Week 11 — The Return

Experts in authoritarianism advise to keep a list of things subtly changing around you, so you’ll remember.

In his inauguration speech this week, Trump invoked a new “golden age,” but the reality of his incoming regime is more akin to a return of the Gilded Age. Week 11’s image captures the awkward oligarchs, at the same time heeled and venerated by Trump, as the country bears witness to power and wealth becoming even more concentrated among a chosen few.

Typically the dais at presidential inaugurations is reserved for former presidents and vice presidents, family, and other important officials. For Trump, it was filled with billionaires — the richest men in the world — who control some of the most important industries. If the first Gilded Age was about oligarchs controlling then prominent industries like the railroads and steel, this go-round it’s oligarchs groveling to gain control of artificial intelligence, space travel, and social media communications. Their millions are availing them of even more access to power, from a seller willing to partner and profit alongside them, at the expense of the American people.

Case in point this week, in what seemed to be a not-so-subtly scripted reality television show, TikTok publicly heralded Trump as the platform’s savior, as a ban was set to take effect. Notably, two of the oligarchs in Trump’s circles, Elon Musk and Larry Ellison, both of whom are huge donors to Trump’s campaign, have been mentioned as possible buyers of a stake in this extremely valuable company’s U.S. operations. No wonder corporate titans and corporations with business in front of the incoming regime are continuing to trip over themselves to get on Trump’s good side. Obeying in advance is rewarded with the possibility of unlimited treasure!

This week, as Trump took office for the second time, he arrives with a plethora of baggage. Trump is the oldest and first convicted felon as president, and the only president to be the subject of impeachment proceedings two times. Although Trump continues to act with much bravado as the second regime begins, in reality he takes office viewed more negatively than any president in the past 70 years. His policies on the economy and immigration are much more popular than he is. Also, Americans continue to largely tune him out, as revealed by his abysmal inauguration television ratings — something we all know well that he cares about immensely!

As promised, Trump flooded the zone with orders after his inauguration, many of which will be fought in the court system, as well as the court of public opinion. He enters in what he and many others view as a high note, having conquered and vanquished those who opposed him. Which begs the question, is there any way to go but down? The reaction to his crypto exploits might give us a taste of what happens when his rhetoric meets reality. Trump has also set himself up as accountable for the actions of released insurrectionists, after facing pushback from his own party for releasing hundreds who committed acts of violence, including against law enforcement officers.

1. On Wednesday, in his farewell address, President Joseph Biden called out the role of billionaires in the incoming Trump regime, saying, “an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy.”
2. Biden took a swipe at Trump, calling on Congress to amend the Constitution to “make clear that no president” is “immune from the crimes that he or she commits while in office,” adding a president’s power should not be “absolute.”
3. Biden lamented the “crumbling” of a free press,” and knocked Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta for giving up on fact-checking, saying, “The truth is smothered by lies told for power and for profit.”
4. Barron’s reported that the second Trump regime is stacked with the ultrawealthy, including 12 billionaires and and six centi-millionaires, many of whom stand to directly benefit from their access to power.
5. NYT reported the government of Albania gave preliminary approval to a plan for Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, to build a $1.4 billion luxury hotel complex. Albania has foreign policy matters pending with the U.S.
6. On Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson removed Rep. Michael Turner as Intelligence Chairman at Trump’s request. Turner, a mainstream Republican for decades, had been critical of Trump at times, and is an advocate for Ukraine.
7. On Wednesday, WAPO reported Trump is considering an executive order once he is sworn in to suspend enforcement of the TikTok ban-or-sale law for 60 to 90 days, if the Supreme Court upholds the law.
8. Trump allies have built him up as the lone man who can rescue TikTok, and said a first day decree days after an expected Supreme Court ruling would add a cinematic touch.
9. On Wednesday, NYT reported the Trump Vance Inaugural Committee invited TikTok CEO Shou Chew to attend the inauguration. He will be seated on the dais along with billionaires Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and others.
