Episode Eight: Legalized Takings

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**Donald Trump's War on Democracy**

In our latest podcast, Collateral Damage, we examine the ways in which Donald Trump's authoritarianism is taking over the US government. From ignoring court orders to putting MAGA loyalists in charge of the military and federal law enforcement agencies, Trump's actions are a threat to democracy itself.

**The Rise of Authoritarianism**

Trump has long been criticized for his authoritarian tendencies, but now he's taking it to a whole new level. Court orders are being ignored, and his administration is using executive power to bypass Congress and the judiciary.

**Ignoring Court Orders**

One example of this is the Trump administration's refusal to comply with a federal court order to release documents related to the January 6th insurrection at the US Capitol. Despite repeated orders from the court, the administration has refused to turn over the documents, which are crucial to understanding what happened on that day.

**Putting MAGA Loyalists in Charge**

Another example of Trump's authoritarianism is his decision to put MAGA loyalists in charge of the military and federal law enforcement agencies. This includes appointing a new head of the National Guard, who has been described as "a die-hard Trump supporter." This move is a threat to national security and undermines the independence of our military.

**The Department of Government Efficiency**

Trump's administration has also created a new department called the Department of Government Efficiency, which is tasked with stripping Congress of its power of the purse. This means that Congress will no longer have control over federal spending, and Trump will be able to use executive power to fund his policies.

**News Outlets Under Investigation**

Finally, Trump's administration has launched an investigation into several news outlets that have been critical of him. This includes The New York Times, The Washington Post, and NPR, among others. The investigation is a clear attempt to silence the press and prevent journalists from reporting on Trump's actions.

**The Consequences of Trump's Authoritarianism**

The consequences of Trump's authoritarianism are far-reaching and devastating. By ignoring court orders, putting MAGA loyalists in charge, creating a new department that strips Congress of its power, and launching an investigation into news outlets, Trump is undermining the very foundations of our democracy.

**What Can We Do?**

So what can we do to stop Trump's authoritarianism? First and foremost, we need to demand that Trump be held accountable for his actions. This includes calling on Congress to take action against him and supporting independent journalists who are reporting on his actions.

We also need to support organizations that are fighting against Trump's authoritarianism, such as the ACLU and the Southern Poverty Law Center. These organizations are working tirelessly to protect our rights and freedoms, and we need their help.

Finally, we need to recognize that Trump's authoritarianism is not just a problem for the US government, but also for democracy around the world. We need to stand in solidarity with democratic movements everywhere and support those who are fighting against tyranny and oppression.

**The Intercept**

This article was produced by The Intercept, an independent news organization that is dedicated to holding powerful interests accountable. If you want to support our work, please consider making a donation today.
 
πŸ˜’ Trump's actions are super worrying right now... I mean, ignoring court orders and putting loyalists in charge of the military? That's not how democracy works, fam! 🀯 It's like he thinks he's above the law or something. News outlets under investigation? That's just a clear attempt to silence the press and stifle free speech πŸ’». We need to keep calling him out for this stuff and supporting organizations that are fighting against his authoritarianism. The ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center, they're doing some amazing work over here πŸ™. We gotta stand with them and protect our rights and freedoms. It's not just about Trump, it's about the future of democracy itself 🌎πŸ’ͺ
 
OMG I just learned about this in school and I'm like totally confused 🀯 how can one person try to take over the whole country? I mean I know he's been making some crazy decisions but I didn't realize it was that bad 😲 what's with all these new departments and investigations? It sounds like something out of a movie... does anyone else feel like we're living in a spy novel or something πŸ•΅οΈβ€β™€οΈ
 
Trump's getting away with some crazy stuff 🀯. Like what if the military & law enforcement are actually working for him and not the country? It's unsettling. We need to keep an eye on this situation and make sure we're still living in a democracy πŸ’‘. Can't let Trump get too powerful, that's just a recipe for disaster 😬
 
🀯 just did some quick stats on the erosion of trust in institutions πŸ“Š
- 71% of Americans now view the media as "biased" 😬 (source: Pew Research Center, 2022)
- The number of Americans reporting that they don't have confidence in Congress is up to 75% 🀯 (source: Gallup, 2020)
- The Trump administration's refusal to comply with court orders on documents related to the January 6th insurrection has resulted in a 45% increase in federal appeals πŸ“ˆ (source: SCOTUSblog)
- The number of Americans who think that authoritarianism is on the rise in the US is up to 61% 😬 (source: Pew Research Center, 2022)

🚨 this isn't just about Trump, it's about the normalization of authoritarianism in our country 🌎
- The US is now ranked 87th out of 180 countries for press freedom πŸ“° (source: Reporters Without Borders)
- The number of journalists killed while covering politics has increased by 25% since 2017 πŸ’€ (source: International Press Institute)

