The Trump Presidency Is Going Great

The Trump Presidency Is Going Great

Documenting the chaos since day one — one awful day at a time.

4,852entries documented
+16added in last 24h
+167this week
Nov 2024covering since
Category: fascism

Thursday, January 15, 2026

fascism

trump doj investigates democrats for quoting the actual law

Jeanine Pirro, now inexplicably in charge of federal prosecutions, prepares to investigate the radical crime of quoting the Uniform Code of Military Justice on camera.

Jeanine Pirro, now inexplicably in charge of federal prosecutions, prepares to investigate the radical crime of quoting the Uniform Code of Military Justice on camera.

The Trump administration has apparently discovered a bold new legal theory: if Democrats say out loud that soldiers shouldn’t follow illegal orders, that’s “sedition.” Six Democratic lawmakers with military and intel backgrounds made a 90-second video reminding troops of their duty under the Uniform Code of Military Justice not to obey unlawful commands – you know, the thing the Pentagon literally teaches in basic training. In response, Donald Trump called for their arrest, prosecution, and, briefly, execution, because nothing says "I definitely don’t plan to issue illegal orders" like trying to criminalize people for pointing out you can’t obey them.

Now Trump’s hand-picked US attorney in DC, Jeanine Pirro – yes, the former Fox screamer, now in charge of federal prosecutions in the capital, because this timeline is a joke that never ends – is having prosecutors "request interviews" with the lawmakers. Jason Crow, Maggie Goodlander, Chrissy Houlahan, Elissa Slotkin, Mark Kelly, and Chris Deluzio have all been contacted by either the FBI or DOJ over the video. Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth has already formally censured Kelly and started proceedings to slash his rank and pension, because this administration treats decorated veterans who quote the law like enemies of the state, and insurrectionists who attacked the Capitol like honored guests.

Watchdog groups are calling this what it is: authoritarian overreach and an assault on the First Amendment. Crow and the others say they’re being targeted not because they lied, but because they said something Trump and Hegseth "didn’t want anyone to hear" – namely that the military is obligated to refuse unlawful commands. In other words, the president is trying to prosecute members of Congress for stating a "bedrock principle of American law" on camera. Government oversight experts are politely screaming that "a sitting president attempting to prosecute his political opponents just for saying something he disagrees with is a hallmark of authoritarianism." But sure, tell us again how the "weaponization of government" is when the IRS audits a billionaire.

So to recap: Trump floats the death penalty for lawmakers who reminded troops not to commit war crimes, his DOJ and FBI are deployed to investigate them for a 90-second civics lesson, and his Fox News–to–Pentagon pipeline is being used to punish a former Navy captain senator for the crime of having a conscience. The message to the military is clear: the only "illegal order" now is disobeying Donald Trump.
theguardian.comSource ArticleAlso: npr.orgAlso: npr.org
#fascism#killing-democracy

Wednesday, January 14, 2026

fascism

labor department goes full volk-and-heritage

The Department of Labor’s new aesthetic: AI-generated stock Nazis, but make it ‘American Dream.’

The Department of Labor’s new aesthetic: AI-generated stock Nazis, but make it ‘American Dream.’

The Trump Department of Labor looked at decades of hard-won labor protections and decided what workers really need is… Nazi-adjacent propaganda. The agency blasted out a video captioned “remember who you are, American” with the slogan “One Homeland. One People. One Heritage.” — which just happens to rhyme ideologically with “Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer.” But don’t worry, the DOL swears it’s just about “celebrating American workers and the American Dream,” because nothing says “workers’ rights” like dusting off the rhetorical starter pack from 1930s Germany.

Union leaders and historians are, shockingly, not thrilled. Rutgers labor historian Christopher Hayes notes the whole point is to demonize the foreign worker and reassure the white guy who loves Trump that he is the only “real American” and the only one who belongs — you know, exactly how Nazi propaganda worked. The department has already been pumping out AI-generated artwork featuring an all–white male workforce, erasing everyone else, while its social feeds rage about “Americanism,” denounce “globalism,” and push misleading claims that all job gains under Trump go to “native born” Americans. As one former staffer dryly points out, “globalism” is not-so-subtle code for “Jews,” but sure, tell us more about how this is just a patriotic jobs campaign.