10. Trump started to change his opinion on the TikTok ban that he had formerly supported after meeting with Republican megadonor Jeff Yass, who owns a significant share of ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company.​ He also heralded its usefulness in helping him win the election.
11. Politico reported Google CEO Sundar Pichai will also attend the inauguration, and be seated on the dais. Google has been the target of some Republican senators, and the subject of two Justice Department lawsuits.
12. Traditionally, dais seating is reserved for former presidents, family members and other important guests.
13. ABC News reported former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will not attend Trump’s inauguration. She did attend in 2017.
14. NBC News reported former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush will not attend Trump’s traditional inaugural lunch. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will also not attend.
15. NYT reported Ken Howery, Trump’s pick for ambassador to Denmark, a tech investor and close friend of Musk, may play a role in efforts for the U.S. to buy Greenland, which Denmark says is not for sale.
16. NYT reported anti-immigrant zealot Stephen Miller will hold more power in the second regime as Trump’s deputy chief of staff. He has been working in secrecy on dozen of draft executive orders, using lawyers outside the DOJ, for Trump to use on immigration.
17. Miller plans to flood the zone, believing Democrats and groups who resisted the first regime are exhausted and have limited bandwidth, and plans to operate in secrecy to prevent anyone from obstructing Trump’s agenda.
18. Miller played a direct role in outreach to Zuckerberg, who promised not to obstruct Trump’s agenda, and blamed his former chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, for an inclusivity initiative that Meta has announced it will roll back.
19. NYT reported that so far 19 Fox News hosts, commentators, producers and other personnel are set to join the Trump regime, a record number of cabinet and staffers for any for any single media organization.
20. On Friday, the Supreme Court unanimously rejected TikTok’s First Amendment challenge. In a video on the platform, CEO Chew praised Trump “for his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States.”
21. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the ruling enabled the DOJ to prevent the Chinese government using TikTok to “undermine America’s national security,” and having “unfettered access to millions of Americans’ sensitive data.”
22. Trump, who spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping shortly after the ruling, posted on Truth Social, “My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation. Stay tuned!”
23. On Saturday, TikTok gradually went dark, a day before the ban was set to take effect. A notification on the platform read, “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution.”
24. On Sunday, TikTok restored service, thanking Trump for “the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers.” A notification on the platform also credited the return to “President Trump’s efforts.”
25. On Sunday, Steve Bannon, former adviser to Trump, told ABC’s “This Week” that Trump “broke the oligarchs” and they “surrendered.” Bannon also called Zuckerberg “a criminal,” and said he should be “properly adjudicated,” adding, he will “flip on us in the second.”
26. On Thursday, a federal judge in Texas ruled that Idaho, Kansas, and Missouri can revive challenges the three states had made to federal rules making the abortion drug mifepristone accessible.
27. On Friday, IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said he would resign, three years into his term. Congress has intentionally given the commissioner role a five-year term to insulate the agency from partisan politics.
28. WSJ reported executives from Paramount Global, owner of CBS, are considering settling a lawsuit filed by Trump, after Trump’s incoming regime warned Paramount that the review of their proposed merger with Skydance Media will be tougher than they anticipated.
29. WAPO reported that the Office of Government Ethics was still evaluating Kennedy’s financial disclosures as of Friday, delaying a possible Senate confirmation hearing. At issue are possible conflicts of interest.
30. On Friday, WSJ reported the Trump regime plans to begin large-scale deportations on Tuesday morning, with 100 to 200 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement being sent to Chicago, an early target.
31. On Saturday, Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan denounced the leak on the Chicago blitz, and said the regime is reconsidering its operation in Chicago.
32. NYT reported Trump starts the second regime viewed more negatively than any president in 70 years, as support for his policies on issues such as immigration and the economy exceeded support for him.
33. The poll found 73% of American oppose Trump pursuing legal challenges against his perceived enemies, with nearly half saying they are strongly opposed.
