Category: Authoritarian

Trump Yanks Hurd Endorsement Over Tariff Opposition

President Donald Trump withdrew his endorsement of Representative Jim Hurd (R-CO) on Saturday via Truth Social, citing the congressman’s opposition to Trump’s tariff policies. Hurd voted for H.J.Res.72, which seeks to terminate Trump’s 25% tariff on Canadian goods, an action Trump characterized as betrayal of the country.

Trump claimed this was only the second time he has yanked an endorsement, the first being ex-Representative Mo Brooks (R-AL) in 2022 after Brooks questioned Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election. In his Saturday post, Trump stated Hurd “let me and our Country down” by prioritizing foreign interests over American ones, describing the congressman as more loyal to countries “ripping us off for decades” than to the United States.

Trump immediately endorsed Hope Scheppelman, a Navy veteran and nurse, as Hurd’s replacement in Colorado’s 3rd District. Trump praised Scheppelman as someone who “will never let you down,” contrasting her with what he called a “RINO” (Republican in Name Only) in Hurd. This endorsement shift demonstrates Trump’s willingness to weaponize party support to enforce loyalty to his tariff agenda.

The withdrawal follows Trump’s earlier threats against six Republican members of Congress who opposed his tariff policies, with Trump declaring they would “seriously suffer the consequences come Election time.” The move underscores Trump’s pattern of using primary challenges and endorsement reversals to punish Republicans who defy his economic agenda, effectively demanding absolute loyalty over independent legislative judgment.

Trump’s action came one day after the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that his tariff authority exceeded his statutory power under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Trump attacked the justices who ruled against him as “unpatriotic and disloyal,” demonstrating his broader campaign to punish any institution or individual who challenges his authority.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump-yanks-endorsement-for-republican-lawmaker-for-second-time-ever-over-lack-of-support-for-tariffs/)

Trump Demands Netflix Fire Susan Rice Over Corporate

President Trump demanded Netflix fire Susan Rice, a board member since 2023, after Rice criticized corporations that capitulate to Trump’s agenda. In a Truth Social post on Saturday, Trump called Rice a “racist, Trump Deranged” political hack with “no talent or skills,” threatening Netflix with unspecified consequences if the company did not comply immediately. Trump’s attack followed a video clip shared by Laura Loomer showing Rice warning that companies bowing to Trump will face accountability from Democrats if they return to power.

Rice, former National Security Adviser and U.N. Ambassador under President Obama, stated that corporations, law firms, universities, and media entities taking a knee to Trump will not fare well. She argued their capitulation represents short-term self-interest and predicted they will be held accountable by future Democratic administrations for firing employees and abandoning principles. Rice specifically challenged the assumption that Democrats would forgive such actions, saying corporations have “another thing coming” if they expect leniency.

The timing of Trump’s attack coincides with Netflix’s efforts to close a $72 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery while facing Department of Justice scrutiny over potential harm to consumers. Trump’s demand for Rice’s firing exploits regulatory vulnerability as competing bidders, including Paramount Skydance, attempt to block the merger and acquire WBD themselves. Rice has previously criticized Trump initiatives, including his dismantling of federal diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and his defense secretary pick Pete Hegseth.

Trump’s demand weaponizes his presidential authority to pressure a major media company into firing a corporate board member for expressing political speech. This attack exemplifies Trump’s use of regulatory power and public threats to silence critics and enforce loyalty, directly targeting someone who warned corporations against capitulating to his administration.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump-demands-netflix-fire-racist-susan-rice-after-ex-obama-ambassador-slammed-companies-that-take-a-knee-to-potus/)

Trump Escalates Global Tariffs to 15% After Court

Donald Trump announced a 15% global tariff effective immediately on Saturday via Truth Social, escalating from the 10% levy he imposed Friday after the Supreme Court struck down his reciprocal tariff policy. Trump claimed the higher rate was “fully allowed, and legally tested,” attacking the court’s decision as “ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily anti-American” while asserting countries have been “ripping off” the United States for decades.

The British Chambers of Commerce condemned the increase as damaging to UK businesses, warning that the additional 5% tariff on most British exports would harm trade, US consumers, and global economic growth. William Bain, head of trade policy at the BCC, stated the announcement proved their fears that Trump’s backup plan would be worse than his initial proposal and called for businesses to receive “clarity and certainty” rather than escalating tariffs.

Britain had negotiated the lowest initial rate of 10% under a deal between Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Trump, with carve-outs protecting steel, automobiles, and pharmaceuticals. The UK government indicated it expected these preferential arrangements to remain intact under the new 15% framework, though officials acknowledged uncertainty about the tariff’s full implications for British trade.

