Week 41 — The Return – The Weekly List

This week we continue the storyline of Trump’s efforts to rewrite history and manipulate data to fit his narratives, both hallmarks of authoritarianism. Last week Bureau of Labor Statistics data was under siege; this week Trump’s U.S. Attorney in D.C. launched a probe into so-called manipulation of violent crime data in D.C., when reality of the data didn’t fit the justification for Trump’s coup of the city’s law enforcement. Trump also continued his unprecedented actions to rewrite history at the Smithsonian, which is supposed to be an independent entity, threatening a process similar to the regime’s ongoing investigations of colleges and universities.

This week we saw much pageantry with Trump first entertaining Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Alaska, and then days later European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House. I’m struck by the similarity to Trump’s grandiose summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un during the first regime, when the media breathlessly covered every detail on the front pages for days, distracting from stories back then that he did not want covered. Similarly, we find almost no coverage this week of the Epstein files, which is politically toxic for Trump. With all his wild machinations and claims surrounding peace between Russia and Ukraine, including his normalizing Putin and allowing him a place on the world stage after three years of being ostracized, nothing really happened this week to ensure the peace that Trump had promised would happen on Day 1.

Another disturbing development this week are Trump’s moves for complete control of the economy, not only with his trade war, but also his efforts to take control of the Federal Reserve and extort U.S. companies. Trump is looking for ways not only to pressure and bully Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, but also to intimidate other Fed members into resigning, in an effort to reshape the independent institution to his liking and to do his bidding. The Trump regime is also reportedly ranking U.S. companies by their fealty to Trump, and seeking equity stakes in exchange for releasing federal grants promised to companies under the Biden administration.

All in all, this is a disturbing week because Trump is continuing to consolidate power, with little pushback. He is by all accounts, having an outsized say not only in the U.S. and global economy, but also unilaterally deciding foreign and domestic policy, with little to no pushback. Also notable is that several federal court rulings which had slowed or blocked the Trump regime’s moves have in recent weeks been overturned by appeals courts, including by several judges appointed by Trump.

On Wednesday, at a press conference at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Trump announced the honorees, saying he was “very involved” in their selection. Traditionally, honorees are selected over months by the board with input from the public and past honorees.
Trump also said that he said no to “a couple of wokesters” proposed by the board. Staff were caught off guard when Trump informed them the day prior that he had made the selections on his own. Kennedy Center Honors’ executive producer Matthew Winer announced his resignation.
Trump also claimed that his staff had urged him to host the event last December, and that he agreed given his experience with hosting The Apprentice.
House Judiciary Democrats argued in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Bureau of Prisons Director William Marshall that Ghislaine Maxwell’s prison transfer raises “substantial” witness tampering concerns that the regime is trying to coax false or misleading testimony to protect Trump.
NYT reported historians raised alarms about the Trump regime’s plan to oversee a “comprehensive review” of the Smithsonian. A professional group noted only historians and trained museum professionals are qualified to conduct such a review, to “ensure historical accuracy.”
The Smithsonian has traditionally operated as an independent institution, governed by a 17-member bipartisan Board of Regents, which is overseen by Congress, and outside the control of the executive branch.
On Thursday, Trump told reporters, “We want the museums to treat our country fairly,” and to “talk about the history of our country in a fair manner, not in a woke manner or a racist manner.”
Days later, Trump posted on Truth Social that “The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL,” adding everything “is how horrible our Country is,” and should be about America’s “Brightness.” Trump also complained that the Smithsonian focused too much on “how bad slavery was.”
Trump said he instructed his regime to begin an unprecedented review of the Smithsonian, with the “exact same process that has been done with Colleges and Universities,” where he claimed “tremendous progress has been made.”
NYT reported that Trump has told regime members he wants large financial payouts to be part of any agreement with elite universities. It was unclear how Trump arrives at payout amounts, or where the funds must go. Some critics called the demand for large payments extortion.
NYT reported that law firms Kirkland & Ellis and Skadden Arps, which had reached settlement agreements with Trump, have been asked by Boris Epshteyn, now in a role as a personal lawyer for Trump, to work with the Commerce Department on trade deals.
NYT reported that the U.S. Office of Government Ethics sent a letter to the Republican chair of the Senate Finance Committee, saying Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had failed to fully divest his financial assets, putting him in a position for possible conflicts of interest.
