Narrow these 10 — tap a value to filter:
Trait 8
Dissenters are labeled unpatriotic, subversive, or corrupt 3Chaos is used as a strategy to fragment focus and disable accountability 2Dissent is reframed as disorder, treason, or terrorism 2Economic data is selectively published, massaged, or ignored 2Administrative agencies are deregulated or captured by private interests 1Executive power operates without effective oversight 1Journalists investigating the elite are surveilled or smeared 1Law is a weapon of the state, not a limit on its power 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
May 15, 2026 President Trump called New York Times reporter David Sanger treasonous Tier 1 · Primary Information, Memory and Manipulation
Labeling a reporter treasonous from the top of government threatened press freedom and could chill aggressive reporting on national security.
Independently corroborated by1 independent news desk
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Trump Calls NYT Reporter 'Treasonous' — Trump criticized New York Times reporter David Sanger, calling his reporting on Iran "treasonous." This attack follows Sanger's coverage of the lack of political change in Iran despite Trump's policies.
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 69 – 2026-05-09–2026-05-15
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May 14, 2026 The Pentagon presented a $29 billion estimate for the Iran war that drew criticism as incomplete Tier 1 · Primary Economic Structure
Disputed war-cost accounting affected Congress’s ability to judge military spending and the public’s grasp of fiscal tradeoffs.
Independently corroborated by1 independent news desk
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Pentagon Provides Low-Ball Cost Estimate for Iran War — During testimony before House and Senate Committees, Acting Undersecretary Jules Hurst stated that the Pentagon estimates the cost of the Iran War at $29 billion, citing updated equipment repair and operational costs.
Attacks
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 69 – 2026-05-09–2026-05-15
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May 14, 2026 A federal judge temporarily blocked U.S. sanctions against UN expert Francesca Albanese Tier 1 · Primary Institutions and Governance
The ruling showed the judiciary checking executive retaliation where speech rights appeared to be at stake.
Independently corroborated by1 independent news desk
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Federal judge blocks US sanctions against UN expert — On Wednesday, a federal judge temporarily blocked US sanctions against Francesca Albanese, a UN expert on the Palestinian territories.
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 69 – 2026-05-09–2026-05-15
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May 14, 2026 Major media outlets repeated the Pentagon’s Iran war cost estimate without much scrutiny Tier 1 · Primary Information, Memory and Manipulation
Uncritical repetition of official figures risked narrowing informed public debate about war costs and government credibility.
Independently corroborated by2 independent news desks
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Media Outlets Repeat Pentagon's Cost Estimate Without Scrutiny — Major media outlets, including the New York Times, USA Today, NPR, and others, reported the Pentagon's $29 billion cost estimate for the Iran War without questioning its accuracy or completeness.
Attacks
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 69 – 2026-05-09–2026-05-15
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May 12, 2026 President Trump called for the prosecution of political opponents in a late-night social media spree Tier 1 · Primary Information, Memory and Manipulation
The posts fused misinformation with demands for punishment, using mass communication to normalize retaliatory politics.
Independently corroborated by5 independent news desks
The New York Times · PBS · The Hill · BBC · Time
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Trump Calls for Prosecution of Political Opponents — In a late-night social media spree, President Donald Trump called for the prosecution of his political opponents, including former President Barack Obama and other Democratic figures.
- Trump posts on social media accusing enemies of treason — On May 12, 2026, President Trump posted fifty-five times on social media, accusing former President Barack Obama and others of treason, claiming the 2020 election was stolen, and demanding the indictment of his
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 69 – 2026-05-09–2026-05-15
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May 11, 2026 Trump Mobile collected deposits for phones it had not delivered and changed its terms Corroborated Economic Structure
The shifting terms and delayed product delivery raised consumer protection and transparency concerns around a politically branded business.
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Trump Mobile collects deposits without delivering phones — Trump Mobile, launched by Donald Trump Jr.
- Trump Mobile updates terms regarding deposits — On April 6, 2026, Trump Mobile updated its terms to clarify that the $100 deposit for pre-ordering their smartphone was not a binding commitment for purchase, but rather a conditional opportunity dependent on the
Attacks
Verified: Corroborated — 2+ independent news desks
Week 69 – 2026-05-09–2026-05-15
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May 11, 2026 The Kremlin restricted internet and texting access during Victory Day celebrations Tier 1 · Primary Information, Memory and Manipulation
The limits narrowed public communication and media access during a major state event, strengthening official control of the information space.
Primary sourceA record that carries the claim alone
Supporting reports
- Kremlin restricts internet access during Victory Day celebrations — Russian officials warned of restrictions on texting and internet access during the Victory Day celebrations to ensure security, limiting foreign media coverage and public communication.
Attacks
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 69 – 2026-05-09–2026-05-15
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May 11, 2026 President Trump accused the media of treason over Iran war coverage and posted false claims about political opponents and election fraud Corroborated Information, Memory and Manipulation
The attacks used presidential speech to delegitimize independent reporting and spread falsehoods that could erode trust in democratic institutions.
Independently corroborated by2 independent news desks
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Trump Accuses Media of Treason Over Iran War Coverage — President Trump accused the media of treason for allegedly supporting Iran by reporting on the war's progress.
- Trump Social Media Rant Targets Political Opponents — President Trump engaged in a late-night social media spree, making numerous unfounded accusations against former President Obama, Dominion Voting Systems, and others.
Verified: Corroborated — 2+ independent news desks
Week 69 – 2026-05-09–2026-05-15
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May 9, 2026 The FDA halted publication of vaccine safety research Tier 1 · Primary Information, Memory and Manipulation
Suppressing accepted research weakened public access to evidence needed for informed debate about health policy and trust in science.
Independently corroborated by3 independent news desks
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- FDA Halts Publication of Vaccine Safety Research — The FDA reportedly stopped the publication of research on the safety of shingles and Covid vaccines, which had been accepted by the journal Vaccine.
Attacks
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 69 – 2026-05-09–2026-05-15
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May 9, 2026 President Trump pressured the FDA to approve fruit-flavored vapes and backed a plan to remove Commissioner Marty Makary Tier 1 · Primary Power and Authority
White House pressure on a health regulator tested whether expert agencies could act independently of electoral and personal political demands.
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Trump Pressures FDA to Approve Fruit-Flavored Vapes — President Trump reportedly pressured FDA Commissioner Marty Makary to approve fruit-flavored vapes, which Makary had initially halted against agency scientists' recommendations.
- Trump Signs Off on Plan to Fire FDA Commissioner Marty Makary — President Donald Trump has reportedly approved a plan to dismiss Marty Makary, the commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), following a series of controversial decisions that have drawn criticism from
Attacks
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 69 – 2026-05-09–2026-05-15
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