DEMOCRACY WATCHThe Real Purpose of Trump’s Lies | Oklahoma Proposes Teaching 2020 Election “Discrepancies” in U.S. History | Outside America, Musk's X Is a Foreign Influence Threat, and more

Trump’s Attempts to Muzzle the Press Look Familiar  (By András Pethő, The Atlantic)
Much of what the U.S. president has done to curb independent media echoes the Hungarian autocrat Viktor Orbán’s playbook.

How Trump Allies Helped Pave the Way for Andrew Tate’s Return  (Josie Ensor, The Times)
The president has kept his distance since the Tates’arrival back in the US, but as meetings with the likes of Dana White and Kanye West show, the brothers are deeply connected to his administration.

Under G.O.P., Congress Cedes Power to Trump, Eroding Its Influence  (Carl Hulse and Catie Edmondson, New York Times)
On spending, oversight and other issues, Republican lawmakers have willingly ceded power traditionally reserved for Congress to the Trump White House.

In Speech to Justice Dept., Trump Airs Grievances Against His Enemies  (Glenn ThrushZolan Kanno-Youngs and Tyler Pager, New York Times)
The president, once the target of federal prosecution, says he wants to combat “weaponization”of the department, even as he uses its powers to punish enemies and reward allies.

Oklahoma Proposes Teaching 2020 Election “Discrepancies” in U.S. History  (Sarah Mervosh, New York Times)
The Oklahoma Board of Education recently approved a new, more conservative social studies agenda that has irked even some Republicans.

Russian Character Assassination Campaign Against Berlin Journalist Covering Antisemitism and Right-Wing Extremism  (Sebastian Leber, Tagesspiegel)
According to Tagesspiegel research, the platform, which operates from Berlin, is the direct successor to the propaganda medium “Redfish”, which was owned by Russia’s state media, as my colleagues have documented here and here. Red denies this. Last year, the US government even explicitly accused Russia of using “Red” to exert covert influence. After Red’s attacks against Nicholas Potter, various activists joined the campaign, not only spreading Red’s false allegations but also inventing even more absurd lies. Civil society organizations and experts greatly appreciated Potter’s work. But it was precisely his reports on Jew-hatred on the left that made Potter a target. A few months ago, I attended one of his readings from “Judenhass Underground”. These regularly have to take place under police protection.

Outside America, Musk’s X Is a Foreign Influence Threat  (Tom Uren, Lawfare)
Even before Musk bought Twitter in 2022, the company’s own research found its algorithm had a right-wing skew. Here’s the difference, though. At the time, the finding was viewed as a potential problem within the company. When Twitter reported the results of its research, it stated that “further root cause analysis is required in order to determine what, if any, changes are required to reduce adverse impacts by our Home timeline algorithm.”
Since Musk took charge, the company has abandoned any pretense that the platform is striving for balance. Instead, it’s reshaped its algorithms to suit Musk’s personal whims. When a 2023 Musk tweet hyping the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl received fewer views than a similar tweet from President Biden, Musk demanded that Twitter’s algorithm be “fixed.”

Trump Administration Appears to Launch “Alien Enemies Act” Deportation Program  (Ryan Goodman, Just Security)
On Friday, the Trump administration appeared to start the process of carrying out the deportation of Venezuelan nationals pursuant to the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime authority that legal experts warn is clearly not applicable to those individuals. 
The Act requires invocation of its authorities to be made public, but as of the time of publication there is no indication that a presidential proclamation has been publicly released. CNN has reported, however, that President Donald Trump was set to issue such a proclamation as soon as Friday and described senior White House officials stating that the executive action would target Venezuelan nationals alleged to be affiliated with the Tren de Aragua gang.

The Real Purpose of Trump’s Lies  (Eduardo Porter, Washington Post)
Trump’s style of lying has the power to shape group identities in an increasingly polarized world.

Trump’s Grievance-Filled Speech Makes Clear His Quest for Vengeance Is Personal  (Alan Feuer, New York Times)
The sole offense of those President Trump singled out in remarks at the Justice Department appeared to have been trying to hold him accountable for his actions.

Yes, the Law Can Still Constrain Trump  (Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic)
It’s not a magic wand to save America—but neither is it entirely useless.

How Hitler Dismantled a Democracy in 53 Days  (Timothy W. Ryback, The Atlantic)
He used the constitution to shatter the constitution.

The Solzhenitsyn Test  (Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic)
Lying is a prerequisite for securing a Trump appointment.