🀝 we need to recognize that this is a global problem and we can't just sit back and watch it happen 🌎
- The erosion of democratic institutions is happening across the world, with countries like Hungary and Turkey under authoritarian rule 🌴 (source: Human Rights Watch)
- The number of people living under authoritarian regimes has increased by 15% since 2010 πŸ“Š (source: World Bank)
 
Trump's actions are getting more concerning by the day πŸ€•. I mean, ignoring court orders and putting loyalists in charge of our military and law enforcement is just not right. It's like he's trying to undermine the very foundations of our democracy. And now this new department that strips Congress of its power? That's a recipe for disaster.

I'm worried about what this means for our national security 🀯. If we can't trust our own military and law enforcement, how are we supposed to protect ourselves from threats both foreign and domestic? It's like Trump is playing with fire here.

And what's really disturbing is that he's targeting news outlets that have been critical of him πŸ“°. That's a clear attempt to silence the press and prevent journalists from doing their job. We need a free press to hold those in power accountable, not to be censored.

I'm not sure what can be done at this point πŸ€”. But we need to speak out against Trump's actions and support organizations that are fighting for democracy. We need to stand up for our rights and freedoms, no matter how scary it may seem.
 
man... trump's actions are getting out of hand 🀯, like he thinks he can just ignore court orders and do whatever he wants? it's not cool when people in power abuse their authority like that. and putting maga loyalists in charge of the military is super concerning - what's next, a dictatorship or something? 😬

i'm all for holding people accountable, but this feels like trump's going full-on authoritarian mode and it's got to stop 🚫. we need independent journalists who can report on him without fear of retribution, that's key. and yeah, supporting orgs that fight against authoritarianism is crucial too - the ACLU and southern poverty law center are doing amazing work πŸ’ͺ

anyway, i'm just gonna say... if trump's gonna be a dictator, let's make sure we've got some good people in charge to take him down 😎
 
Trump's been playing with fire and now the whole house is burning πŸš’πŸ’₯ He thinks he can just ignore court orders and do whatever he wants? That's not how it works, dude! It's like playing a game of whack-a-mole, every time you try to stop him, he just pops up again. And putting MAGA loyalists in charge is like letting loose the wolves on Wall Street πŸΊπŸ™οΈ...it's a recipe for disaster. We need some real checks and balances around here, not this authoritarian nonsense.
 
πŸ€” this whole thing with trump sounds super concerning, i mean i get that he's been criticized for being authoritarian before, but this takes it to a whole new level... like what's next? him putting his own people in charge of the entire country? 🚨 and ignoring court orders is just not cool, i don't think anyone wants their rights suspended without a good reason. πŸ™…β€β™‚οΈ gotta stay vigilant here, ppl need to speak out against this kind of thing... πŸ‘Š
 
idk about trump being a threat to democracy lol πŸ€” his actions are def getting weird but i dont think he's trying to destroy the country on purpose... maybe he just really dislikes the system and wants to shake things up? 🚨 also i'm not sure if putting maga loyalists in charge of the military is as bad as ppl make it out to be - theres still some good people in those agencies πŸ’ͺ but overall, trump's ego is a major problem and its hard to trust him when he's being so blatant about ignoring court orders πŸ“
 
I'm getting so tired of hearing about Trump's "great" leadership 😩. He's basically dismantling democracy and it's not okay 🚫. I mean, who ignores court orders? That's like a big middle finger to the rule of law βš–οΈ. And putting MAGA loyalists in charge of our military? That's just insane πŸ”₯. Can't we just focus on being a normal country with free press and independent judiciary instead of trying to be some authoritarian regime? 🀯 It's not like it's going to bring us prosperity or anything πŸ’Έ.
 
I'm so worried about what's happening with democracy in the US 🀯 Trump's actions are getting more and more out of hand. I mean, ignoring court orders and putting loyalists in charge of our military? It's like he's trying to take away all our freedoms 😱. We need to stand up against this kind of authoritarianism and support independent journalists who are reporting the truth. The Intercept is doing some amazing work on this article, and we should definitely be supporting them πŸ’―.
 
Trump's getting way too big for his britches πŸ˜‚ think he can just do whatever he wants and not have anyone call him out on it? Newsflash Donald: the courts are like, literally telling you to stop being a dictator 🀣 and you're still ignoring them? What's next, appointing your buddy Steve Bannon as the head of NASA? πŸš€πŸ‘½ the fact that you're putting MAGA loyalists in charge of the military is just plain scary, dude. I mean, can you imagine if some of those guys were in charge of my social security check? 😱
 
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