This Week in Democracy – Week 76: Trump Cashes In on Presidency as ICE Arrests 10,000 in 5 Days
Zeteo’s weekly round-up, documenting the growth of authoritarianism in Trump’s second term.
This week, Donald Trump’s corruption was on full display, the Supreme Court granted him more king-like powers, and the U.S. president hosted an election-denying convict in the Oval Office. Happy 250th Birthday, America!
It’s hard to celebrate American democracy, when America is looking more and more like a dictatorship.
As Americans reflect on 250 years since their independence, 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, June 27 – So-called ‘Board of Peace’ Preps Immunity Resolution
The Guardian reported that Trump’s so-called “Board of Peace” is planning to grant itself sweeping immunity from “any arrest, detention, or legal proceedings in the courts or other entities in Gaza,” according to a draft of a resolution that also lets the organization take over public property in Gaza “free of charge.”
The resolution also states that Trump, the board’s chair, would have the right to waive someone’s legal immunity with the support of the majority of the board.
Sunday, June 28 – Trump Family Continues Cashing in on His Presidency
The New York Times reported that within weeks of the Trump administration securing a billion-dollar mining deal with the president of Kazakhstan, a firm partly owned by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump partnered with others to take a 20% stake in an entity connected to the project.
Meanwhile, the Times found that either the Trump family or Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s family has financial ties to at least 14 companies working with the federal government on mining deals – all of which have benefited directly from the administration.
The Trump Organization sent a letter to the Times demanding the outlet retract the story, calling it “deeply misleading.” But as the Times notes in its response to the letter, the Trump Organization “does not deny … that Eric and Donald Jr. have profited” from the mining deal.
Monday, June 29 – Supreme Court Ruling ‘Reshapes Our Government’
The Supreme Court overturned a 90-year-old ruling that protected members of certain independent agencies from being fired by the president without cause, a move that Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned “reshapes our government.”
In her dissent, Sotomayor noted that dozens of independent commissions “are now likely to become purely executive agencies, shifting tremendous power over broad swaths of American life into the president’s hands.”
(In another pivotal ruling this week, the Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship, but not by a 9-0 margin, a shocking outcome considering birthright is clearly laid out in the Constitution.)
Tuesday, June 30 – Trump’s Presidency Profits Soar As He Hosts Election Denier in Oval Office
Trump made a staggering $2.2 billion in the first year of his second term as president, compared to the $622 million he pulled in during 2024, according to a new financial disclosure. Of the $2.2 billion, $1.4 billion came from his family’s cryptocurrency businesses – making Trump the highest crypto earner in the United States.
Meanwhile, on Truth Social, Trump revealed that he hosted election denier Tina Peters in the Oval Office. Peters, a former Colorado county clerk who was convicted of tampering with voting machines following the 2020 presidential election, was recently granted clemency by Governor Jared Polis and released from prison.
Wednesday, July 1 – ICE Arrests 10,000 People in 5 Days
The New York Times reported that ICE is ramping up its arrests, detaining more than 10,000 people in the last five days – roughly doubling the 1,000 people who were arrested each day earlier this year.
The dramatic increase comes as the White House pushed for more arrests, which have taken place at immigration check-ins, during traffic stops, and on the street. ICE officials have been told the 2,000 arrest rate per day is to be considered the new normal.
Thursday, July 2 – FBI’s 2020 Georgia Election Probe Intensifies
MS NOW reported that Trump’s FBI has authorized hundreds of intelligence analysts to work overtime as part of a “priority” investigation related to the 2020 presidential election in Georgia, according to an unclassified memo issued Wednesday.
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:
What kind of sick reality are we living in? The new BOP made up of greedy fascists deciding Palestine is a free for all to build their disgusting casinos and waterfront properties on the corpses of the babies they’ve helped to slaughter! We are living in very dark times. Never stop fighting for the Palestinian people. Free Palestine 💔🇵🇸