American Doom

Kilmar Abrego Garcia is currently — as of the last court filing and the Trump regime’s word — residing in one of the worst prisons in the world in El Salvador. He’s there because of a mistake, lawyers representing the Trump administration have said. It was a mistake in the micro sense, but Garcia’s deportation and confinement in a Salvadoran hellhole are no accident: this is about punishment and pain.Today, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) will travel to El Salvador to try to get Garcia back. This is something pretty brave in terms of American politics — he is standing up for an undocumented immigrant in Garcia, thereby doing what Republicans think will help them. You see, the Trump regime and vehemently anti-immigrant ghouls like Stephen Miller believe it’s in their electoral interest to have Democrats defending people like Garcia — who because of his skin color and where he’s from they naturally associate with being a bad guy. But Van Hollen doesn’t appear to care about any of that and is simply doing the right thing.Remember that? Remember when, regardless of party or whether it was politically advantageous, lawmakers would occasionally do what was right? Like John McCain telling one of his supporters that Barack Obama was a good man, or Obama being courteous and respectful to Trump. That all seems like a thing of the past now that the American right is engaged in a zero-sum, point-scoring game that rushes us ever closer to democratic decline. Meanwhile, people like Garcia get caught in the middle.American Doom is free but is not possible without the support of my subscribers. I’m an independent journalist and your paid subscriptions help keep me independent.Legal immigrants who have played by the rules are also getting the shaft under the Trump regime. Not only are Elon Musk and his pals lying about them getting Social Security benefits, as I reported two weeks ago for Rolling Stone, but now, Musk’s DOGE goons have classified legal immigrants as dead in a ham-fisted effort to cut them off from benefits they aren’t receiving. This will result in many legal immigrants not being able to get on-the-books jobs, access their bank accounts, and many of the other things that require having a Social Security number. The apparent hope is that by making them even more of second-class citizens, these immigrants will deport themselves. Meanwhile, Garcia has been sent to a place that is life-threatening for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that Garcia was granted some level of protective status by an immigration judge because he had fled El Salvador, fearing gangs like MS-13. Now, he’s in one of the worst prisons in the world right alongside of all of those gang members, and people like Trump, Stephen Miller, Marco Rubio, Karoline Leavitt and congressional Republicans are both lying about Garcia being a member of MS-13 and simultaneously saying, Fuck it. He deserves to be there anyway because he came here illegally.That’s some of where we’re at, but unfortunately there’s a lot more where all this comes from. To unpack this distressing case I caught up with Arturo Dominguez, who runs Decolonized Journalism, which you should immediately subscribe to. Arturo has a piece out today that explains how Garcia has gone from a random immigrant from El Salvador to the face of the Trump administration’s illegal and unethical immigration plans. ***Want to scroll more Doom? Why not:* Bluesky - @americandoom.bsky.social* TikTok - @americandoom_* YouTube - @americandoom_* Instagram - @americandoom_* X - @americandoom_* Facebook This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.american-doom.com/subscribe

Donald Trump is an existential threat not just to American democracy, but to our role as the world’s most prosperous and powerful nation. Many people have known this for a long time—Republicans have known this, as have decorated military generals who are lifelong conservatives. Americans of all political stripes, socioeconomic statuses and educational backgrounds know this. Democrats certainly know this.Which is why I am so confused as to why Al Green, the representative from Texas, was the only member of Congress and the only Democrat to forcefully protest Trump’s speech last night. Not long into Trump’s remarks, Green stood to interrupt the president, waving his cane. House Speaker Mike Johnson first called for order, then for Green’s removal.Outside the chambers, Green said he’d simply had enough. He told reporters he couldn’t stand by anymore as Trump claimed to be ushering the nation into a new “golden age” while working to cut services like Medicaid and Social Security.“You don’t have a mandate to cut Medicaid!” Green yelled before being removed, referencing Trump’s oft-cited claim of a mandate from the American electorate to do basically whatever he wants.That’s it. That’s all you need to know. One guy stood up and said this is enough, was kicked out, and now he’ll be in the history books as a footnote to this particular chapter in our ongoing story of decline.***If you appreciate the clarity of this brief story, please consider a paid subsciption to support the independent journalism of American Doom. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.american-doom.com/subscribe