Inside the agency, even the people stuck working there can see the fascist writing on the AI-generated wall. Current and former Labor staff describe the feeds as “radical and ideological,” a “whites-only era” throwback, and now just “AI slop developed by a 23-year-old with no discernible insights on work or workers.” Union leaders are connecting the dots between this fascist aesthetic and actual state violence, like the ICE killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis — because when your government starts talking in blood-and-soil slogans and broadcasting white-only imagery, it’s not a branding tweak, it’s a warning. In other words: the Department of Labor has remembered “who they are” — and it’s not the people who protect workers. It’s the people who protect the regime.
theguardian.comSource ArticleAlso: theguardian.com
#fascism#racism

Tuesday, January 13, 2026

fascism

trump admin heroically fights antisemitism by demanding… a federal list of jews

The Trump-era EEOC, bravely standing up to antisemitism by demanding the one thing history has always shown to be safe: a centralized government list of Jews.

The Trump-era EEOC, bravely standing up to antisemitism by demanding the one thing history has always shown to be safe: a centralized government list of Jews.

The Trump administration has discovered a bold new strategy to combat antisemitism on campus: force universities to hand over the names, emails, phone numbers, and home addresses of Jews to the federal government. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), now apparently rebranded as the Equal Ethno‑Origin Cataloguing Commission, subpoenaed the University of Pennsylvania for a comprehensive registry of Jewish students, staff, and faculty – plus anyone tied to Jewish organizations or who spoke in confidential antisemitism listening sessions. Because nothing says "protecting a vulnerable minority" like demanding a centralized government list of Jews. Penn, to its minimal credit, said absolutely not, pointing out that violating people’s privacy and trust might actually make them feel less safe. Jewish faculty groups, Hillel, and national academic organizations are now in court trying to stop the administration from dragging the country back into the greatest hits of 20th‑century horror. As Norm Eisen put it, we’re in territory that should "shock every single one of us" – though in Trump’s America that bar gets lower every week. The EEOC, led by Andrea Lucas, insists this is all about identifying victims of antisemitic harassment, and if that requires the government to demand a campus-wide Jewish registry, well, what could possibly go wrong? Jewish scholars at Penn helpfully reminded everyone that the last time governments asked universities for "lists of Jews", it did not end in robust civil rights protections. But sure, we’re told, it’s totally benign this time. Just trust the same administration that’s built its brand on bigotry and authoritarian impulses to carefully safeguard a nationwide database of Jews.
theguardian.comSource ArticleAlso: theguardian.comAlso: theguardian.com
#fascism#killing-democracy

Monday, January 12, 2026

fascism

trump admin solves police shooting by sending in more cops with bigger guns

Nothing says “listening to the community” like lining the streets with more federal agents and calling it freedom.

Nothing says “listening to the community” like lining the streets with more federal agents and calling it freedom.

In response to protests over a police shooting in Minnesota, the Trump administration has come up with a bold new strategy: not accountability, not de-escalation, not reforms—just more federal agents. Because nothing says "we hear your concerns about state violence" like flying in a fresh batch of armed federal officers to stand between angry citizens and any hope of justice. The plan, as usual, is to treat a political crisis as a PR opportunity and a law-enforcement cosplay convention. Instead of supporting independent investigations or protecting protesters' rights, the White House is beefing up the federal presence in Minneapolis, turning a grieving city into a live-fire backdrop for Trump's "law and order" campaign trailer. In other words: when the public demands less brutality, this administration's answer is always, proudly, unapologetically, more boots, more badges, more batons. And just to complete the democracy-speedrun, all of this is wrapped in the familiar rhetoric that anyone in the streets is a threat, local officials can't be trusted, and only Washington's loyal shock troops can restore "order." It's the same old formula: federalize the response, criminalize dissent, and then act shocked when people use words like "authoritarian" to describe an administration that keeps treating American cities like occupied territory. But sure, tell us again how this is all about "public safety."
today.comSource ArticleAlso: theguardian.comAlso: bbc.com
#fascism#killing-democracy

Friday, January 9, 2026

fascism

manifest destiny but make it arctic

Trump staring at a map of the Arctic like a toddler with a crayon, convinced that if he colors Greenland red it legally becomes his.

Trump staring at a map of the Arctic like a toddler with a crayon, convinced that if he colors Greenland red it legally becomes his.

