Category: Authoritarian

Donald Trump Talks About Giving His Sons the Medal of Honor

President Trump used a speech at the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota on Wednesday to talk repeatedly about awarding himself and his sons the Congressional Medal of Honor. Trump referenced the historical father-son pairs of Theodore Roosevelt and General Theodore Roosevelt Jr., and Arthur MacArthur and General Douglas MacArthur, who are among the only recipients of the award, then pivoted to himself. "As I see my two beautiful sons sitting there, I think, 'I'm going to give one to myself and one to them'. We'll have a threesome. I'll pick out one of the two," Trump stated, adding he would give the medals "for their genius at hunting" and claiming he deserves one "for taking on Russia, Russia, Russia, or something."

Trump acknowledged the routine nature of these comments, admitting "I have thought about this" while claiming to joke frequently on the topic. He also noted the risk of his remarks being misinterpreted, saying "this is dangerous to say because the fake news is up there." Trump has made similar Medal of Honor jokes at least twice within two weeks, including a recent appearance in Montana, establishing a pattern of returning to the idea throughout his second term.

The Medal of Honor is the nation's highest military decoration, awarded exclusively for extraordinary heroism in combat. Trump's casual treatment of the award contradicts his stated reverence for it; he has previously struggled publicly with the ceremonial presentation of the medal, fumbling to fasten it around a recipient's neck at a formal Congressional Medal of Honor ceremony.

The remarks reflect Trump's pattern of conflating personal grievance with national honors and blurring the line between jest and actual policy inclination. Trump's sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, were present during the speech but did not respond publicly to the comments about receiving military decorations neither has earned through military service.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-drops-wild-rant-about-giving-his-sons-medals/)

Trump Flips Out at Gas Companies Over ‘Illegal’ Gouging

President Donald Trump demanded that gasoline retailers immediately slash prices to approximately $2.50 per gallon, accusing them of “totally illegal” price gouging in a Monday Truth Social post. Trump claimed that with crude oil around $68-70 per barrel, significantly lower than the $100+ levels following his Iran war, gas stations were not passing savings to consumers, and warned of “big problems ahead” if retailers did not comply.

The national average gas price stood at $3.86 per gallon as of Monday, down from peaks near $4.50 in recent months. The U.S. and Israel initiated military action against Iran in February, prompting Iran to effectively block the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of global oil transits; a tenuous ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is currently in effect. Trump previously claimed his administration was conducting a “big investigation” into pricing practices by major oil companies including ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, and BP.

Last week, Chevron CFO Eimear Bonner stated that a lag exists between crude oil price declines and retail pump prices, with reductions expected as market conditions normalize. Trump has repeatedly downplayed the impact of his military actions on energy costs, telling reporters in May that gas prices represented “peanuts” and assuring the public the situation would not persist long.

Trump’s current demand contradicts his prior messaging and mischaracterizes how energy markets function. By framing market dynamics as criminal behavior and threatening retailers with unspecified consequences, he attempts to leverage presidential power to dictate prices without acknowledging his own foreign policy decisions that disrupted global oil supplies and contributed to price volatility.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump/trump-flips-out-at-gas-companies-over-totally-illegal-gouging-drop-your-price/)al oil supplies and contributed to price volatility.

Trump Celebrates Supreme Court Ruling Expanding Presidential Firing Power

Donald Trump celebrated a Supreme Court ruling that expanded presidential authority to fire Federal Trade Commission (FTC) commissioners, claiming the decision overturned 90 years of precedent and "greatly increasing Presidential Power." Trump had fired Biden-appointee Rebecca Slaughter from the FTC in 2025, citing her service as "inconsistent with the Administration's priorities," and the Court's 6-3 decision on Monday upheld his authority to do so.

In a separate ruling, the Supreme Court limited Trump's power by preventing him from firing Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, preserving the central bank's independence from executive removal authority. Trump had fired Cook in August after Federal Housing Finance Agency chief Bill Pulte accused her of mortgage fraud; Cook has denied the charge. Trump vowed to pursue "appropriate action immediately" and claimed Cook committed "wrongdoing," while Pulte, now interim head of the Department of National Intelligence, reiterated his belief that Cook "will be indicted for mortgage fraud."

It's important to note that Trump has falsely claimed mail-in voting is "really dishonest"; it is a legitimate voting method used by legitimate voters, including Trump himself.

All evidence shows fraud rates are tiny. He also falsely described what Jimmy Carter and a Carter-led 2005 commission said about mail-in ballots. Carter didn't say "you can't have them," and the commission didn't declare cheating inevitable. Additionally, Trump falsely claimed, "We're the only nation that does birthright citizenship," though about three dozen countries provide automatic citizenship to people born on their soil.

