News reported that DHS informed lawyers for Kilmar Abrego Garcia that a recent notice of removal to Ghana was “premature.” Meanwhile, Ghana’s foreign minister said the country wouldn’t accept Abrego Garcia, adding that “this has been directly and unambiguously conveyed to US authorities.”
On Twitter, Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought announced that mass firings of the federal workforce have begun, though it’s unclear which agencies or employees have received “Reduction in Force” notices.
MIT rejected the Trump administration’s agreement that would provide the school with favorable treatment for federal funds if it agreed to protect conservative voices, among other changes to its policies that reflect the president’s higher education agenda. In a letter, MIT’s president wrote, “Fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.”
CNN reported that Trump’s handpicked US attorney, Lindsey Halligan, didn’t coordinate with Attorney General Pam Bondi or other Justice Department leaders before securing Letitia James’s indictment, or inform them about timing before she presented the case to a grand jury.
The White House lashed out after the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the prize to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado over Trump, with White House Communications Director Steven Cheung tweeting that the committee “proved they place politics over peace.”
MSNBC reported that criminal charges could be filed against Trump’s former national security adviser, John Bolton, as soon as next week in relation to an investigation probing whether he improperly kept classified national security information in his home.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that a new Qatari air force facility will be built in Idaho, calling the move “just another example of our partnership.”
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Hi Mehdi: I cannot express in language how deeply I appreciate these weekly newsletters. Your coverage of the daily lies, criminality, and stupidity of this administration (and our Marmalade Mussolini) is remarkable. Democracy is NOT a spectator sport. We all need to step up to the plate and do whatever we can do - NOW. Thank you for inspiring me week after week. Donald
Good for MIT: "In a letter, MIT’s president wrote, 'Fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.'” I'm wondering if MIT has grounds (First Amendment?) to challenge loss of federal funds, and whether they would choose to do so.