This Week in Democracy - Week 6: Chaos in the Oval, Attacks on the Press, and ‘What Did you Accomplish Last Week’
Zeteo's project to document the ongoing, week-by-week growth of authoritarianism in the Trump second term.
We know! It’s hard to remember anything that happened this past week before President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s insane outburst at Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on Friday.
But A LOT of other worrying things did happen. From more attacks on the press to another round of mass firings, here’s what the Musk-Trump-Vance administration did this week that harms the US democratic and constitutional order, the free press, and free society. Here’s your ‘This Week in Democracy - Week 6’:
Saturday, Feb. 22
At the Conservative Political Action Conference, Trump falsely claimed that he received “much more” than 77 million votes in the 2024 presidential election and said Democrats “cheated like hell” but “it was just too big to rig.”
Trump also called MSNBC a “threat to democracy.”
Also at CPAC, border czar Tom Homan criticized the Boston police commissioner for what he considers the city’s lack of cooperation with ICE. “I’m coming to Boston. I’m bringing hell with me,” he said.
Following a post on Twitter from Elon Musk, federal workers received an email from the Office of Personnel Management asking them to document five things they accomplished in the past week. Musk noted on Twitter that a “failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.”
On Twitter, Musk called for the impeachment of a federal judge who blocked the Trump administration from terminating DEI-related grants one day earlier.
Sunday, Feb. 23
Asked by reporters about Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Trump's Pentagon chief, national security advisor, and special envoy refused to say Russia was the aggressor.
The Trump administration put nearly all of the USAID’s 4,700 full-time staffers on paid administrative leave.
Trump named election denier, conspiracy theorist, and right-wing media personality Dan Bongino the deputy director of the FBI.
Trump attacked journalist Joy Reid on Truth Social, calling her “one of the least talented people in television” and a “mentally obnoxious racist,” following the cancellation of her nightly news show on MSNBC.
Reuters reported that the Trump administration directed ICE to deport hundreds of thousands of migrant children who entered the US without their parents.
Steve Bannon, Trump’s former chief strategist, called American Jews who don’t support Israel and MAGA “the number one enemy” to the people of Israel.
Monday, Feb. 24
The US sided with Russia twice on UN resolutions that called for the end to the war without criticizing Russia.
A federal lawsuit to block the mass firings of federal probationary employees was amended to argue Musk violated the law with his weekend demand that employees submit an email about their accomplishments or risk being fired.
On X, Musk said federal employees would be given another chance to send an email detailing their accomplishments in the last week, “subject to the discretion of the president.” He added that “failure to respond a second time will result in termination.”
Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Human Services emailed agency employees to warn them that their responses to Musk’s request might “be read by malign foreign actors.”
On Twitter, Musk baselessly accused USAID of supporting terrorism by funding organizations like the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.
US Attorney for DC Ed Martin called his office “President Trumps’ lawyers,” defying both his oath to the Constitution and basic grammar.
NBC News4 reported that Martin refused to sign an arrest warrant for MAGA Rep. Cory Mills, who was accused of physically assaulting a woman he was allegedly having an affair with. Mills denies any wrongdoing.
A federal judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order to allow AP to regain access to presidential events, but urged the Trump administration to reconsider its ban on the news organization.
At a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump called on Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's boyfriend, Brian Glenn, who works for the far-right Real America's Voice outlet, first.
Also at the press conference, Trump, who just last week called Ukrainian President Zelensky a dictator, refused to use the same label for Russian leader Vladimir Putin. “I don’t use those words lightly,” he said when specifically asked if Putin was a dictator.
The Office of Personnel Management issued a memo directing federal agencies to begin reclassifying top career positions as political appointees who would be required to follow the president’s agenda.
The Trump administration halted a plan to house migrants in tents at Guantanamo Bay due to concerns about the standards of the facilities, which don’t have air conditioning or electricity. Prison buildings, however, at the base will continue to be used for housing migrants.
A federal judge temporarily blocked the Department of Education and Office of Personnel Management from sharing sensitive data with Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency.
A different federal judge temporarily blocked ICE agents from conducting enforcement measures at some churches and other houses of worship.
Tuesday, Feb. 25
The Washington Post reported that migrants sent to Guantanamo Bay were shackled and held in what they described as cages. The migrants say they were also denied calls to lawyers, subjected to invasive strip searches, and held in prolonged periods of isolation.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said his administration would introduce a “gold card” that would cost $5 million and provide a route to citizenship. Asked if a Russian oligarch would be eligible for a gold card, Trump responded, “Yeah, possibly. I know some Russian oligarchs that are very nice people.”
The FAA signed a contract to use SpaceX’s Starlink internet system, raising concerns about further conflicts of interest for Musk.
In an unhinged post on Truth Social, Trump shared an AI-generated video of “Trump Gaza,” with a resort featuring a golden statue of the president, Elon Musk eating hummus, and Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sunbathing shirtless.
