Category: Authoritarian

Trump’s Truth Social Sells Wall Street Early Access to Presidential Posts

President Donald Trump’s media company announced Thursday a paid service called Truth PSI that will provide Wall Street trading firms expedited access to Truth Social posts, including those from Trump himself on topics affecting national security and financial markets. The service enables institutional investors to see posts from the platform’s highest-ranking accounts, with Trump commanding 12.9 million followers, ahead of other users, potentially allowing traders to profit from market movements triggered by his announcements. Trump Media & Technology declined to disclose pricing or whether the president’s posts would be excluded from the offering.

Kathleen Clark, a government ethics expert at Washington University School of Law, characterized the arrangement as “brazen corruption” and “improper exploitation of government power to enrich himself,” noting that Trump is selling direct access to information about his presidential decisions. Conflict-of-interest law bars federal officials from owning companies that profit by selling access to their office decisions; however, presidents and vice presidents are statutorily exempt from this restriction. Every president since the law’s passage has voluntarily complied by divesting stock holdings or placing assets in blind trusts, but Trump has refused.

Trump has used Truth Social to announce major policy decisions including military actions against Iran, tariff implementations, and immigration enforcement operations. Iran-related posts are particularly significant because investors fear oil price increases will intensify inflation and potentially trigger Federal Reserve interest rate increases. The president stands to benefit directly as the largest shareholder in Trump Media & Technology, the publicly traded parent company.

Trump Media’s stock has collapsed more than 70 percent since Trump took office, erasing $6 billion in shareholder wealth, yet Trump’s annual financial disclosures show he extracted more than $1 billion in revenue from the same companies and ventures last year. The company recently replaced longtime CEO Devin Nunes with Kevin McGurn, a seasoned media executive, who described Truth PSI as part of a strategy to “monetize proprietary assets” and predicted it would generate “meaningful, ongoing source of revenue.” Trump Media stated it plans to launch the service next month after already securing customers.



(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-truth-social-access-wall-street-b3016554.html?fbclid=IwdGRjcATHN09wZG9mA2ZkaWQWUKto0BXhlicEpxh4I4QKu6fTKhvAzWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR6U4pURNaAFX11kgVjUKUzbnBIC0zeXX9TJzj-ZehGvKoWBhYIu1CcfvdZVUw_aem_0g_1ZKC2GOYkeTCIkhzw_Q)

Trump Demands NBC ABC License Revocation Over Primetime Speech

Donald Trump demanded that NBC and ABC have their broadcast licenses revoked for declining to air his Thursday night primetime address on their primary television channels, falsely characterizing the networks’ editorial decision as part of a “plot” to hide information from the public. Both networks carried the speech live on their streaming platforms (NBC News NOW and ABC News Live) and aired detailed summaries after Trump concluded, but Trump attacked them anyway for not broadcasting it on their main channels, stating that “fraud like this should mean a revocation of their licenses.” White House communications director Steven Cheung amplified the demand, calling the networks “cowards” on social media.

Trump’s attack on broadcast licenses represents an escalation of his systematic pressure on media outlets through regulatory threats. Trump has previously weaponized FCC regulatory power against late-night hosts, calling for their termination and celebrating their departures, while FCC Chair Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, has threatened broadcasters’ licenses in response to presidential complaints about coverage. Carr is currently investigating whether ABC’s talk show The View qualifies as a “bona fide news program” under equal time rules, using regulatory authority to punish editorial independence.

In the 23-minute address, Trump made unsubstantiated claims about election security, alleging without evidence that China conducted “the largest compromise of election data in history” and that American elections remain vulnerable to foreign interference. He accused unnamed national security officials of concealing information about election security while offering no documentation to support these assertions. Much of the “stolen” election data Trump referenced is publicly available for commercial purchase by political campaigns, undermining his claims of a security breach.

CNN declined to air the speech live, with anchor Kaitlan Collins stating the network would “monitor” Trump’s remarks to fact-check statements given his “well-documented history of saying blatantly false things about elections,” while Fox News broadcast the full address. Trump’s demand for license revocation targets networks that exercised editorial judgment about primetime coverage, using the presidency to punish outlets for decisions that displeased him and demonstrating contempt for the independence of broadcast journalism.