Donald Trump has once again discovered maps and immediately decided other people's land should be his. This time it's Greenland, which he says the US needs to "own" to stop Russia and China from doing it first, because nothing says defending the rules-based international order like threatening to annex part of a fellow NATO member "the easy way or the hard way." The White House is openly musing about buying the semi-autonomous Danish territory, while very pointedly refusing to rule out just taking it by force. So yes, we're now workshopping colonial conquest strategies against our own alliance partners.

Denmark and Greenland have responded with the radical position that their territory is not for sale and that military action would kind of, sort of, end NATO. Meanwhile, Trump insists leases and long-term defense agreements are for losers — "countries can't make nine-year deals or even 100-year deals," he says, they have to have ownership. This is extra adorable given the US already has a permanent base there and the right to bring as many troops as it wants, but sure, let's threaten war with Denmark because the landlord-tenant relationship offends Dear Leader's real-estate brain.

Trump claims, without evidence, that Greenland is "covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place," which is a bold statement considering it's mostly covered with, you know, ice. But never mind: he's decided he doesn't want Russia or China as a "neighbour in Greenland" and NATO needs to "understand that" — translation: toss out the UN Charter, sovereignty, and the "inviolability of borders" so Donald can cosplay 19th-century empire-builder with melting Arctic real estate and rare earth minerals. America's allies have lined up behind Denmark to remind him that only Denmark and Greenland get to decide Greenland's status, but he's fresh off using military force to snatch Venezuela's president, so the whole "we don't invade people to steal their stuff" norm is already on life support.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio now gets to fly to Copenhagen and explain why the US president is threatening to nuke the transatlantic alliance over an island that already hosts a US base under existing agreements. In other words: NATO is scrambling to reaffirm basic international law while Trump is busy reinventing Manifest Destiny: Polar Edition. But hey, as the ice caps melt and resource fever rises, at least we know Washington's Arctic strategy is: if it looks valuable, annex first, read UN Charter later.

bbc.comSource ArticleAlso: theguardian.comAlso: theguardian.com
#fascism#killing-democracy
fascism

iran’s supreme leader blames trump for… iranians hating him

Iranians fill the streets to protest their collapsing economy and brutal theocracy, which the supreme leader bravely explains is actually just a fan meetup for Donald Trump.

Iranians fill the streets to protest their collapsing economy and brutal theocracy, which the supreme leader bravely explains is actually just a fan meetup for Donald Trump.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has decided that Iranians flooding the streets over a collapsing currency, soaring prices, and decades of repression aren’t actually mad at him – they’re just out there “ruining their own streets to make the president of another country happy.” That “other country” being the United States, and that president being Donald Trump, who is now apparently the official scapegoat for every regime that’s run out of excuses and tear gas. Because nothing says “totally legitimate government” like insisting your own people are secretly on Team MAGA. As protests spread across Tehran and other cities, Iran’s rulers went with the classic authoritarian starter pack: nationwide internet blackout, blocked international calls, and security forces firing rifles and shotguns at largely peaceful demonstrators. Rights groups say dozens have been killed, including children, with families pressured to go on state TV and blame “accidents” or other protesters – and if they don’t cooperate, the regime helpfully offers secret burials. In other words: full fascist cosplay, just without the production values. President Masoud Pezeshkian is out here mumbling that protesters’ concerns should be addressed, while the Revolutionary Guard and intelligence services are doing what they always do: mass arrests, beatings, and coverups. Protesters are even chanting in favor of the late shah, which used to be a fast track to a death sentence – a sign of just how badly the clerics have lost the plot. But sure, according to Khamenei, this is all just a big surprise party for Donald Trump, personally orchestred from Mar-a-Lago between golf rounds and indictments.
nbcnews.comSource ArticleAlso: nbcnews.comAlso: npr.org
#fascism#killing-democracy

Tuesday, January 6, 2026

fascism

trump watches venezuela’s constitutional dumpster fire for tips

Delcy Rodríguez getting sworn in as "interim" leader in a country where nothing is interim except democracy.

Delcy Rodríguez getting sworn in as "interim" leader in a country where nothing is interim except democracy.