Just a reminder that my work here is made possible by the support of paid subscribers. In the last week I’ve covered the militarization of immigration enforcement; UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to the White House; the Trump-Zelenenskyy debacle; DOGE’s failure to find a single instance of fraud in the federal government; and DOGE’s work dismantling the Social Security Administration. If you appreciate me keeping up with the news—and breaking it—please consider a paid subscription to American Doom for as little as $5 a month, or contributing to our Doom Coffee Fund. Onward - jg***Last week, a video went viral that I think is a sad and troubling reflection not just of where we are, but where we’re headed. In it, Teresa Borrenpohl, an outspoken liberal in her community of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, is ripped from her seat at a Republican town hall by three private security guards. Nearby, Sheriff Bob Norris filmed the ordeal, threatening to pepper spray Borrenpohl.Now, I’ve discovered that Norris is deep into far-right belief systems. His online footprint shows a man who is up to his eyeballs in right-wing culture war battles and messaging, which you can read below at Public Notice.Private security acting with the approval of law enforcement is a troubling situation in any context, but it becomes more so in a political climate in which many members of law enforcement are openly supportive of the authoritarian tactics of Donald Trump and Republicans.It’s bad enough that Trump is talking about militarizing immigration enforcement and using the military to crack down on protests. Adding fuel to that fire is the support for and emboldening of private citizens to act as police themselves—vigilantes is a word that comes to mind. That seems like a recipe for widespread civil unrest and the actual denigration of law and order that Trump and Republicans claim to care so much about.In today’s episode of the American Doom Podcast, I speak to Laura Tenneson and Tamara Sines-Kermelis, two friends of Borrenpohl’s who witnessed the ordeal. ***Please follow AD on our social media for a little more doom to your scroll. That’s what we all need, right?* Bluesky - @americandoom.bsky.social* TikTok - @americandoom_* YouTube - @americandoom_* Instagram - @americandoom_* X - @americandoom_ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.american-doom.com/subscribe

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did the best he could, but there’s just no way to win — or even compromise — with American leadership this far afield from reasonable adult behavior. A day before the world watched Donald Trump and JD Vance ambush Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer had to negotiate the same environment — albeit one less fraught as the political and culture war hell that Zelenskyy walked into. Whether you’re Zelenskyy, or Starmer, or a Democratic or Republican member of Congress, the problem with negotiating with Trump is that it’s like negotiating with a terrorist. There can be no compromise with people whose only goal is to break things, and that’s exactly what Trump, Vance and congressional Republicans are doing. They have no plan other than to break the government, then divide the pieces amongst themselves, and allow the rest of us to fight for whatever is left.I know things are already crazy, but it’s probably going to get much worse. To support American Doom’s work cutting through the madness, please consider a paid subscription below.It’s an odd plan because it potentially reflects a complete lack of a sense of self-preservation. If Trump and his government-breaking toady, Elon Musk, succeed in dismantling Social Security as it appears they’re trying to do, it could result in older Americans — largely Republican voters —revolting against their elected officials. I think you’re starting to see that in the form of voters at town hall events in Republican districts speaking out against congressional Republicans. But the terrorists among us like Trump, Vance and their army of actual insurrectionists and far-right base don’t care about any of the negative consequences that could harm Americans if Musk’s breaking of the social safety net is effective. They just want to break, punish and inflict pain on anyone and everything they perceive as an enemy. In this way, they’re really are true belivers. They’re willing to sacrifice themselves for a higher cause. This makes them impossible to negotiate with, because they have nothing to fear. Still, we must try. This seemingly impossible scenario of having to negotiate with a madman is the position that Starmer was in when he walked into the White House just a few days ago. So, I wanted to get the British perspective on his visit from Daniel Bates, a British writer and journalist based in New York who has covered some of the biggest stories of the last decade. I met Dan in Ferguson a few days after Michael Brown was killed there in August 2014, and we’ve kept in touch ever since. These days, Dan spends a lot of time updating UK readers o court battles and other developments related to Jeffrey Epstein. I caught up with Dan about Starmer’s visit, what American abdication of responsibility in Ukraine means for Britain and Europe, and the latest debacle involving the White House, right-wing influencers, and documents tied to the Epstein case.