Archives
Weekly Lists
Experts in authoritarianism advise to keep a list of things
subtly changing around you, so you’ll remember.
November 11, 2026
Week 105 — The Return
This week, after initially taking a conciliatory tone toward working with Democrats in Congress in his final two years, Trump completely changed course two days later, elevating hard-liner Stephen Miller to become his chief of staff, and threatening Democrats. Trump also switched his position on major issues like immigration amnesty and fairness of election results, leaving even his own allies scrambling and confused. Add to this Trump’s Truth Social post on Saturday announcing Dana White, head of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, would become his next White House press secretary. Two days later, when the two appeared together, impromptu, in the White House briefing room, Trump sought to minimize the announcement as a mere joke.
November 04, 2026
Week 104 — The Return
This week, in a historic blue wave, Democrats swept races around the country, including in red states, to take control of the House, Senate, and many state governments. After Trump repeatedly told voters to pretend he was on the ballot, Trump demurred on Election Night, blaming Fox News, Republican candidates, and his not being on the ballot for the losses. Even in his final speech ahead of the election, Trump showed how completely out of touch he was with the American people, speaking in front of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, and talking endlessly and in great detail about his pet projects.
October 28, 2026
Week 103 — The Return
With one week until the midterm election, multiple pollsters found the top issue on voters’ minds was corruption in government. Each week, we’ve covered a myriad of examples of Trump, his family, and regime enriching themselves, but it’s not only that. This week we see that our foreign policy, rather than being centered on traditional alliances, is instead being shaped by Trump and his allies’ financial interests.
October 21, 2026
Week 102 — The Return
With two weeks left until the midterm elections, concerns about what Trump and his allies might do to interfere with voting and election outcomes were front and center. A poll by WAPO-ABC News-Ipsos found that 7 in 10 Americans believed the election would be fair and accurate, while 7 in 10 also believed that if the GOP lost, Trump would not accept the results.
October 14, 2026
Week 101 — The Return
With three weeks until midterms, and Trump’s approval at an all time low amid rising inflation, plunging consumer confidence, and an endless unpopular war with Iran, Trump offered a new giveaway in his effort to buy votes. At a rally in Alaska, Trump started awarding pardons on stage, while continuing to promise $5,000 checks if Republicans held the House and Senate, all while his regime sent $90 and $500 checks to millions of Americans. Trump spent much of the week jet-setting to rallies, many in states that had not gone for Democrats in decades, only to find empty seats and, at times, empty sections in venues smaller than those he filled in 2024 — a testament of how out of touch he has become with the electorate.
October 07, 2026
Week 100 — The Return
With one month left until midterms, as polls continued to show Trump’s approval falling and Republican candidates behind, Trump deployed a new strategy: attempting to buy votes, by sending checks to millions of Americans and enrolling tens of millions of children in Trump accounts. Trump also held a series of campaign rallies, many in deep red states; yet while the script of lies and misinformation stayed the same, the crowds were paltry compared to 2024, as the practical realities of Trump’s deeply unpopular war and policies led to higher prices and rates.
September 30, 2026
Week 99 — The Return
“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.” — Animal Farm.
September 23, 2026
Week 98 — The Return
This week, amid mounting political losses and sagging polls, Trump struck out at a frequent and familiar target, the free press. In an unprecedented act, Trump banned three media outlets from the White House. When the networks banded against his clear violation of the First Amendment, Trump and his regime clumsily rolled out a version of state-television, Trump TV, another first, that immediately flopped. Timing for Trump’s abrupt stunt could not have been worse, with the United Nations General Assembly and an upcoming visit with China’s president on the schedule.
September 16, 2026
Week 97 — The Return
This was a crazy week of alarming broken norms. There are so many important, concurrent themes that deserve attention as we pass 50 days until the midterm elections mark, it’s breathtaking! Please take the time to read this list in its entirety.
September 09, 2026
Week 96 — The Return
This week, as we passed Labor Day and head into the final stretch before midterms, Trump and his regime were frantically trying to find ways to impact voting. The regime filed two emergency applications with the Supreme Court, and ginned up involvement of federal agencies, including continual attempts to prove Trump’s baseless claims of widespread voter fraud, and efforts to have a presence at polling places on Election Day.