On Thursday, Bloomberg reported the Trump regime is discussing taking a stake in Intel, a chipmaker that is a public company. In Week 39, Trump called on the company’s CEO to resign over ties to China, and days later hosted him at the White House. Shares of Intel soared 11%.
The idea follows an unprecedented investment by the regime’s Defense Department’s in July, taking a $400 million preferred equity stake in MP Materials Corp, a small U.S. rare-earth producer, making the Pentagon the company’s largest shareholder.
Bloomberg reported on Friday that the Trump regime is considering using Biden-era Chips Act funds for a stake in Intel. It was unclear if the regime would use the $7.9 billion awarded, one of the largest grants, to pay for the stake in whole or part.
Bloomberg also reported that Trump aides have created a loyalty list, ranking 553 companies on their either “strong, moderate, or low” support of Trump’s so-called big, beautiful legislation. It was unclear how the rankings would impact federal dealings with the companies.
WSJ reported Roger Alford, the former antitrust division second in command who was fired by the DOJ in Week 38, accused senior Justice officials of cutting deals with favored lobbyists and undermining the independence of antitrust enforcement.
Alford asked the federal judge reviewing Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s proposed acquisition of its competitor, Juniper Networks, to “examine the surprising truth of what happened.” Federal courts have authority to look into backroom dealings.
On Monday, Commerce Sec. Howard Lutnick said Intel must give the U.S. government an equity stake in return for freeing up Chips Act funds, saying, “we’re just converting what was a grant under Biden into equity for the Trump administration, for the American people.”
Lutnick also indicated that other companies that were receiving federal grants based on Biden-era programs might be required to give the U.S. government a stake in their company in order to receive the funding, causing shares in other chip companies to trade lower.
On Tuesday, Trump attacked Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, posting on Truth Social, “Could somebody please inform Jerome “Too Late” Powell that he is hurting the Housing Industry,” falsely claiming that “every sign is pointing to a major Rate Cut.”
On Wednesday, Trump posted on Truth Social that Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook “must resign now,” after Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, an ally of Trump, urged an investigation into her mortgages, claiming the accusations gave him “cause” to fire her.
In a letter to AG Bondi and DOJ official Ed Martin, who is also investigating New York AG Letitia James and Sen. Adam Schiff, Pulte claimed that Cook “falsified bank documents and property records to acquire more favorable loan terms.”
Reuters reported the Trump regime is considering deploying a pocket rescission, a rarely used tactic to permanently withhold some federal funding, which will expire on September 30, the end of the fiscal year.
Democrats say Trump has withheld $420 billion in funding that was passed on a bipartisan basis. Three Senate Republicans have said they would oppose such a maneuver. Watchdog groups say some funding delays are illegal.
On Wednesday, a federal appeals court ruled 2–1 in the Trump regime’s favor, lifting a lower court’s order blocking the regime from withholding billions in foreign aid. The appeals court said the aid organizations that sued lacked standing to bring the challenge.
On Thursday, a federal judge blocked the Trump regime from stripping collective bargaining rights from thousands of Department of Defense school employees, with the judge noting similar rulings in other cases.
On Thursday, a federal judge struck down two of the Education Department’s anti-DEI measures that would end all “race-based decision-making,” saying the department violated the law by threatening to cut federal funding from educational institutions.
On Thursday, at event for Social Security, Trump lied that there were millions of people in the system database whose ages were listed as 120 years or older, and falsely claimed that some were still getting benefits. He also falsely claimed that call wait times have improved.
On Thursday, a federal judge ordered the Department of Health and Human Services to stop sharing Medicaid data, including home addresses and Social Security numbers, with the Department of Homeland Security for deportation efforts.
On Friday, a federal appeals court ruled 2–1 that the Trump regime can proceed with laying off the majority of employees at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, overruling a lower court. The two judges in the majority were appointed by Trump.
On Wednesday, Trump told reporters he would work with Congress to seek a “long-term” extension for federal control of D.C., and that he would ask for funds to fight crime and make repairs, while getting rid of graffiti and the homeless, saying, “This is going to be a beacon.”
Trump noted that Democrats were calling him “a dictator,” and said, “Fighting crime is a good thing,” adding, “The place is going to hell. We’ve got to stop it. So, instead of saying, ‘He’s a dictator,’ they should say, ‘We’re going to join him and make Washington safe.’”
