Category Archives: Donald Trump

Democracy under attack, Donald Trump

The explosive case for why Donald Trump Is the most dangerous criminal in U.S. history…

Is Donald Trump America’s Public Enemy #1?

The Hartman Report, by Thom Hartmann, Jul 22, 2025

When historians look back on this era, they’ll inevitably ask how a nation built on principles of democracy, justice, and equality allowed one man to commit such a broad range of crimes and abuses, and whether Donald Trump is indeed the most dangerous criminal in American history.

To fully grasp the gravity of Trump’s actions, consider the extensive categories of his criminal and potentially criminal conduct, each more disturbing than the last.

First, there’s the relentless financial corruption. Trump has long played fast and loose with the law when it came to his finances. In New York, his company was convicted of tax fraud and financial manipulation designed to deceive lenders and inflate his wealth. Trump University was shuttered after a $25 million fraud settlement, its “students” left feeling defrauded.

His charitable organization, the Trump Foundation, was dissolved following revelations that funds intended for charity were instead used to benefit Trump personally and politically, and to pay off Pam Bondi in Florida where he and Epstein were living (she was AG for almost a decade and never went after Epstein).

But Trump’s shady financial dealings didn’t begin or end with these public scandals. For decades, he was closely associated with New York’s organized crime families. Trump Tower itself was built using concrete provided by mob-linked companies.

Roy Cohn, Trump’s mentor and attorney as I detail in The Last American President: A Broken Man, a Corrupt Party, and a World on the Brink, was a notorious fixer and lawyer for mob figures such as Anthony “Fat Tony” Salerno and Paul Castellano.

Trump’s casinos also regularly skirted the law, drawing scrutiny from federal investigators for potential money laundering linked to organized crime, and his former casino manager recently revealed to CNN that Trump and Jeffrey Epstein once even showed up together with underage girls in tow (the White House denies the story).

Trump’s long relationship with Epstein further exposes his moral bankruptcy and possible criminality. The two were close associates and owned residences near each other in New York and Palm Beach, socializing together frequently.

Trump famously described Epstein as a “terrific guy” who enjoyed the company of beautiful women, some “on the younger side.” Multiple reports suggest Trump knew about Epstein’s exploitation of minors, yet Trump continued their association until public scandal made it inconvenient.

Then there are Trump’s questionable international relationships, with none more alarming than his mysterious affinity for Vladimir Putin. Trump’s first administration consistently favored Russian interests, dismissing election interference findings from American intelligence agencies, undermining NATO, and, in his second administration even withholding military aid from Ukraine, thus benefiting Putin’s geopolitical ambitions.

While the full nature of Trump’s entanglement with Putin remains hidden, Trump’s obsequious behavior toward the Russian dictator raises serious questions about financial leverage or compromised loyalties. For example, the only major country in the world Trump chose not to impose tariffs on this year was Russia.

Trump’s disturbing Russian connections also include his 2016 campaign manager and close confidant, Paul Manafort, whose career was dedicated to installing pro-Putin autocrats and corrupt oligarchs across Eastern Europe, including Ukraine and Albania. Heidi Seigmund Cuda writes about his recent Albania connection in her great Bette Dangerous Substack newsletter.

Manafort was convicted of multiple felonies, including tax and bank fraud, stemming from his shady dealings overseas, actions intimately connected with Putin’s broader geopolitical ambitions, for which Trump pardoned him.

Trump’s choice of Manafort to lead his 2016 campaign wasn’t coincidental; it signaled to Moscow an openness to influence, further raising troubling questions about Trump’s susceptibility to foreign manipulation and complicity in Manafort’s criminal schemes.

Trump’s election interference is equally alarming. It began with hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal to manipulate public perception during the 2016 campaign, for which he was convicted of felony election manipulation charges in Manhattan last year.

More brazenly, Trump attempted to subvert democracy in Georgia when he lost the 2020 election by demanding of Georgia’s Secretary of State, “I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have.”

His attempts to cling to power by any means necessary reached a terrifying crescendo with the conspiracy to overturn the 2020 presidential election, ultimately joined by over 100 Republican members of Congress. This led to a federal indictment, making him the first former president charged with seeking to destroy the very democratic system that put him into power.

Trump’s abuse of presidential authority is chillingly unprecedented. Robert Mueller’s investigation laid out multiple instances where Trump criminally obstructed justice, brazenly interfering with federal investigations. He solicited foreign interference from Ukraine in the 2020 election, a move that led to his first impeachment.