The Trump administration announced it would break decades of precedent and choose which media outlets are allowed to participate in the presidential press pool, a decision that has long been up to the independent White House Correspondents’ Association
A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from freezing federal loans and grants, writing that the decision was “irrational, imprudent, and precipitated a nationwide crisis.”
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to pay billions of dollars in US foreign aid in less than two days after failing to comply with a court order to do so nearly two weeks ago.
The Social Security Administration shut down its Office of Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity.
Trump signed a memorandum to suspend the security clearances of lawyers from the legal defense firm working with former special counsel Jack Smith, who prosecuted Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection and the mishandling of classified government records. The administration is also conducting a review to determine whether the firm played a role in the “weaponization of the judicial process.”
The Trump administration made it mandatory for undocumented immigrants aged 14 and older to register with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services and provide fingerprints. Failure to do so could result in a $5,000 fine and six months in prison.
Twenty-one DOGE employees resigned in protest, saying they refuse to “compromise core government systems, jeopardize Americans’ sensitive data, or dismantle critical public services.”
Teachers' unions and other groups filed a lawsuit against the Department of Education for threatening to cut federal funds to schools or colleges that consider race in hiring, discipline policy, scholarships, and more.
A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking Trump’s executive order suspending the country’s refugee admissions system.
Wednesday, Feb. 26
Despite not being a member, Musk attended Trump’s first Cabinet meeting. During his remarks, he noted that DOGE “will make mistakes” and pointed to what he called the accidental cancellation of USAID funding to prevent the spread of Ebola. Musk said the initiative was restored, but current and former agency officials say the funding continues to be frozen.
Asked at the Cabinet meeting whether Trump believes his authority gives him the power to issue orders to any Cabinet members, he responded, “They’ll follow the orders” and added, “no exceptions.”
In a victory for Trump, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily halted a lower court ruling ordering the Trump administration to pay $2 billion in foreign aid for State Department and USAID projects by the end of Wednesday.
In a court filing, the Trump administration said it would cut more than 90% of USAID foreign aid contracts, along with $60 billion in overall US assistance globally.
The heads of the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management sent a memo to federal agencies to prepare for mass firings and submit “reorganization plans” by March 13.
Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division to dismiss DEI lawsuits that accused police and fire departments of using written tests during hiring processes that discriminated against Black applicants.
Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos, who donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration, announced the paper’s opinion section would focus on supporting and defending “personal liberties” and “free markets,” adding that “viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others.” The move prompted the resignation of Opinion Editor David Shipley and resulted in the loss of more than 75,000 subscribers. Ex-Post editor Marty Baron called the move “craven.”
Later that day, Trump had dinner with Bezos.
On Truth Social, Trump lambasted “anonymous sources” and “off the record” quotes, said he would sue “dishonest authors and book publishers” and suggested he may create a “nice new law” to curb “defamatory fiction” — a brazen threat against the freedom of the press.
In a court filing, the Pentagon said it will begin removing transgender troops from the military within 30 days unless they obtain a waiver on a case-by-case basis.
The Pentagon ordered military services to purge agency websites and social media that mention the promotion of “diversity, equity and inclusion” by March 5.
To comply with the Trump administration, Paramount announced it would roll back DEI policies. (The company is currently seeking a merger with Skydance, which will require the approval of the Federal Communications Commission. It’s also in talks to settle a frivolous lawsuit brought by the Trump campaign for the 2024 Kamala Harris ‘60 Minutes’ interview.)
Thursday, Feb. 27
On Truth Social, Trump confirmed that tariffs on Mexico and Canada will start on March 4. He also announced an additional 10% tariff on China, and added that the April 2 reciprocal tariff date will remain in place.
Speaking to reporters alongside UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump said he knew nothing about his administration’s effort to pressure Romania into lifting a travel ban on Andrew and Tristan Tate, who have been charged with rape, human trafficking, money laundering, and starting an organized crime group. The brothers, who deny any wrongdoing, arrived in Florida that day.
He also said that he trusts Putin not to violate a deal, noting they “had to go through the Russia hoax together.”
A federal judge declined to block the Trump administration from firing dozens of CIA and other intelligence officials who worked on DEI programs.
Far-right conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec was among the pro-Trump influencers who visited the White House for briefings with Trump administration officials and received documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. Miami Herald reporter Julie K. Brown said the files had been public since 2015.
A federal judge ordered DOGE to have at least one official testify under oath and provide documents as part of a lawsuit by the American Federation of Labor and other unions.
The Department of Education launched an online “End DEI” portal where citizens can report diversity, equity, and inclusion practices in public schools.
A federal judge declared that the mass firings of probationary federal employees were likely illegal, potentially pausing terminations at certain federal agencies.
