Narrow these 40 — tap a value to filter:
Trait 9
Memory is curated by power—what cannot be controlled is erased 18Textbooks and museums are altered to erase dissent and accountability 9National history is rewritten to glorify conquest, not justice 8Public funds are used for personal glorification and symbolic dominance 7Religion is co-opted as a tool of legitimacy and control 2Data and algorithms are used to manipulate, not serve, the public 1Dissenters are labeled unpatriotic, subversive, or corrupt 1Political appointments are awarded based on loyalty and wealth 1Statues, portraits, and records of disfavored leaders are removed without process 1
Tier 1 carried by a primary record
Corroborated 2+ independent news desks
Every result is verified and democracy-related.
Open an event to see its evidence. Attack and trait tags link to their definitions
Aug 1, 2026 Trump administration issued executive order targeting the Smithsonian Institution Corroborated Power and Authority
The administration ordered warning signs at a major museum after accusing it of political bias, raising concerns about executive control of public historical narratives.
Independently corroborated by4 independent news desks
PBS · NBC News · BBC · The Atlantic
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Trump administration issues executive order targeting Smithsonian Institution — The Trump administration has escalated its conflict with the Smithsonian Institution, resulting in a report accusing the National Museum of American History of "extreme political activism" and an executive order
Verified: Corroborated — 2+ independent news desks
Week 81 – 2026-08-01–2026-08-07
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Jul 25, 2026 President Trump ordered temporary signs outside the Smithsonian National Museum of American History accusing it of inaccuracy and calling for exhibit renovation Tier 1 · Primary Power and Authority
The order used presidential power to shape public history at a national institution and steer how citizens encounter the historical record.
Primary sourceA record that carries the claim alone
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Trump orders signs accusing Smithsonian of inaccuracy — On Friday, President Donald Trump ordered the Department of the Interior to display signs outside the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
- Executive Order on Smithsonian Institution — On July 24, 2026, President Trump issued Executive Order 14415, titled "Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution." The order directed the National Park Service to place temporary signage outside the Smithsonian
- Executive Order on Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution — President Donald J.
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 80 – 2026-07-25–2026-07-31
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Jun 12, 2026 Courts rejected Trump's efforts to keep his name on the Kennedy Center Tier 1 · Primary Institutions and Governance
The rulings upheld prior orders against executive personalization of a public institution and confirmed that appeals would not suspend compliance.
Independently corroborated by7 independent news desks
Associated Press · CNBC · PBS · NPR · The Washington Times · The Atlantic · New York Post
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Appeals court denies emergency appeal to retain Trump's name on Kennedy Center — An appeals court in Washington DC rejected an emergency appeal filed by Justice Department lawyers representing Donald Trump and his appointed Kennedy Center board.
- Judge Denies Trump's Attempt to Reverse Kennedy Center Ruling — A judge denied Donald Trump's last-minute attempt to reverse a court ruling that mandated the removal of his name from the Kennedy Center.
- Trump Files Emergency Stay to Keep Name on Kennedy Center — Donald Trump filed an emergency stay in the DC Circuit Court to prevent the removal of his name from the Kennedy Center.
Attacks
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 73 – 2026-06-06–2026-06-12
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May 21, 2026 The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts approved the design for Trump's proposed triumphal arch in Washington Corroborated Power and Authority
The approval advanced a politically symbolic monument through a federal body staffed by presidential appointees, raising concerns about state-backed personal glorification.
Independently corroborated by3 independent news desks
PBS · Politico · The Atlantic
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- US Commission of Fine Arts Approves Designs for Trump's 250ft Arch — The US Commission of Fine Arts, composed of appointees from Donald Trump's administration, approved the designs for a 250ft triumphal arch in Washington, DC.
- U.S. Commission of Fine Arts approves design for Trump triumphal arch — The U.S.
Verified: Corroborated — 2+ independent news desks
Week 70 – 2026-05-16–2026-05-22
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Apr 12, 2026 President Trump criticized Pope Leo XIV and later posted and deleted an AI-generated religious image of himself Tier 1 · Primary Information, Memory and Manipulation
The rhetoric and synthetic image showed political use of religious symbolism and manipulated media in the public sphere.
Primary sourceA record that carries the claim alone
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Trump Criticizes Pope Leo XIV — President Trump publicly criticized Pope Leo XIV, accusing him of being weak on crime and foreign policy.