Trump’s presidency was also marred by repeated violations of the Emoluments Clause as he profited directly from foreign governments funneling money through his hotels and golf clubs. He pitched Teslas from the White House in flagrant violation of the Hatch Act (penalty: 5 years in prison). Even after leaving office in 2021, Trump illegally retained classified documents and obstructed federal efforts to retrieve them, leading to further federal charges.

One of the most grotesque and morally bankrupt chapters of the Trump presidency unfolded in the early months of the Covid pandemic, when Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner reportedly made the political calculation that the virus was “only hitting Blue states” and disproportionately killing Black Americans so it could be weaponized.

According to reporting at the time, Kushner convened a secretive White House task force of mostly male, white, preppy private-sector advisors who concluded that a robust federal response to minimize deaths would be politically disadvantageous. Their analysis was clear: since it was primarily Democratic governors and Black communities suffering the early brunt of the pandemic (NY, NJ, WA), Trump could politically benefit by blaming local leadership and withholding meaningful federal aid.

It was a cynical — and deadly — strategy to let the virus burn through the opposition’s voter base that ultimately led to an estimated 500,000 unnecessary American deaths and gave us as the second-most Covid deaths per person in the world.

This approach not only explains the administration’s chaotic and insufficient response to testing, supplies, and coordination, it exposes a level of callous — morally, if not legally criminal — political calculus rarely seen in modern American history since the days of the Trail of Tears.

Leaked documents and internal communications at the time confirmed that federal resources were distributed unevenly, often favoring Republican-led states.

Trump also regularly lashed out at Democratic governors like Gretchen Whitmer and Andrew Cuomo while ignoring their pleas for ventilators and PPE. As the death toll mounted, Trump publicly minimized the virus, holding rallies and rejecting masks, while privately admitting to journalist Bob Woodward that Covid was “deadly stuff.”

This wasn’t just negligence: it was targeted neglect driven by racism and partisanship, carried out in the middle of a once-in-a-century public health emergency.

Beyond these abuses of power, Trump openly incited political violence. His rhetoric fueled vigilantism and violent confrontations at rallies.

Most infamously, on January 6th, 2021, he incited an insurrection designed to halt the peaceful transition of power in a stunning betrayal without precedent in American history. He encouraged extremist and white supremacist groups like the Proud Boys, Three Percenters, and Oath Keepers, effectively endorsing domestic terrorism.

Right up until he took office and corruptly shut them down, investigations continued into potential wire fraud and misuse of funds from Trump’s “Save America” PAC, alongside scrutiny into financial irregularities involving his Truth Social platform.

Investigations into obstruction, witness intimidation, and potential bribery — now blocked as the Supreme Court has put him above the law, or shut down by his toadies — further compound his record of potential crimes.

Yet Trump’s ultimate crime goes beyond mere lawbreaking. He has methodically eroded democratic institutions, weaponized disinformation to undermine public trust, and attacked the traditionally nonpartisan independence of the judiciary, intelligence agencies, military, and law enforcement. His assaults on the press are right out of Putin’s playbook. Trump’s relentless assault on truth and democracy normalizes authoritarianism and political violence.

Thus, his most dangerous crime is not simply corruption or obstruction, nor even incitement of insurrection: it’s the deliberate attempted destruction of American democracy itself. This crime, far more profound than any individual act, threatens the survival of the republic itself.

If America is to survive as a free nation, we must confront the reality of Trump’s actions. He isn’t merely a criminal; he’s become the most dangerous criminal in American history precisely because his actions imperil the very foundations of our democracy.

Allowing such crimes to go unpunished risks setting a precedent that future would-be autocrats may follow, forever tarnishing the promise of American democracy. Once he’s out of power, our nation’s new mantra must become, “Never forget, never forgive, never again.”

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The song that was inspired by this article:
Louise’s Daily Song: “Is Donald Trump Public Enemy #1?”

Thom Hartman reading this article as an audio podcast is here.

Hartman’s newest book, The Last American President:
A Broken Man, a Corrupt Party, and a World on the Brink
comes out soon and is now available for pre-order.

You can follow Thom Hartman on Blue Sky here:
https://bsky.app/profile/hartmannreport.com

Democracy under attack, Donald Trump, Local vigilance, No Kings!