The Trump administration fired hundreds of weather forecasters from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – a move one former NOAA administrator told NPR could have major national security and economic impacts.
Musk falsely accused CNN legal analyst Norm Eisen of being part of a “crime family” after discovering that a woman with the same last name (but who has no relation to Eisen) worked for the nonprofit National Democratic Institute, which received funds from USAID.
Friday, Feb. 28
Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Zelensky in the Oval Office before kicking the Ukranian leader out of the White House without the mineral deal he was there to sign.
After the televised meeting, Trump said on Truth Social that Zelensky “disrespected” the US, adding that the Ukrainian president “is not ready for peace if America is involved.
The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration is considering ending the shipment of military aid to Ukraine following the heated Oval Office exchange.
While AP and Reuters were barred from the Oval Office meeting, one of the handpicked journalists present was a correspondent for TASS, a Russian state media organization. (He was later removed and the White House claimed it was an accident.)
The Democratic Party filed its first lawsuit against the Trump administration, contending that the president's attempt to control independent executive-branch agencies, including the bipartisan Federal Election Commission, violates federal election law.
The Washington Post reported that “Internal Revenue Service leaders rejected a recent request from immigration enforcement officials to divulge the home addresses of 700,000 people suspected of being in the country illegally.”
Veteran Voice of America journalist Steven Herman was placed on an extended “excused absence,” pending a HR investigation into his social media posts on DOGE and USAID, after senior Trump administration official Richard Grenell called them “treasonous.”
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I saw something scary about Trump and his affiliation to Russia and Putin. I copied it.
It’s long, but, what do you think?
“I’m calling it as it is. I dont care whether you agree with me or not, just check your response with your gut. My gut never lies to me.
I’ve had my suspicions all along about this stooge. He’s not intelligent enough to pull this off by himself. We better hope that all the social security numbers and tax info that Muskrat just uploaded from SSA and IRS from every single american citizens account, doesn’t end up in Putin’s files. Whoever has that info can potentially wipe out every dime we have and can potentially fund a world takeover:
There is something rancid in America, a slow, creeping rot that smells like cold McDonald’s fries, aerosol hairspray, and the unmistakable musk of a country too sedated to recognize its own hostage situation. For years, the idea that Donald Trump was compromised by Russia was dismissed as paranoid fantasy—just another wild-eyed conspiracy theory, another overblown headline in the endless saga of American political dysfunction.
But now, two former Soviet intelligence officers—Alnur Mussayev and Yuri Shvets—are saying it outright: Trump was recruited by the KGB in 1987, groomed as an asset, and remains under Russian control to this day.
And the worst part? He’s already back in the White House.
That’s right, America. You did it. You walked face-first into the banana peel of history, slipped, and fell straight into the arms of Vladimir Putin. Trump was kicked out in 2020, spent four years plotting his comeback, and now he’s returned, like a bloated, orange cockroach that just won’t die. The Kremlin’s favorite stooge is running the country again, and this time, he knows exactly how to stay in power.
If you think this is just another round of the Trump Show, you’re not paying attention. This isn’t politics anymore. This is treason. This is foreign subversion. This is a goddamn coup in slow motion.
Let’s break it down, nice and simple.
Alnur Mussayev isn’t some Twitter conspiracy theorist with a tinfoil hat and a podcast. He’s the former head of Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee, which means he knows exactly how Russian intelligence works—because he was part of the system. And what he’s saying should make every American’s blood run cold.
According to Mussayev, Trump was identified, recruited, and compromised by the KGB in 1987 during his first trip to Moscow. They saw him for what he was: a narcissistic, greedy, attention-starved buffoon who could be easily manipulated. The KGB flattered him, promised him business deals, and planted the seeds of political ambition in his empty little head. And from that moment on, he was their man.
But Mussayev isn’t alone. Former KGB major Yuri Shvets said the exact same thing in 2021: Trump was cultivated by Soviet intelligence because he was an easy mark—too stupid to realize he was being played, too egotistical to care. They saw him as a useful idiot—a man who could one day be nudged into power, a walking, talking Trojan Horse for Russian interests.
And now? The plan has worked. Trump spent four years in office weakening America from within, got booted out, and now he’s back for round two.
If you had told the American public in 1962 that a Soviet-backed asset would one day sit in the White House, they would have burned Washington to the ground before letting it happen. But today? Nobody seems to care.
The media treats this like just another wacky subplot in the never-ending Trump reality show. Congress is too busy fighting over meaningless culture war nonsense to do anything about it. And the American public? Exhausted. Numb. Checked out. Years of scandals—Russia collusion, Ukraine blackmail, classified documents, tax fraud, sexual assault, an attempted coup—have fried the country’s brain like an overcooked steak at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump has done the impossible. He has committed so many crimes, so openly, so brazenly, that none of them matter anymore.
