Trumpism
PART VI
âThe First Hundred Daysâ by Barry Blitt
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IS IT HAPPENING HERE?
Other countries have watched their democracies
slip away gradually, without tanks in the streets.
That may be where we’re headed—or where we already are.
By Andrew Marantz
April 28, 2025
April 29, 2025
On 100th Day of Trump Admin, Senator Warren
Reads 100 Acts of Trump Corruption Into
Congressional Record
April 29, 2025
Goldman Blasts GOP for Using $300M in
FEMA Money to Bankroll Trump’s Golf Trips
April 29, 2025
Heather Cox Richardson
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt popularized the idea that the first 100 days of a presidency established an administrationâs direction. As soon as he took office on March 4, 1933, he called Congress into special session to meet on March 9 to address the emergency of the Great Depression. Congress responded to the crisis by quickly passing 15 major bills and 77 other measures first to stabilize the economy and then to rebuild it. On July 24, 1933, FDR looked back at âthe crowding events of the hundred days which had been devoted to the starting of the wheels of the New Deal.â
In a Fireside Chat broadcast over the radio, FDR explained that his administration had stabilized the nationâs banks and raised taxes to pay for millions in borrowing. That federal money was feeding starving people, as well as employing 300,000 young men to work in the Civilian Conservation Corps planting trees to prevent soil erosion, building levees and dams for flood control, and maintaining forest roads and trails. It was also funding a public works program for highways and inland navigation, as well as state-based municipal improvements. The government had also raised farm income and wages by regulating agriculture and abolishing child labor.
FDR was speaking on July 24 to urge Americans to get behind a program of shorter hours and higher wages to create purchasing power that would restart the economy. âIt goes back to the basic idea of society and of the Nation itself that people acting in a group can accomplish things which no individual acting alone could even hope to bring about,â he said. âIf I am asked whether the American people will pull themselves out of this depression, I answer, âThey will if they want to.ââ
Today is the 100th day of President Donald Trumpâs second term in office. He marked it by delivering what amounted to a rally outside Detroit, Michigan, in which he claimed his had been âthe most successful first 100 days of any administration in the history of our country, and thatâs according to many, many peopleâŚ. This is the best, they say, 100-day start of any president in history, and everyone is saying it. Weâve just gotten started. You havenât even seen anything yet.â
In fact, Trump has signed just five measures into law: the Laken Riley Act, which Congress passed before he took office; a stopgap funding measure; and three resolutions overturning rules set by the Biden administration.
But Trumpâs administration does parallel FDRâs in an odd way. Trump set out in his first hundred days to undo the government FDR established in his first hundred days. Trump has turned the nation away from 92 years of a government that sought to serve ordinary Americans by regulating business, providing a basic social safety net, promoting infrastructure, protecting civil rights, and stabilizing global security and trade. Instead, he is trying to recreate the nation of more than 100 years ago, in which the role of government was to protect the wealthy and enable them to make money from the countryâs resources and its people.
Trump set out to destroy the modern American state, gutting the civil service and illegally shuttering federal agencies, as well as slashing through government programs. His team has withdrawn the U.S. from its global leadership and rejected democratic allies in favor of autocrats like Russiaâs Vladimir Putin. At home he has imitated those autocrats, ignoring the rule of law and rendering migrants to prison in El Salvador without due process, and using the power of the state to threaten those he perceives as his enemies.
As is typical with autocratic governments, corruption appears to be running deep in this White House. The president and his family are openly profiting from his office. And it would be hard to find a better example of a government letting cronies profit off public resources than Interior Secretary Doug Burgumâs relinquishing of control over the department to a DOGE operative, or of a government permitting businesses to profit from ordinary Americans than billionaire Elon Muskâs apparent creation of a master database of Americansâ information.
Trumpâs dismantling of the modern American state has been a disaster. Trump spoke tonight in Michigan to tout his hope that his new tariffs will center auto manufacturing back in the U.S., but the economic chaos his tariff policies have unleashed has turned what was a booming economy 100 days ago sharply downward. That economic slump, along with Trumpâs illegal renditions of men to El Salvador and the gutting of services Americans depend on, has given Trump the lowest job approval rating after 100 days of any president in 80 years.
And that suggests another way to look at the first 100 days of a presidential term. For all that the 100-days trope focuses on presidents, the first 100 days of Trumpâs second term have shown Americans, sometimes encouraged by their allies abroad, pushing back against Trump to restore American democracy.
April 29, 2025
Mastermind or madman?
Inside Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office
April 30, 2025
PRESIDENT TRUMP
THE FIRST 100 DAYS
President Donald Trump discussed his first 100 days in office during an exclusive interview with ABC News anchor and senior national correspondent, Terry Moran, in the White House Oval Office.
April 30, 2025
Some Great News For Us
After Trumpâs 100 Days Of Absolute Failure
Featuring the lowest 100-day approval in modern times, impeachment, Joe Biden, Jasmine Crockett, Eric Swalwell, and more
April 30, 2025
Presidential Historian: Trump Has Tried to
Introduce Fear in First 100 Days
President Trump, taking a victory lap to mark the first 100 days of his second term, said his success surpasses any in U.S. history, “according to many, many people.â Presidential historian Timothy Naftali places the Trump presidency in context for Walter Isaacson.
April 30, 2025
BREAKING: Donald Trump Threatens To Sue
The New York Times
By Aaron Parnas
The threat to journalism in America has just risen â dramatically.
On Tuesday morning, President Donald Trump intensified his long-standing war on the media, directly targeting The New York Times with accusations of âlikely unlawful behaviorâ over its coverage of his lawsuit against 60 Minutes, CBS, and Paramount. In a Truth Social post, Trump claimed the paper could be held liable for âtortious interference,â alleging that its reporting â which included sources calling the suit baseless â was part of a broader effort to sabotage the 2024 election.
âThey just have a non-curable case of TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME,â the president wrote, warning that his legal team is âintently studyingâ the Timesâ role in what he suggested was an organized campaign of electoral interference.
April 30, 2025
Trump is creating ‘very dangerous
super-presidency’ – Fareed Zakaria
Donald Trump has been delivering in spades on his inauguration pledge to produce the ‘most extraordinary first 100 days of any presidency in American historyâ, and, from Canada, to Russia and Ukraine, to Israel and Gaza, itâs fair to say it has been a consequential start to his second term as president.
So where does Fareed Zakaria place the first 100 and where does he see the next 100 going? He’s a journalist, political commentator and author who Henry Kissinger said ‘likes to say things that run against conventional wisdom.’
He joined Matt Frie in the latest episode of The Fourcast.
May 1, 2025
The Trump Regimeâs War on Working People
How Unions are Resisting Authoritarian Attacks on Workersâ Rightsâand Why It Matters for Everyone
Over the first hundred days of Donald Trumpâs regime, observers and analysts rightly highlighted his administrationâs alarming attacks on fundamental democratic institutionsâthe judiciary, law firms, universities, philanthropies, non-profit groups, and the media. These assaults were not only dangerous individually but crucially significant as components of authoritarian consolidation.
Yet, amid these well-documented threats, a similarly profound yet largely overlooked attack unfolded: Trumpâs systematic assault on unions and working people. This assault, executed alongside allies like Elon Musk, demonstrates once again the fundamental truth articulated decades ago by Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis:
âWe may have democracy, or we may have wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we cannot have both.â
EXPERTS AGREE: WHAT TRUMP IS DOING IS FASCISM
By
May 3, 2025
Has Trump read the Declaration of Independence?
May 4, 2025
Full interview with President Trump
President Donald Trump joins Meet the Press for an exclusive and wide-ranging interview reflecting on the first 100 days of his second term and laying out his vision for the rest of his presidency â and the future of his political movement.
May 4, 2024
How law firms targeted by Trump are
responding to White House pressure
In recent weeks, President Trump has signed orders targeting several law firms. Some lawyers warn that the president’s assault on the legal profession threatens the rule of law itself.
May 4, 2025
John Bolton, whom Trump described as
“a very dumb guy,” is worried about Taiwan
Donald Trump’s longest serving National Security adviser John Bolton shares his thoughts on the current White House, including the tariffs war, the Russia-China axis and the first 100 days of Trump’s second coming.
May 5, 2025
Wisconsin Gov. Evers Pushes Back After
Trump’s Border Czar Threatens to Arrest Him
We go to Wisconsin as the state’s Democratic Governor Tony Evers pushes back after Trump border czar Tom Homan says Wisconsin officials could be arrested over local policies that defy Trump’s mass deportation agenda. This comes after FBI agents arrested Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan.
“I think what we’re seeing, in a broader sense, is just an absolute degradation of the rule of law,” says Lisa Graves, a former deputy assistant attorney general in the Department of Justice, now the director of the policy research group True North Research and co-host of the podcast “Legal AF.” Her forthcoming book is Without Precedent: How Chief Justice Roberts and His Accomplices Rewrote the Constitution and Dismantled Our Rights.
May 6, 2025
Antidote (full documentary)
FRONTLINE presents the stories of an investigative journalist and a political activist putting their lives on the line to stand up to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the grave consequences they face for doing so.
âAntidoteâ chronicles the lives of Christo Grozev, a Bulgarian investigative journalist whose reporting has exposed Russian spies, assassins, and those involved in the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny; and Evgenia Kara-Murza, the wife of Vladimir Kara-Murza, a prominent political activist who was poisoned twice and sentenced to 25 years in a Russian prison.
The documentary lays bare the grave consequences that come with speaking out against the Putin regime, revealing the threats Grozev, Kara-Murza and their families face as they seek to expose the actions of the Kremlin to the world. The film offers a stunning and immersive look at the cost of opposing Putin.
May 6, 2025
Michael Wolff with Alec Baldwin
on Donald Trump: All or Nothing
Published at breakneck speed, Michael Wolffâs insider account of the 2024 Trump campaign â undoubtedly the wildest, most unpredictable campaign in US history with its multiple criminal trials, assassination attempts and sudden switch of opponents â made waves before it was even published.
