📆 Trump Tyranny Tracker: May 21
Welcome to today’s Trump Tyranny Tracker, where I’m breaking down the key news from the day alongside ongoing developments as Trump and his regime move swiftly to consolidate power, undermine democracy, and dismantle civil rights and freedoms.
🔥 In Corruption News
A $5 Million Donation From Big Tobacco Preceded F.D.A. Vape Decision
What Happened: Reynolds American donated $5 million to Trump-backed super PAC MAGA Inc. days before Trump officials rolled out a new FDA policy benefiting the vaping industry. Shortly after tobacco executives met with Trump at his golf club, the FDA loosened restrictions on flavored vapes and nicotine products, bypassing the agency’s normal rulemaking process.
Why It Matters: Trump took millions from the tobacco industry and then delivered policies benefiting vape and nicotine companies. Public health protections were weakened while corporate donors gained direct influence over federal regulators and policies affecting children’s health and addiction.
Source: New York Times
Trump Has Been Investing in Companies and Then Pumping Them in His Speeches
What Happened: Trump repeatedly purchased stock in companies, including Apple, Dell Technologies, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Micron Technology, shortly before publicly praising them in speeches, interviews, official events, and promoting their business prospects. Financial disclosures show many of the trades were marked “unsolicited,” indicating Trump personally initiated them, while several companies later benefited from Trump policies, government contracts, and public endorsements.
Why It Matters: Trump is using the presidency to personally profit from stock trades tied to his public statements, policies, and government power. He continues to use the White House as a vehicle for self-enrichment, market manipulation, and mass corruption.
Source: Mother Jones
Trump’s allies are already lining up to apply to his $1.8 billion fund
What Happened: Trump allies, January 6 insurrectionists, pardoned political figures, and election deniers are preparing claims for Trump’s $1.776 billion slush fund, including Mark McCloskey, George Santos, Rod Blagojevich, and Trump supporters tied to efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Lawyers representing January 6 defendants said many expect compensation.
Why It Matters: Trump wants to use taxpayer money to reward loyalists, election deniers, and January 6 insurrectionists tied to efforts to overturn a democratic election. The fund turns the Justice Department into a government-run patronage system for Trump’s political movement and extremist criminals.
Source: The Washington Post
CFPB Deletes Consumer Advisories From Its Website
What Happened: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau deleted roughly 1,700 webpages, including consumer advisories, enforcement materials, speeches, and public guidance published before Russell Vought took control of the agency. Employees warned that the purge is part of a broader effort to dismantle the CFPB.
Why It Matters: Trump officials are gutting one of the government’s main consumer watchdogs while erasing information that helps Americans protect themselves from financial abuse. Weakening the CFPB makes it easier for banks and financial firms to operate with little scrutiny or accountability.
Source: NOTUS
🛡️ In Power Consolidation News
Trump’s Fund Shows Blanche Choosing Loyalty Over Pushing Back
What Happened: Acting AG Todd Blanche defended Trump’s $1.776 billion slush fund, which could compensate January 6 insurrectionists and other Trump criminals while shielding him, his family, and their businesses from IRS investigations. Blanche has also accelerated investigations tied to Trump’s political grievances, including reviving election conspiracy lies and pursuing charges, yet again, against former FBI Director James Comey.
Why It Matters: The Justice Department has been reshaped around Trump’s personal grievances and loyalty demands. The fund would turn taxpayer money into a reward system for Trump extremists and criminals while further eroding the independence of federal law enforcement.
Source: New York Times
Election Denialists Claim They Are Laying the Groundwork for a DOJ Probe of Michigan
What Happened: Trump’s election deniers claimed they are laying the groundwork for a federal DOJ probe into Michigan’s elections after activists tied to Gateway Pundit and Stop the Steal obtained and reviewed Detroit ballot records from 2020. The effort comes as the DOJ expands election-related investigations, with election deniers holding government roles.
Why It Matters: Federal law enforcement is being merged with election conspiracy networks tied to Stop the Steal. Using the DOJ to validate election lies threatens public trust, election administration, and future democratic transfers of power.
