Category: Authoritarian

‘Some homework to do’: Trump appointees vote to address gaps in arch plan in heated meeting – ABC News

Trump’s National Capital Planning Commission, stacked with his appointees, voted Thursday to conditionally advance a 250-foot “triumphal arch” project near Arlington National Cemetery, but only after staff identified significant gaps requiring the administration to provide additional details before final approval. Commission Chair Will Scharf, Trump’s White House staff secretary, acknowledged the project team has “homework to do,” requesting more renderings and technical information on lighting, stormwater management, materials, and height justification under the Height of Buildings Act. Despite Trump immediately claiming approval on social media, Scharf clarified the vote was not final and will return for further review.

The commission received 1,696 public comments before the hearing, nearly all opposing the project as a vanity structure inconsistent with American values. Veterans including Gary Langston and Marine Jimi Shaughnessy testified that the arch would obstruct views of Arlington National Cemetery and cast literal and figurative shadows over sacred ground where their families rest. Langston warned the design contains “elements that I fear won’t stand the test of time,” while Shaughnessy called the 250-foot structure “a profound disruption and insult at the entrance to sacred ground” and “a momentous symbol of selfishness.”

Commission staff, though outnumbered by Trump loyalists, raised critical unresolved issues including pedestrian safety, potential interference with Reagan National Airport flight paths, and obstruction of cemetery views. Jamie Herr, the commission’s urban planner, stated the submission lacks essential information and noted the administration must provide “necessary elements for the commission to review as the design advances.” Jessica Bowron, representing Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, supported the staff recommendations and pledged to provide the requested additional information.

The vote to accept staff concerns passed 9-1, with only Evan Cash, representing D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson, voting no on grounds that the administration cannot answer the “fundamental question about why this project belongs in this place.” Cash’s dissent highlighted the threshold issue: whether Trump’s triumphal arch near Arlington serves any purpose beyond personal aggrandizement, part of a broader pattern of Trump spending millions to gild and renovate Washington monuments while bypassing normal oversight processes.(Source: https://abcnews.com/Politics/homework-trump-appointees-vote-address-gaps-arch-plan/story?id=133600719)

Donald Trump Demands Fox News Get Rid of Karl Rove

President Donald Trump demanded Thursday that Fox News remove Karl Rove after the GOP strategist appeared on the network’s “America’s Newsroom” and discussed Democratic electoral prospects. Rove analyzed polling data showing Trump’s unfavorability rating at 40 percent compared to the Democratic Party’s unfavorability below 37 percent, noting this dynamic could affect House election outcomes.

Trump posted on Truth Social that Fox News should “get rid of sloppy RINO Karl Rove,” accusing the strategist of calling him and MAGA “wrong for 11 years” and suffering from “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” Trump ordered Rove “out to pasture, NOW,” calling him “a LOSER, and he always will be.”

Rove represents the Republican establishment that Trump has systematically purged from party and administration leadership. In 2019, Rove told National Review that “The Republican Party is going to have to recreate itself after Donald Trump leaves office,” predicting the conservative movement’s future would depend on the character of Trump’s successor and his “dark charisma.”

This demand exemplifies Trump’s broader campaign to eliminate dissent within Fox News and the GOP. Trump has previously targeted other network figures who fail to provide absolute loyalty, enforcing party orthodoxy through public denunciation and pressure on media executives to comply. Similar loyalty metrics have been implemented across federal agencies, requiring employees to “(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/loser-trump-demands-fox-news-get-rid-of-sloppy-rino-karl-rove/)clearly and demonstrably support” Trump’s agenda as a condition of employment and advancement.

Trump Declares California Election Stolen While Votes Still Counted

Donald Trump declared California’s gubernatorial and Los Angeles mayoral primary elections “stolen” on Truth Social while votes were still being counted, accusing Democrats of “BIG cheating” without presenting evidence. Trump specifically attacked mail-in ballot procedures and vote counting delays, falsely suggesting the extended counting process demonstrated fraud rather than reflecting standard election administration practices.