***Please follow AD on our social media for a little more doom to your scroll. That’s what we all need, right?* Bluesky - @americandoom.bsky.social* TikTok - @americandoom_* YouTube - @americandoom_* Instagram - @americandoom_* X - @americandoom_ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.american-doom.com/subscribe

Legacy media is capitulating to Trump (just Google Jeff Bezos if you haven’t already heard). That’s why it’s important to support independent media like American Doom. The best way to support our work is through a paid subscription. Last week, news came from Texas that an 11-year-old girl killed herself because her classmates were bullying her about being deported. She is a victim of Donald Trump and Republicans’ endless denigration of immigrants of all races, from all walks of life. May the memory of Jocelynn Rojo Carranza live on forever, and be a lesson to those of us who care enough about our fellow human beings to speak out against the ruthlessness and oppression we’re seeing from the White House. One of those speaking truth to power when it comes to immigration is Arturo Dominguez, who runs the excellent Decolonized Journalism newsletter. In today’s edition of the American Doom Podcast, Arturo and I discuss the ways in which the Trump administration is essentially trying to stop all non-white immigration—including by military force, if necessary. To support my work, please choose a paid subscription to American Doom or drop a few dollars in the Doom Coffee Fund. There’s a lot of news right now, so I have a lot coming down the pike. Your paid support goes directly toward helping me to continue my independent journalism here at American Doom.***Please follow AD on our social media for a little more doom to your scroll. That’s what we all need, right?* Bluesky - @americandoom.bsky.social* TikTok - @americandoom_* YouTube - @americandoom_* Instagram - @americandoom_* X - @americandoom_ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.american-doom.com/subscribe

In this discussion, Steven Monacelli, an independent investigative journalist in Texas, dives into the rise of a new form of American fascism and competitive authoritarianism. He examines radical ideologies infiltrating institutions, including a shocking ICE lawyer with extremist ties. Steven explores the contradictions within right-wing movements and the unexpected alliances among Trump supporters. The conversation also sheds light on the harmful influence of individuals like Elon Musk and calls for heightened accountability within government agencies.

It’s becoming more and more clear that the Trump administration is simply the enforcement and policy arm of an American right that believes in a post-democratic world order. That’s why we see things like Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaking the language of autocrats like Vladimir Putin—and more or less doing their bidding. Your subscription dollars help fund my independent journalism. Throw a few bucks my way to stay on top of the madness to come. The dismantling of USAID has already resulted in the loss of funding for aid programs in Ukraine, like one that helps fund refugee centers in cities near the frontlines of the country’s war with Russia. But the Trump administration wants so much more. Unfortunately for Ukrainians, few of the administration’s goals appear to align with that of the war-torn country, which for the last three years has been the victim of Russian expansionism.Today I’m talking with Tim Mak, a former NPR reporter who I first met a decade ago when he was working at the Daily Beast. Now, Mak runs the Counteroffensive, a newsletter that focuses on the human stories of war—and life—in Ukraine. You can listen and watch today’s episode here, on YouTube and Spotify and Apple podcasts. If you’re not already a paid subscriber, I humbly ask for your support for as little as $5 a month or $40 a year. You can also throw some cash my way at the Doom Coffee Fund.***Please follow AD on our social media for a little more doom to your scroll. That’s what we all need, right?* Bluesky - @americandoom.bsky.social* TikTok - @americandoom_* YouTube - @americandoom_* Instagram - @americandoom_* X - @americandoom_ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.american-doom.com/subscribe

