Thursday, September 18

Emboldened by the killing of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, President Donald Trump and his allies appear to be preparing to embark on a broad state-backed campaign to crack down on political opposition. So far, Trump officials have said they will go after progressive nonprofits and have hinted at criminalizing speech they disagree with.

Also this week, Trump’s takeover of the Federal Reserve is heading to the Supreme Court. Though the high court has backed most of Trump's plans to reshape the federal government, there’s a good chance it will not greenlight his actions toward the central bank.

As always, thank you for reading and please reach out to me at knutson@democracydocket.com.

Jacob Knutson, reporter

Trump and allies vow to ‘destroy’ progressive groups

Since Kirk’s murder, Trump officials and their allies in Congress have repeatedly sought to conjure up a vast, shadowy left-wing network that’s funding and inciting political violence in the U.S.
The claim, which Trump officials have presented without evidence, is part of a thinly veiled effort to exploit Kirk’s killing to further attack their political opponents and the institutions that power the political left.
The Trump administration’s threats to use the full weight of the federal government against left-leaning charities strike at the heart of U.S. civil society, threatening to cut off a key avenue for Americans to have their collective voices heard.
In response, over 100 nonprofits — including some who were targeted by the White House — are banding together. In an open letter they denounced Trump’s attempts to link left-leaning organizations to political violence.
The White House is preparing an executive order meant to “combat political violence and hate speech,” the New York Times reported. Details on the order were scant. However, considering Trump’s recent rhetoric, there’s a fair chance the order will go after the left.

Read more ➪

Stephen Miller: Rights must be suspended to ‘save Western civilization’

In addition to the overt threats to nonprofits, Trump officials and the highest law enforcement officials in the country are signaling an intent to criminalize speech and protests that the White House disagrees with.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Department of Justice (DOJ) would "absolutely target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech,” which is protected by the First Amendment.
The attorney general later walked back her comments by saying she meant speech that incites violence after facing widespread backlash from across the political spectrum, including from influential voices on the MAGA right.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the DOJ could seek racketeering charges against people who partake in “organized” protests against the president that “inflict harm and terror and damage on the United States.”
The most explicit threat to free speech came from Stephen Miller, Trump’s homeland security advisor, who suggested it should be suspended in order to “save Western Civilization.”

Democracy Docket is tracking the 74 most important Trump accountability lawsuits fighting the administration’s power grabs. Click here to find out which ones have succeeded so far.

Trump expands clampdown on press freedoms

The president filed his second lawsuit against a leading U.S. newspaper, this time accusing the New York Times of defamation for articles questioning his success. He’s seeking damages of “not less than” $15 billion.
The lawsuit, which also named four journalists and Penguin Random House as defendants, is ludicrous, touting in its first paragraph his “remarkable” victory in the 2024 election.
However, just like his suit against the Wall Street Journal for its Jeffrey Epstein coverage, the new Times lawsuit is meant to financially punish and silence outlets that cover his administration critically.
To make the intent of the suit abundantly clear, Trump, just moments after filing, threatened to sic the DOJ on ABC News over run-of-the-mill questions from journalist Jon Karl and accused an Australian journalist of "hurting Australia" for asking about the business deals he’s made while in office.
The Trump administration’s explicit attacks on the press has been accompanied by a behind-the-scenes maneuvering to exert influence over major broadcast companies and reshape the media landscape in its favor.

Read Trump’s lawsuit ➪

Dive Deeper: Trump’s attempt to fire Fed governor heads to Supreme Court

The White House said it plans to ask the Supreme Court to vacate a lower-court order blocking Trump’s attempt to dismiss Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook over unsubstantiated mortgage fraud allegations.

A divided D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals panel this week rejected Cook’s dismissal. It ruled that since federal law says Fed governors can only be removed for cause, Cook could not be stripped of her role without first receiving a chance to defend herself. By not giving her that chance, the Trump administration violated her right to due process, the appeals court ruled.
The DOJ has yet to file an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court in response to the appeals court’s ruling. If it does, the appeal will set up a significant test to Trump’s efforts to centralize power and takeover or neutralize independent agencies by removing their directors and board members.
Though the Supreme Court has let Trump fire several officials who also had removal protections and appears poised to overturn a longstanding court decision protecting independent agencies from political interference, there’s a decent chance the court won’t go along with Cook’s dismissal.
In what was seen as a move to preserve the central bank's independence, the high court argued earlier this year that the president couldn’t remove Federal Reserve officials without cause because the institution “is a uniquely structured, quasi-private entity that follows in the distinct historical tradition of the First and Second Banks of the United States.”

Read the appeals court’s ruling ➪

To do list

Later today, the Brennan Center for Justice will hold a virtual discussion with experts at 3 p.m. ET about the Trump administration’s coordinated strategy to meddle with midterms next year and ways to protect the integrity of the vote. RSVP here.
The No Kings Coalition is gearing up for another nationwide protest next month. Sign up here to join its virtual mobilization kick-off event tonight at 8 p.m. ET.

Odds and ends

Veteran federal prosecutor sues Trump admin over abrupt dismissal: Maurene Comey, a longtime New York federal prosecutor and the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, sued the Trump administration, alleging her abrupt dismissal in July was unconstitutional, violated federal law and was retaliation for her association with her father.
Judge rebukes Trump for firing essential federal employees: A federal judge upbraided the Trump administration in a sharply worded ruling, finding that it broke the law in early 2025 by firing federal workers in vital roles protecting public safety and supporting the economy.
In delaying TikTok ban, Trump again disregards federal law: Trump issued his fourth executive order delaying the enforcement of the TikTok ban mandated by federal law. Through TikTok, he and Bondi have claimed astonishingly broad monarchical authority that undermines the separation of powers and rule of law.

Quote of the week

This week’s quote comes from the open letter signed by the nonprofits. They warned that threats to crack down on philanthropic organizations “undermine our democracy and harm all Americans.”

“Organizations should not be attacked for carrying out their missions or expressing their values in support of the communities they serve. We reject attempts to exploit political violence to mischaracterize our good work or restrict our fundamental freedoms, like freedom of speech and the freedom to give.”