And now, with Mussayev’s revelation that Trump is an active foreign asset, we have finally reached the point where the biggest political scandal in American history is met with a collective shrug.
This is how democracy dies—not with a bang, but with a goddamn eye-roll.
This is the part where the skeptics start clutching their pearls. “Oh, come on,” they say. “If Trump were really a Russian asset, wouldn’t there be more proof?”
To which I say: Are you blind, or just willfully stupid?
Let’s go through the evidence, shall we?
Trump spent his entire first term doing exactly what Russia wanted. He attacked NATO, calling it “obsolete” and threatening to pull the U.S. out. He tried to blackmail Ukraine into manufacturing dirt on Joe Biden, because weakening Ukraine helps one man and one man only: Vladimir Putin. He pulled U.S. troops out of Syria, handing power over to Russian forces. He picked fights with Canada and Europe while cozying up to dictators.
Even now, in his second term, he is more openly pro-Putin than ever. He has made it clear that he will not protect NATO allies from Russian aggression. He is actively dismantling America’s alliances, just as Russia planned. And while Americans scream at each other over whether Target should sell rainbow t-shirts, Trump is quietly selling the country to the Kremlin.
At some point, you have to stop calling it a coincidence and start calling it what it is: treason.
The United States is running out of time. If Trump serves out this term without being removed, America as a functioning democracy is finished.
The media needs to wake up. Enough with the “Trump fatigue” excuse. This is not just another scandal—this is the single greatest infiltration of American power in history. Journalists need to dig into Mussayev’s claims, demand declassification of intelligence files, and treat this like the national emergency that it is.
Congress needs to subpoena Mussayev immediately. His testimony must be public, and every document he has should be reviewed. If there is proof that Trump has been compromised since the 1980s, the American people need to know.
The Justice Department needs to stop pretending that Trump is just another politician. If there is evidence that the sitting president of the United States is working in Russia’s interests, he must be removed from office and prosecuted for espionage.
And the American public? You have one last chance. This is not about Republican vs. Democrat. This is not about taxes, gas prices, or whatever nonsense outrage is dominating the news today. This is about whether the United States remains a sovereign nation, or if we spend the rest of the century as a Russian client state with a golf course.
The sheer volume of Trump's corruption, the blatant nature of his crimes, the mountain of evidence that should have ended his political career a hundred times over—none of it mattered. He survived it all, not because he was innocent, but because he drowned the country in so much scandal that nothing stuck.
But this time, it’s different. If Mussayev and Shvets are right, this isn’t just another chapter in the endless Trump circus. This is the culmination of a decades-long Russian intelligence operation to install an asset in the White House.
There is no coming back from this. If America lets Trump serve out this term without removing him, then the United States as a democratic republic is finished. The country won’t collapse overnight. There won’t be tanks in the streets. Instead, the destruction of democracy will happen in slow motion—buried under lawsuits, propaganda, and corruption so blatant that people stop caring.
If America lets this happen—if Trump is allowed to complete his mission—then Putin wins. The West crumbles. And the people who could have stopped it will look back, years from now, and wonder how they let it happen.
Good night, and good luck. Because if people don’t wake up, America is going to sleepwalk straight into its own funeral.” -
MSNBC IS a threat to democracy. (Obviously not for the reasons t'rump would give.)
Joy Reid once described the atmosphere after Obama's term ended, saying that people at MSNBC would look at her as if to say, "What are YOU still doing here." They thought they shouldn't have to deal with black people anymore, once the black president was gone.
The white-supremacists running MSNBC have now graduated from that silent, festering, racist hostility, through the 2023 Muslim-ban, through their overtly racist pro-genocide propaganda, through the squeezing out of Mehdi Hasan, through an escalation of their already-genocidal racism, right through to the all-out ethnic cleansing that they've now begun.
They've already culled the nonwhites from any prime spots.
It's my opinion that t'rump states these occasional truths (accompanied by backward reasoning), as a TRAP. He knows that otherwise-reasonable people will reflexively DENY the truth, just because it came from THAT lying scumbag, accompanied by backward reasoning.
He tricks people into claiming the justice system isn't rigged (for instance), just because it's a lie to claim that it's rigged AGAINST him. It clearly IS rigged. IN HIS FAVOUR. But his opponents don't want to debunk him with THAT fact (because they're partially responsible for that fact), so they try to debunk him with denial (which doesn't work, because we all KNOW it's rigged, and claiming that it ISN'T, just looks STUPID).
Likewise, MSNBC IS a threat to democracy: It is a racist organization that is using this opportunity to escalate its racist policies. Clearly that is not the problem that donald would cite, but please don't fall into the trap of defending MSNBC, just because t'rump is the one who called it a threat. ALL of the corporate media sources that we were once supposed to trust, are becoming more and more of a threat to the public.