Good afternoon and welcome to the latest edition of the American Doom podcast. Today I’m talking with Teddy Wilson, a journalist and researcher who runs Radical Reports, a newsletter focused on the far-right. I highly suggest you sign up for Teddy’s newsletter to stay abreast of all the swirling madness of domestic extremism, which is most certainly not going away and whose adherents are not sitting idly by as Trump continues his dismantling of the federal government. You can listen and watch today’s episode here, on YouTube and Spotify and Apple podcasts. If you’re not already a paid subscriber, I humbly ask for your support for as little as $5 a month or $40 a year. You can also throw some cash my way at the Doom Coffee Fund. ***Please follow AD on our social media for a little more doom to your scroll. That’s what we all need, right?* Bluesky - @americandoom.bsky.social* TikTok - @americandoom_* YouTube - @americandoom_* Instagram - @americandoom_* X - @americandoom_ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.american-doom.com/subscribe

Executive orders continue to come flooding from the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office. Donald Trump signed a handful more on Thursday afternoon, his signature black Sharpie pen squeaking as he went.It’s a lot to process — not just for members of the press like myself but for the public, who must then (hopefully) consume and understand scores of news reports on these many executive actions. Courts are also scrambling to keep up, as many of the orders propose novel interpretations of laws that must now be argued in front of judges. Or, as a federal judge said Thursday, “blatantly unconstitutional” orders that have come from a stroke of Trump’s pen.That was the judge’s immediate judgment of Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship, a right enshrined in the 14th amendment that was originally intended to grant the full protections of American citizenship to children of slaves. Since then, the American right has become convinced that birthright citizenship is being abused by undocumented immigrants who come here illegally, then have children who are then granted citizenship under the amendment’s provisions.While that certainly has been the case, no one until now has ever tried to seriously argue that the 14th amendment should be done away with. But, as I wrote before Trump took office, everything bad that you can imagine happening, Trump and his people will try to make it so. Plus, all systems will be tested — including heretofore universally-accepted norms, rules and laws like birthright citizenship.But that’s just one of the executive orders Trump signed this week. I went through many of them and have provided a brief rundown not just of what they mean, but further context that is often missing from the political press’ coverage of these actions. There’s a certain level of translation required to understand the why behind many of these orders. That’s because the American right speaks a different language rooted in the alternate information ecosystem in which they live. Luckily, I speak that language and can help shed light as to why Trump and his team are pushing for the following changes to our laws and society.***This post is for all subscribers to American Doom. To help support my reporting, I encourage you to sign up for a paid subscription. It’s the best way to support the independent journalism I’ll be producing—fact-based investigations and news that are going to be crucial to cutting through the chaos of the coming days, weeks, months and years.That’s why I’m offering an Inauguration Special—a 20 percent discount on annual subscriptions to American Doom, from $50 a year to $40. This gets you access to all paywalled posts containing exclusive reporting, past posts that contain exclusive findings on election denial officials working across the country, subscriber live chats, and audio versions of posts for those times when you don’t have the time to read but still want to keep with the news. I hope you’ll join me. And as always, you can also buy me a cup of coffee at the Doom Coffee Fund if you prefer a one-time contribution.***Before we get to the executive orders, a couple quick news items worth paying attention to. First up, House Republicans have launched a new January 6 committee — not to look into Trump’s role in the attempted overthrow of the 2020 election and the attack on the Capitol or anything like that, but instead to probe Democrats’ role in supposed security failures. It also looks like it’s a decent possibility that some of the rioters themselves will end up testifying in front of the committee. This isn’t surprising, because the real purpose of this committee is to explore conspiracy theories about the FBI or Antifa being the actual parties responsible for the violence that day. Basically, it’s only a matter of time until January 6 insurrectionists are applauded on the floor of Congress.Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Trump said he was open to the idea that some of the people he pardoned be given the opportunity to testify in front of the committee. It doesn’t look like former Trump staffer Cassidy Hutchinson, however, will be testifying to the new committee. That’s because an aide to House Speaker Mike Johnson recommended to Republicans that they not subpoena Hutchinson. If they did, the aide warned, their graphic sexual texts to Hutchinson could become part of the congressional record, the Washington Post reported Thursday afternoon.You might remember Hutchinson as the former White House staffer who blew the doors open on Trump’s involvement in the attack on the Capitol. She’s the one who claimed that Trump tried to overtake a Secret Service agent in his furious attempt to join his supporters as they marched toward violence that day. Naturally, Republicans hate her guts for this, so one can only imagine how bad these texts must be.Prepare for the wars to come* Executive orders: Trump's personal army, abandoning Afghan war heroes, more expensive prescriptions* Trump's first victims* What comes next - Rules of procedure for the next four years* You are not alone - On recovery.* Feelings over facts in a new information ageAgain, the whole point of this committee is to platform conspiracy theories about the attempted insurrection that could deflect from Trump’s involvement, reduce the amount of focus on the violence of his supporters and, I’m assuming, once again dig into conspiracies about the 2020 election. Yes, we’re probably headed there again.One other quick item: Trump lied to his supporters on Tuesday night, telling them that the southern border is “closed.” It’s not, of course. Trump says this stuff all the time but what struck me is that he reiterated the point with specifics.“As you know, the border was closed at exactly 1:05 in the afternoon today,” Trump told those gathered at the Starlight Ball, an inauguration gala. “And I don’t mean closed. I mean really closed. It’s closed.”What Trump meant to mean is that the border isn’t just closed for asylum seekers and refugees, it’s closed. As in, you can’t go across it. I know this is a little thing but stuff like this drives me nuts. The border is absolutely not closed. Just to be sure, I texted a photographer friend at the border who confirmed he had come back from Juárez into El Paso after Trump claimed to have closed the border.I know, Trump lies and the sky is blue. But still, the truth is the truth. Now, onto the executive orders.It takes a lot of time to put these posts together, so if you want to support my work the best way to do so is with a paid subcription for $40 a year or $5 a month. Your funds go directly to my independent journalism.***Executive orders* Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship - This order allows for witch hunts of government officials who call out right-wing misinformation. Part of this order comes from a section of Project 2025 written by Gene Hamilton, a former DOJ official in the first Trump administration and a high-up in Stephen Miller’s America First Legal. Hamilton is also behind recommendations that the Justice Department investigate and prosecute local and state election officials if they follow state election rules that Republicans don’t like. I’m waiting for some shoes to drop on that front but will have a report soon that details this push to weaponize the DOJ to engage in voter suppression and intimidation.* Declaring a National Emergency at the Southern Border of the United States - This order allows for deployment of troops to the southern border, the building or strengthening of the border wall, increases drone surveillance, and gives more leeway in use of force policies to law enforcement coming into contact with migrants.* Guaranteeing the States Protection Against Invasion - This looks to be the executive order that deals with Miller's attempts to identify diseases carried by immigrants as a pretext to create harsher immigration rules and laws. It prohibits entry for immigrants who "fail to provide Federal officials with sufficient medical information." Key language: “... millions of aliens who potentially pose significant threats to health, safety, and national security have moved into communities nationwide.”* Protecting the Meaning and Value of Birthright Citizenship - This is an executive order in search of a Supreme Court case and the accompanying media coverage. It seeks to cancel birthright citizenship and will almost surely end up in the Supreme Court, where Trump and the American right will get their wishes and be able to argue to the public that immigrants are taking advantage of the 14th amendment.* Restoring Accountability to Policy-Influencing Positions Within the Federal Workforce - This order allows for the arbitrary firing of federal employees—i.e. career public servants who are not loyal to Trump. Key language: "In recent years, however, there have been numerous and well-documented cases of career Federal employees resisting and undermining the policies and directives of their executive leadership."