If Donald Trump and his cronies spent as much energy actually listening to Americans and doing what voters want as they have on their freakout about the spotlight on Natalie Harp, perhaps the president’s approval rating wouldn’t have dipped to 33% this week.
While Trump’s allies rushed to the defense of Harp, the president’s close and influential aide dubbed the “human printer,” his administration was busy further harming democracy, undermining the Constitution, and hurting societies worldwide.
This week, Trump’s newly sworn-in attorney general, Todd Blanche, refused to pledge that his Justice Department would act independently of the White House. That’s troubling but not surprising when it comes to Trump’s cronies, given we also learned this week the DOJ sought to interview FBI agents involved in the 2022 classified documents search of Mar-a-Lago. And Trump’s DOJ is preparing to deploy about 1,000 “election monitors” for the midterms.
Here’s more from ‘This Week in Democracy – Week 83’:
Saturday, Aug. 15 – Trump DOJ’s ‘Ridiculous Fishing Expedition’ Into Law Firm
The New York Times reported that, over the past year, Chicago prosecutors have investigated a Democratic fundraising firm that was previously co-owned by the daughter of the judge who oversaw Trump’s 2024 hush money trial, which ended in his conviction on 34 felony counts.
The founder of the firm, Mike Nellis, called the move “a ridiculous fishing expedition based on conspiracy theories that are completely divorced from reality,” and accused Trump’s DOJ of trying to seize “sensitive political communications of my clients,” including Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
Sunday, Aug. 16 – Blanche Won’t Pledge Independence
During an interview on ‘Meet the Press,’ former Trump defense lawyer and newly-minted Attorney General Todd Blanche suggested the Justice Department may ask the Supreme Court to overturn the nearly two dozen lawsuits the DOJ has lost trying to force states to turn over their voter rolls.
He also refused to pledge that the DOJ would act independently of the White House, saying, “No attorney general should ever pledge that.”
Monday, Aug. 17 – Trump’s DOJ to Deploy 1,000 Election Monitors for Midterms
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon told Bloomberg that Trump’s Justice Department is planning to deploy about 1,000 monitors during the midterm elections in November.
It’s unclear where the monitors will be assigned, but she hinted that they may be sent to jurisdictions where the DOJ alleges there may be “voter fraud issues,” despite the fact that voter fraud is nearly non-existent.
Tuesday, Aug. 18 – Trump’s Antisemitism Probes Against Universities ‘Predetermined’
Multiple outlets reported that a Monday whistleblower disclosure revealed that the outcomes of the Trump administration’s investigations into three Ivy League universities over allegations of antisemitism constituted an “unlawful process designed to achieve predetermined political goals” that were “without regard for the evidence.”
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against the International Criminal Court president who issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s arrest, along with one of the Court’s senior lawyers.
Wednesday, Aug. 19 – Trump’s ‘Laughable’ Voter Report
NPR reported that the Census Bureau report Trump cited as evidence of non-citizens voting in the 2020 presidential election was drafted by individuals affiliated with the Trump-aligned think tank, America First Policy Institute.
The Center for Election Innovation & Research’s David Becker told NPR the seven-page report was “laughable” and pointed out that “Census data cannot be reliably matched to voter data.”
Thursday, Aug. 20 – DOJ Tries to Interview FBI Officials Tied to Mar-a-Lago Search
AP reported that investigators at Trump’s Justice Department have made efforts to question FBI officials tied to the 2022 search of Mar-a-Lago that led to the president’s indictment the following year for unlawfully retaining classified documents.
The move is part of an investigation based in Florida seeking to establish a conspiracy against Trump by his perceived enemies.
Friday, Aug. 21 – Ballroom Construction Can Continue For Now, Supreme Court Says
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts handed another victory to the Trump administration by allowing construction on the president’s White House ballroom to continue for now by pausing a lower court’s ruling that ordered a halt to the project.
Construction on the ballroom is already about two-thirds complete, according to one White House official, with a team of 250 people working 20 hours a day, seven days a week on the project.
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:
NEVER FORGET AMERICA ABOUT FASCIST REPUBLICANS
After the Democratic Congressional avalanche occurs, whimpering fascist Republicans will say, “oh we were just joking around” or “let’s just forget about that we tried to tear down democratic norms and institutions”, or “hey, we’re going to mend our ways”, or “let’s forget about election interference and sabotage”. Cheap words from people who previously supported a fascist autocoup in which the president himself tried to overthrow the government.
The fascist predatory Republicans along with their greedy pig pen of corporations have favored an unregulated government that supports a growing wealth gap while leaving WE the People behind financially.
But America wants political accountability from their elected senators and congress people. WE the People want AIPAC and big money out of politics and elections. The fascist Republican think tank, author of Project 2025, Heritage Foundation has actively corrupted the judicial branch with the help of a hypocritical Congress getting a politically biased SCOTUS. Destroying the medical system is a necessity for the wealthy because it saves $$$ because the social safety net is handing out undeserved taxpayer money to people who should be working. By the way eugenics is just fine for the wealthy, says RFK Jr and rascist policy is just great for Cheeto.
Fascist Republican corporate oil industry donors want the public to be blinded to the global warming for its own self interests. Stopping the culture wars like book banning is up to WE the People. Instigating an illegal foreign war without Congressional approval is OK with the fascist party.
So no, America better not forget what these fascists have done to this country. Never forget. They should not be elected to dogcatcher for the next 10 years or more.
No, Todd Blanche, EVERY AG should pledge Independence from the president and his administration, in toto & without reservation. YOU, Todd, in refusing to do so, are in violation of your oath of office, the oath you swore to the Constitution. So be prepared, Todd. You may already have a presidential pardon in your hip pocket, but accountability can come in many ways beyond immunity from prosecution for federal crimes. For lack of any better word, let's just call it karma, and starting immediately upon your removal from office, you will be haunted and hunted for all the remaining days of your life. You will never again know peace and you will be hated and despised throughout all the annals of History that will most certainly follow. Yes Todd, a very bright future awaits you indeed.