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Trump Tyranny Tracker | Day 569: Aug 11, 2026
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A voter casts her ballot during Minnesota’s primary elections, in Minneapolis, on Tuesday. Ellen Schmidt/APWelcome to today’s Trump Tyranny Tracker…
Trump threatening emergency powers over the midterms, more corruption and attacks on independent oversight, a lawless ICE, and new dangers from the Iran war were among today’s top stories.
Today at a Glance
• Trump refuses to rule out using emergency powers to control the midterms.
• Federal judges have ruled against ICE detention tactics more than 16,000 times.
• Trump eliminates ownership disclosure requirements for U.S. companies.
What We Need to Pay Attention To
Trump declines to rule out declaring a national security emergency to control the 2026 election
What Happened: Trump declined to rule out declaring a national security emergency to impose new rules on the 2026 midterms after an interviewer suggested using emergency powers to require voter ID and proof of citizenship and restrict mail-in voting. Trump responded, “Stranger things have happened,” and said he would “leave it at that.”
Why It Matters: Trump is openly considering using emergency powers to seize control over the midterms. Using presidential power to manipulate the rules of an election is straight out of the authoritarian playbook.
Source: CNN
Corruption
Trump Media has struggled to grow. Now it’s selling $100,000 contracts for access to Truth Social.
What Happened: Trump Media is selling trading firms faster, automated access to Trump’s Truth Social posts for up to $100,000 a month. More than 10 customers have signed up, potentially giving traders an advantage when Trump posts market-moving announcements on tariffs, foreign policy, or other government actions.
Why It Matters: Trump controls policies that move markets, and his company is charging Wall Street firms for faster access when he announces them. He continues to use the presidency to line his pockets and is so emboldened he doesn’t even bother to hide it.
Source: CBS News
Analysis: Alito Made Up To $2.9 Million From Fossil Fuel Assets While Serving on Top Court
What Happened: Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito made between $390,000 and $2.9 million from fossil fuel interests between 2005 and 2024, according to an analysis of his financial disclosures. He has refused calls to recuse himself from a major case that could shield oil and gas companies from climate lawsuits.
Source: Mother Jones
Power Consolidation
Judge Widens Block on Trump Mail-in Voting Plan for Midterms
What Happened: A federal judge issued a nationwide order blocking Trump from using the Postal Service to potentially refuse delivery of mail ballots in states that reject his election directives. The judge said Trump was attempting to “unconstitutionally insert” the executive branch into election regulation months before the midterms.
Why It Matters: Trump is trying to seize control of midterms, including over how lawful ballots are handled. Courts are blocking these efforts, but the bigger question is whether Trump will obey those rulings.
Source: Bloomberg
White House Asks Justice Department to Consider New Reflecting-Pool Prosecution
What Happened: White House officials asked DOJ to explore prosecuting Olympic canoeist David Hearn again after U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro dropped the case and acknowledged that a botched renovation, not vandalism, caused the damage. Trump publicly attacked Pirro and demanded that she revisit the case.
Why It Matters: Prosecutors concluded there was no evidence, but Trump wants the man prosecuted anyway. The White House continues to weaponize the DOJ to pursue Trump’s enemies while shielding his allies.
Source: Wall Street Journal
Trump Picks Project 2025 Co-Author for Role That Would Oversee Any Reflecting Pool Review
What Happened: Trump nominated Project 2025 co-author Dennis Kirk as Interior Department inspector general, where he would oversee investigations into the agency. Democrats are currently seeking an inspector general investigation into Interior’s botched Reflecting Pool renovation and its use of no-bid contracts.
Source: New York Times
Weaponization of Institutions
Trump administration finalizes ownership reporting exemption for US firms
What Happened: The Treasury Department finalized a rule exempting U.S. companies and individuals from requirements to disclose their true owners, rolling back a major 2021 anti-money laundering law. FinCEN will also delete ownership information Americans previously submitted.
Why It Matters: Shell companies are used to hide dirty money, evade sanctions, commit fraud, and launder criminal proceeds. Trump is eliminating one of the government’s most important tools for finding out who is actually behind them.
Source: Reuters
Media Suppression & Authoritarian Tactics
ICE plans to give officers gloves that can deliver painful electric shocks
What Happened: ICE plans to spend up to $20 million on thousands of gloves that allow officers to deliver painful electric shocks through direct contact with a person’s skin. The devices are designed to force compliance and could reach officers by March.
Why It Matters: ICE is giving its lawless officers another way to inflict pain while operating with virtually no accountability for abuse. Electric shock gloves give agents even more power to use violence against people in their custody.
Source: Associated Press
Human & Civil Rights Abuses
Human rights groups sue Trump administration over International Criminal Court sanctions
What Happened: Four human rights groups sued Trump over sanctions imposed on the International Criminal Court, arguing they illegally punish organizations and individuals for working with the court. The groups say the sanctions violate constitutional rights to free speech, association, and religion.
Source: The Washington Post
‘We’ve never seen anything like this’: ICE’s detention crackdown swamps the courts
What Happened: Federal judges have ruled against ICE’s detention tactics more than 16,000 times over the past year after Trump officials expanded mandatory detention to people who previously could seek bond. At least 469 federal judges have concluded the policy is unlawful, while emergency cases have overwhelmed courts nationwide.
Why It Matters: The government continues using a detention policy that hundreds of federal judges have found unlawful. Ignoring thousands of court rulings is another sign that the rule of law is optional for Trump and his officials.