Source: Talking Points Memo
Trump can only imagine winning elections the lazy way
What Happened: Trump is pressuring Republicans to prioritize the SAVE America Act, which would impose nationwide proof-of-citizenship requirements and stricter voter ID laws. Trump claims the measure would “guarantee the midterms” as Republicans simultaneously pursue aggressive redistricting efforts across multiple states.
Why It Matters: The push for new voting restrictions alongside aggressive gerrymandering follows a classic autocratic playbook: changing the rules, limiting participation, and stacking the system in favor of those already in power.
Source: MS NOW
Trump officials say they can build 250-foot arch without Congress’s approval
What Happened: Trump officials say they do not need congressional approval to build Trump’s proposed 250-foot “triumphal arch” near Arlington National Cemetery, arguing that a 1925 authorization for an unbuilt memorial project provides legal justification. Trump officials have already begun site surveys and are advancing approvals through federal commissions controlled by Trump allies.
Why It Matters: Trump plans to bypass Congress to build another massive taxpayer-funded monument to himself. Using public money and executive power for personal glorification is a hallmark of authoritarian thugs.
Source: Washington Post
⚖️ In Weaponization of Institutions News
Homeland Security’s Plan to Squeeze International Flights
What Happened: DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned airline executives that Trump may reduce Customs and Border Protection staffing at major airports in sanctuary jurisdictions, including JFK, Newark, Portland, and Washington Dulles. The move would disrupt international flights and cargo operations by slowing customs processing at targeted airports.
Why It Matters: Federal airport operations are being used to punish cities that refuse to comply with the regime’s extremist immigration agenda. Weaponizing critical transportation infrastructure for political retaliation expands federal power to coerce local governments into submission.
Source: The Atlantic
7th and 8th judges rebuff Justice Department's attempts to get voter rolls, this time from Maine and Wisconsin
What Happened: Federal judges in Maine and Wisconsin became the seventh and eighth to reject Justice Department lawsuits seeking access to sensitive state voter roll data, including birth dates, driver’s license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers. The judges ruled that Trump officials lacked the authority to conduct sweeping federal audits of state voter registration systems.
Why It Matters: Trump officials continue trying to seize sensitive voter data and expand federal control over elections using voter fraud lies as justification. Courts are blocking efforts that would give them unprecedented access to voter information and greater influence over how elections are run.
Source: CBS News
Hegseth memo calls for sweeping, open-ended review of Pentagon's legal system
What Happened: Pete Hegseth ordered a sweeping, open-ended review of the Pentagon’s legal system after previously purging top military lawyers and weakening existing oversight panels. Current and former military lawyers warn that the effort is concentrating legal authority inside the Pentagon and White House while sidelining independent military legal review.
Why It Matters: Independent legal oversight inside the military is being stripped away while more authority is concentrated in the White House. Fewer legal checks make it easier to carry out controversial and potentially illegal military actions with no accountability.
Source: Defense One
📢 In Media Suppression and Authoritarian Tactics News
A mysterious, GOP-linked super PAC is roiling a Texas Democratic primary
What Happened: A mysterious super PAC with suspected Republican ties spent more than $900,000 boosting a controversial Democratic candidate in a Texas congressional primary. Democrats accused the group, Lead Left, of trying to manipulate the race by elevating a candidate Republicans believe would be easier to defeat in November.
Why It Matters: Dark money operatives are trying to rig elections by helping choose their preferred opponents before voters ever cast a ballot. Wealthy political networks are manipulating the democratic process while hiding who is funding and directing the effort.
Source: Politico
Is Museum Wall Text the Next Political Battleground?
What Happened: The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery removed or reduced explanatory wall text in parts of a major exhibition as Trump officials pressured Smithsonian museums to review language deemed “divisive” or insufficiently patriotic. Historians and artists warned that the changes strip works of critical context related to race, policing, facial recognition, and mass shootings.
Why It Matters: Trump is pressuring public institutions to rewrite how American history is presented. Sanitizing museums to fit a political narrative is an attempt to erase uncomfortable facts and replace history with ideology.