Trump prematurely congratulated Steve Hilton on winning the gubernatorial primary before results were finalized and pledged federal support contingent on Hilton’s victory, demonstrating his pattern of invoking unsubstantiated claims about California’s election integrity regardless of factual basis. His accusations followed California’s open primary system, in which the top two vote-getters advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation.

These baseless fraud allegations directly replicate Trump’s discredited 2020 election claims, which he weaponized to incite the January 6 Capitol attack and attempt to overturn the presidential result. Trump has repeatedly manufactured election fraud narratives targeting California specifically, including posting inflammatory racist memes attacking Governor Gavin Newsom and other Democratic officials to delegitimize Democratic electoral success.

Trump’s real-time assault on vote counting integrity while ballots remain uncounted constitutes an authoritarian attack on democratic processes and the rule of law. His willingness to declare elections fraudulent before results are known, combined with his premature endorsements tied to federal patronage, demonstrates systematic efforts to undermine electoral legitimacy and subordinate federal power to personal political loyalty.(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/trump-maga-california-spencer-pratt-steve-hilton-b2989403.html)

HHS Employees Now Being Measured By Loyalty To Trump’s Policies | HuffPost Latest News

The Trump administration has implemented a new performance metric at the Department of Health and Human Services requiring tens of thousands of employees to demonstrate they "clearly and demonstrably support implementation" of Trump's policy agenda as a "critical element" of their annual reviews. The requirement, titled "Faithful Support of Administration of the Law and the President's Policies," mandates that Senior Professionals prove loyalty to Trump's specific policy priorities through measurable results aligned with his agenda, fundamentally inverting the merit-based civil service system designed to serve the public rather than any individual.

Federal employees are statutorily required to serve the government and public interest, not pledge allegiance to any president's policies. HHS workers report the requirement creates fear and coercion, with one employee stating employees must "go along to get along" or face termination, effectively forcing compliance under threat of job loss. The Office of Personnel Management directed all federal agencies to adopt similar language following Trump's January executive order "Restoring Accountability for Career Senior Executives," making this loyalty assessment government-wide policy.

The mandate threatens the independence of HHS's Office of the Inspector General, which operates independently to identify waste, fraud, and abuse across the department. Employees in this office now face a direct conflict between the loyalty requirement and their legal mandate to expose wrongdoing, regardless of whether it implicates Trump administration policies. Trump terminated all 18 inspectors general across federal agencies within weeks of taking office, and this new performance standard consolidates his control by subordinating their investigative function to political loyalty.

Stanford presidential scholar Terry Moe identified the requirement as part of Trump's systematic assault on the administrative state, stating the administration aims to replace merit-based civil servants with loyalists throughout the executive branch. Moe emphasized this policy "flies in the face of the entire foundation of civil service, which is merit." The requirement transforms federal workers into political operatives bound to advance Trump's agenda rather than neutral administrators applying law and expertise to serve citizens.

HHS employees remain under additional pressure from ongoing government shutdown furloughs and widespread job uncertainty as Trump carries out sweeping workforce cuts. One employee expressed the cascading effect: the loyalty requirement compounds existing morale collapse, with staff unable to predict or prepare for daily directives while fearing retaliation for dissent. The policy structurally eliminates the ability of federal workers to voice concerns or apply professional judgment independent of Trump's political priorities.

(Source: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hhs-employees-trump-loyalty-performance-reviews_n_68ffa3b7e4b0ebfddfbaf88c)

Trump Attacks CNN’s Collins as Hateful During Oval Office Press

During an Oval Office question-and-answer session on Wednesday, President Trump attacked CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins while discussing his abandoned "Anti-Weaponization fund," a Department of Justice initiative he had claimed would address alleged persecution of his supporters. Trump stated that people aligned with him were "weaponized by the Biden administration" and destroyed through prosecutions, then pivoted to attack Collins directly, describing her as someone with "hatred in her eyes" who "never smiles" and opposing his administration's policies on borders, military strength, and tax cuts.