- Trump criticizes Pope Leo XIV over war commentary — In a social media post, President Trump criticized Pope Leo XIV for his remarks against the religious justification for wars, particularly in relation to the ongoing conflict in Iran.
- Trump Posts and Deletes AI-Generated Image — President Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself as Jesus Christ on social media, which he later deleted following widespread backlash.
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 65 – 2026-04-11–2026-04-17
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Mar 23, 2026 President Trump erected a Christopher Columbus statue on White House grounds Tier 1 · Primary Information, Memory and Manipulation
The installation used state space to advance a chosen historical narrative and shape public memory from the top down.
Independently corroborated by5 independent news desks
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Trump Erects Columbus Statue on White House Grounds — A statue of Christopher Columbus has been installed in the grounds of the White House, specifically outside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
Attacks
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 62 – 2026-03-21–2026-03-27
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Jan 29, 2026 The Kennedy Center board appointed by Donald Trump voted to rename the institution the Trump-Kennedy Center Corroborated Institutions and Governance
The vote tested the board's authority over a national cultural institution whose legal identity is set by Congress.
Independently corroborated by3 independent news desks
BBC · PBS · National Review
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Trump-appointed board renames Kennedy Center — The new board of trustees at the Kennedy Center, appointed by Donald Trump, voted to rename the institution the "Trump-Kennedy Center." This decision is controversial as the center is legally designated as the John F
Attacks
Verified: Corroborated — 2+ independent news desks
Week 54 – 2026-01-24–2026-01-30
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Jan 27, 2026 Philip Glass withdrew a symphony premiere from the Kennedy Center in protest Tier 1 · Primary Civil Rights and Dissent
The withdrawal showed cultural dissent against perceived political capture of a national arts institution.
Independently corroborated by6 independent news desks
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Philip Glass Withdraws Symphony from Kennedy Center — Composer Philip Glass has withdrawn the premiere of his Symphony No.
Attacks
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 54 – 2026-01-24–2026-01-30
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Jan 2, 2026 The Department of Homeland Security used a Japanese artist's work without permission in deportation messaging Corroborated Information, Memory and Manipulation
The use of appropriated art in official propaganda-style messaging showed the state shaping public sentiment through unauthorized cultural imagery.
Independently corroborated by1 independent news desk
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- DHS condemned for unauthorized use of Japanese artist's work — The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been criticized for using artwork by Japanese artist Hiroshi Nagai without permission to promote its deportation agenda.
Verified: Corroborated — 2+ independent news desks
Week 50 – 2025-12-27–2026-01-02
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Dec 30, 2025 Artists canceled performances at the Kennedy Center in protest Corroborated Civil Rights and Dissent
The cancellations used cultural withdrawal as dissent against political control of a public institution.
Independently corroborated by5 independent news desks
NPR · PBS · The Hill · New York Post · The Washington Times
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Artists Cancel Performances at Trump-Kennedy Center — Artists are canceling performances at the Kennedy Center after Trump unlawfully renamed it the "Trump Kennedy Center." Cancellations include New Year’s Eve performances by a jazz ensemble and a New York dance company.
Attacks
Verified: Corroborated — 2+ independent news desks
Week 50 – 2025-12-27–2026-01-02
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Dec 17, 2025 Trump allies at the Kennedy Center moved to rename the institution for Trump without clear congressional authority Corroborated Information, Memory and Manipulation
The effort sought to recast a national cultural memorial through partisan branding and control of public memory.
Independently corroborated by3 independent news desks
BBC · CNN · National Review
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Trump Administration Renames Kennedy Center — The Board of the Kennedy Center voted to rename it the Trump-Kennedy Center, citing President Trump's contributions to its reconstruction and financial stability.
- Trump Attempts to Rename Kennedy Center — President Trump has initiated efforts to rename the Kennedy Center, a cultural institution named after President John F.
- Trump Board Votes to Rename Kennedy Center Without Congressional Authority — Trump's hand-picked board at the Kennedy Center voted to rename the facility to the "Trump Kennedy Center," despite lacking Congressional authority to do so.
Verified: Corroborated — 2+ independent news desks
Week 48 – 2025-12-13–2025-12-19
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Dec 1, 2025 Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared a mock cover using a children's book character in violent propaganda Corroborated Information, Memory and Manipulation
The image repurposed a familiar cultural symbol for militarized messaging, showing how political actors can manipulate shared media for persuasion.
