Over the weekend and late last week, Donald Trump stepped up his war against the American left with a series of norm-shattering (yet totally predictable) escalations that may have terrifying consequences.

WHAT’S GOING ON: On Saturday, Trump ordered 200 troops to yet another American city, this time, Portland, Oregon. The compulsive liar claimed federal immigration facilities are “under siege from attacks by Antifa and other domestic terrorists”.

He characterized the progressive city as “war-ravaged” and said that “full force” would be used if necessary to secure the city and federal assets.

BUT BUT BUT: Local and state officials, however, vigorously disputed his characterization of the city, arguing there was no such threat justifying military intervention.

As one resident told the AP on a sunny fall afternoon by the Willamette River, “Where’s the emergency?”

A federal judge had previously ruled Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops and Marines (in far greater numbers, btw) to Los Angeles earlier this year illegal.

ANOTHER MOVE: The Portland escalation came just days after Trump signed a little-noticed but extremely alarming national security directive.

The order, National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM) 7, signed Thursday, shifts the federal government’s massive counterterrorism apparatus away from preventing foreign attacks—and toward preventing so-called domestic “left wing” terrorism.

Reading like a prequel to George Orwell’s 1984, it directs the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Forces, the Treasury Department, and even the IRS to treat protest networks, their donors, and affiliated nonprofits as if they were terror-financing operations.

It also instructs federal prosecutors to dust off the broadest criminal tools available—RICO statutes, money laundering laws, even “material support for terrorism” provisions—to build cases not just against violent actors, but against the organizations, funders, and online communities around them.

And it lays out belief “indicators” that supposedly lead to violent action:

WHAT IT MEANS: Trump wants the entire law enforcement apparatus of the executive branch aimed squarely at his political enemies—and the enemies of the ruling class.

This is exactly what progressive activists warned about after 9/11: tools built for foreign threats can be turned inward and used to trample civil liberties.

What Trump and his directive amount to is a policy of “guilt by association.” If someone you fund or organize with engages in civil disobedience, you could be held legally responsible.

It probably won’t affect us little guys—though those with money (like long-time right-wing boogeyman George Soros) will definitely be targeted.

Challenges in court are inevitable. Jail time is unlikely. But the chilling effect on dissent is the point.

THE GOOD NEWS: Trump’s exploits are exposing just how much of the American system runs on “norms” instead of law.

Because he’s neither especially popular nor especially competent, he hasn’t been able to make permanent changes. Almost everything he’s done has come through executive action—easily reversed by the next president or Congress.

And when the adults return to power—and they will, because nobody lives forever—expect Congress to come back energized with a mandate to rein in the presidency.

It’s hard to imagine that in 20 years, any president will be able to legally reshape this much of the executive branch on a whim. A jealous and prudent Congress will almost certainly tighten the reins.

After a Marine veteran opened fire at a Mormon church in Michigan, killing two and wounding eight, Trump and his MAGA allies quickly turned the tragedy into fuel for their culture war. With no evidence, right-wing influencers blamed Muslims, Democrats, and LGBTQ+ people—anything to avoid acknowledging that violence and paranoia are thriving inside their own movement. Full story from The Daily Beast.

With a government shutdown looming, Trump and Republican leaders refuse to budge on funding while Democrats insist on protecting health care benefits for millions of low- and middle-income Americans. Trump has openly welcomed the prospect of shuttering government, using workers’ livelihoods as bargaining chips, while Democrats point out that GOP control of Washington leaves Republicans responsible for the looming economic pain. Full story from the AP.

A new court filing reveals appalling conditions at an ICE facility in Texas ICE, where immigrant children endure dirty water, constant lights that prevent sleep, lack of medical care, and emotional abuse—all while private prison giant CoreCivic rakes in $180 million a year. Trump’s return to family detention exposes how capitalism and cruelty intersect, with kids treated as commodities in his war on migrants. Full story from The Guardian.

Eric Adams ended his reelection bid after corruption scandals, a federal indictment dropped under suspicious circumstances, and even flirtations with a Trump ambassadorship left his campaign in ruins. His exit clears the way for democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, while Andrew Cuomo and big-money donors scramble to stop a candidate who threatens the cozy alliance of political machines and capital. Full story from The New York Times. (Unlocked for NOTICE News readers!)

So much for “America first.” Trump is bailing out Argentina’s far-right president Javier Milei with a $20 billion lifeline, even as American farmers—already crushed by his trade wars—lose markets to Argentine soybeans. The bailout exposes the hypocrisy of Trump’s rhetoric, revealing how his loyalty to capital outweighs the needs of U.S. workers and taxpayers. Full story from The Washington Post. (Unlocked for NOTICE News readers!)

Given Trump’s continuous lying, we asked, do you trust the government? Only two people voted yes.

Lori voted no and said: “We are fed so many lies that it is difficult to trust anything that comes out of this White House.”

Kathie also voted no: “How can you trust a government that spews out lies every day, who cuts programs for children and cancer and our vets yet spends millions for a ballroom and to concrete over the beloved Rose Garden? All bills are set to benefit the wealthy and the hell with the family where both parents work but fight to feed their children. No I have zero faith in my government and at 75 that is a sad thing.”

Sdimaggio also voted no and made a strong point: “This Administration is corrupt to the core 🤮... It's only matched by the incompetence of the people that have been put in positions of power 🤮 because the Republicans have confirmed anyone there ‘Dear Leader’ tells them too. Lets be clear...THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS CORRUPT...period 🤮🤮” Excellent use of the 🤮 emoji!

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