Trump's assault on Collins exemplifies his pattern of weaponizing the presidency against critical press coverage. His rhetoric conflates legitimate law enforcement actions, including the execution of a lawful search warrant at his Mar-a-Lago residence, with fabricated claims of persecution. He accused CNN of being "crooked as hell" and "a very corrupt organization," extending his long-standing campaign to delegitimize independent journalism and undermine public trust in factual reporting.

The attack on Collins as an individual, focusing on her appearance and emotional expression rather than her reporting, demonstrates Trump's reliance on personal intimidation to silence critical inquiry. CNN responded by defending Collins as "an exceptional journalist" whose reporting from the White House and field maintains credibility with global audiences. This incident reflects Trump's broader assault on the free press as a counter-majoritarian check on executive power.

Trump's invocation of his electoral performance, claiming he "won 87% of the counties" and won by a "massive landslide," continued his pattern of inflating his political mandate to justify authoritarian governance. He framed border enforcement, military expansion, and tax cuts for his interests as popular mandates while dismissing press scrutiny as motivated by hatred rather than professional responsibility, attempting to redefine journalism itself as an enemy of the state.

The incident underscores how Trump exploits the presidency to punish media outlets and individual journalists for coverage he views as unfavorable. By using the Oval Office as a platform for personal attacks against a reporter doing her job, Trump normalizes the conflation of political opposition with disloyalty and redefines the scope of acceptable presidential conduct in ways consistent with authoritarian governance models.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/hatred-in-her-eyes-trump-suddenly-starts-berating-cnns-kaitlan-collins-during-fiery-oval-office-qa/)

Trump Posts Request for Pardon for Controversial Lawmaker

President Trump posted a pardon request for former Indiana Congressman Stephen Buyer, who was sentenced to 22 months in prison in 2023 for insider trading schemes in 2018 and 2019. According to the Department of Justice, Buyer "engaged in two separate, but interrelated insider trading schemes to steal material non-public information that he obtained through consulting work and to place timely, profitable securities trades based on that stolen information." Trump distributed letters on Truth Social from former Republican National Committee Chairman Robert James Nicholson and multiple Republican lawmakers, both making appeals for Buyer's pardon without offering his own comment.

The Nicholson letter characterizes Buyer's prosecution as political retaliation, claiming "the SEC and DOJ were weaponized against Congressman Buyer as political retribution." This framing mirrors language used by Trump allies to describe prosecutions of Trump himself, despite documented criminal conduct in both cases. The letter references Buyer's past Republican loyalty, including his role prosecuting President Clinton during impeachment proceedings and seeking indictment against Hillary Clinton.

A second letter signed by Republican politicians echoed the weaponization narrative, stating "The Clintons, the Bidens, their surrogates and Democrats in the deep state never forgot Steve's contributions that were an affront to their beliefs and objectives." Trump posted both letters without commentary, effectively amplifying claims that federal prosecutors acted from partisan motives rather than in response to evidence of criminal conduct.

Trump's promotion of Buyer's pardon request occurs as he uses control of the Justice Department to advance personal and corporate interests, including overseeing antitrust reviews affecting major media companies. Trump himself faces scrutiny for stock trades made while serving as commander in chief, creating direct parallel circumstances to Buyer's insider trading convictions.

The pardon push demonstrates Trump's pattern of using executive clemency to reward political allies while weaponizing the Justice Department against perceived enemies. By distributing unsigned pardon appeals without commentary, Trump signals approval while maintaining plausible deniability, a characteristic strategy employed throughout his administration to bypass accountability mechanisms and consolidate loyalty among Republican officeholders.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-posts-appeal-for-a-pardon-by-ex-congressman-slapped-with-insider-trading-charges/)

Trump’s Pentagon hires Jan 6 rioter for highly sensitive counterterrorism role | The Independent

The Trump administration hired Elias Irizarry, a convicted January 6 Capitol rioter, to serve in the Pentagon's Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict office, which oversees counterterrorism, hostage rescues, and embassy security operations. Irizarry, who was 19 years old during the insurrection, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for entering the Capitol through a broken window while holding a metal pole and now holds a sensitive position influencing military strategy in dangerous environments.