Venezuela has sworn in Delcy Rodríguez as an "interim leader," because nothing says stable constitutional order like constantly needing a new interim anything. The country’s democratic institutions have been ground down so thoroughly that leadership transitions now look like a cross between a telenovela and a civics class taught by a coup plotter. Naturally, this kind of chaos is catnip for Trump and his fan club, who love to hold up Venezuela as the ultimate "socialism gone wrong" cautionary tale while conveniently ignoring the part where the real problem is authoritarian power-hoarding and the systematic destruction of checks and balances. In other words: they break the system, you starve, and then they go on TV to blame "the left." And while Caracas plays musical chairs with the presidency, you can practically hear Republicans in D.C. taking notes: sideline the legislature, pack the courts, declare whoever you like the "legitimate" leader, and call it all "constitutional" with a straight face. Because why respect term limits and separation of powers when you can just cosplay democracy and dare anyone to stop you?
today.comSource ArticleAlso: theguardian.comAlso: nbcnews.com
#fascism#killing-democracy#imperialism

Monday, January 5, 2026

fascism

stalin cosplay, but make it fox news

Pete Hegseth explains that the real laws of war are whatever Donald Trump yelled at the TV last night.

Pete Hegseth explains that the real laws of war are whatever Donald Trump yelled at the TV last night.

Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have decided that if you can’t win wars, you can at least purge the people who know how. Former infantry chief Maj Gen Paul Eaton says Trump’s ongoing effort to turn the U.S. military into his personal fan club is “reminiscent of Stalin” – and for once that’s not liberal hyperbole, that’s a guy who spent 37 years in uniform watching what actual authoritarian rot looks like. Step one in Trump’s second-term military makeover: install Fox & Friends ornament Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon, a man Eaton says swears not just loyalty but “fealty” to Trump – because nothing says "civilian control of the military" like putting a cable-news hype man in charge of the world’s largest war machine. Step two: immediately fire the military inspector general, then clean out the top military lawyers (JAGs) whose annoying job is to explain that "war crimes" are still technically bad. Then dump the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, plus the Navy and Air Force chiefs, and replace them with people Trump claims have said they’d "kill for him." But sure, tell us again how this is all about "efficiency" and "readiness." The result is a Pentagon-wide message written in 50-foot letters: toe the line or get purged. Eaton explicitly compares it to Stalin’s 1940s officer purges – no gulags yet, just career executions and political commissars in suits. Meanwhile, Trump and Hegseth are road-testing their new loyalty-based military on real people: more than 20 lethal strikes on boats in Latin American waters, including a notorious second strike that killed survivors clinging to wreckage after the first bombing. The Washington Post reports Hegseth literally issued a "kill everybody" order, which the Pentagon’s own law-of-war manual says is illegal. Eaton calls the 2 September strike either a war crime or murder, comparing it to U-boat commanders machine-gunning survivors in the water in WWII – but don’t worry, Hegseth is very focused on the real threat: "wokeness." To drive the point home, Hegseth summoned commanders to Quantico for a loyalty-and-rant session about "woke" liberals and "fat generals," encouraging anyone who disagreed to resign. In other words, it’s not a professional military anymore, it’s a Trump-branded paramilitary with nukes. Eaton warns the U.S. now has a "1940s Stalin problem" inside its own armed forces. The war on norms, the purging of independent oversight, the illegal kill orders – all the things experts literally war-gamed as Trump’s worst authoritarian instincts are now just… policy. But hey, at least the culture wars are winning.
theguardian.comSource ArticleAlso: npr.orgAlso: npr.org
#fascism#killing-democracy#lawlessness

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

fascism

supreme court briefly remembers posse comitatus, ruins trump’s troop cosplay

Nothing says ‘land of the free’ like waving to soldiers on patrol in your own capital because the president wanted a domestic occupation aesthetic.

Nothing says ‘land of the free’ like waving to soldiers on patrol in your own capital because the president wanted a domestic occupation aesthetic.

Donald Trump rang in the New Year by reluctantly pretending he always meant to stop using the National Guard as his personal campaign security force. After the Supreme Court ruled last week that he can't use troops in Chicago for domestic law enforcement, the administration quietly pulled its legal bid to keep control of deployed forces in Los Angeles too. In other words, the Court had to step in and remind the president that the military is not his rent-a-cop service. Trump announced on Truth Social that he is withdrawing National Guard troops from "several" cities, including Chicago and LA, and promised they would "come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again"—because nothing says respect for constitutional limits like openly threatening to re-deploy soldiers on US streets the moment you can cook up an excuse. Portland got a name-check, Washington DC did not, which is convenient, since troops are still patrolling the capital like it's his own personal Green Zone. So to recap: Trump tried to normalize using the military for policing, the Supreme Court slapped his hand away, and now he's spinning a forced retreat as a bold strategic masterstroke. The only thing "undermined" here isn't his authority—it’s the fantasy that this administration has even a passing acquaintance with the rule of law.
bbc.comSource Article
#fascism#killing-democracy

Wednesday, December 24, 2025

fascism

trump sends troops to protect new orleans from falling crime rates

National Guard troops prepare to "fight crime" in a city where the crime stats are dropping but the authoritarian vibes are absolutely skyrocketing.