* Protecting the American People Against Invasion - Rescinds a handful of Biden executive orders on immigration and orders DHS to begin contract solicitations for expanding immigration detention facilities. The order also seeks to "withhold federal funds" from so-called sanctuary cities, and advises DHS and the DOJ to undertake "any other lawful actions, criminal or civil, that they deem warranted" in relation to sanctuary cities. This likely means prosecuting Democratic officials in cities and states that don't comply with Trump's immigration plans. The order also demands the hiring of more immigration officers in several agencies.* Securing Our Borders - Resumes construction of border wall, cancels the CBP One app that migrants were using to navigate the immigration court system, resumes the Remain in Mexico program, and removes specific protections for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans.* Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program - Suspends the U.S. refugee program for 90 days except for on a case-by-case basis. Revokes a Biden-era executive order that created a program to study and prepare for the effects of climate change on migration—climate refugees, in other words.* Holding Former Government Officials Accountable for Election Interference and Improper Disclosure of Sensitive Governmental Information - Got all that? This order reprimands the 51 signatories of a letter proclaiming stories about Hunter Biden's laptop to be the product of a Russian misinformation campaign, as well as John Bolton for publishing a memoir that the Trump administration claims contained sensitive national security information. This looks to be the Trump administration's response to him being charged for illegally possessing classified information at Mar-a-Lago.*** This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.american-doom.com/subscribe

Next week, Donald Trump will be inaugurated as president. The ensuing months and years will bring much chaos and catastrophe. I say that not to scare you but because it’s the truth. Much of the legacy media continues to fail to meet this fraught moment by acting as if this is politics as usual — American life as usual. (See these many examples as well as the general turmoil at the Washington Post.) Needless to say, none of this is normal.Independent journalism like the kind I produce here will be crucial to getting factual information free from authoritarian spin, which is why I’m grateful for the support of my subscribers here at American Doom. Many of you have chosen to support my work with a paid subscription, but many more of you remain on the fence. I’d like to hear from you about what you’re looking for, what I can provide for you, and what will push you over the edge to supporting my work here with your hard-earned dollars.This week, I’m offering an Inauguration Special — a 20 percent discount on annual subscriptions to American Doom, from $50 a year to $40. This gets you access to all paywalled posts containing exclusive reporting, as well as audio versions of posts for those times when you don’t have the time to read but still want to keep with the news. I hope you’ll join me. As always, you can also buy me a cup of coffee at the Doom Coffee Fund.Thank you for your support.***While the fires out west have continued to rage, the American right has been in rare form, blaming any Democratic official or progressive policy they can think of for this ongoing natural disaster.The behavior has been particularly grotesque and craven — which is saying a lot for a political party led by Donald Trump — but mostly unsurprising for those of us who have been documenting the hyper-polarized information warfare of the last decade. Naturally, Trump has led the attack, not waiting for even a hint of relief in the battle against the flames before launching a series of attacks against Gov. Gavin Newsom and others.Republicans have fallen in line, putting on display the party’s utter lack of empathy. It’s an emptiness of the soul that is juxtaposed by the emptiness felt by so many people in California as they look around at possessions, homes, neighborhoods and lives that are now, in some cases, completely gone, as Brian Tyler Cohen put it the other day.More from the Doom podcast* The coming misinformation war - Meta is ending fact-checking at a time when reputable information is needed more than ever.* Threats, harassment and intimidation at the polls with Mike Wendling of the BBC* 'Hands up, don't shoot' - The legacy of Ferguson with DeRay McKessonCohen, who has called Los Angeles home for the last 15 years, has been one of the lucky ones. His home and life are intact. A powerful voice in independent media, Cohen has consistently called out the insanity, absurdity, lies, cons, and shamelessness — as the title of his recent book makes clear — of the American right in the Trump era.I caught up with Cohen recently about the causes of the California wildfires, which have little to do with the culture war grievances being put forth by Trump and Republicans, and more to do with the issue they continuously ignore: climate change.You can view our discussion above, listen to it here, or subscribe to the American Doom podcast on Apple and Spotify, as well as our YouTube page.*** This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.american-doom.com/subscribe