On Wednesday, numerous law enforcement officers, including Department of Homeland Security agents, arrived in D.C., setting up checkpoints in some locations, and stopping drivers for any infraction such as not wearing a seatbelt. Residents chanted, “Go home fascists!”
WAPO reported at least two people were detained, including a Spanish speaking man who was loaded into an unmarked black pickup and a woman who was handcuffed, as residents yelled “read the Constitution!” A spokesperson said 28 of 344 cars that passed were issued infractions.
On Thursday, Trump falsely claimed crime in D.C. is “worse than it’s ever been,” despite his own regime taking credit for a drop in crimes in the past few months. When pressed by reporters on data showing crime at a 30-year low, Trump lied that the data was rigged by city officials.
On Thursday, after nightfall, federal agents from the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service targeted homeless camps in D.C. Many of the homeless people had vacated ahead of the raids, with some leaving their belongings.
Late Thursday, AG Bondi issued an order formally codifying the federal government’s takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department, and designating Terry Cole, the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, as “Emergency Police Commissioner.”
Hours later, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb sued the Trump regime for asserting control over the D.C. police and attempting to install a so-called emergency police commissioner, calling it “the gravest threat to Home Rule that the District has ever faced.”
Schwalb added that Section 740 of the Home Rule Act does not authorize the president or a designee to remove or replace the police chief, alter MPD’s chain of command, or demand services directly from MPD; rather, it directs the D.C. mayor to provide services.
MPD Chief Pamela Smith said of Bondi’s order, “I have never seen a single government action that would cause a greater threat to law and order” in her nearly 30 years of law enforcement, adding that it would “effectively freeze public safety operations.”
On Friday, hundreds of demonstrators protested outside the Metropolitan Police headquarters. Some held the American flag upside down, or held signs that read “FREE DC” and “No Kings,” while others chanted “D.C. statehood.”
Later Friday, at an emergency hearing, a DOJ lawyer said the regime would revise the terms of Bondi’s order, to clarify that the city police chief will, for now, retain control of the Metropolitan Police, after the judge appeared to be ready to block several parts of the order.
WAPO reported in the first few days of the deployment, the main targets of federal law enforcement had increasingly become immigrants and the homeless. Data also showed that Trump’s forces were not deployed in the highest crime areas.
On Saturday, the governors of three Republican-led states — West Virginia, South Carolina and Ohio — said they would send 750 of their states’ National Guard troops to D.C., joining the 800 already mobilized by Trump, and marking a major escalation.
On Saturday, hundreds of demonstrators, organized by the group Refuse Fascism, marched across D.C. to protest the Trump regime’s deployment of the National Guard. Many wore bright orange bandannas and held signs reading, “Trump Must Go Now” and “No ICE! No National Guard!”
WAPO reported that the office of U.S. attorney for D.C., Jeanine Pirro, launched a probe into whether D.C. police manipulated data to make crime rates appear lower, as Trump continually claimed. According to U.S. cities’ data, D.C. had the largest decline (27%) in crime of any city.
On Monday, Trump posted on social media about the investigation, falsely claiming, “D.C. gave Fake Crime numbers in order to create a false illusion of safety,” calling it “a very bad and dangerous thing to do.”
Trump also falsely claimed, “Until 4 days ago, Washington, D.C., was the most unsafe ‘city’ in the United States, and perhaps the World. Now, in just a short period of time, it is perhaps the safest, and getting better every single hour!”
WAPO reported that Trump’s federal takeover of D.C. had resulted in more than 450 arrests since August 7, according to the White House on Tuesday morning. Details on who has been arrested, where, for what, and by whom remained hidden.
WAPO reported D.C. restaurant reservations have dropped by as much as 31% year over year since Trump’s city police takeover. Business owners expressed concern with the fall in revenue during the vital summer period.
A WAPO-Schar School poll found 8 in 10 D.C. residents opposed Trump’s city police takeover, with 7 in 10 opposing it “strongly.” The poll also found 78% of residents feel very or somewhat safe in their neighborhoods.
A Pew Research poll found Trump’s approval at the lowest level of the second regime, with 38% approve, 60% disapprove. Trump’s approval with voters 18–35 fell from 92% when he took office to 69%.
WAPO reported that internal ICE documents reveal plans to double detention space from capacity for close to 50,000 migrants when Trump took office to more than 107,000, using mega-facilities, tents, and at least two new family detention centers.
Reuters reported the Trump regime is considering reducing the refugee admissions cap to 40,000 for fiscal 2025, down from 100,000 under former president Joseph Biden for 2024, with 30,000 of the 40,000 spots allotted to white South Africans.
AP reported Old Orchard Beach, Maine Police Department reserve Officer Jon Luke Evans agreed to voluntarily leave the country after being arrested by ICE. Officials with the town and police department had told ICE that Evans was legally authorized to work in the U.S.
Lawyers for Kilmar Abrego Garcia sued the Trump regime in a federal court in Nashville, accusing the regime of vindictive prosecution for bringing a criminal case against him after he fought deportation. In a second filing he asked to be able to return to Maryland as a free man.
On Friday, Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Trump choreographed the meeting, including a coordinated flyover, exiting their planes and walking down red carpets to meet and shake hands, and riding in the presidential limousine without interpreters.
The visit normalized Putin, who had been ostracized by the West for nearly three years. This also marked the first time a president invited a leader who has been sanctioned by the U.S. government, and faces a warrant for child trafficking by the International Criminal Court.
WSJ reported on another symbolic win for Putin: Trump waited on board Air Force One for 30 minutes before the Russian president’s plane touched down.
After a brief closed door meeting, far shorter than what was scheduled, Putin was the first to address the media, a highly unusual move for a foreign leader to speak before the American president. Putin was beaming throughout the visit, and spoke extensively about his views.
Trump spoke briefly, saying, “We haven’t quite got there, but we’ve got some headway.” Trump also repeated his false claims describing the U.S. intelligence community’s finding that Russia interfered in the 2016 election as a “hoax” that was painful for him and Putin.
Putin gave no concessions, and appeared to get everything he wanted. Despite a scheduled news conference, neither leader answered questions. Putin closed by inviting Trump to visit him in Moscow. Trump avoided the press on the flight back on Air Force One.
On the flight to Alaska, Trump told reporters if he did not secure a cease-fire with Putin, “I’m not going to be happy,” and there would be “severe consequences.” Shortly after the press conference of the summit ended, Russia started to bomb Ukraine again.
Trump later spoke to Sean Hannity on Fox News, saying “I think the meeting was a 10,” and of Putin, “we got along great.” When asked on imposing additional sanctions, which were set to go into place last Friday, Trump said, “We don’t have to think about that right now.”
Trump also cited Putin when criticizing U.S. mail-in voting, telling Hannity, “Vladimir Putin, smart guy, said, ‘You can’t have an honest election with mail-in voting.’ And he said, ‘There’s not a country in the world that uses it.’” Notably, Russia’s elections have been rife with fraud.
German newspaper Bild reported a misunderstanding of Russia’s stance on Ukraine by Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff may have been the impetus for the hastily organized summit. Witkoff thought Putin was offering a peaceful withdrawal, rather than Ukraine pull out its forces.
NPR reported three guests at Hotel Captain Cook outside Anchorage found an eight page packet of documents left behind by the Trump regime on a public printer in the hotel business center at 9 a.m. local time on Friday. The documents had U.S. State Department markings.
The documents, produced by U.S. staff, contained potentially sensitive information, including precise locations and meeting times of the summit and phone numbers of U.S. government employees, and specific room names at the army base where meeting would take place.
Two pages in the packet described how lunch would be served, and for whom. A menu indicated that the luncheon was to be held “in honor of his excellency Vladimir Putin.” A seating chart showed Trump and Putin would sit across from each other at the luncheon.
After initially denying the veracity of the NPR reporting, the Trump regime later shifted to minimizing the importance of the packet. A State Department spokesperson said, “Instead of covering the historic steps towards peace…NPR is trying to make a story out of a lunch menu.”
On Saturday, Trump changed his position, backing away his pre-summit position agreed to with Ukraine and European allies for demanding a ceasefire to begin negotiations, and instead backing Putin’s idea that Ukraine must cede territory it controls to Russia.
Trump posted on Truth Social that he had spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and some European leaders, and claimed “it was determined by all” to go directly to peace negotiations. European leaders publicly and privately said this was not true.
