Category: Authoritarian

The 5 Most Unhinged Claims From Trump’s January 6 Website

President Trump’s White House launched a website on January 6, 2026, reframing the Capitol riot five years after the attack. The site advances false narratives about the January 6 insurrection, contradicting documented evidence and official investigations.

The website claims Democrats staged a “real insurrection” by certifying the 2020 election and “weaponizing federal agencies” against dissenters, despite no evidence supporting Trump’s assertion that the election was stolen. It attributes the Capitol breach to Capitol Police escalation rather than rioters’ actions, alleging officers “aggressively” deployed tear gas and “inexplicably” removed barricades while simultaneously firing on crowds. These claims contradict the documented timeline of events and sworn testimony from law enforcement present that day.

The site characterizes the fatal shooting of rioter Ashli Babbitt by Capitol Police Lieutenant Michael Byrd as murder “in cold blood,” omitting that the Department of Justice determined in April 2021 that Byrd acted in self-defense and defense of Members of Congress evacuating the House Chamber as rioters broke through glass doors. The website also falsely attributes deaths solely to non-law-enforcement individuals, though four Capitol Police officers who responded to the riot died by suicide in subsequent months.

Trump’s former Vice President Mike Pence is branded a “coward” for declining to reject electoral votes, a power he did not constitutionally possess. The site misrepresents Pence’s role; his stated duty was to “count the votes of the Electoral College for President and Vice President in a manner consistent with our Constitution, laws, and history,” which he executed on January 6.

The website concludes by labeling January 6 defendants political prisoners held in “harsh conditions” and celebrates Trump’s 2024 election as a triumph over “relentless Deep State efforts to imprison, bankrupt, and assassinate him” through “fabricated indictments” and “rigged show trials.” This narrative contradicts Trump’s criminal convictions and documented legal proceedings.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/the-5-most-unhinged-claims-made-on-trumps-jaw-dropping-new-january-6-website/)

DHS deploys 2K federal agents to Minneapolis area to carry out ‘largest immigration operation ever’ | The Independent

The Trump administration has deployed approximately 2,000 federal agents to the Minneapolis area in what officials characterize as the largest immigration enforcement operation ever conducted, according to ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons. The operation, which began over the weekend, represents one of the largest single-city mobilizations of Department of Homeland Security personnel in years and has dramatically expanded the federal law enforcement footprint in Minnesota amid heightened political and community tensions.

Roughly three-quarters of the personnel come from ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, which executes immigration arrests and deportations, while agents from Homeland Security Investigations conduct door-to-door investigations into allegations of fraud, human smuggling, and unlawful employment practices. Specialized tactical units are also involved, with HSI agents focusing on identifying suspected fraud while deportation officers arrest immigrants accused of violating immigration law. The operation includes personnel from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, including Commander Gregory Bovino, whose involvement in previous federal operations has drawn scrutiny from local officials and civil rights advocates.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accompanied ICE officers during arrests in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, appearing in tactical gear in a video where she told a handcuffed arrestee from Ecuador, “You will be held accountable for your crimes.” The Department of Homeland Security reported the arrested man faced charges in Ecuador and Connecticut including murder and sexual assault. When asked for deployment figures, DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin declined to specify numbers, citing officer safety, but stated the operation has already resulted in more than 1,000 arrests of individuals described as killers, rapists, child sexual offenders, and gang members.

Federal authorities have been increasing immigration arrests in the Minneapolis area since late last year, with Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel announcing last week that federal agencies would intensify operations in Minnesota with emphasis on fraud investigations. President Donald Trump has repeatedly connected the administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota to fraud cases involving federal nutrition and pandemic aid programs, many linked to defendants with Somali backgrounds. A source familiar with the operation cautioned that its scope and duration could shift as it develops.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/dhs-donald-trump-kristi-noem-minnesota-minneapolis-b2895689.html)

U.S. launches military strikes on Venezuela, Trump says Maduro captured and flown out of the country

President Trump announced early Saturday that Delta Force operatives captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, who were then flown out of the country following large-scale U.S. military strikes on Caracas and other locations. Trump confirmed the operation via Truth Social post and scheduled a press conference at Mar-a-Lago for 11 a.m. ET, stating U.S. law enforcement was involved without specifying which agencies. This operation follows Trump’s announcement of a “total and complete blockade” of Venezuelan oil tankers announced just weeks prior.

Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated Maduro would face criminal charges in the U.S., where he was indicted in 2020 on narco-terrorism allegations. Rubio reportedly told Lee that “no further action in Venezuela” was anticipated now that Maduro was in U.S. custody, and that the military operation was deployed to protect those executing the arrest warrant. The Trump administration has maintained a $50 million bounty for information leading to Maduro’s capture, doubled from $25 million last summer.