Trump bypassed Congress by signing an executive order Friday invoking emergency powers after the Supreme Court overturned his reciprocal tariffs policy, allowing him to unilaterally increase import taxes. His escalation to 15% followed his public attacks on Supreme Court justices as “unpatriotic and disloyal” for blocking his previous tariff authority.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/president-donald-trump-keir-starmer-government-uk-government-b2925023.html)

FCC Chair Carr Demands Patriotic Content While Silencing Late-Night Hosts

Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, has called on broadcasters to air “patriotic, pro-America” content as part of a “Pledge America Campaign” ahead of the nation’s 250th independence anniversary in July. Carr’s directive explicitly requests networks air programming celebrating American history, begin each broadcast day with the Pledge of Allegiance, and feature music by composers including John Philip Sousa, Aaron Copland, Duke Ellington, and George Gershwin. The campaign frames such programming as addressing declining civics education and serving broadcasters’ public interest obligations.

Carr has become a central figure in the Trump administration’s conflict with late-night television hosts after pressuring ABC to suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s show in September over comments about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s fatal shooting. Upon returning, Kimmel called out Carr’s hypocrisy by citing a 2022 social media post from Carr himself stating that “political satire is one of the oldest and most important forms of free speech.” Stephen Colbert similarly attacked Carr this week after CBS reportedly blocked an interview with Democrat James Talarico running for U.S. Senate in Texas, with Carr having indicated he was considering removing talk show exemptions from FCC equal-time rules.

Anna Gomez, the sole Democratic FCC Commissioner, directly opposed Carr’s campaign, stating on X that “nothing is more American than defending our constitutional rights against those who would erode our civil liberties” and urging broadcasters to refuse government interference by defending their First Amendment rights. CBS denied blocking the Talarico interview, stating instead that legal guidance indicated broadcast could trigger equal-time requirements for other candidates. The FCC’s equal-time rules do not apply to digital platforms, and the blocked interview has garnered over 8.3 million views on The Late Show’s YouTube channel.

Carr has framed his actions as ending broadcaster control over public discourse. In a Fox News interview with Laura Ingraham, Carr declared that “the days that these legacy media broadcasters get to decide what we can say, what we can think, who we can vote for, are over,” crediting Trump with “smashing the facade” of media independence. Carr’s language and actions demonstrate the administration’s deliberate effort to pressure networks into aligning content with government-approved messaging while simultaneously attacking press freedom as a mechanism of control.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-fcc-brendan-carr-patriotic-colbert-kimmel-b2924780.html)

Draft-Dodging Trump Thirsts Over Awarding Himself Military Medal

During a Thursday speech in Georgia, Donald Trump disclosed his desire to award himself the Congressional Medal of Honor, claiming he considered doing so during his first term but was dissuaded by advisers. Trump, who avoided military service through draft deferments, stated he has awarded the medal to combat veterans with severe injuries and suggested changing the law to permit self-awarding the honor.

Trump acknowledged the apparent contradiction between his consideration of self-awarding the medal and the sacrifices of wounded soldiers he has honored. He described veterans who lost limbs in combat and framed his hesitation as recognizing the medal’s significance to those with documented battlefield injuries, yet he continued to express interest in obtaining one for himself.

The statement exemplifies Trump’s pattern of self-aggrandizement and disregard for institutional norms. His draft dodging during the Vietnam War, combined with his repeated efforts to claim military accomplishments and honors he did not earn, contradicts his public positioning as a defender of military service and sacrifice.

(Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/draft-dodging-trump-thirsts-over-004234640.html)

Trump Pledges $10 Billion to ‘Board of Peace’ in First Meeting

President Trump announced a $10 billion transfer of taxpayer funds to his newly created “Board of Peace” during its inaugural meeting in Washington, D.C. on February 19, 2026. The board, which Trump controls as chairman without term limits or government oversight, includes nations with documented human rights abuses and corruption records such as Israel, El Salvador, Turkey, Argentina, the United Arab Emirates, Hungary, and Saudi Arabia. Member states pay $1 billion each to join, with an additional $7 billion contributed by participating nations, though Congress has not authorized the U.S. spending and Trump provided no specification of where the $10 billion would originate.

Trump framed the board as overseeing implementation of a Gaza peace plan, but has previously stated his intention to redevelop Gaza as a “Trump Riviera” tourism destination. Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law who holds no official government position, presented plans to reshape the war-torn region into a coastal investment opportunity. Kushner denied that individuals were personally profiting from the arrangement, yet the board’s structure grants Trump unilateral financial control without U.S. government oversight or restrictions, enabling him to access organizational funds beyond constitutional accountability mechanisms.

Major U.S. allies and Western democracies rejected participation in Trump’s coalition. The Vatican, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, and Ukraine all declined invitations, reflecting their assessment of the board as a mechanism for Trump to establish a controlled international alliance independent of established multilateral institutions. Putin received an invitation despite actively waging war against Ukraine, demonstrating Trump’s prioritization of personal relationships with authoritarian figures over democratic alignment.