Source: Politico
Government Disruption
Researchers, advocates rail against government’s efforts to end workforce data collection
What Happened: Trump’s EEOC is moving to eliminate a 60-year-old requirement that tens of thousands of employers report workforce data by race, gender, and job category. Regulators use the data to identify patterns of workplace discrimination and enforce civil rights laws.
Source: Associated Press
Imperial & Geopolitical Watch
U.S. Fires on Ship Breaking Its Blockade of Iran
What Happened: U.S. forces fired two Hellfire missiles into a Panama-flagged cargo ship after it ignored warnings and attempted to enter an Iranian port in violation of Trump’s blockade. The U.S. has now redirected 55 commercial ships, disabled three, and boarded two since the blockade was reimposed in July.
Source: Wall Street Journal
How Iran Adapted Its Attacks as U.S. War Munitions Dwindled
What Happened: Iran is using waves of drones and maneuvering missiles to overwhelm U.S. air defenses, forcing the Pentagon to rapidly burn through Patriot interceptors. More than 1,500 have been used, with fewer than 1,700 left. Last month, an Iranian missile penetrated U.S. defenses in Jordan, killing three American soldiers and wounding more than 100.
Why It Matters: Iran is getting better at penetrating U.S. defenses while Trump’s war burns through critical interceptors faster than America can replace them. American troops are increasingly vulnerable, while depleted stockpiles leave the U.S. less prepared for the next crisis or conflict.
Source: New York Times
Far-Right & Russian Influence Watch
Top German General Says Russia Is Probing NATO Defenses With Hybrid Attacks
What Happened: Germany’s top military officer, Gen. Carsten Breuer, said Russia is systematically using drones and other hybrid attacks to probe NATO defenses and identify weaknesses for a future conflict. He said Russia is already shifting its economy and military to prepare for a wider war with the West.
Source: Wall Street Journal
Economic News
More Americans are having a harder time keeping up with their home and car payments
What Happened: Mortgage delinquencies have reached their highest level since 2015, while serious auto loan delinquencies are at their highest since 2010. Americans are facing high prices, sluggish job growth, and higher gas prices from Trump’s Iran war.
Source: CNN
July Home Sales Fell After Higher Mortgage Rates Scared Off Buyers
What Happened: Existing home sales fell 1.7% in July as higher mortgage rates continued to push buyers out of the market. The median home price rose to $434,100, the second-highest level on record.
Source: Wall Street Journal
Resistance
Check out 50501 for local and nationwide events…
Source: 50501
Kennedy Center must pay over $250,000 to artist who opposed Trump name change
What Happened: A judge ordered the Kennedy Center to pay $252,000 in legal fees after it unsuccessfully sued jazz musician Chuck Redd, who withdrew from a performance after the center was renamed after Trump. The judge previously dismissed the lawsuit because the center failed to establish that Redd had a binding contract.
Source: The Washington Post
By the Numbers
16,000+ — Times federal judges have ruled against ICE’s detention tactics over the past year
469 — Federal judges who have concluded ICE’s detention policy is unlawful
$100,000 a month — What firms can pay Trump Media for faster access to Trump’s market-moving Truth Social posts
$20 million — Amount ICE plans to spend on electric shock gloves
1,500+ — Patriot interceptors the Pentagon has already used in the Iran war, with fewer than 1,700 remaining
$434,100 — Median existing home price in July, the second-highest on record
What to Watch Next
Trump is openly considering emergency powers over the midterms — How far will he go to seize control over the midterms?
A judge blocked Trump from interfering with mail ballots — Will the White House find another way to pressure states that reject his election directives?
Judges have ruled against ICE detention tactics more than 16,000 times — How long will the regime continue a policy hundreds of federal judges have found unlawful?
U.S. air defense stockpiles are rapidly shrinking — How much longer can Trump’s Iran war continue before shortages put American troops and other U.S. commitments at greater risk?
Russia is probing NATO for weaknesses — Will Moscow escalate its attacks as it prepares for a possible wider confrontation with the West?
Key Takeaways
Rising Costs — Higher oil prices, new tariff threats, and growing trade tensions are pushing up the cost of groceries, school supplies, and other everyday essentials.
Corruption in Plain Sight — Trump is profiting from faster access to his market-moving posts while Alito refuses to recuse from a case that could benefit an industry from which he made up to $2.9 million.
Election Power Grab — Trump is openly considering emergency powers over the midterms while courts block his attempts to interfere with state election rules.
ICE Lawlessness — ICE continues using detention tactics rejected by federal judges more than 16,000 times while expanding its use of force with electric shock gloves and operating with impunity.
Oversight Replaced by Loyalty — Trump is replacing an independent Interior watchdog with a Project 2025 ally while pressuring DOJ to pursue a case prosecutors already dropped.
Call to Action
Document Everything: Document purges, corruption, and power grabs. Share credible information with journalists, watchdogs, and legal experts. Silence enables authoritarianism—see something, say something.
Defend Press Freedom: Support independent journalism by subscribing to and sharing reporting that challenges Trump’s power grab.
Contact Lawmakers: Demand accountability for Trump’s unchecked power and war on oversight.
Mobilize for Action: Organize or join legal efforts and resistance movements to protect democracy and human and civil rights.
Thanks for reading the Trump Tyranny Tracker. Stay tuned for more updates.
