This Week in Democracy – Week 63: Trump Tries to Seize Control of Elections
Zeteo's weekly round-up, documenting the growth of authoritarianism in Trump's second term.
Welcome to ‘This Week in Democracy – Week 63.’
First, the good: At least some levers of our democracy are still working, as shown by the millions who exercised their right to protest by marching against King Donald last weekend. Plus, the Supreme Court signaled it may rule against Donald Trump’s effort to end birthright citizenship (though we’re not giving too much credit to a court that has repeatedly given more power to the president).
Now, the bad, and as per usual, there was a lot of it: Trump’s incoherent address to the nation did little to clear up why the US is fighting a war that is costing us billions, killing thousands, and wreaking havoc on the global economy. The president continued his efforts to seize control of elections. And he reminded us, it’s ridiculous to think a nation at war (even if it’s a war the nation does not want) should pay for… day care.
Here’s just a taste of what Trump and his cronies did this week that harmed democracy, undermined the Constitution, and hurt societies worldwide:
Saturday, March 28 – ‘No Kings’ Protests Break Record
More than 8 million people in all 50 states and across more than a dozen countries participated in the third series of “No Kings” protests, in opposition to the Trump administration’s executive overreach.
With more than 3,300 rallies across the country, the demonstrations marked the largest number of protests in a single day in US history, according to one of its organizers.
Sunday, March 29 – Suspicious Trading on Trump’s Policies
Reuters reported that unknown traders have netted millions of dollars in profits through well-timed trades anticipating some of Trump’s biggest policy shifts, a pattern that suggests investors may have been tipped off in advance and one that some legal experts believe should be investigated.
The lucrative policy shifts include options traders making millions just minutes before Trump announced he would pause his “Liberation Day tariffs” last April, which caused the stock market to spike. Six people generated a combined $1.2 million in profits from Polymarket bets hours before the US and Israel attacked Iran.
Monday, March 30 – DOJ Watchdog MIA During ‘Epidemic of Misconduct’
In a letter to the House and Senate Judiciary committee leaders, lawyers for a DOJ whistleblower accused the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General of failing to investigate “any of the serious allegations of misconduct” made by him and others, including complaints from members of Congress.
The letter warns that the inaction “comes at a time when the amount of governmental misconduct and violation of court orders by DOJ lawyers around the country have reached epic and unprecedented proportions.”
Tuesday, March 31 – Trump (Who Votes By Mail) Targets Mail-In Voting
In his latest effort to take control of elections, Trump signed an executive order to restrict mail-in voting by creating a list of eligible US citizen voters in every state and prohibiting the US Postal Service from sending absentee ballots to any voter who isn’t on a state’s approved list.
The order, which is being challenged by states including Oregon and Arizona, who argue it violates the Constitution, also threatens to withhold federal funding from states that refuse to comply.
Wednesday, April 1 – Even Red States Aren’t Safe
Trump’s Justice Department sued Idaho for refusing to turn over sensitive data from its voter rolls.
The DOJ has now sued at least 30 states and DC to obtain unredacted voter rolls, including other red states such as Utah, Kentucky, and West Virginia.
Thursday, April 2 – Trump Fires Bondi
After trying (and failing) to prosecute Trump’s perceived political enemies and botching the release of the Epstein files, Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi.
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins reported that Bondi’s upcoming deposition about the Epstein files played a role in the timing of her firing “because the White House wanted to avoid it.” She’s the second woman in Trump’s Cabinet to be fired.
Trump appointed Deputy AG Todd Blanche, who was Trump’s former criminal defense attorney, to replace Bondi in an acting capacity.
Friday, April 3 – White House Wants Historic Military Budget. Sorry Healthcare!
The Trump administration asked Congress to approve roughly $1.5 trillion in defense spending, up nearly 40% from the current level and the highest in US history.
To pay for the additional warfare funds, the proposal calls for a 10% cut in non-defense spending, including cutting $73 billion from domestic programs involving healthcare, housing, and education.
The cuts could have devastating impacts on Americans nationwide. But hey, at least Trump asked for enough money – $152 million – to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz as an active prison. 🤬
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:
