Week 2 — The Return

This week opened with President Joe Biden meeting with Trump, after inviting the incoming president to the White House. This transitional meeting had been a normal part of protocol up until 2020, when Trump refused to concede his loss and invite Biden to the White House. Although former President Barack Obama had invited Trump in 2016, it was at best an awkward and visibly uncomfortable meeting. Biden drew criticism for smiling alongside Trump — seemingly acting deferential to a man who had sullied the tradition.

Another troubling occurrence this week was MSNBC co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski informing their viewers that they had met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago days before. You will recall from this project that during the first Trump era, even though these co-hosts gave Trump what amounted to billions of dollars worth of free air time when he first ran, he later turned on them with vulgar insults and threats. Many on social media remarked that Joe and Mika were “obeying in advance” — a term used from Timothy Snyder’s pamphlet, “On Tyranny,” that warns:

Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.

There is also a bit of obeying in advance with Biden’s invitation and demeanor.

Notably, Scarborough and Brzezinski’s network, MSNBC, saw a dramatic drop off in viewership after the election, with a 39% decline in network viewership, and a startling 53% decline in the prime time slots. Oddly, Fox News experienced a 21% increase in viewership. This was the exact opposite pattern of 2016, when Democrats flocked to MSNBC after Hillary Clinton’s loss — at times it felt as if the hosts were part of a collective resistance to Trump — and Fox News lost so many viewers there was talk of its demise. The factors are behind this trend are still a bit murky, but as they come clearer they could hold some clues of what the next iteration of the Resistance will look like. The shift could also signal a troubling obeisance by the American public. It’s just too early to tell.

Speaking of TV, I jinxed us. After noting last week that Trump’s initial cabinet picks had been garden variety, to the right of the spectrum Republicans, this week his picks went absolutely off the rails! Reporting indicates that Trump is feeling confident and emboldened. He is mostly ensconced at Mar-a-Lago, where he is being fawned on and admired. Similar to the first go-round of this project, we are back to Trump using TV-ready as a top criteria for picking his cabinet appointees, along with, of course, unquestionable fealty. Most of his picks have little or no relevant experience for their positions, and seem to be more loyal placeholders to do Trump’s bidding.

What is taking shape could be a continuation of a theme we saw in the first Trump era of dismantling federal agencies from within. This time with more planning, and with an even more defiant and audacious Trump. One ally termed what is unfolding as a “hostile takeover” of the federal government. Trump has been openly defiant of all transitional norms, including allowing FBI vetting of cabinet candidates.

A final theme that continues is the bromance between Trump and Elon Musk — a relationship that for now is working well for both. If you’ve been following this project and Trump’s patterns, you know that once this mutually symbiotic relationship shifts, Trump will turn on Musk so fast it will make your head spin!

And now this week’s broken norms.