34. The poll also found that just 3 in 10 Americans strongly approve (14%) or somewhat approve (15%) of Trump’s cabinet picks. More than 7 in 10 said the government was mostly working to benefit itself and the elites, including 80% of Republicans and 67% of Democrats and Independents.
35. On Friday, Trump launched a surprise crypto coin through posts on Truth Social and X, with the slogan “Fight, fight, fight!” The price of the meme coin soared, while some traders expressed doubts about the validity of the social media posts.
36. Trump’s cryptocurrency surged in value, becoming the nineteenth most valuable digital currency in just two days. Trump’s stake was worth as much as $51 billion, which including his current net worth of $6.7 billion would make him one of the richest people in the world.
37. Trump’s new czar of cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence, billionaire David Sacks, told the crowd at the Crypto Ball on Saturday that “the reign of terror against crypto is over.” Eric Trump posted a video of Sacks’ remarks on social media.
38. On Sunday, incoming First Lady Melania Trump launched her own cryptocurrency. The token was traded up more than 50% in the first day, and was worth more than $2 billion.
39. On Saturday, WSJ reported Jan. 6 insurrectionists returned to the U.S. Capital in triumph, receiving a heroes’ welcome. One was given a two-day pass by a judge from home detention, and wore the required ankle monitors.
40. Some supporters held vigil outside the Central Detention Facility, a prison where dozens of Jan 6. insurrectionists are are being held. They called it an “exciting time,” and said Trump would keep his promises.
41. Roughly 30,000 Democrats marched in the People’s March, for a variety of causes or issues. The march had far fewer than the Women’s March of 2017 which garnered millions around the world.
42. On Sunday, Trump held a rally in Washington D.C., his first since the rally prior to the January 6, 2021 insurrection. Trump told supporters “four long years of American decline” would end tomorrow, and called Biden’s “a failed administration.”
43. Trump’s speech was full of lies, and misleading and exaggerated claims. He took credit for reviving TikTok, and a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, adding, “We’ve achieved more without being president than they’ve achieved in four years with being president.”
44. Trump vowed to stop Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts “all across the government.” He also told supporters they would be “very happy” tomorrow when they hear his decision on the Jan. 6 “hostages.”
45. Stephen Miller told the crowd, “Accountability is coming. Justice is coming,” adding, “The whole federal bureaucracy is about to learn that they don’t work for themselves. They work for you.”
46. Elon Musk, with his four year-old son on stage, vowed changes to “set the foundation for America to be strong for centuries, forever.” Musk has also tempered expectations during the week for reductions in government spending.
47. CBS News reported that Vivek Remaswamy was expected to depart the Department of Government Efficiency, citing people close to his co-lead Musk have privately undercut him for weeks.
48. Musk’s DOGE was sued minutes after Trump was inaugurated by the National Security Counselors, citing DOGE is breaking a 1972 law requiring advisory committees to follow certain rules on disclosure, hiring, and other practices.
49. On Monday, hours before Trump’s inauguration, Biden issued pre-emptive pardons for former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley, Dr. Anthony Fauci, members and staff of the House Jan. 6 Committee, and Capitol and D.C. Metropolitan police officers who testified before the committee.
50. In the final minutes of his presidency, Biden also pardoned several other Biden family members, saying, “My family has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me.”
51. On Monday, WAPO reported scores of career State Department diplomats resigned shortly before Trump’s inauguration, after having been instructed by Trump aides to do so. The departures led to a mass exodus of decorated veterans of the Foreign Service.
52. On Monday, in his inauguration speech, similar to 2017 and his rallies, Trump painted a dystopian image of the country, and extolled himself as the savior, saying, “America’s decline is over,” and “The golden age of America begins right now.”
53. Trump invoked the phrase “Manifest Destiny,” which has historically been used to justify expansionism in the U.S., and mentioned changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico and Mount Denali, and reclaiming Panama Canal.
54. Trump painted himself as a victim, saying “The vicious, violent and unfair weaponization of the Justice Department and our government will end.” And although in the first regime he had pushed for prosecution of his foes, said “Never again will the immense power of the state be weaponized to persecute political opponents.”