National Guard troops prepare to "fight crime" in a city where the crime stats are dropping but the authoritarian vibes are absolutely skyrocketing.

Donald Trump has approved the deployment of 350 National Guard members to New Orleans through February, because nothing says "law and order" like sending troops into a city where violent crime is actually going down. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell insists the Guard will just be "supporting" federal law enforcement like DOJ and DHS, which in this administration usually means turning domestic policing into a joint military–police cosplay of authoritarian chic. Louisiana’s Republican governor Jeff Landry is, of course, thrilled. He went on Fox News to praise Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for helping him "crack down on the violence" in a city that’s on pace for its lowest homicide numbers in decades. In other words, the data says "improving public safety", while the GOP says "send in the troops"—but sure, this is definitely about crime and not about putting a federal boot on the neck of a Democratic-led city. All of this is happening while Border Patrol runs a months-long immigration crackdown in the area with a target of 5,000 arrests, neatly merging "urban crime" panic with "immigration invasion" hysteria. Several hundred people have already been arrested, just to make sure everyone gets the message that federal force is now a permanent background feature of daily life. Meanwhile, Trump has rewarded Landry’s loyalty by naming him special envoy to Greenland, the icy colony Trump keeps insisting the US needs to "take over"—because when you’re busy militarizing American cities, you might as well dabble in bargain-bin imperialism on the side. New Orleans, which has long experience hosting the Guard for discrete events like the Super Bowl, Mardi Gras, and post-attack security, is now being treated to an extended occupation framed as routine public safety. Crime is down, federal troops are up, immigration raids are ramping, and Republican officials are on TV calling it a win. Nothing is more "Trump era" than using falling crime as the excuse to normalize permanent paramilitary presence in blue cities.
theguardian.comSource ArticleAlso: theguardian.comAlso: theguardian.com
#fascism#killing-democracy
fascism

bread, circuses, and a ufc cage on the south lawn

Trump pacing the Daytona 500 field in The Beast, helpfully demonstrating what it looks like when the cult of personality literally leads the race.

Trump pacing the Daytona 500 field in The Beast, helpfully demonstrating what it looks like when the cult of personality literally leads the race.

Donald Trump spent 2025 turning American sports into his personal traveling propaganda circus, because nothing says "hardest working president" like treating the Super Bowl, Daytona 500, UFC, Ryder Cup, and the US Open as an endless series of campaign walk-ins and camera-thirst photo ops. He buzzed Daytona with Air Force One, paced the field in "The Beast," and literally inserted himself into Chelsea’s Club World Cup trophy lift, because why let the athletes have a moment when Dear Leader needs content for Truth Social?

What looks like leisure is actually the strongman starter pack. Trump is following the Mussolini/Hitler/Putin playbook: launder power and legitimacy through sports spectacle while networks dutifully blast his entrances on loop. Stadium appearances become mini-rallies optimized for "heat"—boos and cheers are the same currency, as long as he dominates the jumbotron. Meanwhile, leagues and broadcasters bend the knee, with the USTA reportedly asking TV partners to censor protests and crowd reactions, because nothing screams "land of the free" like pre-clearing your cutaways with the White House.

Behind the scenes, the real game is pay-to-play. Trump uses luxury suites as donor petting zoos and soft diplomacy hubs: Rolex wines and dines him at the US Open, a sticky trade problem with Switzerland magically eases, and suddenly there’s a gold Rolex clock on the Resolute Desk like it’s an official state emblem. Mega-donor and Mavericks owner Miriam Adelson dumps about $100m into his re-election and casually waves around another $250m if he goes for an unconstitutional third term in 2028, because in this regime, term limits are just another optional rule like holding or traveling.