Through personal access to Trumpâs inner circle, All or Nothing: How Trump Recaptured America takes readers on a journey accompanying Donald Trump on his return to power as only Michael Wolff can do it.
In this fly-on-the-wall account, the stakes could not be clearer: either the establishment destroys Trump, or he destroys the establishment. Painting an astonishing portrait of a man who has made one of the most remarkable comebacks in American political history â through what appeared to be an inescapable legal quagmire â this is not just a story about politics: It is a vivid expose of the demons, discord, and anarchy â the fire, fury, and future â of American life under Trump.
Join Wolff to hear first-hand stories and insider revelations as he discusses the book with â who better? â the man whose SNL portrayal of Trump remains indelible: Alec Baldwin.
Recorded March 14, 2025 at 92nd Street Y, New York.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
May 7, 2025
Americans Are Protesting Against Trump
In All 50 States – Rachel Maddow
Emmy-winner and bestselling author Rachel Maddow joins Stephen to talk about the first 100 days of President Trump’s second term and the demonstrations against his actions that are popping up in all 50 states on a daily basis.
Stick around for two more segments with Rachel Maddow and grab her number-one bestselling book, Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism, available now in paperback.
2 – How Trump Is Consolidating Power At The Expense Of The Other Branches Of Government
3 – We’re Not Going To Be The Generation That Loses American Democracy
May 9, 2025
‘Serious threatâ: Trump admin pushes extreme
deportation powers amid constitutional crisis warnings
Top Trump adviser Stephen Miller said the administration is âlooking atâ ways to end due process protections for unauthorized immigrants who are in the country.
MSNBCâs Antonia Hylton is joined by Jelani Cobb, Dean of Graduate School of Journalism for Columbia University, and Julian Zelizer, history professor at Princeton. Plus, the panel discusses the arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka during a congressional visit to a New Jersey ICE facility.
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May 9, 2025
‘Never seen anything like it in my life’
New Jersey Congressman Robert Menendez, who was on the ground when the Mayor of Newark Ras Baraka was arrested, details what happened for Nicolle Wallace.
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May 9, 2025
âThis is un-Americanâ
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, who was present when Baraka was arrested, joins The Weeknight to share her eyewitness account.
May 9, 2025
Newark mayor reacts to critics who
say his arrest was a publicity stunt
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka joins CNNâs Kaitlan Collins to discuss his arrest at a federal immigration detention center and responds to claims made by acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, Alina Habba.
May 10, 2025
Congressman to FORCE Trump Impeachment Vote
Congressman Shri Thanedar, who last week filed the first new articles of impeachment against Trump, breaks the news on Lights On that he will force an impeachment vote in the U.S. House of Representatives in the coming days.
May 11, 2025
âVery, very dangerousâ: Chinaâs stark warning
over Trumpâs tariffs
How Donald Trumpâs world tariff turmoil is already causing grief for Aussies.
May 13, 2025
Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI) Read Articles Of
Impeachment Against President Donald Trump
On The House Floor
May 14, 2025
Schiff Takes To Senate Floor to Lay Out
Trump’s 10 Most Corrupt Acts So Far
May 14, 2025
Bruce Springsteenâs Message to America:
A Protest. A Prayer. A Wake-Up Call.
Bruce Springsteen opened his new tour tonight not with fanfareâbut with a warning. From a stage in Manchester, he sent a message home. Not of glory daysâbut of grief, resilience, and reckoning. Three songs. Three statements. A country in crisis. This is what it looks like when an artist holds a mirror to America.
May 15, 2025
How Trump has made billions as president
On this episode, The Washington Post’s Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin, James Hohmann and JM Rieger break down how President Trump is trying to remake Washington in a MAGA image â from hanging huge photos of himself from federal buildings to taking over cultural institutions and firing people, in some cases, seemingly for their gender or skin color.
Then, the crew breaks down Trump’s long history of financial conflicts of interest with the presidency, how he has ignored norms, how past presidents have divested from those conflicts of interest â and the vast amounts of money Trump has made in the early months of his second presidency.
Plus, the crew reveals the weirdest gifts in presidential history â and whether or not presidents got to keep them.
May 16, 2025
Trump business deals revive questions
about his family profiting off the presidency
This week, President Trump visited three Middle Eastern nations where his family has deep business ties. Over the past month, billions of dollars have poured into Trump-owned companies. It has revived longstanding questions about whether the financial windfalls are influencing policy. White House correspondent Laura BarrĂłn-LĂłpez reports.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
May 16, 2025
Not Moral Behavior – Sen. Sanders On The GOPâs
Plan For Funding Trumpâs Billionaire Tax Cuts
Senator Bernie Sanders calls out the greed of Americaâs billionaire class and expresses his disgust with Republicans who plan to cut life-saving assistance for the needy in order to fund tax cuts for those billionaires. Stick around for three more segments with Senator Sanders.
2 – Fear Of Retribution From AIPAC Keeps Many Democrats From Speaking Up About Gaza
3 – “If You Sit Back And Do Nothing, They Will Take It All.” – Sen. Sanders On America’s Oligarchy
4 – Why Sen. Sanders Urged Paramount Not To Settle With President Trump
May 16, 2025
We Need to Talk About Jeanine Pirro…
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May 23, 2025
We Need to Talk About Kristi Noem
REPORTS
May 17, 2025
Kristi Noem more interested in ICE âcosplayingâ
than doing her job: Rep. Garcia tells DHS Secy. to resign
The Trump administration claims some parents who have been deported chose to bring their young U.S. citizen children with them, something the families dispute as they struggle to overcome hurdles to get their kids home.
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) joins Alex Witt to discuss the Trump administrationâs immigration policies and a contentious hearing with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem this week.
May 17, 2025
Interviews with Ukrainian President and his wife
From 2025, 2023 and 2022, Scott Pelley’s interviews with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the war with Russia. And from 2022, Pelley’s interview with Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska.
May 18, 2025
Clinical Psychologist John Gartner makes
LIVE DIAGNOSIS of Trump’s Mental Illness
As Donald Trumpâs mental acuity continues to decline, Dr John Gartner joins Anthony Davis on The Weekend Show to discuss the senile dementia, mental health and personality issues that the President clearly presents, and how his verbal gibberish is ignored by the corporate media who refuse to acknowledge the danger of his decision making.
July 18, 2024
Projection
Dealing With the Defense Mechanism of Projection
How to cope when someone accuses you of their behavior.
The Mechanics of Projection
Projection typically stems from the need to avoid conflict or discomfort. For example, someone angry about missing out on a promotion might accuse a coworker of being angry or hostile, shifting the emotional burden. For some, projection is an unconscious behavior that helps them deny those behaviors or thoughts. They may be utterly convinced that you are the one at fault. Others may purposefully use projection to confuse someone. This way, they are more likely to get away with problematic behavior. Whether projection is unconscious or purposeful, itâs crucial to remember that the person projecting is fully responsible for their behavior.
Signs of Projection
Recognizing when someone is projecting can be tricky, but there are signs:
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Inconsistency: There is an inconsistency in the behaviors you are accused of in projection. The behaviors or thoughts someone accuses you of donât match what you know about yourself or the feedback you receive from others.
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Defensiveness: The projector might get highly defensive when you say that a behavior they falsely attribute to you is actually their behavior. They may fly into a rage and tell you that you are being abusive (another projection).
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Blame shifting: Frequent shifting of responsibility for oneâs emotions or actions onto others is a common trait in projection. The person is putting the psychological burden on the other person.
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Changing the narrative: By using projection, a person successfully changes the topic of the conversation away from their inappropriate behavior. They have once again avoided identifying and taking responsibility for their behavior.
Being on the receiving end of projection can be emotionally draining and confusing. It can lead to self-doubt and concerns about your emotional well-being. Over time, this can strain relationships, especially if the projection is persistent and is part of other potentially abusive behaviors.
May 18, 2025
Weâre Experts in Fascism. Weâre Leaving the U.S.
Legal residents of the United States sent to foreign prisons without due process. Students detained after voicing their opinions. Federal judges threatened with impeachment for ruling against the administrationâs priorities.
In this Opinion video, Marci Shore, Timothy Snyder and Jason Stanley, all professors at Yale and experts in authoritarianism, explain why America is especially vulnerable to a democratic backsliding â and why they are leaving the United States to take up positions at the University of Toronto.
Professor Stanley is leaving the United States as an act of protest against the Trump administrationâs attacks on civil liberties. âI want Americans to realize that this is a democratic emergency,â he said.
Professor Shore, who has spent two decades writing about the history of authoritarianism in Central and Eastern Europe, is leaving because of what she sees as the sharp regression of American democracy. âWeâre like people on the Titanic saying our ship canât sink,â she said. âAnd what you know as a historian is that there is no such thing as a ship that canât sink.â
She borrows from political and apolitical Slavic motifs and expressions, arguing that the English language does not fully capture the democratic regression in this American moment.
Professor Snyderâs reasons are more complicated. Primarily, heâs leaving to support his wife, Professor Shore, and their children, and to teach at a large public university in Toronto, a place he says can host conversations about freedom. At the same time, he shares the concerns expressed by his colleagues and worries that those kinds of conversations will become ever harder to have in the United States.
âI did not leave Yale because of Donald Trump or because of Columbia or because of threats to Yale â but that would be a reasonable thing to do, and that is a decision that people will make,â he wrote in a Yale Daily News article explaining his decision to leave.
Their motives differ but their analysis is the same: ignoring or downplaying attacks on the rule of law, the courts and universities spells trouble for our democracy.
DEADLINE | WHITE HOUSE
May 19, 2025
âItâs not my first rodeoâ: James Comey speaks out
after controversial social media post
Former FBI Director James Comey joins Nicolle Wallace on Deadline White House for the first time since controversy erupted due to a social media post by James Comey, where he posted a photo of the numbers â8647â spelled out with shells on the beach. Comey has expressed regret for the post, spoken out against any and all political violence.
May 20, 2025
Top U.S. & World Headlines
May 20, 2025
Jamie Raskin fires back at GOP lawmakers
during a House Judiciary Committee Hearing on Tues.
