This Week in Democracy – Week 42: Trump Pardons Crooks, Ignores Courts, and Threatens War
Another week of Zeteo's project to document the ongoing growth of authoritarianism in Trump's second term.
This week, millions of Americans chose democracy.
Zohran Mamdani won in New York City, Mississippi Democrats broke Republicans’ 13-year supermajority in the state Senate, and Democrats in New Jersey and Virginia won governor races by huge margins.
Of course, it isn’t 2026, or 2028. Elections weren’t held in every state. But Tuesday’s results showed Trump and his cronies that even as they chip away at the Constitution, even as they attack free speech, immigrants, and blue cities, the American people still have the power of the vote.
And it wasn’t just the elections that had Trump and his allies sulking. Even the Supreme Court – the same court that has handed him win after win – appeared unconvinced by the legality of Trump’s tariff policy. Needless to say, it was a very, very rough week for the president.
That, unfortunately, didn’t stop him and his allies from their harmful ways. From Trump threatening military action in Nigeria to his administration taking its battle to withhold food benefits from low-income Americans to the Supreme Court to the president pardoning corrupt former officials, here’s ‘This Week in Democracy – Week 42’:
Saturday, November 1
On Truth Social, Trump directed the Defense Department to “prepare for possible action” in Nigeria “to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists” allegedly killing Christians, an accusation the country denies. He also threatened to cut off all aid and assistance to Nigeria.
Also on Truth Social, Trump continued to pressure Republican lawmakers to get rid of the filibuster to end the federal government shutdown, telling them not to be “WEAK AND STUPID,” and claimed the move is about “the survival of our Country!”
On Twitter, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that, at Trump’s direction, the Defense Department carried out another strike on a boat in the Caribbean, killing three people.
Sunday, November 2
During an interview on ‘60 Minutes,’ Trump said he would send the Army or the Marines into US cities “in a heartbeat,” and claimed no judge could challenge his invocation of the Insurrection Act if he did so.
When asked about his pardon for Changpeng Zhao, the founder of crypto exchange Binance, Trump admitted he didn’t know who Zhao was.
He was also asked about whether ICE raids, which have involved tackling a young mother, using teargas, and smashing car windows, have gone too far, to which Trump responded, “I think they haven’t gone far enough.”
A federal judge extended an order blocking the Trump administration from deploying National Guard troops to Portland, writing that she found “no credible evidence” in the two months leading up to Trump’s federalization order that “protests grew out of control or involved more than isolated and sporadic instances of violent conduct that resulted in no serious injuries to federal personnel.”
The head of the Food and Drug Administration’s drug center, who was appointed in July by agency commissioner Marty Makary, resigned following an investigation by federal officials regarding “serious concerns about his personal conduct.” His resignation comes two days after he was placed on leave.
Monday, November 3
NBC News reported that the Trump administration is planning a new mission to send US troops and intelligence officers to Mexico in an effort to target drug cartels.
Two lawsuits were filed against the Trump administration over its new Education Department rule restricting which employers will qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, a move critics warn could target organizations that work with immigrants, trans youth, and opponents of Trump’s agenda.
The Trump administration agreed to use contingency funds to distribute partial payments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, but refused to use other funding sources to make full payments for the month of November. Saturday’s lapse of SNAP funding marked the first time in the 61-year history of the program that it has run out of money.
Non-profit organization Public Citizen published a report that found that two-thirds of the 24 known corporate donors to Trump’s White House ballroom have received a total of $279 billion in government contracts over the past five years. Additionally, 14 of them are either facing federal enforcement actions or have had them suspended by the Trump administration. The corporate and billionaire donors have also spent $1.6 billion on lobbying and campaign contributions over the last five years.
The Washington Post reported that far-right conspiracy theorist, Islamophobe, and Trump ally Laura Loomer received credentials to cover the Defense Department, joining the new cohort made up of right-wing outlets and reporters who signed on to a new restrictive press policy that was largely rejected by major media organizations.
On Truth Social, Trump endorsed Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayoral election, saying, “Whether you personally like [him] or not, you really have no choice.” He once again threatened to withhold federal funds “other than the very minimum as required” to the city if Zohran Mamdani is elected, whom he called a “Communist” multiple times.