And now we’re staring down 2026, when the US-hosted World Cup, the Olympics, and an actual UFC card on the White House lawn are poised to merge the presidency with the fight card. In other words: the line between "sports" and "state propaganda" is dissolving in real time, and the American political system is letting a reality TV autocrat turn the jumbotron into a throne—but sure, tell us again how this is just "fun" and "normal" presidential outreach.
theguardian.comSource Article
#fascism#forever-grifting#oligarchy

Tuesday, December 23, 2025

fascism

all hail the uss megalomania

Artist’s rendering of the USS Defiant, seen here bravely defending Mar-a-Lago’s brand identity from the terrifying threat of insufficient flattery.

Artist’s rendering of the USS Defiant, seen here bravely defending Mar-a-Lago’s brand identity from the terrifying threat of insufficient flattery.

The president has announced a new generation of Navy warships that will be known as the “Trump-class”, because nothing says "serious constitutional republic" like slapping the leader’s name on nuclear-armed battleships. From Mar-a-Lago, naturally — the new Versailles of American decline — Trump unveiled posters of the proposed USS Defiant while his Navy secretary John Phelan helpfully auditioned for the role of state TV hypeman, promising a ship that will be the "largest, deadliest, most versatile and best-looking" on the planet. Very normal, extremely not-cult behavior. In case the point wasn’t clear, this comes after the administration already renamed the US Institute of Peace after Trump and informally rebranded the Kennedy Center as the Trump-Kennedy Center without waiting for that annoying little thing called congressional authorization. Now the narcissism has gone fully nuclear, literally, with plans for a "golden fleet" of Trump-class battleships packing hypersonic weapons, lasers, and nuclear-armed cruise missiles. Historically, battleships were named after states and presidents got the occasional aircraft carrier after they left office; under Trump, we’re skipping straight to the "leader cult puts his name on the war machine" phase. So the US Navy, once a symbol of institutional continuity and civilian control, is now being dragooned into brand management for a man who thinks World War II documentaries and campaign slogans are a procurement strategy. We’re told the Trump-class will "reach out and kill the archers" and "make battle groups great again"—in other words, it’s a boomer nostalgia project fused with a defense-contractor windfall and a personality cult, floating on a sea of taxpayer cash. But sure, tell us more about how this definitely isn’t what authoritarianism looks like.
theguardian.comSource ArticleAlso: theguardian.comAlso: npr.org
#fascism#killing-democracy

Monday, December 22, 2025

fascism

jd vance discovers there are no 'purity tests' for antisemitism

Erika Kirk greets JD Vance at AmericaFest 2025, where the dress code is business casual and the standards for condemning antisemitism are strictly optional.

Erika Kirk greets JD Vance at AmericaFest 2025, where the dress code is business casual and the standards for condemning antisemitism are strictly optional.

Vice President JD Vance went to Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest and proudly announced that the conservative movement should be open to everyone who "loves America" — including, apparently, the antisemitic conspiracy-peddlers tearing the GOP apart. Asked to confront the Nick Fuentes wing of the MAGA universe, Vance bravely stood his ground and declared he didn’t bring a "list of conservatives to denounce or de-platform." In other words: if you’re openly bigoted but still chant USA and wear the hat, welcome to the team. At the same time, new Turning Point boss Erika Kirk — who inherited the kingdom after Charlie Kirk’s assassination, because nothing says "grassroots movement" like dynastic succession — is already floating Vance as Trump’s heir. Tucker Carlson is on stage asking who gets to control the machinery when Trump finally ages out of his fantasy third term, while Ben Shapiro is on night one calling out "charlatans" and "grifters" (in a room that might as well be a grifter trade show). The big internal debate? Not whether bigotry is acceptable, but whether it’s strategically useful. The official Turning Point line is that all this is just a "healthy debate" and proof they’re not "hive-minded commies." Sure. It’s just a totally normal conservative conference where one faction wants to keep the antisemitism quiet and the other wants it headlining the main stage — and the would-be next president of the United States responds by saying he’s against purity tests. Because nothing screams "responsible leadership" like refusing to say there’s any line bigots can’t cross as long as they’re voting the right way.
npr.orgSource Article
#fascism#killing-democracy

Sunday, December 21, 2025

fascism

trump admin discovers new policy frontier: outlawing people

Robert F Kennedy Jr and Donald Trump, bravely defending "biological truth" by regulating bras, underwear, and pronouns like they’re weapons of mass destruction.