May 20, 2025
Brian interviews Hakeem Jeffries about
Trump’s budget lies
âSoft Landingâ by Barry Blitt
May 20, 2025
Sources contradict Trump narrative
about Qatar offering plane as âgiftâ
The Trump administration first approached Qatar to inquire about acquiring a Boeing 747 that could be used as Air Force One by President Donald Trump, four sources familiar with the discussions told CNN. Thatâs contrary to the narrative from the president that Qatar reached out and offered the jet as a âgiftâ to him.
May 20, 2025
Gov. Walz says ICE is ‘Trump’s modern-day Gestapo’
Gov. Walz is facing pushback from the Department of Homeland Security after he compared ICE to the Nazi police force the Gestapo while speaking at a University of Minnesota Law School graduation over the weekend.
Breaking News
from Washington and beyond
/ May 20, 2025
Trump Spirals at Kennedy Center Dinner: âIâll Shove It Up Their Assâ
The President of the United States, everyone
Donald Trump ranted and raved during a speech to Kennedy Center trustees Monday night, complaining about the 2020 election.
At the White House event, Trump bragged about bringing the upcoming Olympics and World Cup to the United States before segueing into the 2020 election.
âWe got the Olympics, and then we got, through [FIFA head Gianni Infantino], heâs the boss, heâs a friend of mine, we got the World Cup,â Trump said. âI got them both, and I said, âMan, I wonât be president and theyâre gonna forget that I got them. Nobodyâs gonna mention it.ââ
Then he went into his pet subject how the 2020 election was stolen from him.
âAnd then they rigged the election, and then I said, âYou know what Iâll do? Iâll run again and Iâll shove it up their ass,ââ Trump told the audience.
May 21, 2025
14 Exclusive Interviews on the GOP Tax Scam
By Ben Meiselas
Earlier, I told you that the MeidasTouch Network was assembling a team to go line-by-line through the GOP tax bill and that I had a dozen interviews lined up with Members of Congress to break it all down. Well⌠I underestimated. I ended up doing fourteen interviews today.
May 21, 2025
10 U.S. States Considering a Move to Canada —
Is Secession Inevitable?
What if some U.S. states, disillusioned with federal politics or drawn to Canadaâs stability, decided to break away and join the Great White North? It may sound like a wild idea, but the ties between certain U.S. states and Canada are stronger than everâand secession might not be as far-fetched as you think.
In this thought-provoking documentary by The Global Lens, we explore 10 U.S. States Considering a Move to Canada â Is Secession Inevitable? From Michiganâs deep economic and cultural connections to Canada, to Vermontâs long-standing independence movement, and even Alaskaâs strategic Arctic tiesâdiscover why these states are rethinking their place in the Union.
Why is this happening? From political polarization and economic instability to ideological alignment and environmental concerns, we analyze the reasons behind this quiet shift. Could a major crisis in the U.S. push these states toward independenceâor toward Canada?
May 21, 2025
Trumpâs Brain Drain: Scientists Look to Move
Abroad as DOGE Slashes Research Funding in U.S.
Cuts by the Trump administration are beginning to âchaseâ U.S.-based scientists at federal agencies and research institutions out of the country. âWeâre draining our scientific talent,â says environmental journalist Robert Hunziker, who explains how China and European countries are offering positions for scientists laid off, fired or pushed out by Trump and DOGEâs mass culling of federal workers and funding.
The massive U.S. âbrain drainâ is a âbrain gainâ for other countries, adds Hunziker, and comes as the Trump administration also cracks down on university curriculums and targets international students for its mass deportation initiative.
The BEAT
May 22, 2025
Ari Melber reports on one of the
largest grifts in White House history
President Trump is raking in money and gifts for himself, while demanding sacrifice from most Americans paying higher prices for his trade war.
May 22, 2025
What does the Trump administration
want from Harvard University?
The United States government has halted Harvard Universityâs ability to enroll international students and ordered existing international students at the university to transfer or lose their legal status. Alex Usher, president of education consultancy Higher Education Strategy Associates, shares his insights with CNA’s Asia First on the implications of the Trump administration’s move.
May 22, 2025
WH to Harvard: Enrolling international
students ‘a privilege, not a right’
âHarvard can no longer enroll foreign students, and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status,â the US Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.
Kristi Noem ordered her department to terminate Harvardâs Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification, citing the universityâs refusal to turn over the conduct records of foreign students requested by the DHS last month.
May 22, 2025
Georgetown scholar says he was
‘chained, shackled’ in ICE detention
In their first broadcast interview since his release from ICE detention, Georgetown scholar Badar Khan Suri and his wife, Mapheze Saleh, spoke to PBS News’ Laura BarrĂłn-LĂłpez about Khan Suri’s recent release after nearly two months in a detention facility in Texas. The Trump administration accused Suri of “spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media” — an accusation he denies.
“One should, at this time, show courage, because courage is also contagious. We need to break the cycle of chilling effect,” Suri said when asked about why he’s speaking out now about his case.
“This country promised me the right of free speech,” Saleh said when addressing why she speaks out about what is happening in Palestine â where she was raised. “If today it’s Palestine, then whoâs next?â
May 23, 2025
A U.S. military wife from Australia is sharing her story after she was detained by border officials at the Honolulu airport.
May 23, 2025
Mary Trump on Donald Trump
Exclusive Interview with The Daily T
In Part 2 of The Daily T’s exclusive deep-dive into the controversial legacy of Donald J. Trump, host Kamal sits down with Dr. Mary L. Trump â psychologist, best-selling author, and outspoken critic of her uncle, the 47th President of the United States.
Mary Trump, daughter of Fred Trump Jr. (Donald Trumpâs older brother), offers a rare, insider perspective on the deeply dysfunctional Trump family dynamic. She describes a toxic, misogynistic household where, as she puts it, âcruelty was currency.â Her insights shed light on the psychological forces that have shaped Donald Trumpâs personality, leadership style, and political strategy. Labelling her uncle a ânarcissistâ and âthe worldâs most dangerous man,â Mary Trump delves into the lasting impact of generational trauma, emotional neglect, and the ruthless ambition that defines the Trump family legacy.
This powerful conversation also shifts to current political fallout, including Vice President Kamala Harrisâs stunning loss in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Mary Trump weighs in on President Joe Bidenâs declining health, the disastrous debate performance that rocked the Democratic Party, and the path forward for Democrats hoping to reclaim the White House in 2028.
Whether you’re a political analyst, psychology enthusiast, or just trying to make sense of Americaâs tumultuous political landscape, this episode provides a compelling look at one of the most polarising figures in modern historyâfrom the family member who knows him best.
May 23, 2025
Is This the Fall of the American Empire?
May 23, 2025
âA new kind of coupâ: Authoritarianism Historian
Ruth Ben-Ghiat unpacks Trumpâs playbook
US President Trumpâs relentless attacks on institutions, the rule of law and the press have left many fearing for the future of American democracy. So is the United States sliding into authoritarianism?
This week on UpFront, Marc Lamont Hill speaks to one of the pre-eminent historians of fascism, Professor of History and Italian Studies at New York University, Ruth Ben-Ghiat.
May 24, 2025
Merkley tells Rubio his actions led to
‘the death of hundreds of thousands of children’
At Wednesday’s Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) questioned Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
May 24, 2024
Harvard professor hits back at Trump administration
David Armitage, a History professor at Harvard University, has hit back at the Trump administration as it tries to remove the University’s ability to enrol foreign students.
Speaking to Matt Frei on LBC, Armitage said the Trump administration has a ‘fear of critical thought, fear of a civil society that does not knuckle down to MAGA ideology’.
Harvard has announced legal action against the US government over a ban on allowing foreign students. The legal action comes after the federal government revoked Harvard’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) and stripped the University of its authority to sponsor F- and J- visas for international students.
In a statement, Harvard’s President Alan M. Garber said: “The revocation continues a series of government actions to retaliate against Harvard for our refusal to surrender our academic independence and to submit to the federal governmentâs illegal assertion of control over our curriculum, our faculty, and our student body.”
The statement condemned the “unlawful and unwarranted action”, and added: “We have just filed a complaint, and a motion for a temporary restraining order will follow. As we pursue legal remedies, we will do everything in our power to support our students and scholars.”
Harvard enrols almost 6,800 foreign students at its campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Most are graduate students and they come from more than 100 countries.
May 26, 2025
Cory Booker: These Are The Three Most Concerning
Trump DOJ Moves That Demand Investigations
At Thursday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) spoke about the threat of antisemitism and the continued flights of migrants to foreign nations.
THE POLITICAL SCENE
DONALD TRUMPâS
POLITICS OF
PLUNDER
The greed of the new Administration has
galvanized America’s aspiring oligarchsâand
their opponents.
May 26, 2025
DEADLINE | WHITEHOUSE
May 27, 2025
‘Utter and shameless transaction’: How Trump
has normalized profiting off of the White House
Staff writer for The New Yorker, Evan Osnos, joins Nicolle Wallace to discuss Donald Trump’s pay-to-play attitude when it comes to the Oval Office.
Politics Chat, May 27, 2025
In which I try to answer your questions about modern politics…
Firstpost News with Palki Sharma
May 28, 2025
LIVE: Former Russian President Threatens Trump
with World War III Over Putin Comments | N18G
Russia’s former president Dmitry Medvedev has warned Donald Trump of World War III amid the US president’s public spat with Putin. On Tuesday, Trump had doubled down on his criticism against Putin, saying he was “playing with fire”. Is the Trump-Putin bromance over? How did Trump’s push for peace descend into warnings of a world war?
#russia #vladimirputin #worldwar3
May 28, 2025
Cory Booker on Trump Attacking Springsteen and
Republicans Needing to Stand Up for What’s Right
Senator Cory Booker talks about the importance of artists and comedy, Trump insulting Bruce Springsteen, the issues going on at Newark Airport, Trump grifting over and over again, Republicans fearing him, the need to stand up for whatâs right, and the dangers of Trumpâs Big, Beautiful Bill.
