Conversation
-
Trump Tyranny Tracker | Day 614: Sept. 29, 2026
source
Last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced “Project Meridian: The Future of Warfare,” a study of automated and AI-powered weaponry. Carolyn Kaster/Associated PressWelcome to today’s Trump Tyranny Tracker…
Taxpayer money being used to promote Trump, IRS being pulled further into immigration enforcement, and a new plan to ease Russia sanctions and restart business with Moscow are among today’s top stories.
Today at a Glance
Taxpayer money is being used to air ads promoting Trump weeks before the midterms.
Trump officials move to add a citizenship question to federal tax returns.
Trump backs a plan to ease Russia sanctions and restart business with Moscow.
What We Need to Pay Attention To
Taxpayers have funded nearly $1.5M in pro-Trump ads. Criticism is mounting, including from the GOP
What Happened: The White House has spent nearly $1.5 million in taxpayer money airing three ads promoting Trump, including one identical to a 2024 Trump campaign ad. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other Republicans criticized the spending, while legal experts told AP the ads appear to violate federal restrictions on government-funded propaganda and partisan political activity.
Why It Matters: Americans are struggling to afford food, gas and health insurance and losing programs they rely on. Yet taxpayers are spending nearly $1.5 million on ads promoting Trump, including one taken almost directly from his presidential campaign.
Source: Associated Press
Corruption News
Blumenthal Releases PSI Report Detailing how Lutnick-Linked Crypto Firm Tether Props Up Iran’s Shadow Banking System
What Happened: A Senate investigation found that Tether has become a major part of Iran’s shadow banking system. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick previously ran Cantor Fitzgerald, which manages tens of billions of dollars in assets backing Tether and is now led by his son.
Why It Matters: Lutnick’s former company, now run by his son, has a major financial relationship with a crypto firm that Senate investigators say helps Iran move billions of dollars around U.S. sanctions.
Source: Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
Power Consolidation
Trump Administration Prepares to Ask Tax Filers if They Are U.S. Citizens
What Happened: Trump officials are preparing to require tax filers to disclose whether they and their spouses are U.S. citizens, nationals or legally authorized to work. The proposal comes after the IRS shared addresses for roughly 47,000 people with ICE last year.
Why It Matters: The IRS is being pulled deeper into Trump’s immigration crackdown. Information Americans provide to pay their taxes has become another source of immigration data for the federal government.
Source: New York Times
Weaponization of Institutions
Justice Dept. Unlawfully Withheld Grants to Combat Domestic Violence, Judge Rules
What Happened: A federal judge ruled that Trump’s Justice Department illegally tried to withhold grants from more than two dozen domestic violence and sexual assault organizations unless they accepted new restrictions, including limits on serving undocumented immigrants and programs involving “gender ideology.”
Why It Matters: Trump’s Justice Department tried to hold funding for domestic violence and sexual assault victims hostage to force organizations to follow unrelated White House policies. A federal judge ruled the DOJ had no authority to impose those conditions.
Source: New York Times
FEMA can’t condition security grants on election changes, judge says
What Happened: A federal judge blocked Trump from withholding 20% of counterterrorism grants unless state and local governments adopted election changes favored by the White House. The requirements included hand-marked paper ballots, manual audits and checks of voter rolls against a DHS database.
Source: The Washington Post
Media Suppression & Authoritarian Tactics
Pro-Trump ad campaign was financed by DHS: Sources
What Happened: The nearly $1.5 million in taxpayer money Trump officials have spent airing three ads promoting Trump came through DHS, with money moved into a Customs and Border Protection account designated for “commemorative events.” One of the ads is virtually identical to a Trump 2024 campaign ad.
Source: ABC News
Human & Civil Rights Abuses
Inside the Texas courtroom where toddlers face immigration judges
What Happened: Migrant children as young as 2 are appearing in immigration court to fight deportation, many without attorneys. Trump officials ended a longstanding legal-services contract this summer while accelerating children’s immigration cases.
Why It Matters: Children as young as 2 are facing deportation without lawyers. Trump took away their legal assistance, exposing children who cannot defend themselves to fear, trauma and further abuse.