U.S. military strikes targeted major installations including Fuerte Tiuna military base, La Carlota airbase, signal antenna at El Volcán, and La Guaira Port on the Caribbean coast. The operation represents the culmination of Trump’s rapid military expansion across Latin America through recent security agreements signed with multiple nations. The FAA banned U.S. commercial aircraft from Venezuelan airspace due to ongoing military activity, effective through Sunday morning Caracas time.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez demanded proof of life and Maduro’s location on state television, while Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López announced military deployment across the country and declared a state of external emergency. The Venezuelan government called supporters to the streets to resist what it termed an “imperialist attack,” though the defense minister made no mention of Maduro’s reported capture.

Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona denounced the strikes as “illegal,” calling it the “second unjustified war in my lifetime,” while Republican Senator Mike Lee expressed constitutional concerns about military action absent a declaration of war or authorization for use of military force. Congressional measures to require approval for Venezuelan strikes have been voted down in recent months despite bipartisan pushback against the administration’s military buildup in the region.

(Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/)

Trump Tells Jared Polis and Colorado ‘RINO’ to ‘Rot in Hell’

President Trump attacked Colorado Governor Jared Polis and a Republican district attorney in a December 31st Truth Social post, calling Polis a “scumbag” and the DA “disgusting” while telling both to “rot in Hell.” Trump’s outburst targeted officials responsible for prosecuting former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, who is serving nine years in prison for seven state-level charges related to 2020 election interference, including providing MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell’s associate unauthorized access to county election software.

Trump falsely claimed earlier in December that he had pardoned Peters, stating she was being “relentlessly” targeted for “demanding honest elections.” However, Trump lacks authority to pardon individuals convicted of state-level crimes; Peters’ conviction and imprisonment remain valid regardless of any presidential pardon claim. Trump characterized her prosecution as evidence that Democrats prosecute election-security advocates while ignoring their own alleged mail-in ballot fraud, assertions contradicted by documented fact patterns showing no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Colorado or nationally.

Trump previously weaponized disaster aid to Colorado, denying federal assistance following wildfires and flooding while Governor Polis governed the state. This pattern of targeting Colorado’s Democratic leadership demonstrates Trump’s use of presidential authority to punish political opponents, further illustrating the authoritarian consolidation of power through weaponized governance.

Trump’s attack on a fellow Republican official as a “RINO” (Republican In Name Only) reflects his ongoing purge of party members who do not demonstrate absolute loyalty to him personally. His refusal to accept Peters’ lawful conviction—despite her documented actions undermining election integrity through unauthorized system access—prioritizes Trump’s electoral narrative over institutional accountability and rule of law.

The Truth Social post exemplifies Trump’s pattern of attacking state officials and judicial processes when outcomes conflict with his interests, framing legitimate prosecutions as political persecution while simultaneously attempting to overturn state convictions through false pardon claims that carry no legal weight.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-tells-scumbag-governor-and-disgusting-rino-to-rot-in-hell/)

Kennedy Center president claims ‘legacy media’ is encouraging artists to boycott performances over Trump name change | The Independent

Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell accused major news outlets CNN, The Washington Post, and The New York Times of encouraging artists to boycott performances in response to the Trump administration’s attempt to rename the institution the Trump-Kennedy Center. Grenell made these claims without providing evidence across multiple X posts, stating that “legacy media are left wing activists.” Critics, including former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger, demanded Grenell produce the alleged emails, which would violate journalistic standards.

Multiple artists have canceled performances at the Kennedy Center since the board’s controversial February vote to add Trump’s name to the statutorily protected institution. Jazz supergroup The Cookers canceled New Year’s Eve concerts, with saxophonist Billy Harper stating he would not perform at a venue “bearing a name (and being controlled by the kind of board) that represents overt racism and deliberate destruction of African American music and culture.” The Doug Varone and Dancers troupe withdrew from an April 2026 performance, and drummer Chuck Redd canceled a longstanding Christmas Eve jazz concert in protest. In response to Redd’s cancellation, Grenell demanded $1 million from the artist, labeling the withdrawal a “political stunt.”

Trump attacked the Kennedy family on social media hours after the death of JFK’s granddaughter, amplifying MAGA supporters’ mockery of their objections to the name change. The administration installed MAGA-friendly board members in February and named Trump chairman of the center, abandoning the institution’s bipartisan tradition. Some observers dispute the legality of the board’s voting process, noting that a congresswoman was muted during the call and prevented from voicing criticism.