The BEAT
May 28, 2025
Comic roasts Trump, Obama, McConnell & gets LOLs
from Obama to hosts at MSNBC and Fox
Comic Matt Friend brings the laughs with spot-on impressions of President Trump, JD Vance, Hakeem Jeffries, Barack Obama, and more in this special comedy interview on âThe Beat.â Friend also talks about the importance of comedy in politics.
Feb. 22, 2025
TRUMP WANTS CANADA as the 51st STATE!
See 51 witty political cartoons by the best Canadian cartoonists about Donald Trump wanting to make Canada the 51st state! Canada is angry and the cartoonists are hilarious! Funny, sharp witted, brilliant Canucks take Trump down!
April 20, 2025
A Satirical Folk Ballad of Trumpâs Fall
This satirical folk ballad chronicles the dramatic downfall of Donald Trump â from golden toilets to courtroom subpoenas.
With haunting verses, dark humour, and biting historical irony, âThe Night They Drove Old Donnie Downâ is a protest anthem for the ages. From Mar-a-Lago delusions to Truth Social delusions, this song takes aim at the circus, the grift, and the fall of an American reality show turned real-life indictment tour.
May 8, 2025
âYou Canât Fix Stupidâ â Funny Country Song
From creek-jumping Fords to zoo-feeding daredevils, this hilarious country anthem celebrates lifeâs unfixable moments. âYou Canât Fix Stupidâ is the ultimate ode to human⌠letâs call it character, with a toe-tapping beat thatâll have you laughing (and maybe crying) at the stubbornness of the world.
March 13, 2025
âPutinâs Puppetâ (Country Music version)
A satirical music video looking at the relationship and admiration that Comrade Donald Trump has with Vladimir Putin. Russian asset Donald Trump seems to do Putinâs bidding to destabilize the west. Have you ever noticed that Donald Trump seems to admire Russia and Putin more than his allies and closest friends? Is it a bromance or something else?
There werenât any additional or retaliatory tariffs placed on Russia, so one has to wonder.
Truth Grooves is a music video parody, social commentary and satire channel. Truth Grooves is an Anti-Trump radio station playing Anti-Trump music videos and Trump protest songs. All Anti-Donald Trump music lyrics are written by humans. All Anti-Trump music is produced using AI. All Anti-Donald Trump videos and images are AI-generated.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May 15, 2025
âThe 11th Provinceâ â Pro-Canadian,
Anti-Trump Pop Song
May 27, 2025
“If Not You…” (Dr. Hook Parody)
I heard the old Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show song, “If Not You”, the other night. It inspired me to write a parody about our POTUS. I used AI comicbook images, actual headlines, and memes to make the video…
May 28, 2025
NEW HIT SINGLE â âTaco, Taco, Tacoâ
Featuring street parades, hip-hop dancers, a giant inflatable chicken, Mexican celebrities, and a funky Latin-pop beat that slaps harder than a NAFTA renegotiation.
13 Best TACO Trump Memes
âTrump Always Chickens Outâ
May 29, 2025
These were my favorite memes from social media on Trumpâs new name.
If you missed my Bulletin on everything that happened in politics today, you can find it here.
with Mike Figueredo
May 29, 2025
Some Political Scientists Now Designate
America as an Authoritarian Regime
Donald Trump has pushed American democracy to its breaking pointâŚbut are we technically still a democracy? Have we officially crossed the line into authoritarianism? If so, can we revert back to democracy at some point? These questions are answered by political scientists and historians including Steven Levitsky, Lucan Way, Daniel Ziblatt, Timothy Snyder, Jason Stanley and Marci Shore. In this video weâll discuss their expert opinions.
Sources:
The Guardian – theguardian.com/commentis…
Politico – politico.com/news/2025/05…
Esquire – esquire.com/news-politics…
The New York Times – nytimes.com/2025/05/08/op…
Common Dreams – commondreams.org/opinion…
WASHINGTON WEEK with The Atlantic
May 30, 2025
Full Episode – Power & Profit
Most presidents wait until they leave the White House to cash in, but President Trump takes a different approach. If thereâs a way to make money off the presidency, heâs on it. Join moderator Jeffrey Goldberg, Peter Baker of The New York Times, Leigh Ann Caldwell of Puck, and Stephen Hayes of The Dispatch, to discuss this and more.
June 2, 2025
âOut Of His Mindâ: Critics Aghast At Trump’s
âDetached From Realityâ New Message
The president shared a bizarre conspiracy theory about Joe Biden.
President Donald Trump shares a lot of outlandish messages on his social media pages, but critics say a single repost over the weekend might be his most âunhingedâ yet.
Trump on Saturday night reposted a message on Truth Social claiming that former President Joe Biden had been executed in 2020 and replaced by âclones doubles & robotic engineered soulless mindless entities.â
June 2, 2025
This Fascist Move by Trump’s DOJ
Should Terrify You
In a move that shocked legal experts and civil rights advocates alike, Trumpâs Department of Justice deployed armed U.S. Marshals to the home of former pardon attorney Liz Oyer â just days before her scheduled congressional testimony. Her crime? Refusing to restore gun rights to actor Mel Gibson, a known Trump supporter, and speaking out about political interference within the DOJ. Jayar Jackson breaks it down.
June 3, 2025
Trump “hell-bent” on “revenge against me and
my family” | White House whistleblower Miles Taylor
Miles Taylor, a Trump White House whistleblower, who worked under the President during his first term in office, tells Victoria Derbyshire about the impact of being put under an investigation order and being accused of âtreasonâ by President Trump.
June 5, 2025
Why Does Israel Suddenly
Want President Trump Dead?
June 5, 2025
Jon Stewart exposes ABC, CBS, Amazon
ALL paying Trump “protection money”
Jon Stewart just exposed the most shocking political scandal of 2025 – America’s biggest corporations are paying Trump BILLIONS in protection money! I break down how ABC paid $15 million, Amazon dropped $40 million on a Melania documentary nobody wants, and CBS is being extorted for $25 million plus a public apology.
This isn’t campaign donations – this is straight-up mob boss extortion while he’s President. Stewart revealed how these corporate cowards are funding democracy’s destruction one protection payment at a time. Law firms pledged nearly $1 BILLION in free services to Trump. Even Stewart himself might lose his show because Paramount would rather pay up than protect free speech.
This is how democracies die – not in coups, but in conference rooms where executives decide conscience is too expensive.
June 5, 2025
Why Elon Threw The Epstein Bomb at Trump
Joanna Coles calls an emergency podcast for the biggest fall-out in political history: Donald Trump and Elon Musk. And it’s the perfect guest to explain EVERYTHING: Michael Wolff, the Trump biographerâwho already predicted what would happen. He unpacks a “nuclear” break-up and why Musk has used the weapon Trump fears most: Jeffrey Epstein.
Wolff reveals his own extraordinary moment of interviewing Trump and what happened when he raised the pedophile financier. He talks about the predator and the president’s long friendship. And he explains why Musk is now Trump’s perfect enemyâbigger than Harvard and of course the Democrats.
June 6, 2025
Musk vs. Trump? Quinn Slobodian
on the risks of Billionaire Rule
Is the Donald Trump-Elon Musk bromance finally over? President Trump is threatening to cut off billions of dollars in federal contracts with Musk after the two billionaires engaged in a dramatic online feud just days after Musk called Trump’s budget bill a “disgusting abomination.”
Musk appeared to back the impeachment of Trump and claimed the president is named in the Jeffrey Epstein files. “They are people who always have their eye on the bottom line, but they also are, obviously, titanically sized egos,” says author Quinn Slobodian, professor of international history at Boston University, who is working on a new book about Elon Musk. “This is just a sign of how dangerous it is to put ⌠the whole future of the American economy and the political scene in the hands of two sole human beings.”
ALL IN with Chris Hayes
June 6, 2025
‘Big bomb’: Trump’s Epstein ties
thrust back into spotlight by Musk
Chris Hayes: The MAGA right has clung to the Epstein files as an anti-liberal Holy Grail. But Trump has been at the center of the scandal the whole time.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics
June 6, 2025
Trump is the most corrupt president in history.
Hereâs why.
President Trump is poised to be even more corrupt than he was in his first term.
Americaâs founders were deeply concerned about presidential corruptionâso much so that they put two provisions in the Constitution to guard against it. They would have been outraged about the ways Trump has funneled taxpayer money to his own businesses and made money from foreign governments.
CREW Executive Director Donald Sherman breaks down Trumpâs conflicts of interests, why theyâre so dangerous and why theyâre only getting worse.
LIVE: Anti-Trump, anti-billionaire protest
disrupts Manhattan gala
Started streaming on June 6, 2025
June 7, 2025
Who on Earth Is Curtis Yarvin?
From American Conversations, June 6, 2025 featuring Gil Duran.
Duran was early in recognizing that the technology elite had a dystopian vision for human society. We’ll get to hear from him about dystopian blogger Curtis Yarvin, the idea of a “network state,” and what tech bros imagine for our future.
June 7, 2025
Scott Pelley: ‘You cannot have democracy
without journalism’
CNN’s Anderson Cooper speaks with “60 Minutes” anchor Scott Pelley about the importance of journalism and the First Amendment.
June 8, 2025
Trump’s biographer reveals the real reason Musk
fell out with the US president | David Cay Johnston
Superpowers: The future of global security
June 8, 2025
Still think Russia is winning?
Russia thought Ukraine would fall in 72 hours. Three years later, it’s lost nearly a million troops, crippled its econonmy, and still holds just 20% of Ukraine.
June 8, 2025
What does Ukraine’s drone attack on
Russia say about the future of warfare?
CNN’s Fareed Zakaria talks with former NATO Supreme Allied Commander retired Adm. James Stavridis and military strategist Christopher Kirchhoff about the future of war.
June 9, 2025
L.A. Under Siege: Trump Sends in National Guard
as Protests Continue over Militarized ICE Raids
In Los Angeles, mass street protests have broken out in response to immigration raids. Local police and Border Patrol are cracking down on protesters, while the Trump administration has called in the California National Guard.