Source: New York Times
🛑 In Human and Civil Rights Abuses News
Suicides rise in ICE detention; 911 calls detail serious cases of self-harm
What Happened: Suicides and severe self-harm incidents are rising inside ICE detention centers as detainee populations and detention times surge under Trump’s immigration crackdown. There were more than 1,000 emergency 911 calls from six detention facilities over the past year, including incidents involving razor blades, chemical ingestion, wrist cutting, and head-banging by detainees.
Why It Matters: Trump’s mass detention system is driving a growing mental health and humanitarian crisis. The rise in suicides and self-harm reflects the devastating human cost of prolonged detention, abuse, and an immigration system built on mass incarceration.
Source: NBC News
The Department of Labor’s Faith Leader Is Now Also in Charge of Its Civil Rights Enforcement
What Happened: Trump officials placed Kenneth Wolfe, the Labor Department official who organized controversial government prayer services, in charge of the agency’s civil rights enforcement office as Trump moves to dismantle it. The office has been weakened by anti-DEI executive orders, staff losses, and plans to transfer its remaining functions into a new Office of Civil Rights.
Why It Matters: Civil rights enforcement is being gutted while ideological and religious loyalists take control of agencies meant to protect workers from discrimination. Federal civil rights laws are being weaponized against DEI programs and used to advance a Christian nationalist agenda.
Source: WIRED
U.S. Army soldier worries wife "can be deported at any moment" even after her release from ICE custody
What Happened: Active-duty U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Jose Serrano says his wife, Deisy Rivera Ortega, could still be deported despite being released from ICE detention after public pressure and intervention from lawmakers. Rivera Ortega, who was seeking legal status through a military family immigration program, remains under electronic monitoring and faces possible deportation to Mexico despite having no ties there.
Why It Matters: Even military families are being caught up in Trump’s immigration crackdown despite following legal pathways to remain in the country. The case shows how deportation enforcement is overriding family unity and humanitarian considerations.
Source: CBS News
ICE agent charged with assault will surrender to Minnesota authorities, attorney says
What Happened: An ICE agent charged in Minnesota with assault for allegedly pointing a handgun at motorists during a road rage incident is set to surrender to authorities. Prosecutors say the agent drove illegally on the shoulder, pulled alongside another vehicle, and aimed a firearm at civilians while off duty.
Why It Matters: An armed federal immigration agent allegedly pointed a gun at civilians during a road rage dispute. The incident adds to growing concerns about abuse of power, lack of accountability, and the increasingly aggressive culture surrounding ICE and immigration enforcement.
Source: ABC News
📉 Government Services Disruption and Collapse Watch
US is ‘simply choosing not to stop’ Ebola outbreak after massive public health cuts, experts say
What Happened: A growing Ebola outbreak in central Africa has infected hundreds and killed more than 100 people as Trump officials continue massive cuts to USAID, CDC, NIH, and global health programs. Experts say key outbreak surveillance systems, research labs, and response teams were dismantled just before the crisis spread across multiple countries.
Why It Matters: Trump’s dismantling of global health programs weakened the systems designed to stop deadly outbreaks before they spread. Dismantling disease surveillance and response capabilities increases the risk of a wider regional or global health crisis.
Source: The Guardian
US diplomats undergoing divisive new review process
What Happened: The State Department rolled out a new performance review system requiring diplomats to compete for limited top ratings under a rigid, data-driven evaluation process. Diplomats and their union warned that the changes will increase bias, internal competition, and politicization inside the Foreign Service.
Why It Matters: The diplomatic corps is being reshaped around loyalty and centralized control rather than professional expertise. The changes promote political favoritism and further weaken the independence of U.S. foreign policy institutions.
Source: ABC News
HHS Refuses to Say What an Anti-Vaccine Activist Is Doing at the Agency
What Happened: HHS refused to disclose what anti-vaccine activist David Geier is doing inside the agency despite RFK Jr. promising Congress details about his role. Geier previously promoted debunked vaccine-autism conspiracies, was fined for practicing medicine without a license, and was barred from accessing federal vaccine databases over privacy concerns.