CNN reported that Trump’s Truth Social post threatening military action in Nigeria was published less than one hour after he watched a Fox segment about how Christians were being targeted by Islamic groups in the country.
Tuesday, November 4
Zohran Kwame Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, was elected as New York City’s 111th mayor. Mamdani is the city’s youngest mayor in more than a century, and its first Muslim mayor, first South Asian mayor, and first mayor born in Africa. Mamdani received more than one million votes, with 78% of voters under 30 casting their ballot for him, according to AP.
Meanwhile, in Maine, voters rejected a conservative ballot measure that included adding a voting ID requirement and eliminating two days of absentee voting. Zeteo previously reported that the measure was bankrolled by conservative operative Leonard Leo.
In California, voters approved Proposition 50, which allows for a new congressional map in the state that could net Democrats up to five additional seats in the House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections, a move headed by Governor Gavin Newsom as an effort to push back against Republican redistricting efforts. Trump had baselessly claimed while ballots were still being cast that the vote was “RIGGED,” and added that all mail-in ballots were “under very serious legal and criminal review.”
Centrist Democrats Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill handily won their gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey. Virginia also elected Ghazala Hashmi as lieutenant governor, making her the first Muslim woman to be elected to statewide office in the US. Democrats in Mississippi also won two special elections for the State Senate, breaking the Republican supermajority.
Responding to the Democratic victories on Truth Social, Trump claimed that the two reasons Republicans lost the elections were because “TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT” and the government shutdown. In another post, he once again called on Republican lawmakers to pass “voter reform,” including mandating voter identification and banning mail-in ballots.
Former Fox host Kimberly Guilfoyle, who was once engaged to Donald Trump Jr., officially took office as the first woman to serve as the US ambassador to Greece.
A federal judge weighing whether Lindsey Halligan’s appointment by Trump as the interim US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia said the Justice Department failed to comply with an order to provide the “complete grand jury transcripts” in former FBI Director James Comey’s case, noting that the transcripts she received didn’t include any of Halligan’s presentation or remarks.
During a press briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt refused to answer a question about why Trump got an MRI last month, saying, “I’ll check back on that.” She also wouldn’t guarantee that the Trump administration would provide backpay to all federal workers furloughed during the government shutdown, saying, “This is something we are very much open to discussing.”
A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from withholding billions of dollars in transportation funding to states that refuse to cooperate with immigration enforcement. In his ruling, the judge said the Transportation Department and Secretary Sean Duffy “blatantly overstepped” their authority in putting the conditions on funding, and added, “The Constitution demands the Court set aside this lawless behavior.”
After at least two FBI agents who had worked on investigations into Trump were told on Monday that they had been fired, only to be informed hours later that their terminations were either put on hold or reversed, they were re-fired along with two other agency employees. In response, the FBI Agents Association issued a statement slamming Director Kash Patel’s “campaign of erratic and arbitrary retribution,” adding, “When leadership abandons due process, it doesn’t just erode trust–it makes the American public less safe.”
On Truth Social, Trump said that any Jewish person who votes for Mamdani to be mayor of New York City “is a stupid person!!!”
Also on Truth Social, Trump said that SNAP benefits “will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government … and not before!” despite a court order requiring the administration to issue payments.
Justice Department lawyers urged a federal judge not to restore the student-visitor (SEVIS) record of Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish national who had been studying at Tufts University before being arrested by masked immigration agents in March over an op-ed she wrote calling for the school to disclose its investments and divest from companies with ties to Israel. Restoring Öztürk’s record, a decision the Trump administration declined to make, would allow her to keep studying in the US.
On Twitter, Hegseth announced that, at Trump’s direction, the department conducted another strike on a boat in the Eastern Pacific, killing two men.
Transportation Secretary Duffy warned that his department may be forced to shut down some airspace next week due to the ongoing government shutdown, saying, “We just cannot manage it because we don’t have the air traffic controllers.”
A federal judge ordered the White House to restore a Biden-era policy mandating American Sign Language interpretation at all press briefings held by Trump or press secretary Karoline Leavitt, ruling that eliminating the interpretation unlawfully excludes deaf Americans and that closed captions and transcripts are inadequate alternatives.