“They shot thousands of rounds of tear gas, of flashbang grenades, of all kinds of repressive instruments,” says Ron Gochez, community organizer with Union del Barrio who helped organize some of the protests.
He notes many of the protests have also been successful at turning back immigration agents, preventing ICE arrests and detention. “If we organize ourselves, if we resist, we can defend our communities from ICE terror, from the Border Patrol or from any federal agency that wishes to separate our families.”
June 10, 2025
Trump says he will ‘liberate’ Los Angeles in speech
to mark the 250th anniversary of the Army
By Chris Megerian and Michelle L. Price, Associated Press
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) â President Donald Trump called protesters in Los Angeles âanimalsâ and âa foreign enemyâ in a speech at Fort Bragg on Tuesday as he defended deploying the military on demonstrators opposed to his immigration enforcement raids and as he vowed to âliberateâ the West Coast city.
Trump, in his most aggressive language yet regarding the protests, used a speech ostensibly supposed to be used to recognize the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army to denounce the protesters while repeating his false statements about the 2020 election being rigged and attacking the previous commander in chief, former President Joe Biden.
The Republican president, who sees the military as a critical tool for domestic goals, has used the recent protests in Los Angeles as an opportunity to deploy the National Guard and U.S. Marines over the objections of Californiaâs Democratic governor. Protesters blocked a major freeway and set cars on fire over the weekend in Los Angeles, but the demonstrations in the city of 4 million people have largely been centered in several blocks of downtown.
âWe will not allow an American city to be invaded and conquered by a foreign enemy. Thatâs what they are,â Trump said Tuesday.
Trumpâs heated rhetoric came as he has left open the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act, one of the most extreme emergency powers available to the president. It authorizes him to deploy military forces inside the U.S. to suppress rebellion or domestic violence or to enforce the law in certain situations.
Trump received plenty of cheers from the crowd, which laughed at the presidentâs jokes and delighted in his dancing to his campaign anthem of â YMCA.â However, some members of the audience were uneasy with certain aspects of his remarks.
June 10, 2025
My thoughts on whatâs going on in Los Angeles
Trumpâs deployment of the National Guard in California is not about the protests. It is about expanding his never-ending grasp for more power. It is about moving this country toward authoritarianism.
All Americans must stand together against this gross abuse of power.
June 10, 2025
Trump deployed troops in LA to break America
and become a dictator | Joe Walsh
âTrump is trying to break this countryâŚburn the country down so that it can be remade in his image.â
“President Trump is lying about the scale of unrest in Los Angeles to purposely incite violence and efforts to take authoritarian control of America,” says former Republican congressman Joe Walsh.
June 10, 2025
American Concentration Camps
Once a regime starts to send people to concentration camps â including those in El Salvador â it creates a system of detention that eschews due process and disappears citizens into black holes.
Read the article here: chrishedges.substack.com/p/american-concentration-camps
June 10, 2025
Chaos & Cruelty: Trump Deploys Thousands
of Soldiers to Put Down Anti-ICE Protests in L.A.
President Trump has inflamed tensions over immigration raids in Los Angeles, which his top adviser Stephen Miller described as an insurrection.
“They want protesters to react violently to distract from what is really happening, which is that families are being separated, our communities are being devastated, and the people of Los Angeles are standing up to say, ‘We will not stand for this,'” says Jean Guerrero, New York Times contributing opinion writer and author of Hatemonger: Stephen Miller, Donald Trump, and the White Nationalist Agenda.
June 10, 2025
A 9-Year-Old’s Letter to the President
“You Call This Great?” | Heartbreaking Protest Song
THE RESISTANCE
June 11, 2025
Indictment of Donald Trump
On Trump using the army against unarmed citizens and his plans to visit Canada as part of the G7 meetings. We need to be very clear about the threat posed to democracy, the rule of law and Canadian sovereignty.
June 11, 2025
STEPHEN MILLER
TRIGGERS LOS ANGELES
The protesters gathered in downtown L.A. are a microcosm
of the Democratic coalition that has dominated the city for
decades.
By Nick Miroff
Photographs by Robert LeBlanc
During a lull in the chanting outside the federal building targeted by protesters in downtown Los Angeles this week, I walked up behind a hooded young man wearing a mask and carrying a can of spray paint. He began to deface the marble facade in big black letters. WHEN TYRANNY BECOMES LAW, REBELLION BECOMES DUTYâTHOMAS JEFFERSON, he wrote, adding his tag, SMO, in smaller font.
DEADLINE | WHITE HOUSE
June 12, 2025
Nicolle Wallace calls out Kristi Noemâs lie over
Sen. Alex Padillaâs handcuffing and forced removal
Ben Rhodes, former Deputy National Security Advisor joins Nicolle Wallace on Deadline White House with reaction to the incident involving California Senator Alex Padilla where he was forcibly removed from a press conference held by Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, and the lies being spewed about the incident by Noem and her department.
June 12, 2025
Trump Addresses Members Of Congress
At White House Congressional Picnic
The BEAT
June 12, 2025
‘Goons’: See top Dem erupt at Trump DHS
going ‘Putin’ in cuffing Senator
Democratic Senator Alex Padilla of California was forcibly removed and handcuffed after speaking up at Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noemâs press conference. MSNBCâs Ari Melber and former California Senator Barbara Boxer discuss.
June 12, 2025
‘This Is What Dictatorships Look Like’: Van Hollen
Decries The Removal Of Padilla From DHS Hearing
During remarks on the Senate floor on Thursday, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) spoke about Sen. Alex Padilla’s (D-CA) removal from a DHS press briefing.
June 12, 2025
‘It’s all BS coming from Trump’: Sen. Padilla gets
emotional after forcible removal from DHS presser
Watch the full interview Sen. Alex Padilla gave FIRST ON MSNBC where he talks about getting forcibly removed and hand-cuffed from a Department of Homeland Security press conference. Padilla breaks down the video of the incident and also reveals a meeting he had with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem after it. Padilla gets emotional talking about the treatment of immigrants from the Trump administration.
June 12, 2025
Gavin Newsom on the LA Protests,
Trump’s Response and Why It’s a
Defining Moment for Democracy
California’s Governor, Gavin Newsom, says that President Trump’s decision to send federal troops into Los Angeles is a âbrazen abuse of powerâ and a defining moment for both the democratic party and American democracy.
The Dailyâs host, Michael Barbaro, sits down with the governor for a conversation about Trump, illegal immigration, the protests, and how he thinks that the standoff in LA has come to an end.
The LAST WORD
June 12, 2025
Leader Jeffries: Trump exposed for
âfraudulentâ ICE raids in Los Angeles
House Democratic Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries joins MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell to react to a federal judge granting a temporary restraining order halting Donald Trump’s deployment of the California National Guard and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles.
June 12, 2025
Trump can keep National Guard in LA
for now after appeals court blocks order
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday temporarily blocked a federal judge’s order that directed President Donald Trump to return control of National Guard troops to California after he deployed them there following protests in Los Angeles over immigration raids.
The TAKEOUT with Major Garrett
June 12, 2025
California mayor describes psychological
impact of ICE raids on his community
The threat of ICE agents targeting workplaces is spreading fear across the U.S., according to the mayor of Montebello, California. Mayor Salvador Melendez joins “The Takeout” to discuss his community’s fears over the Trump administration’s deportation efforts.
June 12, 2025
19-Year-Old Shares Her Harrowing
ICE Detention Experience
June 12, 2025
Whatâs Really Behind the LA ICE Protests
Whatâs fueling the protests in Los Angeles? In this compelling analysis, Noam Chomsky dives deep into the truth behind the LA ICE protests, exploring how immigration raids, media manipulation, and systemic control are shaping public reaction. As thousands take to the streets, Chomsky reveals how government actions and media silence work together to manufacture consent and suppress dissent.
Are we seeing the consequences of unchecked power in a so-called democracy? Discover how militarized responses, economic anxiety, and disinformation are eroding civil liberties and fueling unrest in 2025. This video breaks down the hidden political and philosophical dynamics behind the chaos. A must-watch for anyone seeking truth in turbulent times.
Keywords: This video explores topics like LA ICE protests, immigration raids in Los Angeles, Noam Chomsky on media control, manufactured consent, protests in LA 2025, ICE operations, National Guard deployment, civil unrest, political philosophy, government surveillance, freedom of speech, social movements in America, media bias, and the militarization of public space.
June 12, 2025
Ex-U.S. Diplomat: Biden Spokesperson
Matthew Miller Has “Blood on His Hands”
Hala Rharrit was the Arabic-language spokesperson for the State Department before she resigned in 2024 to protest the Biden administration’s Gaza policy. She accuses her former colleague Matthew Miller of “careerism” after he recently admitted on a podcast that Israel has committed war crimes in Gaza, even though he regularly denied that while serving as a spokesperson for the State Department under Biden.
with Mike Figueredo
June 13, 2025
Trump Now Ushering in the Next Phase
of Authoritarianism: Violent Repression
Donald Trump is ramping up repressive tactics against protesters and political opponents, and things could get even worse if he invokes The Insurrection Act.
Progressive journalist Thom Hartmann warns that the emergency powers granted by The Insurrection Act could give him an excuse to âpostponeâ elections and officially solidify his status as a dictator. In this video weâll talk about this new phase of Trumpâs attempt to consolidate power and what it means going forward.
The LAST WORD
June 13, 2025
Protests demonstrate why, despite Trump’s actions,
America is still a democracy
MSNBCâs Ali Velshi details how Donald Trumpâs attempts to squash protest and dissent by deploying the military to Los Angeles â along with things like the handcuffing of a U.S. senator â are mobilizing protests against his agenda. M. Gessen joins to discuss the importance of not normalizing Trumpâs unlawful actions in order to keep America a democracy.
