From Zeteo

This Week in Democracy - Week 6: Chaos in the Oval, Attacks on the Press, and ‘What Did you Accomplish Last Week’

Zeteo's project to document the ongoing, week-by-week growth of authoritarianism in the Trump second term.

Mar 1

Trump speaks to reporters as he departs the White House on Feb. 28, 2025. Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
We know! It’s hard to remember anything that happened this past week before President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s insane outburst at Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on Friday.

But A LOT of other worrying things did happen. From more attacks on the press to another round of mass firings, here’s what the Musk-Trump-Vance administration did this week that harms the US democratic and constitutional order, the free press, and free society. Here’s your ‘This Week in Democracy - Week 6’:

Saturday, Feb. 22
At the Conservative Political Action Conference, Trump falsely claimed that he received “much more” than 77 million votes in the 2024 presidential election and said Democrats “cheated like hell” but “it was just too big to rig.”

Trump also called MSNBC a “threat to democracy.”

Also at CPAC, border czar Tom Homan criticized the Boston police commissioner for what he considers the city’s lack of cooperation with ICE. “I’m coming to Boston. I’m bringing hell with me,” he said.

Following a post on Twitter from Elon Musk, federal workers received an email from the Office of Personnel Management asking them to document five things they accomplished in the past week. Musk noted on Twitter that a “failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.”

On Twitter, Musk called for the impeachment of a federal judge who blocked the Trump administration from terminating DEI-related grants one day earlier.

Sunday, Feb. 23
Asked by reporters about Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Trump's Pentagon chief, national security advisor, and special envoy refused to say Russia was the aggressor.

The Trump administration put nearly all of the USAID’s 4,700 full-time staffers on paid administrative leave.

Trump named election denier, conspiracy theorist, and right-wing media personality Dan Bongino the deputy director of the FBI.

Trump attacked journalist Joy Reid on Truth Social, calling her “one of the least talented people in television” and a “mentally obnoxious racist,” following the cancellation of her nightly news show on MSNBC.

Reuters reported that the Trump administration directed ICE to deport hundreds of thousands of migrant children who entered the US without their parents.

Steve Bannon, Trump’s former chief strategist, called American Jews who don’t support Israel and MAGA “the number one enemy” to the people of Israel.

Monday, Feb. 24
The US sided with Russia twice on UN resolutions that called for the end to the war without criticizing Russia.

A federal lawsuit to block the mass firings of federal probationary employees was amended to argue Musk violated the law with his weekend demand that employees submit an email about their accomplishments or risk being fired.

On X, Musk said federal employees would be given another chance to send an email detailing their accomplishments in the last week, “subject to the discretion of the president.” He added that “failure to respond a second time will result in termination.”

Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Human Services emailed agency employees to warn them that their responses to Musk’s request might “be read by malign foreign actors.”

On Twitter, Musk baselessly accused USAID of supporting terrorism by funding organizations like the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.

US Attorney for DC Ed Martin called his office “President Trumps’ lawyers,” defying both his oath to the Constitution and basic grammar.

NBC News4 reported that Martin refused to sign an arrest warrant for MAGA Rep. Cory Mills, who was accused of physically assaulting a woman he was allegedly having an affair with. Mills denies any wrongdoing.

A federal judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order to allow AP to regain access to presidential events, but urged the Trump administration to reconsider its ban on the news organization.

At a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump called on Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's boyfriend, Brian Glenn, who works for the far-right Real America's Voice outlet, first.

Also at the press conference, Trump, who just last week called Ukrainian President Zelensky a dictator, refused to use the same label for Russian leader Vladimir Putin. “I don’t use those words lightly,” he said when specifically asked if Putin was a dictator.

The Office of Personnel Management issued a memo directing federal agencies to begin reclassifying top career positions as political appointees who would be required to follow the president’s agenda.

The Trump administration halted a plan to house migrants in tents at Guantanamo Bay due to concerns about the standards of the facilities, which don’t have air conditioning or electricity. Prison buildings, however, at the base will continue to be used for housing migrants.

A federal judge temporarily blocked the Department of Education and Office of Personnel Management from sharing sensitive data with Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency.

A different federal judge temporarily blocked ICE agents from conducting enforcement measures at some churches and other houses of worship.

Tuesday, Feb. 25
The Washington Post reported that migrants sent to Guantanamo Bay were shackled and held in what they described as cages. The migrants say they were also denied calls to lawyers, subjected to invasive strip searches, and held in prolonged periods of isolation.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said his administration would introduce a “gold card” that would cost $5 million and provide a route to citizenship. Asked if a Russian oligarch would be eligible for a gold card, Trump responded, “Yeah, possibly. I know some Russian oligarchs that are very nice people.”

The FAA signed a contract to use SpaceX’s Starlink internet system, raising concerns about further conflicts of interest for Musk.

In an unhinged post on Truth Social, Trump shared an AI-generated video of “Trump Gaza,” with a resort featuring a golden statue of the president, Elon Musk eating hummus, and Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sunbathing shirtless.

The Trump administration announced it would break decades of precedent and choose which media outlets are allowed to participate in the presidential press pool, a decision that has long been up to the independent White House Correspondents’ Association

A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from freezing federal loans and grants, writing that the decision was “irrational, imprudent, and precipitated a nationwide crisis.”

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to pay billions of dollars in US foreign aid in less than two days after failing to comply with a court order to do so nearly two weeks ago.

The Social Security Administration shut down its Office of Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity.

Trump signed a memorandum to suspend the security clearances of lawyers from the legal defense firm working with former special counsel Jack Smith, who prosecuted Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection and the mishandling of classified government records. The administration is also conducting a review to determine whether the firm played a role in the “weaponization of the judicial process.”