1. Russian news agency TASS quoted a member of Putin’s regime saying, “Trump relied on certain forces [that brought him to power] to which he has corresponding obligations,” adding, “he will be obliged to fulfill them.”
2. NBC News reported that the Trump regime is considering vastly expanding immigrant detention centers near major US cities, through working with private prison companies.
3. On Wednesday, Trump picked far-right, scandal-prone, firebrand Rep. Matt Gaetz as Attorney General, raising alarm by many in the Republican Party, several of whom spoke out publicly. The move was also condemned by the conservative WSJ Editorial Board.
4. Gaetz was previously the subject of a federal probe over allegations, including sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl and drug use. ABC News reported the woman testified to House Ethics Committee that Gaetz had sex with her when she was 17.
5. On Thursday, Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee said they wanted to see the House Ethics Committee’s final report of allegations against Gaetz. On Friday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Trump loyalist, said he will “strongly request” the report not be released.
6. On Wednesday, Trump picked loyalist and former Democratic lawmaker Tulsi Gabbard as his director of national intelligence. Gabbard has been accused of amplifying Russian propaganda, and has no experience in intelligence, nor did she serve on a congressional intelligence committee.
7. On Wednesday, Trump tapped Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host, for Secretary of Defense. Hegseth has said he believes women should not serve in combat, and wants the military to purge officials who support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. He has no government experience. He also got Trump to pardon men accused of war crimes in 2019.
8. Vanity Fair reported that later Wednesday, Trump’s transition team was informed that Hegseth faced charges of sexual assault in 2017. Hegseth was not vetted by Trump’s team, and Trump was reportedly unaware.
9. WAPO reported Hegseth was also flagged by a fellow service member as an “insider threat,” over a tattoo on his bicep associated with a white supremacist group. Shortly after, he was barred from serving in support of Joe Biden’s inauguration as a National Guard member.
10. Several of Trump’s cabinet picks were Fox News hosts or frequent contributors, including Hegseth, Gabbard, Tom Homan, Trump’s pick for border czar, and Michael Waltz, national security adviser.
11. NYT reported that Trump feels emboldened as he picks his cabinet at “breakneck speed” from Mar-a-Lago. Trump surveys potential nominees on giant screens, and if he has interest in candidates, he watches clips of their TV appearances.
12. On Thursday, Trump picked Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist known for false claims and conspiracy theories, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy said Trump had “promised” him “control of the public health agencies.”
13. Prior to his appointment, RFK Jr. vowed to purge the FDA, posting on X, “If you work for the FDA and are part of this corrupt system, I have two messages for you: 1. Preserve your records, and 2. Pack your bags.”
14. WSJ reported that the FBI had raided the Manhattan home of Shayne Coplan, the founder and chief executive of the online betting market Polymarket. A spokesperson for the company called it “political retribution.”
15. NYT reported according to Iranian officials, Elon Musk met with Iran’s U.N. Ambassador in New York. Trump regime officials would not comment further on the matter.
16. WAPO reported that Musk led a $45 million pool of dark money deployed on a false-flag operation to turn Kamala Harris voters, that targeted liberals, Jews, Muslims, and Black voters.
17. Adweek reported top advertisers, including Comcast, IBM, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Lionsgate Entertainment, are returning to X in a limited way, despite a proliferation of online abuse there, especially against women.
18. On Sunday, Trump named Brendan Carr for Federal Communications Commission chair. Carr vowed to take up what he dubbed a “censorship cartel” including Facebook, Google, Apple, and Microsoft, who he claimed, without evidence, were suppressing conservative viewpoints.
19. WAPO reported two Republican candidates for the US Senate in swing states and Trump allies, Eric Hovde in Wisconsin and Kari Lake in Arizona, have refused to concede over unsubstantiated voter fraud allegations, despite Trump having won their states.
20. On Saturday, a group of masked men dressed in black and holding flags with swastikas marched through a Columbus, Ohio neighborhood. Individuals were detained, but no arrests were made.
21. On Sunday, residents in Northern Indiana woke up to find flyers on their lawns, doorsteps, and cars from the Imperial Wizard of the Trinity White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, saying a mass deportation would take place on January 20th, 2025, and encouraging immigrants to “leave now.”
22. On Tuesday, Republican Rep. Nancy Mace introduced a resolution to ban transgender women from female bathrooms in the Capitol, after Democrat Sarah McBride become the first openly trans person elected to Congress.
23. NBC News reported that Trump’s transition team is compiling a list of current and former US military officials for possible court martial over the withdrawal from Afghanistan during the Biden administration.
24. NBC News also reported that DOJ and FBI officials are reaching out to hire lawyers in anticipation of being criminally investigated by the Trump regime. Some are bracing for long and costly retaliatory legal battles, despite the fact that there is no wrongdoing.
25. MSNBC co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski revealed on their Monday show that they had met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Friday to “restart communications.” One media critic labeled the meeting, “a disgusting show of obeisance in advance.”
26. On Monday, shares of Musk company Tesla soared, following a report that Trump is planning to make a federal framework to regulate self-driving vehicles a top priority for the Transportation Department.
27. On Tuesday, Trump attended a SpaceX launch in Texas with Musk. SpaceX receives federal funding. Musk is the largest shareholder of the private company with a 42% stake.
28. On Monday, Trump named Sean Duffy to lead the Transportation Department. Duffy is a former reality-TV star, who was then elected to Congress, and more recently was a host on Fox Business.
29. On Monday, Trump confirmed that he plans to follow through on his campaign’s rhetoric, saying he intended to declare a national emergency and use the U.S. military to assist in mass deportations.
30. The ACLU filed a lawsuit on Monday, seeking details on Trump’s plans. The lawsuit alleges that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has failed to respond to requests for basic information on the matter.
31. On Tuesday, Manhattan district attorney prosecutors said in a filing they oppose dismissing Trump’s criminal conviction as he requested, and sought to freeze the case during his presidency. Trump was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a scheme to influence the 2016 election.
32. On Tuesday, Trump appointed Dr. Mehmet Oz, an author and former television host, to serve as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversees programs covering more than 150 million Americans. Oz has no experience running a federal agency.
33. On Tuesday, NBC News reported that Trump mega donors were actively vying for roles in the Trump regime.
34. Trump rewarded two large donors who were co-heads of his transition team with positions: Howard Lutnick was appointed Commerce Secretary, and Linda McMahon was chosen to run the Department of Education, an agency Trump seeks to abolish.
35. WAPO reported that in 2009, McMahon falsely claimed on a questionnaire for the Connecticut Board of Education that she had a bachelor’s degree in education. McMahon resigned from the state education board, one day after the Hartford Courant told her they intended to write about it.
36. On Wednesday, Trump picked loyalist Matthew Whitaker as US ambassador to NATO. Whitaker briefly served as acting Attorney General in the first Trump regime, after Trump pushed Jeff Sessions out. He has no experience in foreign or military affairs.
37. WAPO reported in addition to not turning in required ethics pledges mentioned in Week 1, Trump has refused to collaborate with the General Services Administration, tasked with transitioning control of hundreds of agencies.
38. Trump’s transition team has also refused to allow the FBI to check his appointees for potential red flags and security threats to guard against espionage, instead using private campaign lawyers or not vetting at all.
39. Trump allies say this unprecedented approach is rooted in his distrust and resentment of agencies he believes blocked his first term agenda. One ally termed it a “hostile takeover” of the federal government.
40. In selecting cabinet picks, Trump has emphasized candidates’ willingness to take on federal agencies that he believes wronged him. Trump also seeks to radically reshape the federal government by moving agencies out of Washington.

In closing, I would encourage you all to rest and recharge for now. While Biden is still in office, things still feel relatively calm and normal. A reminder not to dream up nightmares — one of my important themes — because the second era of Trump will be different, and there is no upside of wearing yourself out imagining the worst. Activism done right grows organically to meet the needs of the time, so allow and know that efforts to fight back will naturally evolve as the battle lines come into focus.