(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-election-fraud-address-nbc-abc-licence-b3016842.html)

Trump Revives False Claims Election Systems Compromised

President Donald Trump delivered a primetime White House address Thursday night, reviving unsubstantiated claims that the 2020 presidential election he lost was compromised by foreign interference. Trump alleged that American election systems face widespread vulnerabilities susceptible to manipulation, an assertion contradicted by extensive evidence and prior official assessments.

Documents Trump referenced during his speech, reviewed by CNN, largely describe vulnerabilities known for years and reflected in the 2021 U.S. intelligence community assessment. According to a source with direct knowledge, these materials were compiled to capture all information the government possessed on potential election interference concerns, but the intelligence community determined them either insufficiently concrete or incorporated them into minority reports rather than treating them as consequential findings.

No declassified information Trump cited supports claims that any previous election results, including the 2020 contest, were manipulated by foreign interference or domestic fraud in ways that would have altered outcomes. The intelligence community’s analysis determined that verbiage within the documents themselves did not warrant treating the concerns as having material impact on election integrity.

Trump’s revival of election-integrity doubts occurs four months before midterm elections, continuing a pattern of amplifying unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about U.S. electoral systems. His assertions conflict with findings from election officials, security experts, and his own appointed Department of Homeland Security officials, who have consistently affirmed the security and integrity of American elections.

The address reflects Trump’s ongoing effort to sow doubt about election outcomes unfavorable to him while promoting baseless narratives about systemic vulnerabilities, despite declassified records and official assessments providing no evidentiary support for claims of election manipulation affecting results.



(Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-sows-doubt-election-integrity-midterms-rcna587853)

Germany Warns Trump Against Election Interference Via $3M Grants

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz directly warned the Trump administration against interfering in German state elections scheduled for September, following the U.S. State Department’s announcement of a grants scheme offering up to $3 million to European charities, think tanks, and individuals. The funding targets organizations addressing “national sovereignty, migration, censorship, and lawfare challenges in line with shared political philosophy,” language former State Department officials describe as deliberately vague to obscure support for far-right groups across Europe.

Merz stated unequivocally that Germany does not interfere in American elections and expects reciprocal non-interference from the U.S. government and affiliated institutions in German affairs. He emphasized that German law prohibits foreign financing of political parties, directly confronting the Trump administration’s apparent strategy to circumvent restrictions on foreign aid by using ambiguous eligibility language that allows “individuals” and undefined “governmental institution[s]” to apply for grants without transparent criteria.

Former State Department officials characterize the initiative as a months-long effort to redirect U.S. government resources toward advancing far-right European movements and potentially political parties in violation of U.S. foreign assistance laws. One official stated bluntly: “There seems to be an effort by the state department to put the thumb on the scale of elections in Europe, giving an unfair advantage to rightwing parties with resources that they would ordinarily not get.” The scheme follows a broader pattern of Trump administration hostility toward European liberal democracies, including attacks by Vice President JD Vance on migration, abortion, and online safety policies across traditional Western allies.

State Department official Sarah B Rogers has become the public face of this intervention, pledging $500,000 to “promote digital freedom” in Ireland and appearing regularly at far-right and socially conservative conferences including the Prosperity Institute in Britain. The grants are administered by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, an agency originally established during the Cold War under President Jimmy Carter to challenge authoritarian regimes but now weaponized under Trump to support the authoritarian movements it was designed to oppose.

Potential beneficiaries include Britain’s Free Speech Union, organizations that lost funding under Viktor Orbán’s governance in Hungary, and similar conservative groups across Europe. The Trump administration’s systematic effort to finance and amplify far-right European parties and movements directly contradicts U.S. commitments to democratic integrity and election sovereignty in allied nations.



(Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/15/germany-warns-against-election-interference-as-us-offers-funding-to-maga-aligned-causes-in-europe?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=fb_us&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZnRzaATEziRwZG9mA2ZkaWQWUKm9nwMm-lJaDs1Z0NquaZJDJn5am2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR56qMrmUrWeU2ybDVY27M6uQijxjU9TF-zMzwdrB15NVoNGWSVd4V2N227zTw_aem_yFzQbvvmDsE-9iJXLoH_pA#Echobox=1784142197)

Trump Administration Violates Law With Presidential Gold Coin

The Treasury Department released a new $1 gold coin bearing President Trump’s face, violating federal law prohibiting living presidents from appearing on U.S. coinage. Under 31 U.S. Code § 5112 and the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, no living current or former president may be depicted on coins until at least two years after their death. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the coin would begin production immediately and release this fall, claiming the administration could circumvent the law by invoking commemorative coin authority tied to America’s 250th anniversary.

The decision exemplifies Trump’s use of executive power to aggrandize himself while dismantling institutional guardrails. Former GOP Representative Thomas Massie criticized the move as narcissistic, warning that grifters would exploit the decision by selling counterfeit versions to uninformed consumers. The coin contradicts longstanding federal restrictions designed to preserve the integrity of U.S. currency and prevent the politicization of national symbols through executive unilateralism.

This action follows Trump’s pattern of weaponizing government institutions to advance personal interests and cement his legacy through forced commemoration. The Treasury’s willingness to ignore explicit statutory language demonstrates how Trump administration officials prioritize loyalty over constitutional duty, effectively rewriting law through administrative fiat to serve their leader’s vanity.



(Source: https://newrepublic.com/post/213098/treasury-1-dollar-gold-coin-trump-face?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SF_TNR&fbclid=IwdGRjcATEpwVwZG9mA2ZkaWQWUKl9Vj2-Dm6Li0pwYGa1AI1us1z_jmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR6B3LcI4-HSHz0XrV4f4aHZcutmIMAMvEYvJU-shfGr88Smentu7B7KiPoZQQ_aem_RkOj662TInt1BPlVZUf_KQ)

Trump Flat-Out Says ‘I Don’t Want To Negotiate’ End To War

President Donald Trump explicitly rejected negotiations to end hostilities with Iran during a Fox News interview on Tuesday, stating “I don’t want to negotiate now.” This declaration came amid renewed U.S. military strikes on Iran, which U.S. officials claim violated a memorandum of understanding designed to pause fighting while both countries negotiated terms.

The conflict centers on control of the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has attacked and struck tankers transiting through Omani territorial waters. Iran asserts that Article 5 of the memorandum requires vessels to arrange safe passage through Iranian waters; the U.S. has resumed its blockade of Iranian ships in the Gulf of Oman in response. When Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst asked whether Trump was negotiating with the wrong Iranian leadership, Trump doubled down, saying “Three days ago, we had a deal” but refused further discussions.

Trump later threatened Iran with annihilation, stating the country should make a deal or “You’re not gonna have anybody left.” This escalation reflects the trajectory set in February when Trump launched the war in coordination with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who reportedly assured the president that military action could swiftly topple Iran’s government and that the Strait of Hormuz would remain open.

Trump’s refusal to pursue diplomatic resolution contradicts the framework of the existing memorandum and eliminates any immediate path to de-escalation. His explicit rejection of negotiation while simultaneously threatening annihilation demonstrates an intent to prosecute military conflict without diplomatic constraints.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/trump-flat-out-says-i-dont-want-to-negotiate-end-to-war/)rejection of negotiation while simultaneously threatening annihilation demonstrates an intent to prosecute military conflict without diplomatic constraints.

Trump Demands Senate Confirm ‘Loyal’ Todd Blanche

President Donald Trump publicly endorsed Todd Blanche as acting attorney general on Truth Social, praising him as “100% LOYAL” and highlighting crime statistics and enforcement actions the administration attributes to Blanche’s leadership. Trump’s post, made one day before Blanche’s Senate confirmation hearing, emphasized crackdowns on what Trump called “vicious Criminal Thugs” and “dangerous Illegal Aliens,” as well as what he framed as ending the “Weaponization of our Justice System.”