Trump re-nominated Jared Isaacman to serve as the NASA administrator, after initially withdrawing his nomination in May. The New York Times reported at the time that Isaacman came under fire with Trump associates due to his history of donating to Democratic campaigns. Isaacman later suggested his nomination was rescinded because of his ties to Elon Musk.
Soumaya Hamdi, the wife of British Muslim journalist Sami Hamdi, wrote an op-ed in USA Today about her husband’s abduction by ICE last month, saying it’s “not merely an immigration issue; it is about silencing political dissent to create a chilling effect.” She noted that no charges have been filed against Sami, who was in the US legally on a speaking tour, and the US has not provided any official reason for his detention.
ICE posted a notice on a government contracting site outlining its plans to establish a “National Call Center” in Nashville to track unaccompanied migrant children for potential removal, with officials claiming there is an “immediate need” to open the call center, which they expect to receive and process “6,000 to 7,000 calls per day.”
Wednesday, November 5
The ongoing government shutdown entered its 36th day, becoming the longest in US history. The previous record was set during Trump’s first term.
The Department of Homeland Security announced it would revoke the temporary protected status of thousands of people from South Sudan, some of whom came to the US as early as 2011 when the country gained independence from Sudan, meaning they will have 60 days to leave the US or face deportation.
Republicans in California filed a lawsuit to block the state’s newly approved congressional maps, arguing that they violate the Constitution because they are “based on race, specifically to favor Hispanic voters, without cause or evidence to justify it.” On Twitter, Governor Gavin Newsom’s press office responded to the lawsuit, saying that while they haven’t reviewed it, “it’s going to fail,” adding, “Good luck, losers.”
A federal judge scolded prosecutors in former FBI Director James Comey’s criminal case, calling the Justice Department’s handling of the investigation “highly unusual” and describing the case as “indict first and investigate second.” The judge also ordered prosecutors to turn over potential evidence by the end of Thursday.
On Twitter, the Department of Homeland Security responded to Soumaya Hamdi’s USA Today op-ed, accusing British Muslim journalist Sami Hamdi, without evidence, of “support[ing] terrorism and actively undermin[ing] the safety of Americans,” and warning that foreign nationals can’t “hide behind the First Amendment.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the Federal Aviation Administration will begin reducing flights at 40 airports across the country by 10% starting Friday if no deal is reached to end the government shutdown, a move that could potentially impact thousands of flights.
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to improve conditions at a Chicago-area ICE detention facility. The order requires ICE to provide individuals detained at the facility with clean bedding, hygiene products, showers, clean toilets, three meals per day, access to phone calls, and more.
The Agriculture Department sent a memo to state agencies informing them that it will provide SNAP recipients with 65% of their monthly benefits, an increase from the initial plan of 50%.
During a classified briefing, Trump administration officials told lawmakers that the US doesn’t have a legal justification to support attacks against any land targets in Venezuela, and isn’t currently planning to launch strikes inside the country.
In an interview with Politico, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon encouraged the Department of Homeland Security, the State Department, and the Justice Department to investigate Mamdani, saying he’s “convinced” that the mayor-elect “did not get citizenship in a fair and honest way.” He also suggested the DOJ should seek a temporary restraining order to block Prop 50 in California, “and drag it out for a year” to prevent the new congressional maps from taking effect.
Thursday, November 6
A federal appeals court ordered a lower court to consider moving Trump’s criminal hush money conviction to a federal court based on the Supreme Court’s ruling related to presidential immunity. Trump was convicted in May 2024, and the Supreme Court’s ruling was issued that July.
MSNBC reported that the Justice Department is planning to issue multiple grand jury subpoenas as part of an investigation into former CIA Director John Brennan in relation to the CIA and FBI’s probes into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
A federal judge issued a ruling temporarily limiting the use of force by federal agents in Chicago, noting that they have used tear gas and pepper spray in ways that amounted to excessive force that “shocks the conscience.” She added that senior US Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino “admitted that he lied” about being struck on the head by a rock before he deployed tear gas and that the Justice Department’s defense for their actions was “simply not credible.” The order also requires officers to wear body cameras.
The Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration can terminate a policy allowing people to self-identify their gender on passports, while a legal challenge to the move continues. In her dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote, “The Government seeks to enforce a questionably new legal policy immediately, but it offers no evidence that it will suffer any harm if it is temporarily enjoined from doing so, while the plaintiffs will be subject to imminent, concrete injury if the policy goes into effect.”