CNN's Paula Reid explained the split outcome, noting that the FTC ruling favored Trump because the agency operates within the Executive branch, while the Federal Reserve maintains independence as a separate entity. The decisions represent conflicting judicial positions on the scope of presidential removal powers, with the Court granting Trump greater control over executive agencies while constraining his authority over the Fed.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-takes-victory-lap-over-supreme-court-case-greatly-increasing-presidential-power/)

Supreme Court Lets Border Agents Strip Green Cards Without Proof

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority, led by Justice Clarence Thomas, ruled 6-3 that border officers may deny reentry to green card holders based on unproven criminal allegations without requiring “clear and convincing evidence” of actual wrongdoing. The decision strips lawful permanent residents of foundational due process protections and empowers border agents to treat returning green card holders as “applicants for admission” vulnerable to detention and removal on mere suspicion, even if convictions occur only after their return or result in acquittal.

The case involved Muk Choi Lau, a Chinese national and lawful permanent resident since 2007, who was arrested in 2012 for allegedly selling counterfeit goods and briefly left the U.S. Upon return, immigration officers declared him inadmissible based on pending charges. A federal appeals court had previously required “clear and convincing evidence” of an actual crime before changing his status, but the Supreme Court overturned that protection Tuesday. Lau ultimately pleaded guilty in 2013 and was ordered removed, but the ruling’s scope extends far beyond his case.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s dissent condemned the majority for handing the government a “massive blank check” to rewrite immigration law and circumvent statutory protections. She warned that green card holders face potential years in legal limbo or detention even if later acquitted, as the sequencing of charging before conviction or conviction before hearing fundamentally contradicts the plain terms of immigration statutes. The ruling violates the rights of lawful permanent residents who have already cleared security vetting to establish their status.

This decision amplifies the Trump administration’s coordinated assault on legal immigration pathways, executed by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and immigration officials who have transformed agencies into loyalty enforcement arms of the mass deportation campaign. A federal judge recently found that USCIS policies unlawfully discriminated against asylum seekers, green card applicants, and citizenship candidates “solely by the happenstance of their birth,” using purported national security concerns that “mask anti-immigrant sentiments” to justify sweeping removal actions leaving thousands in legal limbo.

Concurrent efforts target additional legal immigration protections, including attempts to strip Temporary Protected Status from over one million immigrants and accelerated citizenship revocation proceedings against naturalized Americans. The administration also unlawfully terminated status for tens of thousands who used a Biden-era appointment app at the U.S.-Mexico border, a determination a federal judge made earlier this year. Combined with Tuesday’s Supreme Court green card ruling, these actions dismantle legal immigration infrastructure while operating under false claims that enforcement targets only the “worst of the worst.”



(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/supreme-court-green-card-immigration-ruling-b3005036.html)

Trump Touts Failed State Fair as Fantastic Despite Sparse Crowds

President Trump claimed on Truth Social that his Great American State Fair at the National Mall was a resounding success, asking followers whether they believed he had done a “fantastic job” building and operating the event. Trump contrasted his effort with former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, asserting they could not have accomplished the same feat.

The two-week event, which launched last Wednesday under Trump-aligned Freedom250 organization rather than the nonpartisan America250 group, has been marked by successive operational failures and sparse attendance. Multiple musicians canceled performances after discovering they had been misled about the event’s affiliation, and several Democratic-led states withdrew from staffing booths, objecting to MAGA-aligned messaging replacing the promised patriotic theme.

Trump claimed his kickoff speech drew 45,000 attendees and that America was “back” and “respected by everybody” under his leadership, yet video documentation contradicted the crowd size assertion. The next morning, a power failure destroyed food inventory in the event’s food hall facility, with ice cream melting in summer Washington heat.

Photographs and news reports reveal the fairgrounds remained largely empty throughout the weekend. The Associated Press captured musician Jason Hershey performing at a Christian worship space to only two visible attendees, while other images showed minimal visitor engagement with exhibits. NBC News reported actual attendance fell far short of Trump’s stated figures, with many Wednesday attendees coming solely to see the president speak.

The Washington Post documented that the Wednesday crowd “thinly covered an area about the length of the National Museum of American History,” smaller than typical summer outdoor movie screenings, further contradicting Trump’s characterization of the event’s scale and success.