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Unauthorized Use of Children's Book Character — The publisher of the children's book series "Franklin the Turtle" condemned the unauthorized use of its main character in a mock cover depicting Franklin shooting at drug traffickers.
Attacks
Verified: Corroborated — 2+ independent news desks
Week 46 – 2025-11-29–2025-12-05
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Dec 1, 2025 The White House used Sabrina Carpenter's music in an ICE arrest video without consent Corroborated Information, Memory and Manipulation
The video used popular culture to soften or glamorize coercive enforcement, blending state messaging with borrowed cultural legitimacy.
Independently corroborated by3 independent news desks
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- White House Video Uses Artist's Music Without Consent — The White House faced backlash after using a song by Grammy-winning artist Sabrina Carpenter in a video montage of ICE agents making arrests.
Attacks
Verified: Corroborated — 2+ independent news desks
Week 46 – 2025-11-29–2025-12-05
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Nov 11, 2025 The Trump administration planned a review of Smithsonian exhibits and targeted content it deemed improper Tier 1 · Primary Power and Authority
The intervention put executive power behind efforts to shape public history and pressure a national cultural institution's content choices.
Independently corroborated by4 independent news desks
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Trump administration plans review of Smithsonian exhibits — In August, the Trump administration sent a letter to the Smithsonian Institution's secretary, indicating plans to review all exhibits, materials, and operations.
- Trump signs executive order targeting Smithsonian content — In March, President Trump signed an executive order directing the Smithsonian to remove content deemed "improper, divisive, or anti-American," focusing on the National Museum of African American and Culture.
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 43 – 2025-11-08–2025-11-14
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Nov 3, 2025 Representative Andy Ogles and President Trump made inflammatory remarks about Zohran Mamdani and Jewish voters Tier 1 · Primary Civil Rights and Dissent
The rhetoric targeted voters and a candidate on ethnic and religious lines, degrading equal participation in democratic debate.
Independently corroborated by4 independent news desks
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Rep. Andy Ogles made racist posts about Zohran Mamdani — Rep.
- Trump made inflammatory remarks about Jewish voters — Trump posted a statement on social media suggesting that any Jewish person voting for Mamdani is "a stupid person," which could incite division and hostility.
- Trump Criticizes Jewish Voters Supporting Mamdani — On Truth Social, Trump stated that any Jewish person voting for Mamdani as NYC mayor "is a stupid person," reflecting divisive rhetoric.
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 42 – 2025-11-01–2025-11-07
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Oct 19, 2025 Kenny Loggins demanded removal of his song from Trump's video Corroborated Information, Memory and Manipulation
The dispute showed how political propaganda can appropriate cultural material to amplify messaging without consent or accountability.
Independently corroborated by4 independent news desks
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Unauthorized Use of Kenny Loggins' Song in Trump Video — Kenny Loggins has demanded the removal of his song "Danger Zone" from a video posted by Trump, which used the music without permission.
Attacks
Verified: Corroborated — 2+ independent news desks
Week 40 – 2025-10-18–2025-10-24
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Oct 16, 2025 New York Republican leaders disbanded the state's young Republican group after racist chats were exposed Tier 1 · Primary Civil Rights and Dissent
The move was an internal accountability response to racist political speech inside a party-affiliated youth organization.
Independently corroborated by5 independent news desks
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- New York GOP disbands young Republican group — New York's Republican Party leaders voted to disband the state's young Republican group following reports of racist group chats.
Attacks
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 39 – 2025-10-11–2025-10-17
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Oct 15, 2025 Young Republican group members were exposed in leaked racist group chats, and Vice President JD Vance dismissed the messages as youthful indiscretion Corroborated Information, Memory and Manipulation
The leak revealed extremist speech inside political networks, while the response minimized accountability for rhetoric that shapes public culture.
Independently corroborated by8 independent news desks
Politico · PBS · The Guardian · Time · CBS News · The Hill · New York Post · The Washington Times
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Young Republicans' racist chats exposed — Leaked messages from Young Republican organizations revealed racist and offensive content, including jokes about gas chambers and slavery.
- Pro-Trump group leaders exchange extremist messages — Messages exchanged among leaders of pro-Trump factions revealed the use of racist themes and expressions of admiration for historical atrocities, including slavery and torture.