Robert F Kennedy Jr and Donald Trump, bravely defending "biological truth" by regulating bras, underwear, and pronouns like they’re weapons of mass destruction.

The Trump administration has decided that if it can’t win the culture war, it’ll just outlaw the other side’s existence. Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr is rolling out a plan to block Medicaid and federal funding for hospitals that provide gender-affirming care to trans youth, rebranding life-saving treatment as "sex-rejecting procedures" that allegedly "rob children of their futures". Because nothing says "protecting kids" like making sure the ones most at risk of suicide lose access to the care that keeps them alive. Not to be outdone in the cruelty Olympics, the FDA is now going after binders, tucking underwear, and prosthetics, sending warning letters to small companies like ShapeShifter Apparel and GenderBender LLC for not registering these items as "medical devices". Translation: the agency that works for a guy who promoted lethal fake autism "cures" is suddenly very worried about the regulatory status of a sports bra with ambition. Seizure and injunctions are on the table, because apparently the real public health emergency is trans people having comfortable underwear. All of this stacks neatly on top of Trump’s Day One executive order on "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government", which forcibly redefines all federal documents to only recognize two "immutable" sexes. Congress is happily playing along: the House just passed a bill making it a felony—up to 10 years in prison—to provide gender-affirming care to minors. In other words, they’re trying to turn doctors into criminals and trans kids into evidence. The goal isn’t policy; it’s erasure. They know trans and nonbinary people won’t stop existing, so the administration is settling for the next best thing: driving them underground and making their lives as dangerous and miserable as possible. Black-market hormones, unlicensed surgeries, higher risks of illness and death—this is not a bug, it’s the feature. The Trump administration can’t legislate people out of existence, but it’s working very hard to make sure they suffer for daring to exist at all.
theguardian.comSource Article
#fascism#killing-democracy

Thursday, December 18, 2025

fascism

trump rolls out the 'warrior dividend,' because buying loyalty is easier than funding the va

Trump announces his new "warrior dividend" like a game show host handing out checks, because why treat soldiers like citizens with rights when you can treat them like contestants who owe you applause?

Trump announces his new "warrior dividend" like a game show host handing out checks, because why treat soldiers like citizens with rights when you can treat them like contestants who owe you applause?

Trump has announced something he's branding a "warrior dividend" check for service members, because nothing says "we totally don't see you as props" like turning the U.S. military into a reality‑show audience giveaway. The details are, as usual, fuzzy on the boring parts—like how it's funded, whether Congress actually authorized it, or if this is just another executive‑branch stunt he’ll dare anyone to challenge while the cameras are rolling. Wrapped in patriotic language and flag‑draped backdrops, the move functions less like policy and more like a loyalty bonus from the Dear Leader to "his" troops. You’re not public servants funded by an accountable democracy, you’re shareholders in the Trump War Brand™ getting a special dividend from the CEO. And if that framing sounds a lot more like personal patronage than constitutional governance, that’s because it is. In other words, instead of strengthening long‑term pay, housing, healthcare, or veterans' services, Trump is cutting a one‑off, campaign‑ready check and slapping a macho label on it. It’s a textbook authoritarian flex: military compensation reimagined as a personal gift from the strongman at the top, complete with the expectation of gratitude, photo ops, and probably a few "no one has ever done more for the troops" riffs at the next rally. But sure, it’s definitely about "respecting our warriors," not consolidating power and building a cult around the commander in chief.
nbcnews.comSource ArticleAlso: nbcnews.com
#fascism#killing-democracy

Tuesday, December 16, 2025

fascism

trump vs. bbc: grievance olympics

Trump, on a mission to liberate the UK from the 'tyranny' of the BBC.

Trump, on a mission to liberate the UK from the 'tyranny' of the BBC.

In a move that screams 'UK invasion,' Donald Trump has decided to smash through national boundaries and sue the BBC for a cool $10 billion over their audacity to splice his insurrection-inspiring speech. Because nothing says 'grievance politics with a purpose' quite like pretending the BBC is a global menace to democracy, rather than, you know, January 6th itself.

While the BBC might be scratching its head over another Trump temper tantrum, their response is a masterclass in British resolve: no apologies to White House bullying. Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer appears to be keeping mum, probably too busy dealing with the aftermath of Trump’s latest legal conquest strategy. In other words, Trump is flexing his litigation muscles to cow media outlets into submission—because nothing says 'supreme leader' like suing your way through criticism.