June 13, 2025
“Stand For The Light” – Uplifting People-Powered
Patriotic Protest Anthem
June 14, 2025
“We Won’t Back Down”
Joan Baez: “With God On Our Side” (1965)
April 30, 2014
“Words of Wonder” / “Get Up, Stand Up”
This Song Around The World features Keith Richards in collaboration with Roberto Luti, Titi Tsira and a number of worldwide musicians on a rendition of his reggae song, “Words of Wonder,” off 1992’s Main Offender.
This video also leads into a cover of Bob Marley’s “Get Up, Stand Up,” featuring Keb’ Mo’, Mermans Mosengo, Aztec Indians, Natalie Pa’apa’a of Blue King Brown, and Jamaican singer Sherita Lewis.
The 11th Hour
June 13, 2025
‘A sign of life’: Will 2,000 anti-Trump
protests have an impact?
Saturday is set to be an extraordinary day for our country as Americans take to the streets in all 50 states to protest the Trump administration. At the same time, Trump will be hosting an extravagant military parade that happens to fall on his birthday. Colonel Jack Jacobs, Anthony Fisher, Steve Liesman and Pablo Torre join Stephanie Ruhle for The 11th Hour Nightcap.
June 13, 2025
Why Elon’s DOGE mission was doomed
from the beginning | If You’re Listening
In news that basically everyone saw coming, the big beautiful bromance between Donald Trump and Elon Musk has finally come to an end.
Over the last week, there’s been a dramatic shift in Trump’s presidency – he’s publicly fighting with his former First buddy, judges are overruling his executive orders and there are protests in the streets of LA.
So for the next two episodes, weâre going to take a look at what led to this sudden shift – Trump’s summer of discontent. How it started and what it means for the future of the administration.
June 13, 2025
DONALD’S VANITY PARADE FACES
MOUNTING RESISTANCE
Resistance is mounting against Donald Trumpâs $45 million military parade. No Kings rallies will take place during the event, and everyone from an unlikely billionaire, to the Pope, to his own allies are turning against him.
June 13, 2025
Gen. McCrystal on Trump’s Military Parade
and the Need for National Character
President Trump is gearing up for a military parade this weekend to celebrate the 250th birthday of the U.S. Army. Trump was inspired by the pomp of a Bastille Day celebration he attended in France to stage something similar in the United States. But many — including Republicans — are skeptical about the event’s optics and cost.
Retired four-star general Stanley McChrystal, who has a deep understanding of U.S. military culture, has written a new book, On Character: Choices That Define a Life. He spoke with Walter Isaacson before Israel’s strikes on Iran began.
June 13, 2025
Rep. Ilhan Omar on Trump’s Authoritarianism
Democratic Congressmember Ilhan Omar of Minnesota joins Democracy Now! to discuss the increasing authoritarianism of the Trump administration, including its crackdown on anti-ICE protesters in Los Angeles, targeting of pro-Palestine students on college campuses and plans for a massive military parade coinciding with Trump’s birthday on June 14.
“We are in the midst of the creation of a police state,” says Omar. “It will be a dark day if we do not stand up for ourselves, for our Constitution and for our republic.”
June 14, 2025
WATCH LIVE: Trump’s military parade honoring Army’s 250th birthday rolls through Washington, D.C.
President Donald Trumpâs military parade to mark the U.S. Armyâs 250th birthday on Saturday will bring thousands of soldiers and dozens of massive military vehicles and aircraft to the National Mall.
Military parades of this scale are uncommon in the U.S. The last was in 1991, to mark the end of the first Gulf War.
Trump has heralded the celebration as a chance to celebrate the country and the “service and sacrifice” of soldiers. The president has also gotten political blowback over the parade, which will shut down roads and bridges around the city for days. Democrats have criticized the cost â up to $45 million â and accused Trump of making the day about himself. Veterans are divided over the event and a majority of Americans don’t feel like it’s a good use of money, according to an AP-NORC poll.
IN AMERICA,
WE DON’T
DO KINGS
They’ve defied our courts, deported
Americans, disappeared people off the
streets, attacked our civil rights, and
slashed our services. The corruption has
gone too far. No thrones, No crowns,
No kings.
June 14, 2025
“NO KINGS” Music Video
June 16, 2025
Trump administration
âThis is the looting of Americaâ: Trump and Coâs extraordinary conflicts of interest in his second term
Bitcoin, internet, EVs, private dinners for hire â the list of pay-for-play and quid quo pro goes on, and on ⌠and on.
Donald Trump speaks at a Bitcoin 2024 event in Nashville, Tennessee.
June 18, 2025
Isreal – Iran: how 46 years of proxy war
led to this conflict
The war between Israel and Iran has been building for decades and now itâs spiralling out of control – but how did we get to this point?
The new phase of this conflict began on June 13 with a huge wave of Israeli strikes on Iran, dealing damaging blows to Iranâs nuclear weapons program, and taking out key scientific and military personnel.
Iranâs response has been to fire missile and drone barrages, with some Israeli leaders speaking openly about regime change in Tehran.
But the threat of war between Israel and Iran has hung over the Middle East for more than forty years.
We take a closer look at the history between the two countries and some of the key events and alliances that help explain why Israel and Iran are at war, and why the outcome of the conflict ultimately comes down to Donald Trump and the USA.
REPORTS
June 18, 2025
‘These are Gestapo tactics’: NYC Comptroller
Brad Lander on being arrested by ICE agents
New York City Comptroller and Mayoral Candidate Brad Lander joins Ana Cabrera to detail being detained by ICE agents while serving as an advocate for defendants in immigration court, saying all he wanted to do was “to make sure there was due process.”
June 18, 2025
Teacher Fights Through Tears as
ICE Cruelty Reaches a New Low
The silence from major Los Angeles sports franchises like the Dodgers, Lakers, Kings, and others in the wake of massive anti-ICE protests, and the violence, brutality, and cruelty the protesters have been met with from law enforcement, one team, Angel City FC of the NWSL, has put the rest to shame with their powerful stance supporting the immigrant community while calling out the inhumanity of Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration. Rick Strom breaks it down.
The Briefing
June 18, 2025
Bad actors mimic masked ICE agents; Community
outraged over snatchings by unidentified agents
Jen Psaki looks at the problems of federal immigration agents hiding their identities with masks and refusing to identify themselves as they conduct raids and carry people away in unmarked cars. NBC News correspondent David Noriega reports live from a protest in Pasadena, California where locals are upset that friends and neighbors are being disappeared without notification or information.
June 19, 2025
2 car wash employees detained in
another LA ICE raid, witnesses say
A car wash in Glendale was the latest business in Los Angeles County to be raided by ICE agents, according to several witnesses and an immigration attorney who were at the scene.
It happened Thursday morning at the Glendale Classic Car Wash on Colorado Street. AIR7 was above the scene and captured at least one person, seen wearing a red shirt, in handcuffs being placed into a silver SUV.
Witnesses who spoke with Eyewitness News said the agents were in unmarked vehicles wearing masks and did not identify themselves. READ MORE: abc7.com/post/2-employees-detained-during-ice-raid-glendale-car-wash…
REPORTS
June 19, 2025
‘Really disturbing’: ICE detains man who
helped U.S. military in Afghanistan
Sayed Naser served as a civilian interpreter for the U.S. military in Afghanistan for three years. However, last week Naser was detained by ICE after a mandatory immigration parole hearing. Naser’s attorney Brian McGoldrick joins Katy Tur to share more about the case.
June 20, 2025
How ICE protests wrecked Trump’s
deportation plans | If You’re Listening
For the past week, weâve seen violence on the streets of America as anti-ICE protesters push back hard against the Trump administrationâs immigration policies.
In the early months of the Trump presidency it seemed like everything was going his way, but now thatâs changing, and fast, as his executive orders are challenged in the courts.
When it comes to stopping mass deportations, Americans are learning that protests can actually work.
These protestors arenât backing down, but neither is Trump. So, what does that mean for undocumented immigrants across the country and the future of the Trump administrationâs deportation plans?
June 20, 2025
“Two Weeks” (Beatles Inspired)
Trump has a hard two weeks’ night ahead of him. While he takes his time, let’s reflect on his many promises of two weeks. Beatles style!
June 20, 2025
‘Trump Does Not Own Our Country’: Greg Casar
Speaks At Bernie Sanders Rally In McAllen, Texas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
June 21, 2025
Man Directly Asks Bernie Sanders How Citizens
Can Stop Trump From Imposing Autocracy On The U.S.
At his “Fighting Oligarchy” rally in McAllen, Texas, on Friday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) was asked how citizens can combat an autocracy.
REPORTS
June 21, 2025
Trump ‘should have put America first’:
Top Dem condemns Iran bombing
Congressman Adam Smith, the Democratic leader of the House Armed Services Committee, condemns President Trump ordering U.S. strikes on Iranâs nuclear facilities. Smith says Trump did not seek authorization from Congress and is concerned the bombings could further escalate tensions.
The Brief
June 22, 2025
Iran Delivers New
Furious Threat After
U.S. Strikes
âThe warmongering and lawless Administration in
Washington is solely and fully reponsible for the
dangerous consequences and far-reaching
implications of its act of aggression.â
July-August 2025 Issue
Politics
The 4chan-Coded Ideology
Behind Elon Muskâs War on
Normies
Musk thinks autism makes him superhuman.
Just donât call it that.
In September, Elon Musk amplified a post from Autism Capitalâa pro-Trump X account that he often repostsâthat read: âOnly high T alpha males and aneurotypical people (hey autists!) are actually free to parse new information with an objective âis this true?â filter. This is why a Republic of high status males is best for decision making. Democratic, but a democracy only for those who are free to think.â Musk called the claim, which originated on the infamous web forum 4chan, an âinteresting observation.â His repost was viewed 20 million times.
June 22, 2025
Whistleblower John Dean sets the record straight
on Trump’s CRIMINAL Acts
The Court of History’s Sidney Blumenthal and Sean Wilentz are joined by legendary Watergate witness John Dean, who reveals new, never-before-heard stories about what really happened. Dean makes the case that Trump is far worse than Nixon â and helps unmask Trumpâs deepest impulses.