Why It Matters: Anti-vaccine activists and conspiracy theorists are being embedded inside federal health agencies while scientific oversight is weakened. Public health institutions continue to be reshaped around conspiracies and disinformation.
Source: Mother Jones
🌐 Imperial and Geopolitical Watch
Iran rebuilding military industrial base faster than expected, already producing drones, according to US intel
What Happened: U.S. intelligence assessments reportedly show Iran is rebuilding parts of its military-industrial base far faster than expected after U.S.-Israeli strikes, with drone production already restarting during the ceasefire. Officials believe Iran could restore major drone attack capabilities within months despite Pentagon claims that its military infrastructure had been destroyed.
Why It Matters: Intelligence assessments show Iran is rebuilding far faster than the Pentagon and Trump publicly claimed. They sold the war as a crippling blow to Iran’s military, but Tehran is already restoring key capabilities, showing Trump’s gaslighting.
Source: CNN
Iran in Talks With Oman Over Permanent Hormuz Toll System
What Happened: Iran is reportedly negotiating with Oman to create a permanent toll system for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, formalizing control over one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints after months of war and disruption. Trump rejected the proposal as global shipping and oil markets remain destabilized.
Why It Matters: Trump’s Iran war has helped turn the Strait of Hormuz into a permanent geopolitical weapon. Iran realized that is has lasting leverage over global oil flows, shipping routes, and the world economy.
Source: Bloomberg
Trump ramps up Cuba pressure as Nimitz carrier enters Caribbean Sea
What Happened: The Justice Department indicted former Cuban leader Raúl Castro over the 1996 downing of civilian aircraft as the USS Nimitz carrier strike group entered the Caribbean. Officials are reportedly developing military options against Cuba following Trump’s earlier operation targeting Venezuela’s Maduro.
Why It Matters: Trump is escalating toward another conflict before getting out of his Iran quagmire. Opening a new confrontation with Cuba will drag the U.S. into multiple crises created by Trump at the same time.
Source: USA Today
🌍 Far-Right & Russian Influence Watch
Russia promises ‘active support’ for Cuba, blasting US ‘sanctions noose’
What Happened: Russia pledged “active support” for Cuba as Trump intensified sanctions, oil restrictions, and legal pressure on Havana, including indicting former Cuban leader Raúl Castro. Moscow accused the U.S. of pursuing regime change and tightening the sanctions “noose” around Cuba.
Why It Matters: Despite repeatedly giving Putin wins, Russia continues to challenge U.S. interests. Meanwhile, Trump remains loyal to the Kremlin even as Moscow works against the U.S.
Source: The Hill
💵 In Trump Economic Downturn News
Walmart issues worse-than-expected outlook as high gas prices hit shoppers, shares drop 7%
What Happened: Walmart issued a weaker-than-expected financial outlook as soaring gas prices tied to Trump’s Iran war squeezed consumers and raised concerns about the broader economy. Company executives warned that shoppers, especially lower-income Americans, are showing signs of financial stress as fuel costs surge and tax refund boosts fade.
Why It Matters: Even Walmart is warning that Americans are cutting back as fuel costs and inflation rise. The outlook adds to growing signs that Trump’s economic and foreign policies are weakening consumer spending and increasing recession fears.
Source: CNBC
More gasoline price shocks might hit US drivers this summer travel season
What Happened: Gasoline prices have surged more than $1.50 per gallon, or roughly 45%, since the Iran war and closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted global oil flows. Analysts warn that low fuel inventories, refinery outages, and hurricane risks could push prices above $5 per gallon as millions prepare for summer travel.
Why It Matters: Trump’s Iran war is driving up fuel prices while households struggle with inflation and rising living costs. Higher energy costs are spreading through the economy, raising transportation, travel, and food prices while increasing the risk of a broader economic slowdown.
Source: Reuters
👊🏼 In Resistance News
6/27 — Next National Day of Action
Check out 50501 for local and nationwide events…
Source: 50501
Trump tried to silence late-night hosts. They’re mocking him even more.