Source: CNN
Supreme Court allows Trump’s ‘third country’ deportation policy
What Happened: The Supreme Court allowed Trump to continue deporting immigrants to countries where they have no connections while it considers a challenge to the policy. Lower courts had ruled that immigrants must have a meaningful opportunity to challenge deportation to countries where they could face danger.
Why It Matters: Thousands of people have already been sent to third countries, including South Sudan, Eswatini and Rwanda. The ruling allows Trump to keep sending people to countries where they have never lived without the protections lower courts said federal law requires.
Source: NBC News
Three deaths, three states, 24 hours: one day in ICE’s quiet but ‘gruesome’ surge
What Happened: Three immigrants died in three states within 24 hours during ICE operations in July. One was shot by an ICE agent in Maine, another died while being transferred between detention centers in Georgia, and a third was struck and killed by a truck while fleeing immigration officers in Florida. Two were not ICE’s intended targets.
Why It Matters: At least 31 people have died during interactions with immigration authorities in 2026 as ICE arrests reach record levels. ICE operations may be less visible, but the deaths and violence continue to increase.
Source: The Guardian
Government Disruption
Hegseth to cut more generals, admirals in bid to remake military’s top ranks
What Happened: Pete Hegseth plans to cut the number of generals and admirals by as much as 20%, potentially eliminating hundreds of senior positions. The move follows purges and blocked promotions since he took control of the Pentagon.
Why It Matters: The U.S. military is supposed to serve the Constitution, not a president. Purging senior officers and reshaping the top ranks around political loyalty threatens that separation and makes it easier to use the military to carry out Trump’s agenda.
Source: Washington Post
Key data missing for half of US child labor deaths, official report finds
What Happened: A GAO investigation found major gaps in federal data on children killed and injured at work. More than half of 260 child workplace deaths from 2013 to 2023 lacked public information about the cause or industry, while federal coordination on child labor violations has sharply declined since January 2025.
Source: The Guardian
Voice of America Cuts Hurt ‘U.S. National Interests,’ Internal Watchdog Says
What Happened: A State Department inspector general found that Trump’s dismantling of Voice of America weakened U.S. efforts to counter foreign disinformation. VOA now broadcasts in fewer than 10 languages, down from 49, after nearly all of its 1,400 employees were purged or placed on leave.
Why It Matters: VOA reached more than 360 million people and provided independent information in countries flooded with Russian, Chinese and other state propaganda. Trump gutted it, and the government’s own watchdog says the cuts damaged U.S. national interests.
Source: New York Times
ICE wasted millions of taxpayer dollars in rapid push to expand detention capacity, government watchdog finds
What Happened: The GAO found that ICE lost $20 million buying warehouses it later abandoned as detention sites after failing to properly plan for long-term costs. ICE bought 11 warehouses for $1.07 billion and now plans to sell seven of them.
Source: CBS News
Imperial & Geopolitical Watch
Trump says he does not know if Iran is going to ‘give up yet’
What Happened: Trump said he does not know whether Iran is ready to “give up yet” but predicted it eventually will as the U.S. war and blockade continue. Iran has rejected surrender, while the war has disrupted the Strait of Hormuz and pushed global oil prices higher.
Why It Matters: Trump is continuing a war aimed at forcing Iran to capitulate without a clear end in sight. The longer it continues, the more Americans will feel the consequences through higher oil and gas prices.
Source: Reuters
NATO’s front line now stretches across Europe, top commander warns
What Happened: NATO’s top military commander, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, warned that Russia is escalating its attacks across Europe through long-range drones, airspace violations and sabotage. “In a way we are all eastern flank nations now,” he told European lawmakers.
Source: Stars and Stripes
Far-Right & Russian Influence Watch
Trump’s Latest Appeal to Russia Could Outrage Even His Allies
What Happened: Trump reportedly approved envoy John Coale’s proposal to offer Russia sanctions relief in exchange for releasing political prisoners. The plan would allow the U.S. to begin pursuing business deals with Russia involving oil, diesel, rare earth minerals and other commodities before Russia ends its genocidal war against Ukraine.