Pentagon officials defended the appointment, with a spokesman calling Irizarry "a qualified, patriotic young professional," and DOJ official Ernie Sampera attesting to his character and loyalty. However, an anonymous Pentagon insider told the Washington Post that placing someone "so junior and new to DOD, and with such a checkered background, into such a sensitive portfolio" for rescue and extraction missions operating in complex combat zones contradicts basic security protocols for positions handling classified counterterrorism information.

Irizarry had previously apologized to the court for his January 6 involvement, stating his participation "brought great shame upon myself, my family, and, unfortunately, my country." He later reframed his Capitol riot participation as evidence of commitment to the "America First movement" during an unsuccessful campaign for South Carolina state legislature, characterizing prosecution of rioters as targeting "nonviolent activities."

Trump pardoned Irizarry alongside more than 1,500 others convicted or accused of January 6 participation. The administration has systematically hired multiple individuals connected to the insurrection, including another accused rioter prosecutors say urged violence against law enforcement, now employed at the Justice Department.

Congressional Democrats have initiated investigations into whether the Department of Homeland Security is hiring former January 6 participants. Trump's proposed $1.8 billion fund to compensate victims of alleged DOJ "weaponization" has triggered concern among lawmakers that federal money could be redirected to compensate insurrectionists.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-elias-irizarry-january-6-pentagon-b2988374.html)

White House App Exposes Users to Data Theft Via Undisclosed Third Parties

The Trump White House's official app collects and shares user data with third-party vendors without proper disclosure, according to cybersecurity researchers who analyzed its code. The app's privacy manifest on Apple's App Store is blank despite the fact that it transmits IP addresses, time zones, device identifiers, and mobile carrier information to companies including OneSignal and Elfsight, a Russia-founded software vendor. Philip Fields, a cybersecurity researcher and former FBI intelligence analyst, stated that "having an amateur WordPress developer running the White House's public presence puts everybody who visits it at risk," especially while the U.S. is engaged in military conflict.

The app fails to meet federal security standards and bypasses established oversight mechanisms. Federal apps and websites are required to use certified cloud services such as FedRamp or GovCloud, which have been vetted and certified by Congress for security compliance. Instead, the White House contracted with 45Press, an Ohio-based WordPress development company with no disclosed mobile app experience, which was awarded over $1.4 million in February. The app lacks basic security protections including code obfuscation and certificate pinning, making its code and network traffic vulnerable to reverse engineering.

Data sharing with third parties violates the app's stated privacy disclosures to users. Apple's app store requires developers to declare all data collection in privacy manifests; the White House app's manifest is completely blank, falsely indicating no data collection occurs. Cybersecurity researcher Thereallo noted that "users downloading an official government app would reasonably expect their data to stay within the US government systems, not flow to commercial third-party platforms." OneSignal's chief marketing officer acknowledged the company collects functional data but stated it is Apple's responsibility to ensure developers disclose this collection accurately.

The White House defended the app's security practices, claiming third-party vendors underwent full IT review and that data sharing is "standard" for applications. However, Sen. Dick Durbin, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, criticized the administration's cybersecurity failures, stating "in true Trump White House fashion, their lackluster app appears to pose a cybersecurity threat to its users," particularly as the administration simultaneously cuts funding from cybersecurity agencies. The app ranks as the third-most downloaded news app on Apple's App Store after its launch last week, with Trump promoting it as providing "front-row access" to his administration.

The White House has deployed four updates to the app within one week of its release, with developers attributing two updates to "minor bug fixes." Initial versions included inactive location-tracking permissions that were subsequently removed. Cybersecurity expert Adam Enger warned that state-sponsored attackers possess far more sophisticated analysis capabilities than independent researchers and are actively monitoring the app for vulnerabilities, stating "if I could find this by myself in an hour on Friday night, then how far along are our adversaries with this?"

