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The Fine Print of Trump FascismThe Trump regime is taking over every major institution in America. Here's how.
Friends, Today I want to describe for you the specific mechanism of control the Trump regime is using over the core institutions of America — the media, higher education, our largest corporations, and Wall Street. It's all in the fine print. Start with CBS. It’s now owned by Skydance Media. Under its Trump-appointed chairman, Brendan Carr, the Federal Communications Commission insisted, as a condition of allowing Paramount to sell CBS to Skydance, that the new owner install an “ombudsman.” What will that ombudsman do? According to Skydance Media’s agreement with the FCC, the ombudsman will “receive and evaluate any complaints of bias or other concerns involving CBS” for at least two years. The agreement doesn’t specify the meaning of “bias,” nor does it define whose “complaints” are to be responded to, nor enumerate what “other concerns” might trigger action. But none of this is difficult to imagine. Trump himself could complain of CBS’s bias or anything else. In fact, he probably will. He already has at least once. If the ombudsman then decides that any complaint of bias or other concern is justified, CBS will have to remedy it. If the ombudsman decides that CBS has not remedied it, Skydance Media’s new president, David Ellison, must do so. If Ellison does not remedy it — or if Trump believes the problem continues, regardless of what the ombudsman decides — the Trump regime can claim that CBS has reneged on its agreement, in which case Skydance’s ownership of CBS could be contested by the FCC. Its stock price would plummet. Note that this method of Trump control is indirect but powerful. The regime doesn’t have to assert control over CBS; it just retains the power to do so. And it’s up to Trump to determine what CBS will have to do to avoid being found to be “biased” or avoid any “other concern.” This mechanism of control is similar at Columbia University, whose new agreement with the Trump regime stipulates a mutually agreed-upon “monitor” who will, like CBS’s ombudsman, respond to complaints about “bias.” Columbia will provide the monitor detailed information about the race of students who are admitted and rejected, including grade point averages and standardized test scores broken down by race. All data related to faculty and administrative staff hiring and promotion practices must be provided to the monitor annually, and hiring data will be subject to a “comprehensive audit.” The monitor is also charged with assuring that the university establishes processes to guarantee “civil discourse, free inquiry, open debate, and the fundamental values of equality and respect.” And the monitor will review data to assure Columbia is meting out discipline without regard to a student’s immigration status. The monitor’s decisions are advisory. If the Trump regime is dissatisfied with the monitor’s decision or feels that the university is not acting in accordance with it, the Trump regime reserves the right to open a new investigation of Columbia and possibly revoke current or future federal research funds. Just like the CBS agreement, the Columbia agreement gives final power to the Trump regime. It allows the regime to maintain control over Columbia by holding a cudgel over the university. As Linda McMahon, Trump’s secretary of education, told Fox Business, “This is a monumental victory for conservatives who wanted to do things on these elite campuses for a long time because we had such far-left-leaning professors.” Or consider the Trump regime’s agreement allowing Nippon Steel to acquire U.S. Steel. During his 2024 campaign, Trump denounced Nippon Steel’s acquisition of U.S. Steel as a threat to American manufacturing. “I am totally against the once great and powerful U.S. Steel being bought by a foreign company, in this case Nippon Steel of Japan,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “As President, I will block this deal from happening. Buyer Beware!!!” On resuming office, though, Trump approved the deal. But this was after forcing Nippon Steel to give a “golden share” to the Trump regime — essentially giving Trump veto power over strategic decisions by the company. You see the pattern? Veto power over strategic decisions. Ombudsmen. Monitors. They’re all mechanisms for giving the Trump regime power to prevent these institutions — a television network, university, or corporation — from doing something that the Trump regime doesn’t want it to do. But because that power is held in reserve, Trump doesn’t have to display it. The heads of these institutions will do all the work for him; they’re likely to go out of their way to avoid offending the regime. The potential chilling effect is enormous. It’s much the same with major law firms that have surrendered to Trump. And with ABC. And with Jeff Bezos’s control over The Washington Post’s editorial page — which appears to be motivated by fear that Trump might retaliate against Bezos’s other businesses unless Bezos forces the Post to toe the line. It’s the same even with Wall Street. “I have been working on multiple deals where I have people inside the White House telling me what I can and can’t do,” a top dealmaker involved in mergers and acquisitions unrelated to the government recently told the Financial Times. “It’s a level of intrusion I have never experienced before.” Note these words: A level of intrusion I have never experienced before. That from a dealmaker on Wall Street! The words apply to more and more institutions in America that used to be free from government control. This level of intrusion inhibits public criticism of Trump, which is what Trump wants. It also deters so-called “conservative bias” in university hiring, however the Trump regime wants to define it. It eviscerates whatever Trump dislikes, such as corporate “diversity, equity, and inclusion” programs, or transgender women in women’s sports, or contracts with people or institutions against which Trump holds grudges. In short, this level of intrusion gives the Trump regime potential control over almost every institution and organization in America, every aspect of American life — but indirectly, quietly, and as a default if the leaders of the institution go too far. I’m old enough to remember when conservative Republicans stood for limited government and accused Democrats of wanting too much government. No longer. We’re now at a point in American history when a so-called Republican regime in Washington is extending its control far beyond the wildest dreams of the most left-wing of Democrats — or even socialists. But this control is not exercised publicly. It’s behind the scenes. It’s found in the fine print. And it is personal. It depends on Trump’s whims. This is what fascist control looks like, people. By the way, my memoir of my life and times, entitled Coming Up Short, will be out next Tuesday, August 5. If you wish, you can preorder here from Bookshop.org, which supports local bookstores, or find it wherever books are sold. I wrote it to share what I’ve learned about stopping bullies — at a time in American history when we’re dealing with an authoritarian bully who is encouraging bullying throughout the nation and the world. I hope you find it helpful for understanding how we combat the bullies. And why I believe so passionately that we will.