(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-great-america-state-fair-crowds-post-b3005067.html)

Trump White House Secretly Pressured Board Protecting Federal Workers

The Trump administration orchestrated a covert pressure campaign on the Merit Systems Protection Board, a federal agency designed to shield civil service employees from arbitrary dismissal, resulting in a March ruling that dismantled decades of precedent protecting federal workers. The board's decision accepted the White House's constitutional theory that President Trump possesses sweeping authority to remove officials without due process, effectively erasing civil service protections for federal employees, including immigration judges whose legal duties often conflict with Trump's political objectives. This ruling represents a deliberate dismantling of the most effective mechanism federal workers possess to contest wrongful termination.

The pressure campaign, led by a White House aide dedicated to expediting federal worker terminations, operated through both public and private channels in ways that parallel direct judicial coercion. By compelling the board to abandon established legal standards, the Trump administration weaponized a protective agency into a tool for authoritarian control over the federal workforce. The board's reversal of longstanding doctrine signals the administration's systematic effort to consolidate executive power and eliminate institutional checks on presidential authority.

This decision implements the "unitary executive" theory, a cornerstone of Trump's governing philosophy that concentrates all executive branch power in the presidency, allowing Trump to direct federal prosecutors, immigration judges, and other officials whose professional independence once constrained his political agenda. The administration has already moved to measure HHS employees' performance based on demonstrable loyalty to Trump's policies, illustrating the practical application of this authority. The ruling defangs the primary legal recourse available to federal workers challenging unlawful dismissals.

Though the board's decision does not directly affect pending Supreme Court cases on presidential power over the civil service, its precedent could devastate protections for vast segments of the federal workforce if upheld on appeal. The timing and methodology of this ruling reveal the administration's calculated assault on institutional independence, transforming independent agencies into compliance mechanisms for Trump's consolidation of power.

(Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/28/us/politics/trump-firings-workers-merit-systems-protection-board.html)

Trump Defies Judge’s Warning to Begin Golf Course

President Donald Trump announced on June 28 that work will begin September 1 on renovating the public East Potomac Golf Course despite a federal judge explicitly warning of “serious consequences” if the administration proceeds with major work without prior court approval and notification. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes stated: “I do not want a situation where something has happened and then I’m being told by the government or by a foundation or by a bulldozing company that it’s too late to do anything about it.”

Trump toured the golf course alongside Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and golf architect Tom Fazio, describing the project as a public-private partnership that will create “one of the Greatest Golf Courses anywhere in the World” capable of hosting major tournaments including the U.S. Open and Ryder Cup. The administration terminated the previous operator’s lease, National Links Trust, in December citing maintenance failures, though the nonprofit disputes those claims and was permitted to continue operating under a May agreement while Trump’s renovation plans advance.

The D.C. Preservation League warned the course would be “razed” before legal challenges could prevent it, citing the rapid demolition of the White House’s East Wing. This follows Trump’s pattern of moving forward with projects despite judicial restraint, including his 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery that prompted a veterans’ lawsuit and his addition of his name to the Kennedy Center before a judge ordered its removal.

Trump also claimed vandals caused algae blooms and liner damage at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, describing the vandals as “Criminal, Radical Left” individuals without evidence. He stated the $16 million pool renovation is now in “full use” and promised additional treatment after July 4 to restore it to “perfect shape.”



(Source: https://abcnews.com/Politics/trump-work-begin-dc-golf-despite-judges-warning/story?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=dhfacebook&utm_content=app.dashsocial.com/abcnews/library/media/690486707&id=134293591&fbclid=IwVERDUASutIJwZG9mA2ZkaWQWUJkhPhw7MgNMqb6g9axbZGLPouEvK2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR7grCkKIcjfqOt3wEYrxm4M9uG1DPmqyEKDaLjhsw9KIo3aIEojm7_S-B58dg_aem_3syqiwivXYdmw1FAVkwNow)to “perfect shape.”

Trump Aide Natalie Harp Leaves Devotional Notes

President Trump’s executive assistant Natalie Harp has cultivated an extraordinarily personal relationship with the president, leaving handwritten notes declaring “You are all that matters to me” in his private spaces and providing constant positive reinforcement of his decisions. According to a new book by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan titled “Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump,” Harp, a 34-year-old former television presenter, functions as Trump’s devoted aide and near-constant presence, earning the nickname “the human printer” for her role printing online articles and typing his Truth Social posts. Trump has described Harp as equally loyal to his wife and children, telling staff members “She’ll never leave me,” while White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles reportedly questioned her own place within this dynamic.