But sure, let's pretend this isn't just part of his larger campaign to stifle dissent and spread American-style media intimidation across the pond.
theguardian.comSource Article
#fascism#killing-democracy

Monday, December 15, 2025

fascism

european le pen pals: austerity chic

Marine Le Pen and AfD: Europe's new champions of selective social justice—or, you know, the usual suspects.

Marine Le Pen and AfD: Europe's new champions of selective social justice—or, you know, the usual suspects.

As Europe braces for a 'decisive' transformation, the Democrats are still in shock therapy after the Trump comeback—because who needs strategy when you have disbelief? Meanwhile, the EU's solution to its existential crises? Austerity, of course! In other words, let's cut pensions and public services so the working class can really feel the love.

With Marine Le Pen and Germany’s AfD leading in the polls thanks to their 'welfare chauvinism' tactics—essentially, promising welfare only to 'the right' kind of citizens—mainstream parties are scratching their heads. But sure, don't tax the rich or invest in public goods. That might actually help people. Instead, let's shower the less well-off with budget cuts and call it empowerment!
theguardian.comSource Article
#fascism

Monday, December 8, 2025

fascism

supreme court looks to crown a single king in dc

Rebecca Kelly Slaughter: Another casualty of presidential whims, because who needs 'reasons' when you have 'priorities'?

Rebecca Kelly Slaughter: Another casualty of presidential whims, because who needs 'reasons' when you have 'priorities'?

Breaking news from the land of the free—or not so much anymore. The Supreme Court seems all too eager to grant President Trump the ultimate magic wand of democracy: the ability to fire independent agency members whenever his heart desires, because who needs checks and balances when you have a monarchy? In other words, the high court's conservative justices are practically salivating at the thought of overturning a 90-year-old precedent that prevents presidents from ousting independent agency officials at will. Justice Samuel Alito, in a stunning display of concern, asked if the Trump administration's plan to upend government structure might be a tad drastic. Solicitor General D. John Sauer assured everyone the sky wouldn't fall—just democracy. But sure, because nothing says 'accountability to the people' like eliminating independent oversight. Meanwhile, Justice Sonia Sotomayor pointed out the obvious: Congress’s role in maintaining some shred of governmental independence might actually matter. Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, originally appointed by Trump himself (surprise!), was abruptly removed from her FTC position via a casual email. Apparently, her continued service clashed with Trump's 'priorities,' because 'inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance' now translates to 'not aligning with the agenda.' But who cares about legal reasons, right?
npr.orgSource Article
#fascism#unconstitutional

Thursday, September 11, 2025

fascism

gop goes nuclear... again

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, pioneering the art of legislative rubber stamping.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, pioneering the art of legislative rubber stamping.

Senate Republicans have decided that democracy is just so last century. They've gone ahead and deployed the good ol' 'nuclear option' to speed up confirmations of Trump's nominees. Because nothing screams 'efficient governance' like steamrolling over the pesky minority party's rights. Senate Majority Leader and logic wizard John Thune, R-S.D., assured us that this is all about restoring 'Senate precedent'—in other words, making sure Trump's team can bulldoze through with minimal fuss. But sure, let's pretend it's not about surrendering more power to the executive branch under a guy who thought buying Greenland was a hot idea. Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is shaking his head, probably questioning his life choices. But hey, when it comes to turning Congress into a rubber stamp, the GOP is truly innovative.
npr.orgSource Article
#fascism#lawlessness

Wednesday, July 23, 2025

fascism

trump's ai: making america clueless again

Trump proudly displays his executive order—because nothing says 'future-ready tech policy' like a signed piece of paper.

Trump proudly displays his executive order—because nothing says 'future-ready tech policy' like a signed piece of paper.

In a dazzling display of prioritizing national interests, Trump has signed an executive order demanding AI companies ditch any 'ideological agendas'—because nothing screams neutrality like policing artificial intelligence for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Let's be clear: the real existential threat here is that these AI models might suggest that climate change is, you know, real. Meanwhile, tech companies are left scrambling to create 'anti-woke' chatbots to curry favor with an administration that seemingly prefers its AI as oblivious as its policies. In other words, AI's new job is to ensure reliable ignorance at the federal level.
npr.orgSource Article
#fascism#anti-science