Benicia crowd of 1200+ protests Trump

NO KINGS DAY 2025 – One for the ages when we talk about political activism in Benicia

All photos by Roger Straw, The Benicia Independent

By Roger Straw, The Benicia Independent, June 15, 2025

Roger Straw, The Benicia Independent

In the last few days before the NO KINGS! rally in Benicia, as the numbers of respondents came in, planners knew it was going to be big. We thought there might even be, say, 250 or 300, which would be huge by almost all previous Benicia activist crowds. Big indeed – most estimates of the crowd were well over 1,000 and up to 1,500!

Numbers don’t tell the whole story, but they tell a lot. This was a WOW! event in Benicia!

I arrived by car about a half hour early, expecting to help get things going. The sidewalks and park were already packed with people holding signs, chanting loudly and encouraging passing cars to honk their support.

I couldn’t find a parking place any closer than 3 ½ blocks away. Walking from there, we came upon an older couple like us, carrying signs and heading to the rally. After friendly greetings, the gentleman said he’d never protested during the ‘60s and ‘70s, and that this would be his first time attending a protest. Mary Susan got a good laugh when she responded, “Oh, we’re veterans at this and you’ll be fine!” We chatted some more, and learned that we’d all spent time living in Indianapolis, and so bonded as former Hoosiers.

The crowd in the park and all along the sidewalk was incredibly friendly. We hugged and chatted with lots of old friends, some of whom we hadn’t seen in years. We met new people and stood for pictures with our high-school graduate grandson, who arrived with a bunch of other Benicia High students. I’ve been to many protests, rallies and vigils in Benicia. You get used to seeing the same old (literally old) people. Not since March For Our Lives have I seen such a mix of young and old. Not since Black Lives Matter have I seen such a racially diverse crowd of concerned Benicians. And I’ve never seen such a wide spectrum of known and new folks. It was encouraging to know that NO KINGS has such a solid base of support in our small town. Yes!

Organizer Cathy Bennett came in her long red Handmaid’s Tale robe, and kicked off the event with a bullhorn welcome that could hardly be heard over the chants and cars honking.

Organizer Susan Street set up a welcome table and brought a portable bubble machine, which she carried around giving a celebratory light and life to the affair.

Later, Benicia Mayor Steve Young and City Councilmember Terry Scott spoke. And near the end of our time together, our State Senator Chris Cabaldon arrived and offered remarks. After his talk, I approached Chris with thanks, and with a knowing look that acknowledged the political assassination in Minneapolis that morning, I encouraged him to “be brave.”

I almost can’t express fully the sense I have that this gathering was historic for Benicia. And that the 2000+ similar rallies around the U.S. and abroad were also way larger than expected and peaceful, and strong in the growing public opposition to the Trump administration’s shockingly ambitious moves toward an authoritarian takeover that would destroy our democracy. The signs held up by protesters show us to be a thinking city, an aware and deeply concerned nation and world.

This can’t be the last such lifting of our voices in dissent. We continue to be a people of peace and kindness, a nation of liberty and justice for all. (See Benicia’s Juneteenth celebration.) In the “culture war” that is being promoted and executed by oligarchs and white Christian supremacists, we represent the backbone and vision of Dr. King’s long arc of the moral universe. “…the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

Along with the rally signs, The Benicia Independent lifts a strong and insistent voice: Stop ICE! No Kings since 1776! Stop the cruelty! Liberty and justice for all! We will PERSIST and PREVAIL! Love always wins!

Roger Straw
The Benicia Independent

Benicia Mayor Steve Young, Democracy under attack, Donald Trump, Local vigilance, No Kings!, Vallejo-Benicia Indivisible

Benicia Mayor Steve Young: NO KINGS DAY Speech

Mayor Young receives kudos for his speech at the Vallejo NO KINGS DAY rally

Benicia Mayor Steve Young, NO KINGS, Vallejo, CA, 6/14/25. Photo: Vallejo-Benicia Indivisible.

[Editor’s comment: Several Benicians who were at the NO KINGS rally in Vallejo said Mayor Young’s speech was excellent. I asked Steve for a copy and here is what he sent. Note more photos and comments on Vallejo-Benicia Indivisible Facebook page. – R.S.]

By Benicia Mayor Steve Young, June 14, 2025

Back on Memorial Day  I gave a speech in which I decried the proposed  cuts of 83,000 jobs in the VA and speculated that cuts of this size would put veterans at risk.  Afterwards, I was criticized for politicizing the event. So I want to make it clear that I am speaking only for myself and not the City of Benicia.

On the opposite coast, a vanity birthday parade is costing $50 million. How many services to veterans could be paid for with that $50 million?

