This Week in Democracy – Week 59: An Illegal War Abroad, More Madness at Home
Zeteo's weekly round-up, documenting the growth of authoritarianism in Trump's second term.
TWID: "Americans didn’t vote for Trump’s illegal war with Iran – nor do they support it today. Their representatives in Congress didn’t authorize it. But that doesn’t matter to a man who cares about no one but himself..."
READ: zeteo.com/p/this-week-...
07.03.2026 00:44
👍 104
🔁 20
💬 2
📌 1
“The transparent ‘Israel First’ impetus has never been so visible.”
Former Israeli peace negotiator Daniel Levy argues that U.S. incoherence under Donald Trump has enabled Benjamin Netanyahu to advance a strategy of regional domination.
Read more: zeteo.com/p/netanyahu-...
06.03.2026 22:40
👍 157
🔁 68
💬 6
📌 1
“This is just yet another so-called reason to get rid of her because she has caused the White House so much embarrassment over recent months.”
Asawin Suebsaeng @swin24.bsky.social breaks down the incredibly stupid reason Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was fired by Trump.
06.03.2026 21:34
👍 137
🔁 30
💬 2
📌 1
Why Netanyahu Duped Trump Into the Illegal War With Iran
Former Israeli peace negotiator Daniel Levy on how Trump's incoherence has allowed a small settler-colonial state to pursue a far-reaching mission of domination in the region.
Why Netanyahu Duped Trump Into the Illegal War With Iran
Former Israeli peace negotiator Daniel Levy on how Trump's incoherence has allowed a small settler-colonial state to pursue a far-reaching mission of domination in the region.
Read now: zeteo.com/p/netanyahu-...
06.03.2026 20:28
👍 98
🔁 28
💬 4
📌 3
“[Iranians] don't trust Trump because he got out of a deal with them and then bombed them twice in the middle of negotiations.”
Iranian-affairs expert @alivaez.bsky.social explains how a deal between Iran’s interim leadership and Trump would be ‘politically toxic.’
Watch: zeteo.com/p/ali-vaez-t...
06.03.2026 20:26
👍 91
🔁 31
💬 1
📌 0
CBS News’ war coverage on Iran, under Bari Weiss, is a ‘propaganda-palooza,’ as one staffer puts it.
From deploying pro-Israeli anchor Tony Dokoupil to the Middle East to expressing her political views about Zohran Mamdani — Weiss’ CBS take over is going how we thought it would.
06.03.2026 18:39
👍 107
🔁 23
💬 4
📌 1
"Israel has said it wants regime change in Iran for 40 years."
From the new 'We're Not Kidding', award-winning broadcaster Ayman Mohyeldin joins @mehdirhasan.bsky.social to unpack the US and Israel's war with Iran.
Watch the full episode:
zeteo.com/p/ayman-mohy...
06.03.2026 17:00
👍 82
🔁 22
💬 5
📌 3
“[Trump’s] endangered American lives since he took office... What he's doing is presidential excess and overreach.”
Rep. André Carson tells @mehdirhasan.bsky.social how Trump has put more Americans at risk, abroad and at home, by attacking Iran.
Watch the conversation: zeteo.com/p/no-intel-i...
06.03.2026 15:17
👍 91
🔁 29
💬 4
📌 1
In today’s ’First Draft’, @mehdirhasan.bsky.social on the Republican religious nutjobs pining for Armageddon in the Middle East.
Read here: zeteo.com/p/holy-war-a...
06.03.2026 14:19
👍 110
🔁 30
💬 9
📌 3
Thomas Massie tells @premthakker.bsky.social Trump’s war on Iran is “at least costing $1 billion a day,” and warns that Congress may send even more straight to the “military industry complex.”
Subscribe to zeteo.com to follow more of Prem's coverage
06.03.2026 02:55
👍 364
🔁 127
💬 14
📌 12
“They’ve lied to the American people. We are clearly at war.”
@premthakker.bsky.social asked Rep. Pat Ryan whether the illegal strike on an Iranian naval ship violated the law of war.
If you want to follow more of Prem’s reporting, subscribe to zeteo.com
06.03.2026 00:33
👍 547
🔁 194
💬 12
📌 6
Rep. Randy Fine claims it was Iran, not the US, that bombed a girls school killing over 160 people.
When asked what evidence he has — he says, “what's the evidence they didn’t?”
Subscribe to Zeteo to support more accountability journalism like this: zeteo.com/subscribe!
06.03.2026 00:04
👍 278
🔁 63
💬 50
📌 11
"[Trump's] calling it a war... [Republicans are] afraid that it makes them look even tinier than they already are.”
Rep. @ericswalwell.bsky.social says Republicans are afraid of looking “even tinier than they already are” as they try to claim the US is not at war when Trump is saying it out loud.
05.03.2026 23:03
👍 1155
🔁 324
💬 39
📌 8
“This is Israel’s ultimate objective [in Iran].’
Crisis Group’s Iran Project Director Ali Vaez joined @mehdirhasan.bsky.social to discuss Trump arming Kurdish separatist groups to destabilize Iran and the very real threat of state collapse that Israel wants.
zeteo.com/p/ali-vaez-t...