The 11th Hour
June 24, 2025
‘Damning allegation’: Trump ally at DOJ
suggested ignoring courts
A whistleblower complaint accuses Emil Bove of telling subordinates at the Justice Department that he was willing to ignore court orders to carry out the president’s aggressive deportation policies. Carol Leonnig and David Jolly join.
The LAST WORD
June 24, 2025
âFools, cowards, and liarsâ: Sen. Schiff on
Trumpâs Justice Department
Emil Bove, who Donald Trump has nominated to fill a U.S. appeals court vacancy, suggested the Trump administration should defy court orders, according to a whistleblower complaint. Sen. Adam Schiff, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joins MSNBCâs Lawrence OâDonnell ahead of Boveâs confirmation hearing to discuss the allegations against Bove.
June 25, 2025
Cory Booker Tells Emil Bove To His Face He Hopes
Evidence Will Come Out Proving He Lied to Senate
At today’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) questioned Emil Bove, nominee to be United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit, and current Deputy AG.
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June 25, 2025
‘Did You Suggest Telling The Courts F— You In Any
Manner?’: Schiff Gives Emil Bove The 3rd Degree
At today’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) questioned Emil Bove, nominee to be United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit, and current Deputy AG.
June 25, 2025
“Inhumane”: Marine Veteran Calls for ICE to Release
His Father as Video of Brutal Arrest Goes Viral
As ICE increases its raids on immigrant communities, footage of the arrest of one man, Narciso Barranco, shows seven federal agents â all masked â pinning the 48-year old gardener to the ground and repeatedly punching him in the head before pushing him into an unmarked vehicle. His son, Marine veteran Alejandro Barranco, recently visited him in an ICE detention center. âHe looked beat up, he looked rough, he looked defeated. He was sad. Itâs just not right,â he says.
Barranco, whose three children have all served in the U.S. military, was arrested while working as a landscaper at an IHOP restaurant in Santa Ana. âWe are seeing an extreme abuse of power on the screens of our phones,â says Santa Ana councilmember John Hernandez, who adds that Barranco is a âhardworking Santa Ana resident of over three decades, who has raised three children who have all decided to sacrifice their freedom for this country that we love.â
June 26, 2025
Legendary Civil Rights Activist Dolores Huerta on
Hope in Dark Times & What to Do If Detained by ICE
July 1, 2025
ICE data reveals the truth about immigrant detention â Here’s how you can view it
Did you know that ICE, the federal agency that oversees immigration enforcement, publishes a public spreadsheet showing exactly who is being held in immigration detention?
It gives you an up-to-date picture of what is going on around the country, and is available for anyone to look up at any time. And you can download the data and view it yourself at ice.gov/detain/detention-management
KPBS San Diego’s border reporter Gustavo Solis is here to show you how to access it. Read more at kpbs.org/news/border-immigration/2025/07/01/federal-data-reveals-the-truth-about-immigrant-detention
June 29, 2025
The Worst Presidents in American History
June 29, 2025
Donald Trump makes more remarks
about Canada being the 51st state
Political commentator Tom Mulcair discusses Donald Trumpâs latest remarks about Canada after ending trade talks.
July 1, 2025
“Trying to Find Food Is a Death Sentence”:
Palestinian Writer Muhammad Shehada on
Gaza Aid Massacres
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is visiting the United States next week to meet with President Donald Trump and other top officials in the U.S. administration, supposedly to “capitalize on the success” of the 12-day war against Iran.
This comes after nearly 21 months of Israel’s war on Gaza that has killed at least 56,000 Palestinians, with daily violence only increasing. “There’s basically an airstrike every other minute,” says Palestinian writer and analyst Muhammad Shehada. “There’s nonstop artillery fire, gunfire, machine gunfire, as well as Israeli quadcopter drones that are swarming Gaza and shooting people at random.”
While there have been news reports of a possible ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, Shehada says “there are no negotiations,” and therefore no end in sight to the daily bloodshed.
The LAST WORD
July 1, 2025
What you’re feeling is the banality of cruelty
from Trump and the Republican Party
At least 17 million Americans will lose healthcare coverage under Donald Trumpâs budget bill. MSNBCâs Lawrence OâDonnell says this is part of Donald Trumpâs worldwide campaign of cruelty.
July 2, 2025
Donald Trump vs Elon Musk:
What does their fallout mean for the world?
When it comes to relationships, this one is complicated. Donald Trump and Elon Musk went from bros to foes in what seems like the blink of an eye – and itâs a feud that could have major global implications. Featuring exclusive insight from key insiders and global observers, including:
- Ryan Mac, co-author of ‘Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter’ and The New York Times technology reporter
- Michael Wolff, Trump biographer and best-selling author of ‘All or Nothing’
- Katie Drummond, Global Editorial Director of WIRED
- James Fishback, an insider who knows both men, CEO of investment firm Azoria and architect of the DOGE Dividend proposal
July 3, 2025
The Russian soldiers fleeing Putin’s army
Trapped in Putin’s war against Ukraine, Russian soldiers face a deadly choice – obey, die or flee. This documentary looks at one man’s fight for freedom and the underground movement that helped him vanish.
An estimated 50,000 Russian soldiers have deserted the frontline since the full-scale invasion began. The true figure may never be known.
The BEAT
July 3, 2025
They will âpayâ: Dems on warpath vs. deficit-busting
MAGA budget â that some in GOP âdonât like’
The House narrowly passed Republicans’ massive tax and spending bill to advance President Trumpâs agenda. The Congressional Budget Office says the bill will add three trillion dollars to the deficit.
MSNBCâs Ari Melber reports and is joined by Presidential Historian Douglas Brinkley and Pulitzer prize-winning columnist Eugene Robinson.
July 3, 2025
Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA) Reveals What Republicans
Told Him Behind Closed Doors About Big Beautiful Bill
July 3, 2025
Congressman Sounds The Alarm After
Trump’s DISASTER BILL Passes
Trumpâs Big Bullshit Bill may have passed, but itâs only going to inspire more protest. Katie Phang and the new ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, Representative Robert Garcia, discuss how to fight back against fascism.
July 4, 2025
Mary sits down to discuss what Independence Day means now as Trump continues his second term.
How do we celebrate Democracy when the people in power are doing everything in their power to dismantle it?
How do we celebrate our freedoms when Donald Trump and his enablers and his fellow travelers in the fascist Republican party want to make sure that the people they don’t like — people they disagree with — people who do not look like them or believe like them — no longer have any freedoms?
July 4, 2025
France unveils mural throwing shade
at America for July 4th
âThe Statue of Libertyâs Silent Protestâ mural in Roubaix, France by Judith de Leeuw (Photo: Screen capture via Instagram video)
The U.S. Independence Day holiday motivated a new mural in France that shames America.
While France was once a key ally in the Revolutionary War against Britain, it is now shaming the U.S. with a massive mural of Lady Liberty covering her eyes with mortification. The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France after the U.S. Civil War, recalled the National Parks Service.
The mural is titled âThe Statue of Libertyâs Silent Protestâ and was created by Dutch artist Judith de Leeuw. In an interview, Leeuw revealed to Storyful that it is meant to reflect shame for the United States over President Donald Trumpâs immigration policies, a USA Today video said.
Trump Just Went Absolutely Nuclear in Screwing Over MAGA Voters
He has persuaded the media and many voters that heâs different from earlier Republicans on economicsâbut heâs now doubled-down on the GOPâs plutocratic agenda.
For at least the last half-century in American politics, Republicans have employed three distinct scams to hide the deeply regressive nature of their priorities and agenda from the voters. Trumpism, in its idealized form, was supposed to represent a break with this way of doing politics and policy at a fundamental level. Yet now that Congress has passed President Trumpâs big budget bill, all three cons are alive and wellâand have even been supercharged into something more venal and deceptive.
July 5, 2025
Trump Lands in New Scandal
as His WAR on LA Backfires
Attorney’s Brian Kabateck and Shant Karnikian expose the explosive federal class action lawsuit revealing how Trump’s ICE agents have turned Los Angeles into a constitutional dead zone with 3,000 daily arrest quotas.
They break down the shocking allegations of os US citizens detained at gunpoint for walking through parks, workers grabbed at bus stops without warrants, and a woman literally kidnapped while being dropped off at work.
July 5, 2025
CONCENTRATION CAMP USA
Thoughts on Donald Trump going all in on Alligator Alcatraz. This is the American Dachau. We are now in a very dark time on a very dark slope.
July 7, 2025
John Nichols on Trump’s Budget Law:
“Most massive transfer of wealth
upward in American history”
President Donald Trump and his allies are celebrating the passage of his sweeping tax and spending bill, which he signed into law on July 4 after a months-long effort to shepherd it through Congress.
It makes the largest-ever cuts to food assistance benefits, could cause the closure of nursing homes and rural hospitals across the country, raises housing and energy costs, and supercharges the Trump crackdown on immigrants â all while delivering massive tax benefits for the wealthiest people in the country.
July 8, 2025
Famous Psychiatrist to RFK:
Don’t Blame Vaccines, Blame Me.
Brittany is joined by Dr. Allen Frances to discuss his recent op-ed in The New York Times in which he appeals to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to stop advancing anti-vaccine activism and harming the general public.
Dr. Frances discusses his own role in contributing to the increase in autism diagnoses through expanding DSM criteria, how he responds to people who accuse Trump of being mentally ill, and how to avoid fads in psychology.
July 9, 2025
Gov Andy Beshear (D-KY) on Trump Bill:
âA punch in the face of rural Americaâ
President Trump’s sweeping domestic policy bill has been signed into law, impacting Americans across the country. Millions of people on Medicaid are set to lose their health coverage, a loss that is raising serious concern even in traditionally conservative states. Andy Beshear, two-term Governor of Kentucky, joins the show to talk about the bill’s real-life effect on rural communities, plus the future of the Democratic Party.
July 10, 2025
Dozens detained during federal immigration
raid in Ventura County
Federal immigration agents, assisted by members of the National Guard, carried out raids at two cannabis farms in Ventura County, arresting dozens, including undocumented minors, in an operation that drew several hundred protestors who clashed with officers.