Let’s talk about what is happening in LA. What the feds are doing has multiple purposes.

    1. Spread a false narrative that all of LA is on fire and subject to riots and looting. When some anarchists or provocateurs, or the military itself, may instigate violence, it plays straight into their hands. It creates video clips that will play round the clock on Fox and during the 26 elections.
    2. It is also a blatant attempt to spread fear and to normalize the use of the military for domestic law enforcement.
    3. Because nothing says things are normal like tanks in the streets of DC and marines in LA. Their purpose is to bully and intimidate the rest of us.

Trump is a man who prizes loyalty over the law, and control over freedom. In fact, his calls for law and order are empty as he does not respect the rule of law, and has no respect for due process.

And why the focus on LA? It is nearly half Latino, and immigrants are the lifeblood of that, and other communities.

ICE queen Kristi Noem says LA is a “city of criminals”, while Stephen Miller calls undocumented immigrants “invaders” and protestors as “insurrectionists”.

And why are they there? According to ICE Barbie, “To liberate Los Angeles and California from the socialist and bumbling failures of our Governor and the LA Mayor.”

In other words, if they disapprove of who we elect, they reserve the right to bring in the military to “liberate” us from our wrong-headed decisions.

The riots on Jan. 6, however, had real insurrectionists who took over the Capitol in an attempt to stop the peaceful transfer of power, who threatened to kill the VP, and attacked police resulting in multiple  deaths and injuries.

Meanwhile, not only was the national guard not called, but every single one of the convicted insurrectionists were pardoned. This gives ICE and other agents who may be enforcing illegal orders the belief that, even if they act in a clearly illegal manner, that they will be pardoned.

This is no longer about the mass deportation of violent criminal immigrants. Now, anyone who is undocumented is considered a criminal and an enemy – including children and US citizens.

It is worth noting that there has been no crackdown on employers of undocumented immigrants. No chicken or beef processing plant owners or farmers have been cited, much less arrested. Only their workers.

And somehow it is OK for ICE agents to be masked and operate without judicial warrants, but protestors who are masked are subject to arrest?

But maybe Trump is chickening out. Maybe his corporate billionaire advisers finally got through to him and made him  partly realize the utter insanity of his deportation agenda. That it is immigrants who keep our economy running. Who do the work that most Americans don’t or won’t do. Farm workers, domestic workers, hotel staff, construction workers, restaurant workers. These are the “really bad, violent” criminals we want to deport?

At midnight on June 13, Trump directed ICE to abruptly halt all immigrant raids at farms, restaurants, hotels, and the like. Trump also directed ICE to stop so-called ‘collateral arrests’ where ICE randomly detains and arrests non-criminal immigrants.

Is this real? Who knows? But I do know his policies are massively unpopular, and becoming more so by the day. And he caved before a single protestor hit the streets.

Does that mean we should not continue to protest? No, we need to do it louder and more often. Can we force him from office? Not until after the elections next year.

So what can we do?

As an elected official and a Democrat, I have a message to the Democratic Party.

Stop texting me every 15 minutes asking for money. Get away from the consultant class offering their ineffective advice. Get out into the field like Bernie and AOC  who drew huge crowds all across the country.

Is there a single Democrat in Congress calling for impeachment? Only Elon Musk.

What we need is our own Project 2029. What should it include?

    • Codify a woman’s right to choose
    • Codify equal rights and marriage rights for all
    • Institute universal health care or Medicare for All
    • Eliminate the electoral college
    • Eliminate the Citizens United decision
    • Term Limits across the board, including the Supreme Court
    • Prohibit gerrymandering
    • Make college affordable
    • Adopt common sense gun regulations
    • Tax the rich – no tax cuts for people making over $250k
    • Cap CEO pay at 35x lowest paid employees
    • Tax Megachurches
    • More renewable energy

These are things that polls have consistently shown are very popular with people. Democrats need to start working for what people want, not for what corporations will accept.

As we leave here to continue our right to assemble and exercise free speech, be careful. Don’t take the bait by allowing violence when instigators like anarchists, provocateurs or proud boys try to start something.

Our efforts can only prevail through continued nonviolent protest.

The founders fought a revolution to defeat the same things we are fighting.

    • Unlimited executive power
    • Use of a standing army to suppress dissent
    • Lack of due process
    • Suppression of freedom of assembly and free speech.

We are the defenders of our country and our Constitution.  Reclaim the flag. We are the real patriots. It is up to us. Complacency is not an option.