The attempted renaming has damaged the Kennedy Center’s financial performance and viewership. Ticket sales reached their worst levels in years following Trump’s takeover, according to October analysis by The Washington Post. The Kennedy Center Honors viewership dropped 35 percent year-over-year when Trump became the first president to host the event.

The Trump administration defended the name change as necessary to save the institution from deterioration, disregarding criticism from Kennedy family members and the broader artistic community. Grenell’s unsubstantiated allegations of media coordination appeared designed to shift focus from the substantive objections raised by canceling artists regarding Trump’s control of the culturally significant venue.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-kennedy-center-artist-boycott-b2892457.html)

Trump threatens lawsuit against Fed Chair Jerome Powell

President Trump announced he is considering filing a lawsuit against Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, citing “gross incompetence” over renovations to Federal Reserve buildings. During a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump claimed the construction project was poorly managed and that the costs ballooned unnecessarily, calling Powell’s oversight of the work his “baby” and describing the outcome as incompetent.

Powell has disputed Trump’s characterization of the renovation expenses. The Federal Reserve published a FAQ addressing the claims, clarifying that the project was first approved in 2017 and has undergone annual budget review by the Fed’s board of governors since its inception, contradicting Trump’s narrative of unchecked spending under Powell’s watch.

Trump has previously threatened legal action against Powell and has repeatedly demanded his resignation, stating “He should resign. It would be a favor to the nation.” However, Trump indicated he would allow Powell to complete his term, which ends in May, noting he was “so close” to the term’s conclusion and acknowledged Powell’s impending departure even as he suggested he might still remove him.

Trump originally nominated Powell to lead the Federal Reserve during his first presidency, and President Biden subsequently renominated Powell for a second four-year term. Trump’s ongoing fixation on the Federal Reserve leadership and his repeated attacks on Powell reflect his broader pattern of targeting the institution when monetary policy decisions conflict with his economic demands.

This lawsuit threat represents another instance of Trump weaponizing the legal system against federal officials who do not comply with his directives. The Federal Reserve’s independence from presidential control is foundational to U.S. economic stability; Trump’s repeated attempts to intimidate, remove, or sue the Fed chair directly undermine that institutional autonomy.

(Source: https://thehill.com/business/5665840-trump-powell-lawsuit-fed-buildings/amp/)

America Now Involved In Slave Trade with Trump Sending Deportees To Forced Labor in Palau

The Trump administration and Palau signed a migrant agreement on Wednesday, with the Pacific island nation accepting up to 75 “third-country nationals” in exchange for $7.5 million in U.S. foreign aid. According to statements from Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr. and the U.S. Embassy in Koror, the migrants would be individuals never charged with a crime who would “live and work in Palau” to address local labor shortages. Palau’s national working group would screen each arrival on a case-by-case basis before approval.

U.S. Ambassador Joel Ehrendreich and Palau’s Minister of State Gustav Aitaro signed the accord at a ceremony, cementing the Trump administration’s framing of the deal as enforcement of U.S. immigration law. The U.S. Embassy statement described Palau’s participation as cooperation on immigration priorities, while the financial package extends beyond the initial $7.5 million to include increased funding for health, disaster preparedness, financial stability, and law enforcement.

Palau, home to fewer than 18,000 people, maintains a Compact of Free Association with the United States established after its 1994 independence, under which the U.S. provides defense and substantial financial support in exchange for strategic military access to Palauan territory and waters. The agreement effectively uses development aid as leverage to export the administration’s migration policies to a dependent sovereign nation with minimal capacity to refuse.

(Source: https://thehill.com/policy/international/5662934-palau-trump-agreement-migrants/amp/)

Trump Hires Beauty Salon Owner Mora Namdar to Decide Who to Ban From U.S.

Donald Trump appointed Mora Namdar, a Texas-based beauty salon owner and attorney, as assistant secretary for consular affairs, giving her authority over visa approvals, revocations, and decisions about who enters the United States. Namdar, 46, owns the Bam salon chain in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Plano, offering blowouts starting at $45 and makeup sessions at $55, while simultaneously operating a one-woman law firm she announced closing on Christmas Day. She previously held an interim position in the State Department’s Middle East and North Africa bureau during Trump’s first term in 2020.

Namdar’s Senate confirmation this month elevates a politically connected operative with no demonstrated expertise in immigration or consular affairs to control visa adjudications affecting millions of foreigners. In testimony, she aligned visa decisions with Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s national security framing, stating that consular officers can revoke visas for individuals who “undermine” U.S. foreign policy, a standard potentially weaponizable against political opponents and critics.

