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Trump Tyranny Tracker | Day 609: Sept. 24, 2026
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The J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building is seen on Sept. 26, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Samuel Corum/Getty ImagesWelcome to today’s Trump Tyranny Tracker…
Trump using taxpayer money to air propaganda ads, the Justice Department expanding an investigation into former FBI officials, and Danish intelligence warning that Russia could escalate its attacks against NATO in the coming months are among today’s top stories.
Today at a Glance
Taxpayer-funded television ads promote Trump and echo Republican midterm messaging.
Former FBI officials who investigated Trump are subpoenaed in the Justice Department’s expanding “deep state” probe.
Danish intelligence warns Russia could escalate attacks against NATO and potentially launch a limited military attack.
What We Need to Pay Attention To
US government foots bill for television advertisement featuring Trump’s midterm messaging
What Happened: The U.S. government paid for a television ad featuring Trump and Republican midterm messaging, including “America will never be a communist country” and claims about his tax cuts. The ad aired on Fox News and Newsmax with the disclaimer “paid for by the U.S. government.”
Why It Matters: Taxpayer money is being used to promote Trump and his propaganda weeks before the election. Even Sen. Thom Tillis criticized it, comparing the tactic to Hungary’s Viktor Orbán. Russia does the same thing, using state resources to push Putin’s propaganda.
Source: Associated Press and Wall Street Journal
Corruption News
Trump rolled back regulations for oil company campaign donors, Democrats say
What Happened: A Senate Democratic investigation found that oil and gas companies received tax breaks, subsidies and regulatory rollbacks after Trump asked industry executives for $1 billion in campaign support during the 2024 election. The report documented hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign spending and dozens of federal actions benefiting the industry.
Why It Matters: Trump asked oil executives for $1 billion in campaign support. They spent hundreds of millions backing Republicans, and Trump gave their industry tax breaks, subsidies, and regulatory rollbacks worth billions.
Source: Reuters
Trump administration faces fresh scrutiny after DoJ drops bribery case against Indian billionaire
What Happened: The Justice Department dropped its fraud and bribery case against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani after he hired Trump personal lawyer Robert Giuffra Jr. and offered to invest $10 billion in the U.S. A federal judge approved the dismissal but cited “irregularities” surrounding the decision.
Why It Matters: Adani faced federal criminal charges, hired Trump’s personal lawyer, offered to invest $10 billion in the U.S., and then had his case dropped by Trump’s Justice Department. Senators are demanding answers on whether Trump cronies influenced the decision.
Source: The Guardian
Kennedy Drew $4 Million in Book Advances From Publisher Who Also Monetized MAHA
What Happened: Health Secretary RFK Jr. disclosed receiving $4 million in book advances and more than $270,000 in gifts from close allies over the past year. His wife, Cheryl Hines, also received $210,000 in consulting fees from MAHA Action, a group promoting Kennedy’s policy agenda.
Source: New York Times
Power Consolidation
Justice Jackson Calls Emergency Docket ‘Potentially Corrosive’
What Happened: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson warned that the Supreme Court’s growing use of its emergency docket is having a “potentially corrosive effect” on the federal judiciary. Trump filed roughly 30 emergency applications during his first year back in office, and the Court granted many of them, allowing challenged policies to take effect while the cases continued.
Why It Matters: Trump has repeatedly used emergency appeals to put major policies into effect before lower courts finish deciding whether they are legal. Jackson warned that deciding consequential cases without full arguments or explanations is damaging the courts and public trust in institutions.
Source: New York Times
Weaponization of Institutions
FBI employees in Trump Mar-a-Lago case seek clarity on subpoenas in Florida ‘grand conspiracy’ probe
What Happened: Former FBI employees who investigated Trump’s retention of classified documents have been subpoenaed before a Florida grand jury investigating the baseless “deep state” conspiracy against Trump. The investigation had previously focused largely on officials involved in investigating Russia’s attack on the U.S. election.
Source: Associated Press
Media Suppression & Authoritarian Tactics
CNN White House reporters denied access to Xi’s state dinner arrival
What Happened: Hours after a federal judge ordered the White House to restore press access to CNN, MS NOW and Politico, White House officials barred CNN and MS NOW reporters from covering Xi Jinping’s arrival for the state dinner. Other television networks were allowed to cover the event.
Why It Matters: Trump is continuing to punish news organizations whose coverage he does not like even after a federal court intervened. This is part of his broader attack on press freedom and the First Amendment.
Source: CNN
Human & Civil Rights Abuses
Democrats demand answers after man dies in car crash during ICE traffic stop in Michigan
What Happened: Mario David Coronado Juarez, a 36-year-old construction worker and father of three, died after crashing into a tree while fleeing an attempted ICE traffic stop in Grand Rapids. DHS says agents ended the enforcement action before the crash, while local police say federal agencies have provided limited information about what happened.
Why It Matters: Another immigration enforcement operation ended in death, and local authorities say federal agencies are not providing the information they need to determine what happened. Michigan officials are now investigating the encounter.
Source: The Guardian
US citizen injured after ICE agents reportedly mistook him for fugitive
What Happened: ICE agents in Evanston, Illinois, tackled and injured a U.S. citizen after mistaking him for the target of an immigration operation. Witnesses said agents pinned him to the ground as he repeatedly said he was a citizen, leaving him with injuries to his head, neck, and teeth before walking away.
Source: The Guardian
Justice Department Scraps Dozens of School Desegregation Cases
What Happened: Trump’s Justice Department has moved to end federal oversight in 57 school desegregation cases, nearly 80% of them in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina. More than 130 school systems were still operating under DOJ desegregation orders as of last year.
