January 6th, election interference, acts of authoritarianism, voter suppression, and systematic undermining of democratic institutions.
Stories
No senior Trump administration officials or cabinet members appeared on the Sunday show television circuit a day after the US and Israel began a major military operation in Iran, killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Some are already fantasizing about Trump’s next takeover targets.
Following U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran ordered by President Trump, key members of Congress are pushing for a war powers vote they say could come as early as next week. Many Democrats are calling the strikes illegal, arguing the Constitution requires congressional authorization for acts of war, while most Republicans have backed Trump's decision, citing Iran's nuclear program and regional threats. Although bipartisan resolutions have been drafted in both chambers, any passage would largely be symbolic, as Trump would likely veto them and Congress lacks the two-thirds majority needed to override. Republican leaders say congressional intelligence committees were briefed ahead of the strikes, while Democratic leaders are demanding a full Senate briefing on the administration's plans and objectives.
Dario Amodei, co-founder and CEO of the artificial intelligence company Anthropic, says his company refused to allow its AI product, Claude, to be used by the Trump Administration without certain guidelines (such as not using its AI to power fully-autonomous weapons without any human involvement). That prompted President Trump to announce Friday that he is banning Anthropic's technology from all federal use, while Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth labeled the company "a supply chain risk to national security." Amodei talks with correspondent Jo Ling Kent about why he calls the administration's actions "retaliatory and punitive."
Vice President JD Vance's past comments calling the War Powers Act "fundamentally a fake and unconstitutional law" have resurfaced following a joint U.S.-Israel military operation against Iran on Saturday. Vance made the remarks in January, shortly after a bipartisan Senate vote advanced a measure to limit presidential military authority, and stated the law would not affect how the Trump administration conducts foreign policy. The U.S.-Israel operation, which killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and wiped out much of Iran's leadership, resulted in three American service members killed and five seriously wounded, according to the Pentagon. In retaliation, Iran launched missiles and drones at U.S. allies in the region, including the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait.
WASHINGTON – The Defense Department has decided to cut academic ties with nearly two dozen top universities and think tanks as part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s campaign against what he calls anti-American values and “wokeness.”
During a White House press trip to Saudi Arabia, CNN journalist Kaitlan Collins was temporarily barred from a U.S. press event by Saudi royal guards after she attempted to ask President Trump a question. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt intervened, insisting that Collins be allowed entry alongside the rest of the U.S. press pool. Collins recounted the incident on the *Absolutely Not* podcast, noting that Leavitt's defense was unexpected given their history of tense exchanges at White House briefings. The moment drew attention online as an example of press freedom being upheld despite the broader adversarial relationship between the Trump administration and Collins.
New details on precisely where the lines were drawn
Americans are justified in asking at what point caution and coincidence become conspiracy.
This opinion piece argues that the Trump administration launched military strikes against Iran without congressional deliberation, allied support, or imminent justification, with Trump publicly declaring regime change as his objective. The author contends that Iran's nuclear program was not an active threat and that negotiations were progressing at the time the strikes began. The piece warns that air strikes alone have historically failed to topple governments, and that Iran's Revolutionary Guards could fill any resulting power vacuum. The author also flags potential consequences including disruption to Strait of Hormuz shipping, retaliatory strikes, and Iran potentially accelerating its nuclear weapons development.
I am not a law of war expert.
Who are the main culprits enabling Trump’s authoritarian, self-serving and bizarre actions during the first 15 months of his second term in office?