55. Trump promised to launch American astronauts to Mars, a move that could financially benefit Musk’s and Jeff Bezos’ business interests, both of whom were in the audience.
56. Former Vice President Dan Quayle, a Republican who served with President George H.W. Bush, was the only former vice president or president to attend Trump’s inauguration lunch.
57. Lorenzo Sewell, a pastor who spoke at Trump’s inauguration, hours later urged people on social media to buy “the official Lorenzo Sewell” cryptocurrency, extolling, “go and get that coin in order for us to accomplish the vision that God has called us to do on the earth.”
58. In a speech celebrating Trump, Musk made a hand gesture twice, placing his hand to his heart then extending his arm out above his head with his palm facing down, invoking comparisons to the “Fascists salute” popularized by Adolph Hitler.
59. Musk was given a badge to enter the White House complex, and will likely get a West Wing office, and secured a White House email address. His DOGE was assigned at least four people at each federal agency to help implement cost-cutting.
60. Following his inauguration, Trump signed dozens of executive orders, many rolling back Biden’s domestic agenda, including policies related to transgender people, D.E.I. programs, the environment, and an effort to reunite families separated under Trump’s family separation policy.
61. Trump declared the country’s first national energy emergency, which would grant him powers to suspend certain environmental rules, and expedite permitting of mining projects and fossil fuel extraction.
62. Trump withdrew the U.S. again from the Paris Accord and the World Health Organization. He renamed Mount Denali as Mount McKinley, and Gulf of Mexico as Gulf of America.
63. Trump took unprecedented steps on immigration, suspending the Refugee Admissions Program, expanding the use of expedited removals, declaring a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, and moving to end birthright citizenship.
64. On the federal workforce, Trump instituted a hiring freeze, ended remote work policies, and restored a category of federal workers known as Schedule F, which lack the same job protections as career civil servants.
65. While signing executive orders in the Oval Office, Trump aired grievances to members of the press about his political opponents, and repeated false claims about the 2020 election, saying, “I believe in the sanctity of the vote. The Democrats didn’t because they cheated like dogs.”
66. Trump ordered his attorney general not to enforce the ban on TikTok, granting the company a 75 day reprieve. He also ordered that flags should going forward fly at full-staff on Inauguration day.
67. Trump signed “Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government,” which some feared could be a roadmap to retribution against DOJ and intelligence officials from the Biden and other past administrations.
68. Under that order, Trump revoked security clearance of 51 former U.S. officials who were signatories to a letter sent during the 2020 presidential campaign, which claimed emails from Hunter Biden’s laptop appeared to be part of a Russian election-influence operation.
69. Trump revoked U.S. Secret Service protection for John Bolton, his former national security adviser, who had been publicly critical of him. Bolton was granted protection due to threats for his life from Iran.
70. Trump also signed an order granting immediate top-secret security clearance to whomever he wants for six months, blaming a backlog created by the Biden Administration.
71. Trump pardoned more than 1,500 Jan. 6 insurrectionists, including those who assaulted law enforcement officers. He also commuted the sentences of fourteen members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, who were convicted of seditious conspiracy.
72. Hours after the sweeping pardons, Trump’s new U.S. attorney in Washington, Ed Martin, a longtime advocate for Jan. 6 defendants, started dismissing cases related to the insurrection.
73. Trump supporters stood outside the D.C. jail, waiting for convicted insurrectionists to be processed and released. The mood was mixed, as in some cases family members had turned in relatives.
74. After midnight, in his first Truth Social post since the inauguration, Trump fired four officials appointed by Biden to councils, posting “YOU’RE FIRED!” and adding “over a thousand more” face imminent dismissal.
75. The Trump regime also fired four top immigration court officials at the Justice Department’s Executive Office of Immigration Review late Monday. The four were civil servants, not political appointees.