Why It Matters: Russia is committing genocide in Ukraine while Trump looks for ways to lift sanctions and get back into business with Moscow. Instead of increasing pressure on Putin to end the invasion, Trump is offering Russia economic relief as Russia mass murders Ukrainians.
Source: The Atlantic
Unmasking RussiaEurope’s Warnings About Russia Are Getting Much More SpecificOver the past several months, European and U.S. officials have stepped up their warnings that Russia may be preparing to test NATO and that an attack could happen in “months, not years.” Yesterday brought yet another warning, this time from EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who said European intelligence is seeing signs that Russia could be preparing to escalate even further…Read more8 days ago · 314 likes · 18 comments · Olga LautmanEconomic News
US consumer confidence near 12-1/2-year low amid labor market fears
What Happened: U.S. consumer confidence fell 6.7 points in September to 81.9, its lowest level since April 2014. Confidence dropped across political affiliations, ages and income groups as Americans grew more worried about jobs, inflation and borrowing costs.
Source: Reuters
U.S. ban on almost $1 billion in Canadian imports takes effect
What Happened: Trump imposed a ban on nearly $1 billion in Canadian goods after Canada retaliated against his 50% tariffs on roughly $20 billion in imports. The ban covers dairy products, motorcycles, alcoholic beverages and other goods.
Source: CBS News
Resistance
Check out 50501 for local and nationwide events…
Source: 50501
By the Numbers
$1.5 million — Taxpayer money spent airing three ads promoting Trump.
20% — Share of generals and admirals Pete Hegseth plans to eliminate from the military’s senior ranks.
31 — People who have died during interactions with immigration authorities in 2026.
81.9 — U.S. consumer confidence in September, the lowest level since April 2014.
$1 billion — Approximate value of Canadian imports now banned by Trump
81.9 — U.S. consumer confidence in September, down 6.7 points and the lowest since April 2014.
What to Watch Next
Trump is looking to reopen business with Russia before Putin ends his invasion of Ukraine — How far will Trump go in lifting sanctions and restoring economic ties with Moscow while Russia continues its genocidal war?
Trump officials are pulling the IRS deeper into immigration enforcement — Will tax information become another tool used to identify and target people?
Hegseth is moving to eliminate hundreds of senior military positions after months of purges and blocked promotions — Who will replace the generals and admirals pushed out as Trump and Hegseth remake the military’s leadership?
Taxpayer money is being used to air propaganda promoting Trump weeks before the midterms — Will Congress or federal watchdogs intervene as Trump uses government resources to promote himself ahead of an election?
Key Takeaways
Economic Pressure — Consumer confidence has fallen to its lowest level since 2014 as Americans worry about jobs, inflation and borrowing costs, while Trump escalates his trade war with Canada.
Immigration Crackdown — Children as young as 2 are facing deportation proceedings, third-country deportations are continuing, and at least 31 people have died during interactions with immigration authorities this year.
Military Reshaping — Hegseth plans to eliminate as many as 20% of the military’s generals and admirals after months of purges and blocked promotions.
Rewarding Putin — Trump is looking for ways to lift sanctions and restart business with Moscow while Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine.
Taxpayer-Funded Propaganda — Nearly $1.5 million in taxpayer money has been spent airing ads promoting Trump, including one identical to his 2024 campaign ad.
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.
Follow my work on YouTube → Subscribe to Unmasking Russia
https://youtube.com/@unmaskingrussia
Preorder My New Book…
Putin’s Pawns takes you on a journey from the earliest days of the Cold War and Soviet KGB active measures through Russia’s attacks on Western elections, the rise of the far right, Trump and Russia, the genocidal war against Ukraine, influence operations across Europe, and the shadow war unfolding today.
It is the story of how Moscow spent decades learning to exploit the weaknesses of democracies and how those tactics brought us to this moment.
Preorder now
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250796547/putinspawns/
Thanks for reading the Trump Tyranny Tracker. Stay tuned for more updates.