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to issue full SNAP benefit payments by Friday, saying, “People have gone without for too long, not making payments to them for even another day is simply unacceptable” and adding, “Children are immediately at risk of going hungry. This should never happen in America.” He also referenced Trump’s Truth Social post from Tuesday that said SNAP payments would only be made when the government reopens, which the judge called an “intent to defy” last week’s court order.
Responding to the SNAP ruling, Vice President JD Vance called it “absurd,” and added, “We can’t have a federal court telling the president how he has to triage the situation.” Vance also noted that the Trump administration isn’t making efforts to keep making SNAP payments “under the orders of a federal judge,” but “according to what we think we have to do to comply with the law.” Trump also slammed the program, baselessly saying “Biden went totally crazy” and approved SNAP benefits “to anybody that would ask.”
During a press conference announcing lower costs for weight-loss drugs, Trump publicly pressured the CEO of Novo Nordisk to give the government a stake in an obesity biotech company it’s trying to acquire, saying, “Maybe you should give us a piece of the company like I’ve been asking for.”
The New York Times reported that the Justice Department opened a corruption investigation into DC Mayor Muriel Bowser related to a 2023 trip she and four staff members took to Dubai for a United Nations conference on climate change that was paid for by Qatar. The FBI agent leading the investigation was fired earlier this week for their role in a criminal investigation into Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. In a statement, the mayor’s office noted it wasn’t aware of any investigation but that “this was a business trip” and “all proper paperwork for this standard donation is on file.”
The Republican-controlled Senate voted against a measure that would require Congress to approve any military action by the Trump administration against Venezuela.
Hours later, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Twitter that his department conducted yet another strike in the Caribbean that killed three men.
Trump pardoned former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his former chief of staff, who were convicted on federal corruption charges for creating a consulting firm they used to allegedly funnel money to themselves. Casada had been sentenced to three years in prison in September, with his aide receiving a shorter sentence. In a statement, the White House told NBC News that the Justice Department under Biden “over-prosecuted” the two, and noted that the men were subjected to “an armed raid” and a “perp walk.”
A coalition of unions sued the Trump administration over its loyalty tests that have been added to job applications for federal civil service positions that include questions about how applicants would help advance Trump’s executive orders and policy priorities. The unions argue the questions create “an illegal and unconstitutional system of political patronage.”
The Trump administration introduced new guidelines for the State Department to deny visas to immigrants with conditions, including diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease, a move legal experts warn would give untrained immigration officers the authority to speculate on an applicant’s future medical costs and ability to maintain employment.
Friday, November 7
Forbes reported that Coast Guard-run stores have begun stocking their shelves with Trump-branded wine and cider. A spokesperson for the government watchdog organization Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington noted that while the sales “probably” aren’t a legal issue, “there is an optics and ethics issue” since they’re being sold at a government facility.
The Trump administration almost immediately appealed to the Supreme Court after a federal appeals court denied its bid to pause a lower court’s order requiring SNAP benefits to be paid to recipients in full.
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, a Biden appointee, issued a temporary emergency order pausing the lower court’s ruling on the SNAP benefits while an appeals court weighs the legal arguments of the case. As experts have noted, Jackson’s order gave relatively more detail than other such orders, including saying she expected a decision from the appeals court quickly.
The Trump administration reached a deal with Cornell University to restore more than $250 million in federal funding and terminate all civil rights and other investigations into the school. As part of the agreement, Cornell will pay the federal government $30 million over three years and invest another $30 million in “research programs that will directly benefit US farmers.” The deal also requires the school to provide the Trump administration with “anonymized undergraduate admissions data,” which will be “subjected to a comprehensive audit” by the federal government.
Trump told reporters that if Republicans get rid of the filibuster, “it would be impossible to lose an election.”
Trump pardoned a retired New York police officer who was sentenced to 18 months in prison in April after being convicted of acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government for his role in a plot that prosecutors alleged was intended to coerce a Chinese couple in New Jersey to return to China to face corruption charges. The man had attended Trump’s inauguration in January while awaiting sentencing, and had support from Trump allies, including Roger Stone and Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY).
Trump also pardoned baseball star Darryl Strawberry, who had pleaded guilty to tax evasion in 1995.
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