‘We’ll Sue’∶ White House’s Warning to #CBS Is Sign of a New #Media Status Quo
In previously unreported remarks, the White House press secretary #KarolineLeavitt told CBS News that #Trump would “sue” the news outlet if it did not air an interview unedited.
It was an aside, caught on camera, that said a lot about the uneasy business of conducting #journalism today.
Moments after #Trump finished taping a 13-minute interview on Tuesday with the “CBS Evening News” anchor (not a respected journalist) #TonyDokoupil in Michigan, #KarolineLeavitt, the White House press secretary, approached Dokoupil & his colleagues to convey a message from the president.
"Cooperation among the new model dictators is problematic, but they emulate one another’s practices, assist one another at times, but will gain at the expense of another if the incentive is sufficient. The forces of order enforce orders not restrained by law"
#Hegseth gave order on first #Caribbean boat strike, officials say: “Kill them all”
As two men clung to a stricken, burning ship targeted by SEAL Team 6, the Joint Special Operations commander followed the defense secretary’s order to leave no survivors.
AZ Senator Barry Goldwater warns about the Conservative movements push for the expansion of presidential powers. "Someday the wrong man will come along and use his power to destroy people that disagree with him...or that powerful businessmen have to become beholden to the President in order to see that their businesses can compete." (1964)
But democracy needs care, especially when 70% of Europeans fear foreign interference in elections.
Today we present the European Democracy Shield and the EU Strategy for Civil Society.
Together, they'll make our democracies stronger, support independent media, and empower people and civil society to play an active role in shaping Europe’s future.
Because empowered, engaged, and informed people are the heart of our democracy💪
Text reads: “56% are satisfied with media freedom, independence and pluralism.” A grey hand holds a green microphone. Caption: “Source: Eurobarometer, May 2025.” European Commission logo in the corner.
What is #democracy worth without #citizens' #privacy rights? Abandoning parts of the #GDPR for #BigTech undermines democracy and opens the door to 1930s-style #dictatorship and mass #surveillance. Wasn't the EU founded precisely to ensure this would never happen again? Honor your humble foundations or ther is no more need for the #EU.
Trump said on Saturday that he has asked the #Defense Dept to prepare for possible military action in Nigeria if the Nigerian government "continues to allow the killing of Christians."
In the normal course of history, the president of the #UnitedStates is a figure who inspires optimism in the American people. The 47th president prefers to stir feelings of fear, vulnerability, hopelessness, & political inevitability—the sense that he, & only he, can rescue the nation from looming peril.
Since his second inauguration, #Trump has seized #authoritarian control over the #FederalGovernment & demanded the #obedience of the other powerful institutions of American society — #universities, #LawFirms, #media companies [& more]. The question weighing heavily on the minds of many Americans is whether Trump will subvert next year’s #midterm#elections or the 2028 presidential #election to extend his reign.
#Trump proved in 2021 that he would do anything to remain in the White House. Even after the violence of #Jan6, his second #impeachment, & the conviction & incarceration of scores of his followers, he reiterated his willingness to subvert the 2024 #election. That proved unnecessary. Yet since his victory, Trump has again told the American people that he is prepared to do what it takes to remain in #power, the #Constitution be damned.
In March, #Trump refused to rule out a third term, saying that he was “not joking” about the prospect & claiming that “there are methods which you could do it.” He was asked about the idea of VP #JDVance running for the presidency, getting elected, & then passing the baton back to him. “That’s one,” he said. “But there are others, too.” As he so often does, Trump later claimed that he wasn’t being serious.
In September, after meeting with congressional leaders about the looming government shutdown, #Trump posted photographs on Truth Social in which trump 2028 hats rested prominently on his Oval Office desk. In October, when discussing the possibility of a third term, Trump said, “I would love to do it. I have my best numbers ever.”
We Americans are by nature good people who believe in the inherent goodness of others, especially those we elect to represent us in the highest office in the land. But we ignore such statements & other expressions of #Trump’s intent at our peril. The 47th president is a vain man, & nothing would flatter his vanity more than seizing another term. Doing so would signify the ultimate triumph over his political enemies.
In 1971, Ariel Dorfman and Armand Mattelart published “How to Read Donald Duck,” a book-length essay critiquing Disney comics as capitalist propaganda for U.S. corporate and cultural imperialism. It became a bestseller throughout Latin America and is still considered a seminal work in cultural studies. It was first published in Valparaiso, Chile when Allende was in power. Pinochet banned it and conducted public book burnings.
Gen Z topples regimes with memes and anime. Swan Lake rallying cry “Let the swans dance!” goes viral in Russia. No Kings protests make history. Our collective power is art. Listen to Gaslit Nation’s Antifa Rising: https://gaslitnation.libsyn.com/antifa-uprising
October 18 is a day to stand tall against tyranny. No Crowns. No Thrones. #NoKings. Join the movement—find a No Kings Day protest near you and make your voice heard. https://nokings.org
@georgetakei Today I taught French to third-graders. We talked about #democracy in France and why it is not a kingdom any more nor a #dictatorship They understood the concept of #king very well, why it is bad. But struggled understanding the difference to #dictators. I insisted "yes kids, you're right it is like a king… but in modern days." I explained nuances, but kids are smart, they totally saw through it. #Caesar in Ancient Rome could not say the bad word king, he was a princeps … same shit
What do you call a political system where those in power refuse to seat a duly elected member of the opposition party? Not a democracy that’s for certain.
Screenshot of a tweet from Rep. Greg Stanton (@RepGregStanton) on X. The tweet says House Republicans are shutting down the House to avoid swearing in Adelita Grijalva, calling it undemocratic and unacceptable. The image shows a mostly empty House chamber with several representatives, including Stanton, standing near the podium.
"Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world and those are what is attracting Trunp to Venezuela...Trump can’t just declare war on Venezuela without the consent of congress so he is seeking a workaround. If Maduro responds to his attacks on “cartels”, Trump will have the excuse he needs to escalate"
@junesim63 Out them all! This dumba$$ doesn’t have the brains to comprehend the word ‘workaround’ so it’s the behind-the-curtains fascists pulling the strings. #uspol#fascism#dictatorship