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Trait 6
Memory is curated by power—what cannot be controlled is erased 5Public funds are used for personal glorification and symbolic dominance 3National history is rewritten to glorify conquest, not justice 2Textbooks and museums are altered to erase dissent and accountability 2Data and algorithms are used to manipulate, not serve, the public 1Religion is co-opted as a tool of legitimacy and control 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
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 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 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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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 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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Jun 13, 2025 The Smithsonian Institution's governing board rejected Donald Trump's attempt to fire Kim Sajet Tier 1 · Primary Information, Memory and Manipulation
The board's refusal defended institutional independence against political interference in a major public memory institution.
Independently corroborated by7 independent news desks
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Smithsonian Institution rebuffs Trump's attempt to fire Kim Sajet — The Smithsonian Institution's governing board rejected former President Donald Trump's attempt to fire Kim Sajet, the director of the National Portrait Gallery.
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 21 – 2025-06-07–2025-06-13
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May 10, 2025 The Pentagon ordered military academies to ignore race and sex in admissions and remove DEI and gender-related books from libraries Corroborated Information, Memory and Manipulation
The directives reshaped what military institutions could teach, read, and consider, tightening political control over education and memory.
Independently corroborated by2 independent news desks
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Pentagon memo alters military academy admissions criteria — On May 9, 2025, the Pentagon sent a memo to military training academies instructing them to disregard race, ethnicity, or sex in their admissions process, focusing solely on merit.
- Pentagon orders removal of DEI and gender ideology books — On May 9, 2025, the Pentagon issued a directive to military leaders to review and remove books related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and gender ideology from their libraries.
Verified: Corroborated — 2+ independent news desks
Week 17 – 2025-05-10–2025-05-16
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Mar 18, 2025 The White House used Semisonic's song Closing Time in a deportation video Corroborated Information, Memory and Manipulation
The video turned state enforcement into political messaging and used popular culture to frame coercive action for public consumption.
Independently corroborated by2 independent news desks
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- White House Uses Semisonic's 'Closing Time' in Deportation Video — Grammy-nominated band says Trump administration ‘missed the point’ and song is about ‘joy, possibilities, hope’
Verified: Corroborated — 2+ independent news desks
Week 9 – 2025-03-15–2025-03-21
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