This Week in Democracy – Week 82: A Decoy Plane, ICE’s Electric Gloves, and Government Fascists Investigate the Left
Zeteo’s weekly round-up, documenting the growth of authoritarianism in Trump’s second term.
It’s no secret that Donald Trump only looks out for himself, but this week, a bombshell report from the Washington Post underscored just how expendable even those closest to him really are. As Swin laid out in ‘First Draft,’ Trump left Marco Rubio, Scott Bessent, and Stephen Miller, along with the White House press corps, as human shields in a plane the administration claims was the subject of an Iranian assassination threat. (There’s also a question about the Israeli-provided unverified intel about the threat itself, as Mehdi explained in ‘First Draft’ this morning.)
We wish we could say such stories still surprise us.
Meanwhile, in democracy news, Trump-endorsed election denier MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell lost his gubernatorial primary in Minnesota, while another Trump-endorsed election denier, Tom Tiffany, secured the Republican nomination for governor of Wisconsin. Trump still refuses to rule out declaring a national emergency to take over the midterm elections. And ICE is planning to spend up to $20 million for agents to use electric shock gloves.
That’s not all that happened this week – another bombshell report shed light on a terrifying investigation the Trump admin conducted into left-wing groups. Here’s just a taste of how Trump and his allies harmed democracy, undermined the Constitution, and hurt societies worldwide this week:
Saturday, Aug. 8 – Former Trump Lawyer Confirmed as Attorney General
The Senate narrowly voted to confirm Trump’s former criminal defense lawyer Todd Blanche as attorney general.
As acting attorney general, Blanche greenlit the second indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, reauthorized the use of firing squads for death penalty executions, and signed off on a now-supposedly rescinded $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization fund.”
Sunday, Aug. 9 – Trump Crypto Company’s Curious $100 Million Investment
The New York Times reported that a businessman once under investigation in the UK for money laundering became one of the biggest buyers of tokens from Trump’s cryptocurrency company, spending $100 million through a newly formed firm.
As much as three-quarters of the money ultimately went to a company controlled by Trump and his sons.
Monday, Aug. 10 – Trump Left Government Officials, Reporters as Human Shields
The Washington Post published a bombshell report that Trump hid in a catering container and was secretly shuttled into a different plane when leaving Turkey last month, in response to what the administration claims was an Iranian assassination threat against the president. (Israel provided the intel about the threat – intel U.S. officials could not independently verify.)
While Trump switched planes, he left key officials, like Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller – along with reporters in the White House press corps – aboard Air Force One, which effectively became a decoy.
Tuesday, Aug. 11 – ICE Wants Agents To Use Electric Shock Gloves
AP reported that ICE, an agency already known for its use of excessive force, is planning to spend up to $20 million to give its agents electric shock gloves to use as part of its enforcement operations.
The manufacturer says the gloves shouldn’t be used on children, pregnant people, or elderly or disabled people.
Wednesday, Aug. 12 – Top Trump Propagandist to Leave White House
On Truth Social, Trump announced that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is leaving her post by the end of August, but will remain as one of the president’s “top outside advisors.”
Leavitt, the youngest press secretary ever, welcomed multiple far-right content creators into the “new media” seat at press briefings, lashed out at a reporter during an exchange about the killing of Renee Good, and argued that reporters who won Pulitzer Prizes for their coverage of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election should be stripped of their awards.
Thursday, Aug. 13 – DHS Investigated Left-Wing Groups After Pretti’s Killing
The New York Times reported that the Department of Homeland Security quietly launched an investigation into several left-leaning political organizations in the wake of Alex Pretti’s killing by federal immigration agents.
The probe targeted many groups and individuals who weren’t connected to any criminal activity, and involved expansive surveillance efforts, including infiltrating group chats on Signal, as well as obtaining financial records of organizations.
Friday, Aug. 14 – Trump Takes White House Ballroom Fight to Supreme Court
Trump asked the Supreme Court to clear the way for his White House ballroom to continue construction before an appeals court ruling halting above-ground work on the project goes into effect on Aug. 21.
The Trump administration argues the injunction that blocked the construction “threatens the security and safety” of the president.
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:
Too bad Trump wasn't transported in a garbage bin rather than a food cart. OTOH, we can now say that Operation Pig in a Blanket was a success.
Denny-ers is not the pronunciation of deniers that I’m accustomed to.
The rice we pay for convenience.