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CHECK LIST FOR DICTATORSHIP!
MILITARY PARADE?
ATTACKING UNIVERSITIES!
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY CAVED!
MEDIA CORRUPTION!
ATTACKING FREE PRESS!
ATTACKING FREE SPEECH!
ATTACKING 60 MINUTES & CBS FOR AIRING FACTS!
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION LACKEY BRENDAN CARR WILL
DO AS TRUMP DIRECTED!
HAVE ANY OF THESE MAGA MAGGOTS READ THE CONSTITUTION?
Donald Trump just crossed a line that only dictators tread on! In a moment of pure defiance, he made a move so extreme, so wildly unconstitutional, people are asking, "Is this the moment his assault on democracy goes too far?"
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For years, Donald Trump has attacked the free press as "the enemy of the people," called for journalists to be prosecuted, and threatened to strip the broadcast licenses of TV networks that dared to fact-check him.1
And now Trump has picked Brendan Carr, a MAGA loyalist who will carry out Trump's agenda of retribution, to run the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the agency responsible for regulating most media.
Carr has already said he plans to go after CBS and NBC over Kamala Harris's appearances on 60 Minutes and Saturday Night Live, and he refused to disavow Trump's call to push ABC off the air after the presidential debate.2
This is what authoritarianism looks like — the government abusing power to suppress speech and the free press. Demand Progress Action has fought for years against government attacks on free speech, and we're now facing one of our greatest threats ever.
If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:
Of all the extreme, corrupt, and unqualified people that Donald Trump has selected for his administration, one of the most dangerous is Brendan Carr.
A co-author of Project 2025, the 900-page authoritarian manifesto that Trump claimed to know nothing about during the campaign, Carr is a hardcore partisan who will weaponize the FCC to punish journalists who hold Trump accountable.
In testimony before Congress in September, Carr declined to speak out against Trump's suggestion that ABC should lose its broadcast licenses after two of its journalists fact-checked him during the presidential debate.3
Then, in October, Carr attacked NBC after Harris appeared on Saturday Night Live, telling Fox News that the FCC should "keep every remedy on the table" to punish NBC, including revocation of its broadcast licenses.4
And later that same month, he attacked CBS over its 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris and suggested that he would block the merger of Skydance and Paramount, CBS's parent company, in retaliation.5
The FCC is traditionally a nonpartisan agency that rarely gets involved in programming content beyond enforcing obscenity standards. Carr has shown that he will use his power as FCC commissioner to punish Trump's perceived enemies, and his statements may already be having a chilling effect on journalism.
Trump's first FCC chair, Ajit Pai, was terrible, and Demand Progress spent four years fighting to limit the damage Pai could do. But Brendan Carr may be even worse, and we need to be ready to work even harder.
With gratitude,
The team at Demand Progress Action
Sources:
1. Columbia Journalism Review, "Trump Wins, the Press Loses," November 6, 2024.
2. Mother Jones, "Trump's FCC Pick Wants to Intimidate Broadcasters and Enrich Trump Allies," November 18, 2024.
3. The Verge, "Here's FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr sucking up to Donald Trump by threatening to take NBC off the air," November 4, 2024.
4. Mediaite, "'It's a Simple Question!' House Democrat Throws Down With FCC Commissioner On Trump's Call to Strip ABC's Broadcast License," September 19, 2024.
5. Deadline, "Incoming FCC Chairman Brendan Carr Says '60 Minutes' Complaint 'Likely To Arise' As Part Of Agency Review Of Skydance-Paramount Merger," November 19, 2024.
This week, Morning Joe hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski made a pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago.
Why? Reports say the MSNBC hosts, who have often criticized Trump, were afraid of possible retaliation from his new administration. While they defended the meeting as “diplomacy,” it underscores how authoritarian threats can instill fear, prompting even vocal critics to change course in an effort to protect themselves.
This isn’t just about one meeting—it’s yet another warning sign of how Trump’s authoritarianism is chilling the free press. Trump frequently threatens to jail reporters, revoke broadcast licenses, and strip legal protections for journalists. These calculated moves aim to intimidate, silence, and erode free speech, putting the independence of the press—and democracy itself—at risk.
Trump’s actions follow a well-worn authoritarian playbook: Undermine the free press. Spread fear. Silence dissent.
This is the same strategy perfected by leaders like Vladimir Putin. Putin doesn’t need to send every dissenter to a gulag like Stalin did—he only needs to target a handful of high-profile journalists publicly. The fear he generates ensures others fall in line – dissent comes with consequences.
Trump, who has openly praised strongmen like Putin, is borrowing directly from that playbook. His allies in Congress are working to block the PRESS Act, a bipartisan bill designed to protect journalists from government surveillance. He’s vowed to take control of independent agencies like the FCC to punish critical voices. And his “jokes” about exacting violence on journalists mirror the chilling tactics used by authoritarian regimes to keep opposition in check.
The strategy is already working. You can see it in the behavior of Scarborough and Brzezinski, and you can see it in Jeff Bezos’ decision to pull the Washington Post’s endorsement of Kamala Harris during the election.
As fear spreads, the press becomes less willing to challenge those in power, clearing the path for unchecked authoritarianism.
We can’t let that happen. Here’s how COURIER is fighting back:
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Thank you for standing with us,
In solidarity,
The COURIER Team
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