KTLA’s Mary Beth McDade and Lindsey Pena report.
July 10, 2025
Trump Loves ICE. Its Workforce
Has Never Been So Miserable.
A âmission impossibleâ deportation campaign has left
many employees burned out and morally conflicted.
By Nick Miroff
ICE occupies an exalted place in President Donald Trumpâs hierarchy of law enforcement. He praises the bravery and fortitude of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officersââthe toughest people youâll ever meet,â he saysâand depicts them as heroes in the central plot of his presidency, helping him rescue the country from an invasion of gang members and mental patients. The 20,000 ICE employees are the unflinching men and women who will restore order. Theyâre the Untouchables in his MAGA crime drama.
The reality of Trumpâs mass-deportation campaign is far less glamorous. Officers and agents have spent much of the past five months clocking weekends and waking up at 4 a.m. for predawn raids. Their top leaders have been ousted or demoted, and their supervisorsâthemselves under threat of being firedâare pressuring them to make more and more arrests to meet quotas set by the Trump adviser Stephen Miller. Having insisted for years that capturing criminals is its priority, ICE is now shelving major criminal investigations to prioritize civil immigration arrests, grabbing asylum seekers at their courthouse hearings, handcuffing mothers as their U.S.-citizen children cry, chasing day laborers through Home Depot parking lots. As angry onlookers attempt to shame ICE officers with obscenities, and activists try to dox them, officers are retreating further behind masks and tactical gear.
âItâs miserable,â one career ICE official told me. He called the job âmission impossible.â
July 12, 2025
White House Speaks Out Amid Backlash
Over Meme of Trump as Superman
The White House has responded after drawing ire and backlash over its recent memes, one of which included a fake movie poster depicting President Donald Trump as Superman.
In a post shared across its core social media accounts on Friday night, the White House said: âNowhere in the Constitution does it say we canât post banger memes,â alongside a picture of an announcement board that read âOMG, did the White House really post this?â In response, one X user argued that such memes show âhow unserious this Administration is.â The White Houseâs defiant stance was also shared across the official POTUS accounts on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
The White House earlier on Friday posted an AI-altered image of Rep. Jimmy Gomez of California, a Democrat, after he criticized an ICE raid at a marijuana farm. The post featured a doctored image of Gomez crying, labeling him âcryinâ Jimmy.â The upload was condemned by many, with one Instagram user asking: âWhy is the official White House page making these kind[s] of comments?â
July 15, 2025
Trump’s Power & the Rule of Law
FRONTLINE goes inside the showdown between U.S. President Donald Trump and the courts over presidential power.
President Donald Trumpâs allies, opponents and experts talk about how he is testing the extent of his power, the legal pushback and the impact on the rule of law.
âTrumpâs Power & the Rule of Lawâ is a FRONTLINE production with Kirk Documentary Group, Ltd. The director is Michael Kirk. The producers are Michael Kirk, Mike Wiser, Vanessa Fica and Philip Bennett. The writers are Michael Kirk & Mike Wiser. The reporters are Vanessa Fica and Brooke Nelson Alexander. The editor-in-chief and executive producer of FRONTLINE is Raney Aronson-Rath.
Explore additional reporting on âTrumpâs Power & the Rule of Lawâ on our website: pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary…
Pathocracy
When people with personality disorders gain power.
The Polish psychologist Andrew Lobaczewski spent his early life suffering under the Nazi occupation of Poland, closely followed by the brutality of Soviet occupation after the war. His experience of these horrors led Lobaczewski to develop the concept of âpathocracy.â This is when individuals with personality disorders (particularly psychopathy) occupy positions of power. (1)
Lobaczewski devoted his life to studying human evil, a field which he called âponerology.â He wanted to understand why âevilâ people seem to prosper, while so many good and moral people struggle to succeed. He wanted to understand why people with psychological disorders so easily rise to positions of power and take over the governments of countries. Since he was living under a âpathocraticâ regime himself, he took great risks studying this topic. He was arrested and tortured by the Polish authorities, and was unable to publish his lifeâs work, the book Political Ponerology, until he escaped to the United States during the 1980s.
Pathocracy is arguably one of the biggest problems in the history of the human race. History has been a saga of constant conflict and brutality, with groups of people fighting against one another over territory and power and possessions, and conquering and killing one another. Surveying the course of human history from ancient times to the 20th century, the historian Arnold Toynbee spoke about the âhorrifying sense of sin manifest in human affairs.â
But there is an argument that this is not because all human beings are inherently brutal and cruel, but because a small number of peopleâthat is, those with personality disordersâare brutal and cruel, intensely self-centered, and lacking in empathy. This small minority has always held power and managed to order or influence the majority to commit atrocities on their behalf.
Power and Pathology
A small minority of humans suffer from personality disorders such as narcissism and psychopathy. People with these disorders feel an insatiable lust for power. People with narcissistic personality disorder desire constant attention and affirmation. They feel that they are superior to others and have the right to dominate them. They also lack empathy, which means that they are able to ruthlessly exploit and abuse others in their lust for power. Psychopaths feel a similar sense of superiority and lack of empathy, but the main difference between them and narcissists is that they donât feel the same impulse for attention and adoration. To an extent, the impulse to be adored acts as a check on the behavior of narcissists. They are reluctant to do anything that might make them too unpopular. But psychopaths have no such qualms.
At the other end of the scale, people with a high level of empathy and compassion usually arenât interested in power. They prefer to be âon the ground,â interacting and connecting with others. They may even refuse the offer of a high-status position because theyâre aware that higher status will disconnect them (although for a non-empathic person, that is part of its appeal). So this leaves positions of power open for people with psychological disorders (or at least with a high level of ambition and ruthlessness, even if not a fully fledged psychological disorder).
Throughout history, these pathological individuals have always risen to the top. In some ways, pre-industrial feudal societies restricted them, since power was often bequeathed by birth rather than attained by individual efforts. The demise of the feudal system was certainly a positive step towards greater equality and democracy, but a negative side effect was that it gave psychopaths and narcissists greater opportunity to attain positions of power.
As Ian Hughes points out in his important book Disordered Minds, the whole point of democracy is to try to protect the mass of people from this pathological minority. This was the central idea of the American Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Democratic principles and institutions were established to limit the power of pathological individuals.
This is why, as Hughes also points out, pathological leaders hate democracy. (2) Once they attain power, they do their utmost to dismantle or discredit democratic institutions, including the freedom and legitimacy of the press. (This is the first thing which Hitler did when he became German chancellor, and it is what autocrats like Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orban of Hungary and President ErdoÄan of Turkey have done. It is also what President Trump has been attempting to do.)
Moreover, pathological leaders are completely unable to comprehend the principles of democracy, since they regard themselves as superior, and see life as a competitive struggle in which the most ruthless deserve to dominate others.
Collective Pathocracy
But pathocracy isnât just about individuals. As Lobaczewski pointed out, pathological leaders always attract other people with personality disorders, who seize the opportunity to gain influence. At the same time, individuals who are moral, empathic and fair-minded gradually fall away. They are either ostracized or step aside voluntarily, appalled by the growing pathology around them. As a result, over time pathocracies tend to become entrenched and extreme.
This isnât to say that everyone who becomes part of a pathocratic government suffers from a personality disorder. Some people may simply have a high level of ambition and a lack of empathy without actually having a diagnosable condition, while others may simply ride the coattails of a pathological leader whose goals happen to coincide with theirs.
A significant part of the problem is the attraction that many people feel to charismatic demagogues. You can see this in the appeal of President Trump, despite the obvious flaws â his extreme narcissism, lack of empathy and his distorted, delusory view of reality â of his personality disorder. Psychologically, this is very similar to the attraction of spiritual gurus, who often attract the blind devotion of disciples, despite unethical and exploitative behavior. The attraction of gurus and demagogues is a deep-rooted impulse to return to the childhood state of worshipping parents who seem omnipotent and infallible and could take complete responsibility for our lives, and magically solve our problems. At the same time, the paranoia of pathological leaders leads them to demonize other groups and creates an intoxicating sense of group identity with a common purpose.
Protection Against Pathocracy
Is the United States in danger of being taken over by a pathocracy? Unfortunately, I believe it has already happened. Despite a convention that psychologists shouldnât unofficially diagnose public figures, many American psychologists and psychiatrists have publicly stated that Donald Trump displays all the â¨signs of narcissistic personality disorder. This would certainly explain his grandiosity, his lack of empathy and moral principles, his excessive need for admiration and his sensitivity to criticism (all of which are traits of narcissistic personality disorder). Similar cases have been made by psychologists for other âstrongmanâ politicians around the world, such as Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines. Trump has certainly attracted politicians and advisors with a similar lack of empathy and conscience to his inner circle, while principled and responsible individuals have either been ejected or have removed themselves, so that the pathocracy has become more entrenched.
But we should remember that pathocracy only flourishes because we donât take sufficient measures to protect ourselves from pathological leaders. We need to preserve and strengthen our democratic institutions and processes to ensure that the great mass of people is protected from the minority of psychopaths and narcissists with an insatiable lust for power. We need to make sure that our democracy does not transmute into a pathocracy.
In the long term, as I have argued in a previous post, we need stringent measures to restrict the attainment of power. Put simply, the kind of people who desire power the mostâthe most ruthless and non-empathicâshould not be allowed to attain positions of authority. All potential leaders (or members of a government) should be rigorously assessed by psychologists to determine their levels of empathy, narcissism or psychopathyâand hence determine their suitability for power.
References
Ĺobaczewski, A. (2006). Political Ponerology: A Science on the Nature of Evil Adjusted for Political Purposes. Grande Prairie: Red Pill Press.
Hughes, I. (2018). Disordered Minds: How Dangerous Personalities Are Destroying Democracy. Winchester, UK: Zero Books.
Steve Taylor, Ph.D., is senior lecturer in psychology at Leeds Beckett University, UK and a member of the British Psychological Society. He is the author of many best-selling books, including The Leap and Spiritual Science.
A Science on the Nature of Evil
Adjusted for Political Purposes