On Saturday, thousands of demonstrators gathered at more than 300 political events and rallies organized by progressive activists, labor groups, and pro-democracy organizations, to protest Trump’s push to gerrymander red states in an attempt to keep control of Congress.
On Monday, Trump posted on Truth Social that he would sign an executive order to “help bring HONESTY to the 2026 Midterm Elections,” by eliminating mail-in ballots, baselessly claiming, “It’s time that the Republicans get tough and stop it, because the Democrats want it.”
The post comes after statements by both Trump and Putin. Notably the president has no role in running elections. The Constitution vests the power to set the “times, places and manner” of elections with states, with only Congress having the power to override state laws.
On Monday, Texas Democrats ended their two week walkout, returning to the state and allowing the redrawn map, likely to net Republicans five additional seats. Arriving an hour before the session started, their flight was greeted by a crowd of supporters.
Texas Rep. Nicole Collier remained locked inside the state Capitol, after she refused to sign a permission slip to be under escort by the Texas Department of Public Safety. The escorts were forced by Republicans to ensure Democrats returned to the Capitol on Wednesday morning.
Collier asked a court to let her exit the building, alleging she’s facing “illegal restraint by the government.” Several other Democrats tore up their permission slips and joined her on Tuesday night to sleep in the Capitol. She called the slip an “un-American and unnecessary request.”
On Monday, the House Oversight Committee heard from former U.S. Attorney General William Barr, who sat for a deposition on Jeffrey Epstein as part of the committee’s bipartisan investigation. Barr was AG when Epstein was found dead in his prison cell in August, 2019.
The committee had subpoenaed the DOJ to turn over certain materials related to the Epstein files by Tuesday, August 19. Democrats on the committee noted that the DOJ had missed the deadline.
On Monday, Trump hosted Zelensky, who this time wore a black suit, and European leaders at the White House. Trump portrayed Putin as genuinely seeking peace, even as Putin continued and ramped up attacks on Ukraine after his summit, and after this summit.
European leaders joined on short notice, leaving their summer vacations, out of fear that Trump would seek to bully Zelensky into making a one-sided land-for-peace deal, rather than any real hope of reaching a deal, as Trump does not like detail.
The European leaders sought to flatter Trump, heaping repeated praise on him, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni saying, “Something has changed, thanks to you,” and NATO chief Mark Rutte opining, “I really want to thank you for your leadership.”
NYT reported these summits are like theater to Trump, and leaders on both sides understand this, and try to use it to gain an advantage. The summits are more about managing Trump than an actual end to the war, for which there is no real end in sight.
Trump mused about delaying the next election, after Zelensky told reporters he is open to an election there after the war, with Trump interrupting “…three and a half years from now — you mean if we happen to be in a war with somebody, no more elections?”
On Tuesday, Trump called into Fox & Friends to talk about why he is focused on making peace, saying, “I want to try and get to heaven, if possible. I’m hearing I’m not doing well. I am really at the bottom of the totem pole. But if I can get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons.”
Trump also continued to falsely blame Ukraine for starting the war, telling Fox & Friends, “Russia is a powerful military nation,” adding, “It’s not a war that should have been started. You don’t do that. You don’t take on a nation that’s 10 times your size.
While Trump and first lady Melania Trump reiterated the importance of the return of the Ukrainian children abducted by Russia, the regime’s State Department quietly cut funding for the lead organization that had been tracking the children for three years in Week 19.
On Tuesday, according to a memo from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Trump revoked security clearances of 37 current and former national security officials, many of whom worked on Russia analysis or foreign threats to U.S. elections.
The move was part of DNI Tulsi Gabbard’s effort to shift attention to the 2016 election, and draw attention to supposed flaws in intelligence around Russian interference in that election, and shift attention away from the Epstein files.
WAPO reported Gen. David Allvin, the chief of staff of the Air Force, said he would retire two years into a four-year term, becoming the latest senior military official to be pushed out by the Trump regime, after being told Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth wanted to go in another direction.
Polling on Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ showed a net favorability rating of -19 percent to -22 percent, making it one of the most unpopular pieces of legislation ever to become law. Republicans faced broad pushback from constituents at home. Strategists hoped to rename the legislation.

President Donald Trump greets Russia’s President Vladimir Putin Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)