Trump credited Blanche with overseeing murder rates he claimed were at the lowest level since 1900 and a record one-year drop in violent crime, along with seizures of over 500 million doses of drugs. The president also highlighted Blanche’s record on religious liberty, free speech protection, and what Trump described as strengthening “Election Integrity” through an “all-out-WAR against Fraud.”

Trump specifically referenced Blanche’s role defending him during what the president characterized as unlawful prosecution by the Biden administration. “When the Corrupt Biden ‘Injustice’ Department and Radical Left Prosecutors tried to throw me in jail, and interfered in our Historic 2024 Presidential Campaign, Todd stood by my side and fought off the Lawfare,” Trump stated, demanding that Republican senators vote to confirm Blanche immediately.

Blanche became acting attorney general in April 2026 after Trump dismissed Pam Bondi. Trump previously indicated his support for Blanche’s confirmation last month, stating Blanche was performing a “very good job.” The confirmation hearing follows Trump’s pattern of demanding absolute loyalty from appointees, as evidenced by his attacks on officials resisting his directives and his administration’s defiance of judicial oversight.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump-gushes-like-a-proud-parent-over-100-loyal-todd-blanche-before-confirmation-hearing/)

Trump Reignites Blockade Against Iran in Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump declared the United States the “Guardian of the Strait of Hormuz” on Monday, announcing a blockade targeting Iranian vessels and a 20% toll on all cargo transiting the waterway. Trump stated that while other nations retain passage rights, Iranian ships and their customers will be barred from entering or leaving, framing the seizure of control over this critical international shipping lane as a matter of “fairness” for American protection costs. The announcement followed retaliatory U.S. military strikes against Iran after Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces attacked a Cyprus-flagged container ship and falsely claimed to have closed the strait.

Trump told Fox News the U.S. will “keep” and “probably run” the strait, extracting substantial revenue from global commerce while positioning American forces as enforcers. He claimed the United States had negotiated “a done deal” with Iran before Iran violated a ceasefire agreement over the weekend, stating “we’re just going to hit them very hard and keep the strait, and probably run it.” Trump asserted that Iran has a pattern of breaking agreements, citing ten previous deals he said the regime had violated.

The unilateral seizure of control over an internationally recognized waterway through which approximately one-third of global seaborne oil passes represents Trump’s assertion of military dominance over a crucial global chokepoint. By imposing a 20% toll and explicitly blocking Iranian commerce, Trump transforms a shared international passage into a revenue-generating American territory, a move that contradicts international maritime law and conventions governing freedom of navigation. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed U.S. military strikes followed Iran’s attack on the merchant vessel, but Trump’s subsequent assertion of permanent control expands the conflict beyond defensive response.

Trump’s escalation abandons the pretense of negotiation in favor of direct territorial and economic control, structuring the international order around American military power and financial extraction. Trump previously claimed the strait was open following overnight military strikes, but his Monday declarations reveal intent to monopolize control and profit from global energy transit. The president’s rhetoric conflates security provision with commercial exploitation, justifying American toll collection on international commerce as compensation for military operations initiated at his direction.

This consolidation of control over a vital international waterway exemplifies Trump’s model of authoritarian resource extraction, in which the U.S. military apparatus becomes an instrument for enriching American leadership and subordinating global commerce to Trump’s financial interests. The blockade of Iranian vessels and imposition of cargo fees establish a de facto American empire over a region critical to global trade, enforced by military force and defended through nationalist framing that obscures the seizure of international territory.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-dubs-usa-guardian-of-the-hormuz-strait-and-relaunches-blockade-against-iran/)financial interests. The blockade of Iranian vessels and imposition of cargo fees establish a de facto American empire over a region critical to global trade, enforced by military force and defended through nationalist framing that obscures the seizure of international territory.

