Archives
Weekly Lists
Experts in authoritarianism advise to keep a list of things
subtly changing around you, so you’ll remember.
February 11, 2026
Week 66 — The Return
In a week of chaos, so much happened it was easy to lose sight of the fact that Trump posted an image of former president Barack Obama and Michelle Obama as apes on Truth Social. He then deflected that it was posted by a staffer, took down the post, and refused to apologize. In any sort of normal time, that act, in and of itself, would be career ending. In the era of Trump, it’s Thursday.
February 04, 2026
Week 65 — The Return
This week the Justice Department released three million more of the Epstein files, with three million still withheld. The timing of the highly redacted release, which included limited damning material on Trump, seemed like a shiny coin to distract from the rest. Yes, it was that bad!
Trump continued to discredit past elections, this week escalating by using the FBI to seize Fulton County ballots. The seizure presaged Trump calling for nationalizing U.S. elections, a shocking and extraordinary statement that his White House then tried to walk back, before Trump doubled down on his demand, despite its going against the Constitution.
January 28, 2026
Week 64 — The Return
What happened to Greenland? What happened to the Epstein files? That’s the story within the story this week: how effective Trump has become in driving the media, and hence the narrative, until he is not.
What it took this week was another tragedy: federal immigration agents in Minneapolis murdered another U.S. citizen as part of their so-called immigration sweep or fraud sweep — the rationale for the occupation seems ever-changing.
January 21, 2026
Week 63 — The Return
This week marked renewed escalation by Trump and his regime, both internationally and at home. Nothing feels safe or stable. One pollster found that 71% of Americans said the country feels out of control. As we hit the one year mark of Trump’s return, he finds himself increasingly unpopular and underwater on every issue, even on fighting crime.
January 14, 2026
Week 62 — The Return
This is the longest list of broken norms during the second regime, so far. I would encourage you to read through the list in its entirety, because amid the chaos of the week, many stories that would normally garner broad attention received little or no coverage. Some mark escalations, like the regime serving a grand jury subpoena to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, while others, like the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery altering history, remind us that details matter.
January 07, 2026
Week 61 — The Return
The main takeaway of this week’s list is what we are NOT discussing: the Epstein files, the five-year anniversary of Jan. 6, the affordability crisis and Trump’s tariffs exacerbating rising prices, rising healthcare premiums, the MAGAverse implosion, and of course, Trump’s health decline. Those story lines were the top themes amid his falling approval on every issue and overall, until he decided to orchestrate a coup — a classic ‘wag the dog’ operation.
December 31, 2025
Week 60 — The Return
As we close out 2025 this week there is a marked shift in sentiment, not only among the American people, but also by Trump himself. A year ago as I restarted this project, the conversation was, will he ever leave? We’re not having that conversation anymore.
December 24, 2025
Week 59 — The Return
This week, Trump is continuing to lose not only broad-based American support as he did during the first regime, but for the first time of either regime, he is also losing support from within the Republican base. At the same time, the Republican Party is in turmoil, amid infighting over the party’s direction post-Trump. The once mighty Heritage Foundation, architect of Project 2025, is imploding, a notion that would seem unthinkable just a year ago. MAGA influencers are attacking one another, this week quite publicly at Turning Point USA’s annual conference. More prominent Republicans announced this week they would not seek re-election.
December 17, 2025
Week 58 — The Return
There continues to be a notable shift this week of Trump losing his grip on power. First and foremost, the American people are unhappy with the economy, the cost of living, and increasingly even with his handling of immigration. They are showing their displeasure at the polls, in the polls, and speaking to their representatives. For the first time in either Trump regime, we see growing dissatisfaction with Trump from within his base, and a movement away from identifying as “MAGA” to “Traditional Republican.”
December 10, 2025
Week 57 — The Return
This week Trump struck back at media outlets and others who continue to raise questions and concerns about his health and age, likening it to sedition and treason. Trump continued to advance his own version of reality, calling affordability a “Democrat hoax” and “con job,” as he at long last held an event in a U.S. city, which was meant to address affordability concerns, a top issue in the country, but did not. More off-year elections this week showed a 10+ point slide away from Trump’s 2024 performance, amid continued malaise over the economy, and Trump’s handling of other key issues.