The Trump administration made it mandatory for undocumented immigrants aged 14 and older to register with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services and provide fingerprints. Failure to do so could result in a $5,000 fine and six months in prison.

Twenty-one DOGE employees resigned in protest, saying they refuse to “compromise core government systems, jeopardize Americans’ sensitive data, or dismantle critical public services.”

Teachers' unions and other groups filed a lawsuit against the Department of Education for threatening to cut federal funds to schools or colleges that consider race in hiring, discipline policy, scholarships, and more.

A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking Trump’s executive order suspending the country’s refugee admissions system.

Wednesday, Feb. 26
Despite not being a member, Musk attended Trump’s first Cabinet meeting. During his remarks, he noted that DOGE “will make mistakes” and pointed to what he called the accidental cancellation of USAID funding to prevent the spread of Ebola. Musk said the initiative was restored, but current and former agency officials say the funding continues to be frozen.

Asked at the Cabinet meeting whether Trump believes his authority gives him the power to issue orders to any Cabinet members, he responded, “They’ll follow the orders” and added, “no exceptions.”

In a victory for Trump, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily halted a lower court ruling ordering the Trump administration to pay $2 billion in foreign aid for State Department and USAID projects by the end of Wednesday.

In a court filing, the Trump administration said it would cut more than 90% of USAID foreign aid contracts, along with $60 billion in overall US assistance globally.

The heads of the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management sent a memo to federal agencies to prepare for mass firings and submit “reorganization plans” by March 13.

Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division to dismiss DEI lawsuits that accused police and fire departments of using written tests during hiring processes that discriminated against Black applicants.

Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos, who donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration, announced the paper’s opinion section would focus on supporting and defending “personal liberties” and “free markets,” adding that “viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others.” The move prompted the resignation of Opinion Editor David Shipley and resulted in the loss of more than 75,000 subscribers. Ex-Post editor Marty Baron called the move “craven.”

Later that day, Trump had dinner with Bezos.

On Truth Social, Trump lambasted “anonymous sources” and “off the record” quotes, said he would sue “dishonest authors and book publishers” and suggested he may create a “nice new law” to curb “defamatory fiction” — a brazen threat against the freedom of the press.

In a court filing, the Pentagon said it will begin removing transgender troops from the military within 30 days unless they obtain a waiver on a case-by-case basis.

The Pentagon ordered military services to purge agency websites and social media that mention the promotion of “diversity, equity and inclusion” by March 5.

To comply with the Trump administration, Paramount announced it would roll back DEI policies. (The company is currently seeking a merger with Skydance, which will require the approval of the Federal Communications Commission. It’s also in talks to settle a frivolous lawsuit brought by the Trump campaign for the 2024 Kamala Harris ‘60 Minutes’ interview.)

Thursday, Feb. 27
On Truth Social, Trump confirmed that tariffs on Mexico and Canada will start on March 4. He also announced an additional 10% tariff on China, and added that the April 2 reciprocal tariff date will remain in place.

Speaking to reporters alongside UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump said he knew nothing about his administration’s effort to pressure Romania into lifting a travel ban on Andrew and Tristan Tate, who have been charged with rape, human trafficking, money laundering, and starting an organized crime group. The brothers, who deny any wrongdoing, arrived in Florida that day.

He also said that he trusts Putin not to violate a deal, noting they “had to go through the Russia hoax together.”

A federal judge declined to block the Trump administration from firing dozens of CIA and other intelligence officials who worked on DEI programs.

Far-right conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec was among the pro-Trump influencers who visited the White House for briefings with Trump administration officials and received documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. Miami Herald reporter Julie K. Brown said the files had been public since 2015.

A federal judge ordered DOGE to have at least one official testify under oath and provide documents as part of a lawsuit by the American Federation of Labor and other unions.

The Department of Education launched an online “End DEI” portal where citizens can report diversity, equity, and inclusion practices in public schools.

A federal judge declared that the mass firings of probationary federal employees were likely illegal, potentially pausing terminations at certain federal agencies.

The Trump administration fired hundreds of weather forecasters from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – a move one former NOAA administrator told NPR could have major national security and economic impacts.

Musk falsely accused CNN legal analyst Norm Eisen of being part of a “crime family” after discovering that a woman with the same last name (but who has no relation to Eisen) worked for the nonprofit National Democratic Institute, which received funds from USAID.

Friday, Feb. 28
Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Zelensky in the Oval Office before kicking the Ukranian leader out of the White House without the mineral deal he was there to sign.

After the televised meeting, Trump said on Truth Social that Zelensky “disrespected” the US, adding that the Ukrainian president “is not ready for peace if America is involved.

The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration is considering ending the shipment of military aid to Ukraine following the heated Oval Office exchange.

While AP and Reuters were barred from the Oval Office meeting, one of the handpicked journalists present was a correspondent for TASS, a Russian state media organization. (He was later removed and the White House claimed it was an accident.)

The Democratic Party filed its first lawsuit against the Trump administration, contending that the president's attempt to control independent executive-branch agencies, including the bipartisan Federal Election Commission, violates federal election law.

The Washington Post reported that “Internal Revenue Service leaders rejected a recent request from immigration enforcement officials to divulge the home addresses of 700,000 people suspected of being in the country illegally.”

Veteran Voice of America journalist Steven Herman was placed on an extended “excused absence,” pending a HR investigation into his social media posts on DOGE and USAID, after senior Trump administration official Richard Grenell called them “treasonous.”

Missed the first five weeks? Catch up here.

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©Chris Knipp. Blog: http://chrisknipp.blogspot.com/.