Namdar contributed to Project 2025, Trump’s policy blueprint, by authoring a section attacking the U.S. Agency for Global Media—which operates Voice of America and Radio Free Europe—accusing it of “espionage-related security risks” and “anti-U.S. talking points,” and calling for its reform or closure. Her appointment operationalizes the “personnel is policy” strategy documented by PBS, which found the administration has implemented approximately half of Project 2025’s agenda through ideological staffing choices.

Her interim leadership of the State Department’s Near Eastern affairs bureau triggered internal concerns about management and morale according to multiple outlets. Namdar now oversees implementation of the administration’s ban on citizens from various European countries announced Wednesday, which Trump and Rubio framed as punishment for “egregious” social media censorship of “American viewpoints,” with additional bans promised.

This appointment exemplifies Trump’s strategy of installing operatives committed to Project 2025’s authoritarian goals across government agencies controlling speech and entry. Paired with FCC chairman Brendan Carr—another Project 2025 architect now pushing regulatory rollbacks and culture-war “censorship” narratives—Namdar’s position consolidates power to silence dissent and control who accesses the United States based on political loyalty rather than law.

(Source: https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-hires-beauty-salon-owner-mora-namdar-to-decide-who-to-ban-from-us/)

White House calls for “60 Minutes” producers to be fired: “Clean house” – Newsweek

Stephen Miller, a senior adviser to President Donald Trump, demanded that CBS News fire producers who objected to the network’s decision to pull a 60 Minutes segment from Sunday’s broadcast. Miller told Fox News on Tuesday that every producer involved in the “revolt” should be terminated, stating “Clean house. Fire them.”

CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss removed the 13-minute segment titled “Inside CECOT” just three hours before air, which documented interviews with Venezuelan men deported by the Trump administration to El Salvador’s CECOT prison without trials or due process. Weiss claimed the story needed additional reporting and suggested adding an interview with Miller or another Trump official, though correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi stated the piece had passed all legal and editorial reviews and was ready to broadcast.

Alfonsi rejected Weiss’s explanation in a message to CBS colleagues, stating the decision was “not an editorial decision, it is a political one” and warned that allowing the administration to block stories through non-participation gives them a “kill switch” for inconvenient reporting. She noted the segment had already been promoted to viewers, and its absence without explanation would be correctly identified as corporate censorship.

Miller defended the deportations on Fox News, falsely characterizing the Venezuelan men as “monsters” and “murderers and rapists,” despite reporting that many lacked U.S. criminal records and had only violated immigration laws. According to the Cato Institute, approximately 240 Venezuelan men were deported to CECOT in March; Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have documented that prisoners there are denied attorney and family contact and face widespread mistreatment.

The segment subsequently appeared online, intensifying backlash against CBS News. Multiple veteran correspondents questioned Weiss’s decision during a Monday meeting, Democratic Senator Brian Schatz called the situation “a terrible embarrassment,” and internal sources reported staff threatening to resign over the incident. Weiss stated the segment will air eventually, though timing remains unclear.

(Source: https://www.newsweek.com/white-house-calls-60-minutes-producers-to-be-fired-stephen-miller-11260869)

Trump Tells Child He Wants ‘To Make Sure’ That ‘A Bad Santa’ Doesn’t Enter U.S.

During a Christmas Eve NORAD call with children, President Trump used the Santa tracker conversation to promote misinformation about coal. When a child stated she did not want coal as a Christmas gift, Trump interjected to insist that coal is “clean and beautiful,” contradicting established scientific consensus that coal is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.

Trump’s remarks about tracking Santa included unsolicited commentary about border security, telling one child that officials monitor Santa “all over the world” to ensure “a bad Santa” does not “infiltrate into our country.” The president connected the fictional scenario to his policy priorities, characterizing national entry oversight through the Santa metaphor.

When asked by another child what present she wanted, Trump engaged in typical gift-discussion banter, offering to help secure a dollhouse. However, his fixation on coal misinformation dominated his interactions, repeatedly correcting the child’s preference and demanding she “remember that at all costs” regarding coal’s environmental properties.

The exchange demonstrated Trump’s pattern of using informal settings with children to advance false or misleading claims about energy policy and security narratives. Similar instances show Trump using holiday events to promote debunked talking points, prioritizing messaging over age-appropriate conversation.

Trump’s insistence that coal is environmentally benign contradicts decades of peer-reviewed research and international climate data. His deployment of misinformation during a family-oriented charitable broadcast reflects his consistent strategy of embedding false claims into casual public appearances to expand their reach and normalize their repetition.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/trump-tells-child-he-wants-to-make-sure-that-a-bad-santa-doesnt-enter-the-country/)

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