Trump Claims Strait of Hormuz Open After Iran War

President Trump claimed during a Sunday NBC News appearance that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, contradicting Iran’s assertion that it had closed the waterway. When host Kristen Welker pressed Trump on the conflicting statements following overnight U.S. military strikes on Iranian targets, Trump stated the strait was open but refused further discussion, citing a desire to honor the memory of late Senator Lindsey Graham.

Trump’s account of recent events with Iran contradicts the pattern of escalation documented by U.S. Central Command. Trump asserted that Iran had agreed to a ceasefire deal the previous day before launching a drone attack on a commercial vessel within an hour, describing Iranian officials as “sick people.” According to CENTCOM, the United States completed a third round of strikes against Iran on July 11, targeting approximately 140 Iranian military positions with precision munitions launched from fighter aircraft, drones, and naval vessels.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed Saturday that U.S. military strikes followed Iran’s attack on a Cyprus-flagged container ship, which resulted in a missing crew member and significant vessel damage. The escalation marks a third military engagement between the two nations in one week, with Trump ordering strikes after Iran violated a ceasefire agreement.

Trump’s dismissal of substantive discussion about the military conflict and the Strait of Hormuz underscores his pattern of deploying military force while avoiding detailed accountability for the consequences. His refusal to engage with Welker’s direct questions about the strategic waterway’s status and his response strategy reflects his authoritarian approach to governance, where military decisions operate outside meaningful public scrutiny or democratic oversight.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-claims-the-strait-of-hormuz-is-open-in-testy-retort-to-nbcs-welker/)

Rubio Controls Venezuela as De Facto Viceroy

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has established de facto control over Venezuela since U.S. forces captured President Nicolás Maduro in January 2026, functioning as what officials call a “viceroy” over the nation. Rubio oversees Venezuela’s finances, natural resource distribution, government appointments, and foreign policy from Washington without visiting the country in person, maintaining close contact with acting president Delcy Rodríguez through WhatsApp messages where he directs her decisions on defense ministers, business licenses, and public statements.

The U.S. Treasury receives revenue from Venezuela’s oil exports and disburses funds to the country through its banking system, giving Rubio’s team control over spending priorities and conditions. Rubio sets the terms for international business licenses, decides which companies can operate in Venezuela, and has prioritized American oil firms over European competitors while pressuring Rodríguez to abandon partnerships with U.S. adversaries like Russia’s Rosneft. This financial leverage compels Rodríguez to comply with his directives to maintain her government’s ability to pay workers and stabilize the currency.

On taking power, Trump told Rodríguez she could either cooperate with the United States or face attacks on Venezuela’s infrastructure and military bases. When Rodríguez sought assurances after the Justice Department began investigating her, Rubio texted her a Trump social media post praising her performance, then approved her thank-you response before she posted it. The Trump administration halted prosecution of Rodríguez, demanded she extradite Maduro ally Alex Saab for extradition to the U.S., and directed her to remove a foreign minister’s post criticizing the American attack on Iran, effectively stripping Venezuela of independent foreign policy.

Trump has explicitly stated he intends to “run the country” for years and has suggested Venezuela could become the 51st state, framing the arrangement as part of his broader agenda for American expansionism in Greenland, Canada, and the Panama Canal. The administration has deployed 900 military personnel to Venezuela, committed nearly $400 million in aid, and delivered cash following recent earthquakes, using disaster relief to strengthen Rodríguez’s interim government while indefinitely postponing democratic elections.

Rubio has abandoned his previous advocacy for Latin American democracy to enforce what the article describes as “Trump-era American power, in which the winner takes all regardless of sovereignty and international law.” Representative Sean Casten questioned Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent about the constitutional authority for controlling Venezuelan assets, but received no substantive answer, exposing the absence of legal justification for this colonial arrangement.



(Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/11/us/politics/how-marco-rubio-runs-venezuela.html?fbclid=IwVERDUATAoTpwZG9mA2ZkaWQWUKYQUlJUuA-60cymLc92kaDcnOpodWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR75FDCaExV3rlk91kk5_b8v36cHEzSx3Qwf3JsS6cVvp7BbQIB_JyAgCH6pqQ_aem_WS82o4yXRWvIVoDhBvB24A)

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