76. On Tuesday, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde asked Trump at an interfaith service to “have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now,” naming LGBTQ people, immigrants, children, and people fleeing war zones. Trump told reporters he “didn’t think it was a good service, no. They can do much better.”
77. On Tuesday, Trump fired U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Linda Fagan, the first woman to lead a branch of the American armed forces. Among other rationales, the regime claimed she had “excessive focus” on diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
78. On Tuesday, attorneys general for 22 states sued Trump in two district courts, seeking to block his executive order related to birthright citizenship, writing, “Presidents are powerful, but he is not a king. He cannot rewrite the Constitution with a stroke of the pen.”
79. Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell criticized Trump’s Jan. 6 pardons, which including 600 who assaulted law enforcement, saying, “No one should excuse violence. And particularly violence against police officers.” A handful of other Republican senators also spoke out.
80. On Tuesday, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and Proud Boys former leader Enrique Tarrio were released from federal prison. Rhodes was sentenced to 18 year in prison, and Tarrio to 22 years.
81. Jacob Chansley, nicknamed the “QAnon Shaman,” was also released. He posted on X, “J6ers are getting released & JUSTICE HAS COME…EVERYTHING done in the dark WILL come to light!” adding “NOW I AM GONNA BUY SOME MOTHA FU*KIN GUNS!!!”
82. On Tuesday, the ex sister-in-law of Peter Hegseth, Danielle Hegseth, submitted a sworn statement to senators, saying he was “abusive” to his second wife, and she feared for her safety.
83. Her statement also said Hegseth routinely passed out from alcohol abuse at family gatherings and in public venues, and detailed instances of being disorderly while in uniform in public settings.
84. Danielle also said in her affidavit that she had conveyed this information to the FBI when she was interviewed in December, adding she came forward after it was not included in the FBI report to Senate leaders.
85. On Tuesday, Trump told reporters he would allow Musk to buy TikTok “if he wanted to buy it,” or his friend and donor, Larry Ellison, the billionaire co-founder of Oracle, who was in the room.
86. He also defended his pardon of Jan. 6 insurrectionists, saying they “were treated unbelievably poorly,” and adding, “Biden gave a pardon yesterday to a lot of criminals,” including “the J6 ‘Unselect’ Committee.”
87. On Tuesday, Trump revoked a directive barring arrests in “sensitive” areas. The regime’s Department of Homeland Security announced it would authorize ICE to target schools and churches.
88. AP reported Trump’s goodwill with the cryptocurrency industry was damaged after he and Melania launched meme coins, which were seen as an unseemly cash grab, with one veteran calling it “grifty and cheap.”
89. The price of both coins spiked before dropping precipitously, hurting some inexperienced investors who viewed their purchases as backing Trump. Industry players were also concerned that his greed would hurt the ability to enact reforms.
90. On Wednesday, the regime ordered all federal employees of diversity, equity and inclusion programs to be placed on administrative leave by 5 p.m. in anticipation of widespread layoffs.
91. On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order revoking an executive order signed by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965 banning discrimination in federal hiring.
92. On Wednesday, the Trump regime removed the Spanish version of the White House website.
93. On Wednesday, the regime notified officials at health agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Institutes of Health to pause all external communications.
94. On Wednesday, the interim leadership of the DOJ ordered U.S. attorneys to investigate and prosecute any law enforcement officials in states and cities who refuse to enforce the regime’s new immigration policies.
95. On Wednesday, the regime sent 1,500 active-duty troops to the southern border. The Defense Department said this was to help meet Trump’s goal of stopping the flow of migrants into the U.S.
96. Americans continued to tune out Trump: just 26 million watched his inauguration, versus 40 million for Biden in 2021, and 38.3 million for Trump in 2017. The audience on Fox News was in line with 2017.

(L-R) CEO of Meta and Facebook Mark Zuckerberg, Lauren Sanchez, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk attend the inauguration ceremony before Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th US President in the US Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC, USA on January 20, 2025. Photo by SAUL LOEB/POOL/Abaca/Sipa USA(Sipa via AP Images)