This Week in Democracy – Week 59: An Illegal War Abroad, More Madness at Home
Zeteo's weekly round-up, documenting the growth of authoritarianism in Trump's second term.
We didn’t need Donald Trump to launch an illegal war to show that he’s wrecked American democracy – but if there was any doubt about just how much damage he’s done, this week certainly has cleared things up.
Americans didn’t vote for Trump’s illegal war with Iran – nor do they support it today. Their representatives in Congress didn’t authorize it. But that doesn’t matter to a man who cares about no one but himself, nor to the cronies who do his bidding.
Hey, at least there was one small piece of good news: Trump finally got rid of puppy-killer Kristi Noem… only to replace her with another crony: Senator Markwayne Mullin.
From launching an illegal war with no clear strategy to obstructing a DHS inspector general, here’s what Trump and his allies did this week that harm democracy, undermine the Constitution, and hurt societies worldwide:
Saturday, Feb. 28 – Trump’s Illegal Regime Change War
Trump, with Israel, launched an illegal war with Iran, carrying out massive airstrikes across the country, killing hundreds, and assassinating Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
In a video posted to Truth Social, Trump attempted to justify the war by saying Iran posed an imminent threat – despite previously claiming that the US obliterated Iran’s nuclear program last year.
He also told the Iranian people to “take over your government” when the war is finished. “This will be probably your only chance for generations,” he added.
Sunday, March 1 – A Pentagon Admission
During closed-door briefings with Congress, the Pentagon admitted that it had no intelligence to suggest Iran was planning to attack US forces first.
Meanwhile, Trump told the New York Times that US involvement in the Iran war could last “four to five weeks,” and said in a video that there will “likely be more” deaths of US troops before the war ends.
Monday, March 2 – Bovino Investigated
A Minnesota county attorney’s office launched an investigation into former top Border Patrol official Greg Bovino in relation to an incident during Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota when he tossed a canister of tear gas at protesters in a park.
Bovino’s incident is just one of 17 being investigated for criminal charges by the office as part of a project to probe “potentially unlawful behavior” by federal agents.
Tuesday, March 3 – Homeland Security’s ‘Egregious’ Obstruction
The Wall Street Journal reported that the inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security sent a letter to Congress detailing nearly a dozen instances of DHS “systematically obstruct[ing]” him from accessing records and information, including a “particularly egregious” refusal to cooperate in a federal criminal investigation with national security implications.
Wednesday, March 4 – Trump’s Autopen Obsession
The New York Times reported that, due to pressure from Trump, his Justice Department investigated former President Joe Biden’s use of an autopen – which Trump has admitted to using himself – to sign presidential documents.
While the Times said the DOJ ultimately failed to build a criminal case against Biden and his aides, US Attorney Jeanine Pirro suggested the case isn’t completely closed, tweeting, “We cannot comment on ongoing investigations.”
Thursday, March 5 – Trump Axes Puppy-Killer
Following a disastrous pair of congressional hearings, Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, replacing her with Senator Markwayne Mullin.
Mullin, a staunch defender of Trump’s policies, has said the ICE officer who shot and killed Renee Good “had the right to defend” himself, called for “no amnesty for illegal aliens,” and argued that babies born in the US to undocumented parents should “go with” them if they are deported.
Friday, March 6 – Republicans Go After Key Witness in Jan. 6 Probe
CNN reported that Republican lawmakers are pushing the Justice Department to bring charges against former Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson, who gave explosive testimony against her former boss over the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) recently made a criminal referral of Hutchinson, accusing her of lying to Congress in 2022 when she testified about Trump’s role in the insurrection.
Did you miss previous weeks of ‘This Week in Democracy’? Catch up here. And check out more of Zeteo’s reporting from this week below:
Russia China going to guarantee Iran no unconditional surrender just drain our tax dollars for hegseth teen age ego