At the Thursday gathering, Trump repeatedly appeared to fall asleep during speakers’ remarks, occurring throughout the more than two-hour meeting as foreign leaders addressed him. The event featured sycophantic praise from participating nations, including Egypt’s prime minister addressing Trump as “excellency,” a breach of protocol for U.S. presidents who historically reject monarchical titles. Kazakhstan’s autocratic President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed establishing a “President Trump award” to recognize Trump’s “outstanding efforts and achievements,” and FIFA President Gianni Infantino attended without clear justification.

Trump also used the event to announce he would decide on military action against Iran within ten days, despite claiming last year that a previous strike “obliterated” Iranian nuclear facilities. The announcement of potential renewed warfare contradicted the purported peace mission of the gathering. Trump characterized the $10 billion pledge as “a very small number” compared to war costs, equating it to two weeks of military spending, while maintaining that no congressional authorization for the expenditure existed.

(Source: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-pledges-10-billion-board-of-peace-meeting-1235519576/?fbclid=IwY2xjawQErkNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe0VFQVzCo4RTtSQuznefPb57AtrlKN1M0W58uDN1ZVeUZ56Y6TStjQtA1BYM_aem_v8x_9FRA2dmfshMiH_8cyQ)

Hegseth Invites Christian Nationalist Wilson to Pentagon Worship Service

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth invited Christian nationalist pastor Doug Wilson to lead a worship service at the Pentagon this week. Wilson has publicly advocated for wives to submit to their husbands, opposed women’s voting rights, and defended Christian enslavers as operating on “firm scriptural ground,” according to his documented statements.

The invitation reflects Hegseth’s alignment with Christian nationalist ideology, which frames American governance through a lens of Christian supremacy and traditional patriarchal structures. Wilson’s presence at the Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S. military, demonstrates how Trump administration officials are embedding religious extremism into federal institutions responsible for defending constitutional democracy.

Christian nationalism contradicts the constitutional separation of church and state and the principle of equal protection under law. By platforming Wilson at a military facility, Hegseth signals the administration’s intention to weaponize the Pentagon as a venue for advancing sectarian religious doctrine rather than maintaining secular, constitutional governance.

This action parallels broader efforts by the Trump administration to purge the military of independent voices, as evidenced by Hegseth’s removal of Colonel Dave Butler from Army public affairs and the pattern of loyalty-based personnel decisions documented in recent weeks.

The Pentagon event demonstrates how Trump’s second administration is systematically remaking federal institutions to serve authoritarian and theocratic ends, dismantling the secular safeguards that prevent religious extremism from controlling military policy and national security decisions.

(Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/02/18/doug-wilson-pentagon-hegseth-christian-nationalist/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwdGRleAQEi79leHRuA2FlbQExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR6UG5yVkLHtcm12dqTWyaPFpbw9qvVB2OQY2H-GNUEPU36_Ysv_blD-hkWTVw_aem_GreTi7q4vRbeiim7jN7a8Q)

Trump Claims He Screamed at Macron Over Drug Price Tariffs

President Donald Trump claimed during a campaign event in Rome, Georgia on Thursday that he screamed at French President Emmanuel Macron during a phone call, threatening him with 100% tariffs on wine and champagne until Macron agreed to raise drug prices in France. Trump stated he called multiple world leaders with similar ultimatums, describing Macron as capitulating to his demands after the tariff threat, though Trump provided no verification of these conversations occurring.

Trump used the alleged exchange to promote his second-term drug pricing claims, stating he has reduced American drug costs by “400, 500, even 600%” by forcing other nations to lower their prices. He characterized the situation as necessary because the United States had been paying the highest drug prices globally and his intervention allegedly brought American prices to match the world’s lowest rates.

MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell directly contradicted Trump’s account, calling it “pure hallucination from start to finish” and noting that French presidents lack direct control over their country’s drug pricing, which is determined through regulatory and legislative processes. O’Donnell stated Trump fabricated the conversation entirely and that everyone in the cabinet room where Trump previously told the story knew it was false.

Trump has previously publicized private communications with Macron, including posting the French president’s text message to Truth Social in January 2026, where Macron explicitly rejected Trump’s Greenland annexation ambitions. This history of weaponizing communications with allies undermines credibility in his current claims about negotiating drug prices through coercion.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/youre-gonna-do-it-trump-says-he-screamed-at-macron-in-wild-phone-call/)

Trump DHS Order Targets Tens of Thousands Legal Refugees

The Trump administration issued a sweeping Department of Homeland Security order requiring that tens of thousands of lawfully present refugees return to federal custody one year after admission to the United States for green card application review, potentially enabling mass detention of refugees who fled persecution. The memo, filed ahead of a Thursday federal court hearing in Minnesota, states DHS “may maintain custody for the duration of the inspection and examination process,” directly contradicting established legal protections refugees have received under prior administrations and upending longstanding immigration safeguards that have governed refugee resettlement for decades.