Source: New York Times
‘Torture’: Amnesty International calls for ICE to be abolished
What Happened: Amnesty International released a 168-page report documenting widespread abuses by ICE and other federal immigration agencies, including unlawful killings, excessive force, denial of due process and detention conditions that can amount to torture. The organization called for ICE to be abolished, saying the abuses are too systemic to be fixed through reforms.
Why It Matters: Amnesty found widespread human rights abuses throughout ICE’s leadership, training, operations and accountability systems, including unlawful killings, excessive force, denial of due process, and detention conditions that can amount to torture.
Source: USA Today
Government Disruption
Stolen FBI data reveals employees’ roles in intelligence and surveillance
What Happened: Data stolen from the FBI exposed names, home addresses, phone numbers, and family information for employees working on Russia, China, Hezbollah, human intelligence, electronic surveillance, and the bureau’s secretive hacking unit. ShinyHunters claims to have stolen two to three terabytes of FBI data.
Why It Matters: The breach exposed the identities and locations of personnel conducting some of the FBI’s most sensitive intelligence work, creating a major counterintelligence risk and potentially giving foreign intelligence services information they can use to target employees and their families.
Source: Defense One
Military personnel data exposed in breach, agency warns
What Happened: Unauthorized users accessed unencrypted Defense Department files containing Social Security numbers and military personnel information between October 2025 and July 2026. Roughly four million Defense Department personnel may be affected.
Why It Matters: A breach potentially exposing millions of military personnel creates identity theft and national security risks, including information that foreign intelligence services can exploit to identify and target U.S. service members.
Source: Military Times
Pentagon probing how shipment of F-35 fighter jet parts was diverted
What Happened: The Pentagon is investigating how a shipment of F-35 fighter jet components traveling from Australia to the U.S. was diverted to Hong Kong. The U.S. is trying to recover the parts, which include components related to the aircraft’s canopy and weapons bay door.
Source: CBS News
Trump’s Signature Tax Bill Is Starting to Bite Before the Election
What Happened: Cuts in Trump’s tax cuts for the wealthy law are taking effect, reducing Medicaid, Affordable Care Act subsidies, and SNAP food assistance. Nearly half a million New Yorkers lost low-cost health coverage after expanded federal subsidies expired, while other Americans have lost food assistance.
Source: New York Times
Imperial & Geopolitical Watch
‘Rogue’ US DEA agents are operating illegally on Bahamian soil, ambassador says
What Happened: The Bahamas formally complained to the Justice Department that “rogue” DEA agents are conducting operations in the country without authorization from the Bahamian government or police. The Bahamas permits seven DEA agents to operate there but says other U.S. agents have acted outside that authorization.
Why It Matters: A close U.S. ally is accusing American law enforcement of violating its sovereignty and bilateral agreements. Mexico made a similar allegation involving unauthorized U.S. agents earlier this year.
Source: Reuters
Far-Right & Russian Influence Watch
Denmark warns Russia could escalate hybrid attacks against NATO in coming months
What Happened: Denmark’s military intelligence service warned that Russia is likely to escalate its attacks against NATO in the coming months and said there is a “low but growing” risk of a limited military attack on NATO territory. Possible scenarios include missile or drone strikes, false flag attacks using Ukrainian-made drones, or Russian troops without insignia invading a NATO country.
Why It Matters: Danish intelligence warns Russia could launch a limited attack to test whether NATO will actually defend its members. Trump’s repeated attacks on NATO and threats not to defend allies give Moscow more reason to believe it can escalate.
Source: Kyiv Independent
Economic News
30-year Treasury yield hits highest level since 2004 as bond market rout continues
What Happened: The 30-year Treasury yield surged above 5.5%, its highest level since 2004, while the 10-year yield topped 5.2%, its highest since 2007. Markets are now pricing in a greater than 75% chance of another Federal Reserve rate hike in October.
Source: CNBC
Resistance
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Source: 50501
By the Numbers
$1 billion — Campaign support Trump asked oil and gas executives for before giving the industry tax breaks, subsidies and regulatory rollbacks
$4 million — Book advances RFK Jr. received from a publisher that also monetized the MAHA movement
30 — Emergency applications Trump filed with the Supreme Court during his first year back in office
57 — School desegregation cases Trump’s Justice Department is moving to end
4 million — Defense Department personnel potentially affected by a breach exposing Social Security numbers and other sensitive information
5.5% — 30-year Treasury yield, its highest level since 2004
What to Watch Next
Trump’s Justice Department is expanding its investigation into officials who investigated him — Who will be subpoenaed next as the baseless investigation expands?
Denmark is warning that Russia could test NATO with a limited military attack or false flag — Will Moscow begin laying the groundwork for one of these scenarios?
Millions of U.S. military personnel may have had sensitive information exposed — What information was accessed, and did foreign intelligence services obtain it?
Key Takeaways
Economic Pressure — Long-term Treasury yields have reached levels not seen in decades, pushing borrowing costs higher for Americans.
State Propaganda — Taxpayer money is being used to promote Trump and his propaganda weeks before the midterm elections.
Human & Civil Rights Abuses — Amnesty International documented widespread human rights abuses across ICE, while Trump’s Justice Department is ending federal oversight in dozens of school desegregation cases.
National Security Failures — Sensitive information belonging to FBI employees and millions of Defense Department personnel has been exposed in major data breaches.
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.
Support Whistleblowers: Encourage legal defense funds for government workers facing retaliation for exposing corruption.
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