(Source: https://www.notus.org/technology/trump-white-house-app-cybersecurity)

Trump Spends $5M Gilding Statues While Bypassing Competitive Bidding

The Trump administration awarded a $5 million no-bid contract in April 2026 to cover four bronze horse statues near the Lincoln Memorial with 23.75-karat gold leaf, according to reporting by NOTUS on May 29. The National Park Service, overseen by the Department of the Interior, bypassed competitive bidding to meet a July 4 deadline ahead of the nation's 250th birthday celebration. The statues, known as the Arts of War and Arts of Peace, are located on the Arlington Memorial Bridge.

This project exemplifies Trump's pattern of using federal funds for vanity projects that reimagine Washington, D.C. landmarks in his image. Trump has described the capital as "disgusting" and "ugly," yet his administration has spent millions on restoration work, including a $1.5 million Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation and announced plans to repaint the World War II Memorial's central fountain. During a May 27 Cabinet meeting, Trump stated he and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum have had "a lot of fun" remaking historic sites.

The no-bid contract diverts National Parks funds to gold-plating statues rather than infrastructure maintenance or preservation. The Interior Department justified the expedited process by citing the compressed July 4 timeline, claiming the project demonstrates Trump's commitment to making "D.C. Safe and Beautiful." Trump's broader renovation agenda ahead of the semiquincentennial includes a 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery modeled on Paris' Arc de Triomphe, modifications to the White House East Wing, and paving over sections of the Rose Garden.

These projects consume taxpayer resources while serving Trump's personal brand-building agenda. A federal judge recently ordered Trump's name removed from the Kennedy Center after the board voted in December to add it alongside John F. Kennedy's, demonstrating the administration's pattern of appropriating national institutions for self-promotion. Concurrent construction on a UFC arena on the White House South Lawn for Trump's 80th birthday on June 14 further illustrates how federal property is being converted to serve Trump's personal interests.

(Source: https://people.com/trump-administration-pays-millions-to-cover-bronze-horses-in-extra-thick-23-75-karat-gold-11987153?utm_campaign=peoplemagazine&utm_content=photo&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_term=6a1dff0999519100013f6cbd&fbclid=IwdGRjcASLuvhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeCb9ecZExU9ourhcWLg0WiQUw8F3ka54PxxNhdssziMh45kAd33CR9exWrSE_aem_BlL89Mht_Fpts6O380yRvw)

Trump Demands Prosecution Be Erased After Felony Conviction

Donald Trump used Truth Social to attack prosecutors, judges, and media figures in a late-night post series, claiming he is an "innocent man" despite his May 2024 conviction on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payoff to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Trump falsely asserted that his former personal attorney Michael Cohen stated he was "pressured and coerced" to testify, mischaracterizing Cohen's podcast comments to Sirius XM host Michael Smerconish as exoneration when Cohen detailed his own decision to provide truthful testimony.

Trump demanded Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and New York Attorney General Letitia James be fired, claiming they invented charges "that nobody has ever been charged with in the History of Manhattan" and transformed nonexistent "misdemeanors" into felonies. He made no factual distinction between the charges he faced and any prior cases, instead advancing the baseless argument that prosecution itself constitutes persecution targeting him personally.

The posts included links to six articles from the conservative outlet Just the News focused on Democratic corruption allegations, Trump's cognitive test results, the 2022 FBI search of Mar-a-Lago for classified documents, Hunter Biden, and Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis's efforts to prosecute Trump for election interference. Trump continued his decade-long campaign against mainstream media outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and CNN, claiming they would frame even an Iranian surrender as a victory against the United States.

Trump boasted of orchestrating political retribution against Republican officials including Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, characterizing these actions as "taking out" enemies. He also claimed credit for deterring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from a "major raid" on Beirut, Lebanon, contradicting reporting of a contentious phone call between the two leaders on Monday.

The posting spree demonstrated Trump's reliance on unsubstantiated claims and distortion of factual record while seeking to reshape legal accountability as political weaponization, continuing his pattern of attacking institutions and individuals who have enforced laws against him or refused his demands for personal loyalty.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-truth-social-michael-cohen-b2987736.html)(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-truth-social-michael-cohen-b2987736.html)

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