Harp’s influence extends to shaping Trump’s public communications and aesthetic preferences. She has encouraged his Oval Office redesigns and provided enthusiastic approval of his accumulation of gold furnishings, with the book noting that while other residence staff offered muted responses, “his devout aide Natalie Harp would gush with delight.” The 34-year-old has also played a direct role in some of Trump’s most controversial Truth Social posts, including a video depicting the Obamas as apes and an image casting Trump as a Christ-like figure, both of which were later deleted following bipartisan criticism.

Harp maintained her proximity to Trump even after he lost the 2020 election and relocated to Florida, where she provided him with carefully curated positive news stories and social media comments while he was away from office. Her devotion remained consistent upon Trump’s return to the White House, where she continued to offer unqualified praise and personal reinforcement, creating a dynamic of singular loyalty that appears designed to insulate the president from critical feedback or alternative perspectives within his administration.

White House spokesperson Kush Desai defended Harp’s role when reached for comment, characterizing her as a “beloved White House Official” and attributing her influence to Trump’s broader ability to cultivate staff loyalty. Desai also framed Trump’s use of Truth Social as an effective direct communication tool while dismissing media criticism as “Fake News,” suggesting the administration views Harp’s role as part of a broader strategy to maintain presidential control over messaging and information flow.



(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-aide-notes-natalie-harp-b3004534.html)

Trump Threatens Iran’s Annihilation Over Ceasefire Violations

President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that U.S. aircraft struck Iranian missile, drone storage, and coastal radar sites on Saturday in response to Iran violating a ceasefire agreement. Trump stated the United States was prepared to be “forced” to complete military operations against Iran if additional violations occurred, declaring that “the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist” if the country continues its aggression. Trump’s threat escalated rhetoric surrounding the ongoing conflict, as U.S. Central Command confirmed strikes were conducted in direct response to Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Fox News correspondent Jennifer Griffin, Iranian forces launched one-way attack drones targeting U.S. naval assets, including the Navy’s regional headquarters and the 5th Fleet based in Bahrain. The strikes hit a commercial vessel carrying approximately 200,000 barrels of oil in the Strait of Hormuz early Saturday morning, marking the second ship attacked in two days. Griffin reported the U.S. military response was substantially larger than previous night strikes and included targeting air defense systems, drone storage facilities, cruise missiles, and minelaying capabilities.

Trump has repeatedly employed annihilation rhetoric throughout the conflict with Iran. Previously, Trump threatened that “a whole civilization will die tonight” unless Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz, following which a two-week ceasefire was announced and Trump withdrew the threat. His pattern of catastrophic ultimatums paired with tactical concessions demonstrates a strategy of escalating military pressure while maintaining negotiating leverage, though his latest statements suggest willingness to pursue total military conquest if Iran continues its maritime operations.

The escalating military exchanges occurred as ongoing negotiations to end the war continued. U.S. officials stated Iran was given an opportunity to honor the ceasefire agreement but “elected not to” when its forces conducted the drone attack. The cycle of Iranian aggression and American military retaliation underscores the fragility of the ceasefire arrangement and the potential for broader regional conflict if either side abandons restraint. Trump’s threats to occupy Iran over the Strait of Hormuz reflect his consistent maximalist positioning in the conflict.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump-warns-usa-is-getting-forced-to-wipe-out-iran-once-and-for-all/)

‘They Tried to Kill Him’ Wild Trump Intro Says God Saved Him

Faith and Freedom Coalition Chairman Ralph Reed introduced President Donald Trump at the Faith and Freedom Policy Conference in Washington, DC on Friday with inflammatory rhetoric depicting Trump as a divinely protected figure under siege. Reed claimed Trump alone accomplished conservative achievements including appointing conservative Supreme Court justices, securing the border, enacting tax cuts, and directing military action against Iran, while listing a series of legal and political challenges Trump faced: “They impeached him! They indicted him! They tried to imprison him! They tried and knock him off the ballot! And then they tried to kill him!”

Reed attributed Trump’s survival of these challenges to divine intervention, stating “it all failed because God has a purpose for this man. And it is to save our nation.” This characterization mirrors earlier remarks Reed made at a leaked spring event and frames Trump’s legal jeopardy as persecution rather than accountability for conduct.

The introduction employed language consistent with authoritarian personality cults, positioning Trump as uniquely targeted and supernaturally protected while consolidating support among evangelical voters who form a crucial political base. Reed’s framing of indictments, impeachments, and assassination attempts as evidence of persecution rather than legitimate legal process normalizes rejection of institutional constraints on executive power.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/they-tried-to-kill-him-wild-trump-intro-goes-right-into-god-saved-him-territory/)mpts as evidence of persecution rather than legitimate legal process normalizes rejection of institutional constraints on executive power.

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