Attacks
Verified: Corroborated — 2+ independent news desks
Week 39 – 2025-10-11–2025-10-17
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Oct 14, 2025 President Trump posthumously awarded Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom and used the ceremony to advance a political narrative Tier 1 · Primary Information, Memory and Manipulation
The award used state honors to elevate a preferred memory and reinforce a partisan account of violence and national identity.
Independently corroborated by9 independent news desks
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Trump posthumously awards Charlie Kirk Presidential Medal of Freedom — President Trump posthumously awarded Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, praising him as a "true American hero." During the ceremony, Trump blamed political violence on "far-left radicals" and claimed to
Attacks
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 39 – 2025-10-11–2025-10-17
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Oct 10, 2025 Peter Thiel held off-the-record lectures on the antichrist and Armageddon Tier 1 · Primary Information, Memory and Manipulation
The lectures showed how influential private actors can shape elite discourse with opaque, ideology-driven narratives outside public scrutiny.
Independently corroborated by3 independent news desks
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Peter Thiel hosts lectures on the antichrist and Armageddon — Over the past month, Peter Thiel has conducted a series of four off-the-record lectures in San Francisco, discussing his views on the antichrist and the potential for Armageddon.
Attacks
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 38 – 2025-10-04–2025-10-10
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Aug 13, 2025 The Trump administration sent the Smithsonian a letter ordering review of exhibitions for political alignment Tier 1 · Primary Power and Authority
The intervention used executive influence to pressure a public cultural institution to conform to an official historical narrative.
Primary sourceA record that carries the claim alone
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Administration reviews Smithsonian exhibitions — The Trump administration sent a letter to Dr.
- Trump administration reviews Smithsonian exhibitions for political alignment
Attacks
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 30 – 2025-08-09–2025-08-15
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Jul 28, 2025 The Department of Homeland Security posted manifest-destiny imagery on social media Tier 1 · Primary Civil Rights and Dissent
The post used state messaging to promote an exclusionary national story tied to citizenship and belonging.
Independently corroborated by2 independent news desks
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Department of Homeland Security posts controversial image — On July 23, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security's X account shared an image of the 1872 painting "American Progress" by John Gast, accompanied by a caption that referenced a "Heritage to be proud of, a Homeland
- — On July 23, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security's X account shared an image of the 1872 painting "American Progress" by John Gast, accompanied by a caption that suggested a proud heritage and a homeland worth
Attacks
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 28 – 2025-07-26–2025-08-01
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Jul 28, 2025 House Republicans pursued renaming the Kennedy Center after Donald and Melania Trump Corroborated Institutions and Governance
The effort pointed to partisan use of a national cultural institution for personal political glorification.
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- House Republicans' Kennedy Center Renaming Effort — NBC News reported that efforts by House Republicans to rename the Kennedy Center after Trump and its opera house after Melania Trump would violate the law established when the center was created.
Attacks
Verified: Corroborated — 2+ independent news desks
Week 28 – 2025-07-26–2025-08-01
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Jul 21, 2025 House Republicans advanced a proposal to rename the Kennedy Center Opera House for Melania Trump Corroborated Institutions and Governance
The amendment used legislative power for symbolic honor tied to the ruling family, blurring governance and personal glorification.
Independently corroborated by4 independent news desks
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- House Republicans propose renaming part of Kennedy Center for Melania Trump — House Republicans passed an amendment in committee to rename the Opera House at the John F.
Attacks
Verified: Corroborated — 2+ independent news desks
Week 27 – 2025-07-19–2025-07-25
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Jul 20, 2025 President Trump threatened to block a stadium deal unless the Washington Commanders restored their former name Tier 1 · Primary Civil Rights and Dissent
The threat used political leverage in a culture conflict touching racial dignity and public decision-making.
Independently corroborated by3 independent news desks
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Trump Threatens NFL Team Over Name Change — On Truth Social, Trump threatened to interfere with a deal to build a new football stadium in Washington, DC, unless the local NFL team reverted to its former name, the "Redskins," which was dropped in 2020 due to its
- Trump Threatens to Block Name Change for Commanders — President Trump threatened to block the relocation of the Washington Commanders back to Washington, D.C., unless the team reverted to its former name, the "Washington Redskins." He claimed there is significant public
- Trump Threatens to Block Name Change of Washington Commanders — President Trump threatened to block the relocation of the Washington Commanders back to Washington, D.C., unless the team reverts to its former name, the "Washington Redskins." He claimed that there is a significant
Attacks
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 27 – 2025-07-19–2025-07-25
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