What Happened: Late-night hosts have increased their criticism and mockery of Trump despite repeated attacks from him and pressure campaigns tied to his FCC chair and officials. A Washington Post analysis found Trump remains the most frequent target of late-night comedy, even as he calls for hosts to be fired and suggests networks could lose broadcast licenses.
Source: The Washington Post
📊 By the Numbers
6/27- Next nationwide National Day of Action
$5 million — Reynolds American donation to MAGA Inc. before Trump pushed the FDA to shift the policy on vapes
$1.776 billion — Trump’s proposed taxpayer-funded slush fund
1,700 — CFPB webpages deleted under Russell Vought’s control
7th and 8th — Federal judges to reject DOJ voter roll lawsuits
250 feet — Height of Trump’s proposed “triumphal arch”
$900,000+ — Dark money spending in a Texas Democratic primary
1,000+ — Emergency 911 calls from six ICE detention facilities
100+ — Deaths in the Ebola outbreak
45% — Gasoline price surge after the Iran war and Hormuz disruption
🔎 What to Watch Next
ICE is violating American citizen rights — How far will the regime be allowed to go in bypassing due process and constitutional protections?
The DOJ continues to expand election-related probes — Will courts keep blocking Trump’s attempt to seize voter data and federalize election oversight?
Trump’s slush fund is attracting his criminal loyalists — How many January 6 insurrectionists, election deniers, and pardoned cronies will seek taxpayer payouts?
Trump’s Iran war is still reshaping the economy — Will higher gas prices, supply shocks, and consumer pullback push the U.S. closer to recession?
The military legal system is under review — Will independent military lawyers be sidelined?
Museums and public institutions are being pressured to sanitize history — How far will Trump’s ideological rewrite of American history go?
Dark money is manipulating primaries — Will shadowy GOP-linked groups keep trying to choose weaker Democratic opponents?
💡 Key Takeaways
Economic Strain — Trump’s tariff policies, Iran war, and economic volatility are pushing the U.S. toward recession as prices rise, borrowing costs increase, and the job market weakens.
Systemic Corruption — Trump donors, allies, companies, and political loyalists are benefiting from policy changes, stock pumps, and taxpayer-funded rewards. The presidency is being used as a profit engine and protection racket.
DOJ Loyalty Machine — Federal law enforcement has been redirected toward political grievances, protection of Trump cronies, and election investigations. The independence of the DOJ continues to erode as loyalty to Trump is the core principle.
Election Manipulation — Voting restrictions, voter roll seizures, aggressive redistricting, and dark money interference are becoming central political strategies. Their goal is not to win more voters, but to control who gets to vote.
Rights Under Attack — Civil rights protections are eroding as immigration enforcement expands and detention conditions deteriorate. Vulnerable communities face fewer safeguards and no accountability from government institutions.
Authoritarian Tactics — Monuments, historical revisionism, museum pressure campaigns, and ideological loyalty tests are recurring features of governance. Independent public institutions have been reshaped to serve Trump’s agenda.
🚨 Call to Action
Document Everything: Document purges, corruption, and power grabs. Share credible information with journalists, watchdogs, and legal experts. Silence enables authoritarianism—see something, say something.
Defend Press Freedom: Support independent journalism by subscribing to and sharing reporting that challenges Trump’s power grab.
Contact Lawmakers: Demand accountability for Trump and Musk’s unchecked power and Trump’s war on oversight.
Protest: Join local and national demonstrations against Trump’s authoritarian overreach, purges, and attacks on civil rights.
Attend Town Halls: Confront lawmakers and demand answers about government purges, deregulation, and threats to constitutional rights.
Stay Vigilant: Watch for court rulings, executive overreach, and attempts to rewrite the Constitution. Document everything.
Mobilize for Action: Organize or join legal efforts and resistance movements to protect democracy and human and civil rights.
Support Whistleblowers: Encourage legal defense funds for government workers facing retaliation for exposing corruption.
Thanks for reading the Trump Tyranny Tracker. Stay tuned for more updates.
Seems to me, and yes perhaps I’m a simple thinker, but why couldn’t museums be independently informed by a committee representing a wide majority of Americans to come up with ideas how to present our history? Or just anything better than a rogue president bent on erasing truth?