Week 55 - The Return
An exhausted Trump faces pushback, and a failing campaign of retribution
Dear Subscribers,
Apologies for the tardiness of this week’s list. Substack had a technical problem with my post, which we have now resolved. Happy Thanksgiving Eve.
Experts in authoritarianism advise to keep a list of things subtly changing around you, so you’ll remember.
This week started with an enraged Trump signing into law the release of the Epstein files, but that story quickly faded to other headlines. Trump’s longtime ally, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, became the first MAGA true believer, in either regime, to resign. Reporting indicates other House Republican lawmakers may not be far behind, claiming mistreatment by Trump, his regime, and Speaker Mike Johnson. This week Trump seized control of the GOP midterm election strategy, sensing at last that the country is turning against him, and he cannot simply message away very real concerns about affordability.
Trump’s retribution campaign hit some embarrassing speed bumps this week, with cases against James Comey and Letitia James being dismissed, and six Democratic lawmakers, whose video evoked his ire, stood firm. Republicans, too, are increasingly pushing back against Trump, a shift that seems to frustrate and infuriate him. Trump tried, successfully, to change the subject from the Epstein files with a push for a peace plan between Russia and Ukraine, but as Republican senators spoke out against what amounted to a Russian wish-list, his regime looked like the keystone cops, and his plan sputtered.
Notable this week is reporting by the NYT on Trump’s signs of fatigue. I wrote about his Friday afternoon meeting with incoming New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani, where a seated passive and pacifist Trump seemed to have run out of gas (read here). Trump has suffered a series of setbacks in recent weeks, some public, some being swept under the rug, like the disbanding of DOGE, and he is desperate for a win.
Reuters reported that Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency was quietly disbanded, with eight months left in its charter. Asked about the status of DOGE, Reuters was told by the Office of Personnel Management, “That doesn’t exist.”
Reuters reported on Trump’s early involvement in efforts to seize control of the Republican’s midterm election strategy. It was unprecedented for a sitting president to get involved so early in an election cycle. Analysts say his involvement, amid sagging polls, is an act of self-preservation.
Select pollster American Research Poll found Trump’s approval at 35%, the lowest of his second regime, with 62% disapproving. Just 32% approved of Trump’s handling of the economy.
NYT reported Trump is increasingly showing signs of fatigue, including limiting most public appearances to between noon and 5 PM, after starting on average at 10:31 AM in 2017. Trump also frequently falls asleep. His official appearances decreased by 39% compared to 2017.
AP reported state election officials are scrambling to fill gaps ahead of the midterms left by the Trump regime’s downscaling of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which previously had warned states of threats from foreign actors, and helped protect polling places.
Late Wednesday, Trump signed the bill authorizing the release of the Epstein files. Unlike his typical bill signing ceremonies, he announced the signing on Truth Social, lying that “Democrats have used the ‘Epstein’ issue, which affects them far more than the Republican Party.”
Asked by reporters about the release of files, Attorney General Pam Bondi repeated that the department vowed to “follow the law” and protect the victims. She also claimed “new information” had caused her to reverse her decision to close out the case four months ago.
Reuters reported on Trump’s campaign of retribution, so far having at least 470 targets including federal workers, prosecutors, organizations, universities, and media outlets. His efforts to punished perceived enemies has been a centerpiece of the second regime.
Of the 470, 247 were mentioned by name; 220 were part of groups considered to be perceived opponents; 462 had probed, challenged, or pushed back against the Trump regime. Of the 470, 269 were federal officials, 104 were former government officials, and 29 were law firms.