05.03.2026 22:08
👍 75
🔁 19
💬 1
📌 2
Markwayne Mullin — Trump‘s new pick to lead DHS and protect Americans — asked just months ago if he knew how many Americans the Israeli military had killed: “I haven’t even given it much thought.”
Subscribe to Zeteo:
zeteo.com/subscribe
05.03.2026 21:39
👍 287
🔁 99
💬 18
📌 7
BREAKING: Kristi Noem, Trump’s DHS secretary, is out of the Department of Homeland Security, but not for the reasons you think.
@andrewperez.bsky.social & @swin24.bsky.social explain how the DHS will remain under the control of Stephen Miller, plus Noem's new role.
Read: zeteo.com/p/trump-kris...
05.03.2026 20:31
👍 89
🔁 20
💬 4
📌 1
BREAKING: Trump Axes His Puppy Killer
Kristi Noem is out at the Department of Homeland Security, partly for a very silly reason. The department will remain under the control of Stephen Miller.
BREAKING: Trump Axes His Puppy Killer
Kristi Noem is out at the Department of Homeland Security, partly for a very silly reason. The department will remain under the control of Stephen Miller.
zeteo.com/p/trump-kris...
05.03.2026 19:47
👍 151
🔁 19
💬 12
📌 3
“Trump 1.0 targeted refugee admissions from the start… Trump 2.0 has launched an all-out war on the program.”
@johnjharwood.bsky.social breaks down how the Trump admin’s immigration crackdown is now setting up traps and arresting refugees whom the US govt invited in.
🔗: zeteo.com/p/trump-orwe...
05.03.2026 19:15
👍 76
🔁 19
💬 1
📌 1
Trump’s Iran War Is Right Out of Putin’s Playbook
YouTube video by Zeteo
@mehdirhasan.bsky.social slams Trump’s illegal Iran war and how the U.S. narrative is eerily similar to that of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine.
youtu.be/ZmvR3QQ_Wo8
05.03.2026 18:16
👍 74
🔁 24
💬 3
📌 1
Trump’s Deadly and ‘Orwellian’ Refugee Policy
This anti-immigrant and cruel administration is arresting people whom the US government invited in.
Trump’s Deadly and ‘Orwellian’ Refugee Policy
This anti-immigrant and cruel administration is arresting people whom the US government invited in, writes @johnjharwood.bsky.social.
Read now: zeteo.com/p/trump-orwe...
05.03.2026 15:10
👍 88
🔁 30
💬 3
📌 0
“For [Hind’s mother] it’s very consoling… to see all those strangers sharing her pain.”
Director of 'The Voice of Hind Rajab,' Kaouther Ben Hania, tells @mehdirhasan.bsky.social about showing the film to Hind’s mother.
Watch the full conversation:
zeteo.com/p/hind-rajab...
05.03.2026 14:47
👍 66
🔁 16
💬 0
📌 0
Bari Weiss Is Going Full ‘Propaganda-Palooza’ With the Iran War
The CBS News war coverage is going exactly as we thought it would. Plus, Gayle King goes 'all in' on Weiss, while CNN commentator Scott Jennings sucks up to her.
Bari Weiss Is Going Full ‘Propaganda-Palooza’ With the Iran War
The CBS News war coverage is going exactly as we thought it would. Plus, Gayle King goes 'all in' on Weiss, while CNN commentator Scott Jennings sucks up to her.
From @justinbaragona.bsky.social:
zeteo.com/p/bari-weiss...
05.03.2026 14:23
👍 101
🔁 29
💬 3
📌 1
First Draft: 🤬 Is This the Worst-Run War in US History?
Trump and his administration are improvising a major conflict in the Middle East, as Democrats keep winning in the 2026 redistricting war that is immensely backfiring on the GOP.
First Draft: 🤬 Is This the Worst-Run War in US History?
Trump and his administration are improvising a major conflict in the Middle East, as Democrats keep winning in the 2026 redistricting war that is immensely backfiring on the GOP.
From @swin24.bsky.social:
zeteo.com/p/is-this-th...
05.03.2026 14:19
👍 115
🔁 26
💬 8
📌 1
Inside Capitol Hill: Republicans Can't Agree on Iran Talking Points
YouTube video by Zeteo
Our @premthakker.bsky.social was reporting from the Capitol today, where Republicans still can’t admit whether the US is at war with Iran or not, or admit that Israel is why.
Subscribe to zeteo to support more journalism like this: zeteo.com/subscribe
youtube.com/shorts/FarC1...
05.03.2026 01:44
👍 84
🔁 21
💬 4
📌 0
“We are in an undeclared state of war.”
After Mike Johnson says the US is not at war, and Donald Trump says it is, Lindsey Graham tells @premthakker.bsky.social a third answer: an “undeclared state of war” — which, he suggests, allows the US to illegally strike ships in international waters.
05.03.2026 00:04
👍 535
🔁 177
💬 65
📌 52
Senator John Fetterman’s response to @premthakker.bsky.social when asked about the illegal US strike on an Iranian Naval ship in international waters:
“I want to offer condolences to your boss [Mehdi]. I know he’s all broke up about the Ayatollah.”
04.03.2026 23:35
👍 1373
🔁 322
💬 533
📌 527