In the run-up to the 1972 elections, many of us suspected that Richard Nixon and his collaborators were resorting to dirty tactics to ensure his re-election.
At SunDance magazine, a young reporter named Jeff Gerth produced an investigative piece for us called “Nixon and the Mafia.”
By 1974, the Watergate scandal was chasing Nixon from the White House. Reporters Woodward and Bernstein at the Washington Post became legends, Gerth went on to a career at the New York Times, and the Congress took steps to try and prevent Presidents from stealing elections ever again.
And it worked — until now.
Donald Trump has made it clear that he does not intend to allow his Republican Party to lose control of Congress in this year’s midterm elections.
Accordingly, as CNN has reported, Trump has been “chipping away” at the checks and balances we have to keep the upcoming elections fair and free:
Early on, his administration scaled back the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, CISA, which is meant to helps states guard their election systems from attack. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem canceled funding for an information sharing network that helped states detect and ward off coordinated hacking attacks, as CNN reported last year.
His Justice Department has rewired the agency’s Civil Rights Division away from its original core mission of civil rights abuses, including those related to elections. One current focus of the division is to help states “clean” voter rolls, although a judge recently ruled that effort was a misapplication of the Civil Rights Act.
Trump’s administration has already tried to change how people vote through executive action, and who they vote for through changing maps.
There’s a lot of time for more gaming the system between now and November, and Trump clearly already has the midterms on the brain.
In addition to all this, Trump frequently fantasizes about cancelling the elections outright. We need a vigilant press and public to make sure his fantasy does not become our nightmare.
HEADLINES:
Trump says he’ll hit Denmark and 7 other countries with new tariffs until there’s a deal to buy Greenland (NBC)
Trump Backs Down on Insurrection Act as Democrats Take the Offensive (NYT)
Minneapolis Rises (Slate)
US judge restricts ICE response to Minneapolis protesters (BBC)
Big Business keeps quiet on Minnesota (Reuters)
Iran’s Khamenei says US, Israel links behind ‘thousands killed’ in protests (Al Jazeera)
Iran’s deadly crackdown quells protests (Reuters)
How Wall Street Turned Its Back on Climate Change (NYT)
‘Stars and Stripes’ Responds to Pentagon Targeting ‘Woke’ Independent News (Military.com)
Who is on Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ overseeing Gaza’s reconstruction? (BBC)
‘Nazis.US’ Domain Now Redirects to the Homeland Security Website (Newsweek)
Trump wants to “take back” Venezuela’s oil. What does that mean for Venezuelans? (Reveal)
A Refuge for Afghan Music Is at Risk of Falling Silent (NYT)
Cases of ‘AI Psychosis’ Are Being Reported. How Dangerous Is It? (ScienceAlert)
The Rise of AI and Its Impact on Mental Health (Psychology Today)
The Bots That Women Use in a World of Unsatisfying Men (Atlantic)
Giddy Trump Struts All Around White House With Nobel Peace Prize In Mouth (Onion)
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