Advocacy and resettlement organizations condemned the order as unlawful detention of people the U.S. government itself admitted legally. HIAS, an international Jewish nonprofit serving refugees, stated the policy constitutes “a transparent effort to detain and potentially deport thousands of people who are legally present in this country,” after those refugees were promised safety and the opportunity to rebuild their lives. Democratic U.S. Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota declared the government “failed to offer any coherent argument for their policy in either law or fact,” while U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar joined refugee rights supporters opposing the measure at a courthouse news conference.

The order represents the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown targeting Minnesota, which included Operation PARRIS, a “sweeping initiative” purportedly to reexamine 5,600 Minnesota refugees without permanent resident status. Federal agents conducted door-to-door arrests, sending refugees to detention centers in Texas without access to attorneys, with some later abandoned in Texas to find their own way home. U.S. District Judge John Tunheim blocked the government from targeting Minnesota refugees in January, ruling the plaintiffs were likely to prevail on claims that “their arrest and detention, and the policy that purports to justify them, are unlawful,” and noting refugees undergo extensive vetting by multiple agencies before resettlement and none arrested had been deemed dangerous or charged with deportable crimes.

Judge Tunheim previously rejected the government’s legal rationale as producing illogical results, writing that mandating detention would be “nonsensical” since refugees cannot apply for green cards until one year after U.S. arrival, making nearly all refugees subject to detention under the administration’s interpretation. Trump’s broader immigration restrictions have suspended green card approvals for refugees admitted during the Biden years and dramatically reduced the number of refugees admitted to the country, citing national security and economic concerns despite expert consensus that refugees undergo rigorous background screening before entry.

The new order applies nationally but was filed specifically before Minnesota federal court arguments on whether Judge Tunheim’s temporary protective order for Minnesota refugees would be extended beyond its February 25 expiration date. Justice Department attorney Brantley Mayers indicated the government would have discretion whether to arrest refugees at the one year mark, a claim met with skepticism by refugee attorneys and legal observers monitoring whether the courts would tolerate mass preventive detention of legally admitted refugees facing no criminal charges or flight risk.

(Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/judge-weighs-extending-protections-refugees-050548010.html)

Trump Banner on DOJ Building Signals Authoritarian Capture

A banner displaying President Donald Trump’s portrait and the slogan “Make America Safe Again” was installed on the Department of Justice building in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, mirroring similar displays at the Department of Labor. The blue banner hung above Pennsylvania Avenue as contractors assembled it while pedestrians and workers passed by, marking a visible assertion of Trump’s control over a federal law enforcement agency.

Senator Dick Durbin, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, stated that Trump orchestrated institutional capture through operatives Stephen Miller, Pam Bondi, and Kash Patel to weaponize the Justice Department for personal protection rather than serving the public. Durbin said Trump “shouted ‘weaponization’ and ‘witch hunt’ into the void for years…just to do it himself,” directly contradicting Trump’s prior claims that the DOJ had been weaponized against him under President Joe Biden. The Justice Department’s official mission emphasizes independence and freedom from political influence, standards the banner directly contradicts by fusing Trump’s image with the institution itself.

Democratic officials and Trump critics compared the display to authoritarian regimes. California Representative Dave Min called it “outrageous and inconsistent with democracy and the rule of law,” while former Obama strategist David Axelrod noted the banner resembled Trump’s mugshot. Governor Gavin Newsom characterized it as “dictatorship-style,” and the Unite the Country PAC stated that “historically, leaders who plaster their portraits on government buildings have rarely been the good guys.” These responses reference Trump’s 34 felony convictions in New York, establishing the irony of his image adorning the nation’s premier law enforcement agency.

Ken Dilanian, reporting for MSNBC Now, described the banner as “a stunning confirmation” that Trump has “seized control of the once independent Justice Department and is using it to pursue his political objectives—including trying to punish his perceived enemies.” The DOJ’s previous failed attempt to indict Democratic lawmakers over a military video and a federal judge’s rebuke of DOJ claims that Trump can unilaterally control historical narratives further demonstrate institutional capture. The display institutionalizes Trump’s personalization of law enforcement, completing the transformation of the DOJ into a tool of executive vengeance rather than impartial justice.

Republicans Against Trump declared on social media that “the DOJ is working for Trump, prosecuting his enemies and covering for his corruption, not upholding the law or serving the American people.” The banner’s installation represents the final visual codification of what Trump’s operatives have already achieved administratively: the elimination of the DOJ’s independence and its conversion into an instrument of authoritarian control, where justice is redefined as loyalty to the leader’s will.

(Source: https://www.newsweek.com/new-pro-trump-banner-appears-doj-headquarters-11551137)

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