Is Trump a Dictator?

Mangele · September 24, 2025, 9:56pm

A new monument depicting a “Mount Rushmore” of world leaders—Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, and Xi Jinping—has been unveiled.

Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment via email.

Why It Matters

The satirical display equates Trump with authoritarian leaders such as Putin, Xi, and Kim, a comparison that reflects ongoing global debates over his political style and rhetoric.

By borrowing the imagery of Mount Rushmore—a monument celebrating U.S. democracy—the installation highlights anxieties about whether Trump belongs among strongmen rather than statesmen.

A shopping mall recreated Mount Rushmore with the faces of controversial world leaders for a camping event in Thailand.

What To Know

The sculpture was unveiled on September 23 in the atrium of Bangkok’s Seacon Square, a huge shopping mall, as part of a camping-themed event.

The two-storey replica was built to promote the Somewhere Else The Series–The Summit Camp event. Visitors can pay 99 baht ($3.09) to scale a rock-climbing wall beside the installation or take part in archery activities. Camping gear, free food, and beverages are also on offer near the display.

The installation takes its inspiration from Mount Rushmore, the granite monument in South Dakota completed in 1941, which features the carved faces of U.S. presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln to represent the country’s founding, growth, development, and preservation.

Is Trump a Dictator?

Trump has faced mounting accusations in 2025 of behaving like a dictator, with critics pointing to a series of moves they say undermine democratic institutions and concentrate power in the presidency.

Democratic leaders have been some of the loudest voices sounding the alarm. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer warned that Trump’s efforts to use the Justice Department to target political opponents marked “the path to a dictatorship.” Senator Chris Murphy echoed the concern, saying the U.S. risked becoming a “banana republic” if the Justice Department were weaponized against critics.

That came after Trump publicly urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to step up investigations into his political rivals. In a social media post directed at Bondi, he wrote: “We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility.”

He went on to complain that “nothing is being done,” while specifically calling for probes into former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, who led his first impeachment trial.

Trump has also leaned heavily on aggressive rhetoric when dealing with U.S. cities. He threatened to send National Guard troops and immigration agents into Chicago, even releasing a stylized image portraying a “war” on the city. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker condemned the move, calling Trump a “wannabe dictator.”

Authoritarian Moves

At times, Trump has directly addressed the accusation. “I’m not a dictator. I don’t like a dictator,” he has said in response to criticism. But in other contexts, he has appeared to toy with the label, claiming, “a lot of people are saying ‘maybe we’d like a dictator,’” when defending his tough-on-crime policies.

Scholars and experts argue that the comparisons are not just rhetorical. Kim Lane Scheppele, a Princeton University professor who studies authoritarian governments, told The Guardian Trump’s willingness to mobilize the National Guard suggested he was preparing “a military, repressive force … to just put down the whole thing by force.”

Political scientist Steven Levitsky likewise warned that Trump’s actions amounted to authoritarianism, pointing to the systematic abuse of power, efforts to tilt the playing field, and erosion of democratic guardrails.

Mangele · September 24, 2025, 11:36pm

Jimmy Kimmel returned to his show with an emotional and fearless monologue, fiercely defending free speech and pushing back against political pressure.

He addressed the controversy head-on, telling his audience, “It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man… nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what was clearly a deeply disturbed individual. That was actually the opposite of the message I aimed to convey, but I recognize that some may have perceived it as poorly timed or unclear, and for those who feel I pointed fingers, I understand your frustration. If the roles were reversed, I might have felt the same.” Kimmel also made it clear, “Our government should not be permitted to dictate what we can or cannot say on television,” and offered surprising gratitude to even his critics: “I want to thank the people who don’t support my show and what I believe but support my right to share those beliefs anyway… I can’t believe I’m uttering this, but Ted Cruz is correct”.

The backlash over his suspension turned into a ratings boom for Kimmel and delivered an unintended blow to his right-wing critics. Early Nielsen numbers show last night’s episode saw a dramatic spike, handily beating his usual TV audience of 1.77 million viewers and potentially achieving the strongest viewership of recent years. Online, Kimmel’s return became the most-watched moment of his year: the monologue drew more than 17 million views on social media and over 13 million on YouTube within a day, far exceeding other late night hosts and smashing Kimmel’s recent online records. Reaction was swift, with fans on social media calling it the “best monologue of the year” and predicting he would “break the record for highest ratings in an episode for late night talk shows”.

The outcome is a stunning reversal of fortune against those hoping to silence him, especially Donald Trump, who attacked Kimmel on Truth Social by declaring, “His audience is GONE and his ‘talent’ was never there.” The attempt to sideline Kimmel only made him more powerful: his platform expanded and his message amplified. As Kimmel humbly said, “This show is not important. What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this”. For many on the left, last night’s ratings surge is proof that attempts at censorship often backfire, and that Kimmel remains a resilient voice for open, critical political discussion.

rexxsimba · September 25, 2025, 1:15am

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth..

A real idiot ..
Job Experience : FOX News Anchor.

Mangele · September 26, 2025, 8:26pm

25-year grudge Trump has against UN

Donald Trump’s long-standing grudge against the United Nations appears to stem from a perceived real estate snub in the early 2000s, when his offer to redevelop the UN headquarters in New York was passed over

. This personal grievance has surfaced repeatedly over the years and featured prominently in his 2025 speech to the UN General Assembly.

Origins of the grudge

1990s: Trump World Tower dispute. In the decade before his UN renovation bid, diplomats at the United Nations opposed Trump’s plan to construct the Trump World Tower across from their headquarters. They feared the new skyscraper, with its smoked-glass facade, would cast an orange-tinted shadow over the classic modernist UN complex.
Early 2000s: Renovation bid rebuffed. When the UN planned a large-scale renovation, Trump claims he offered to rebuild the headquarters for what he says was a bargain price of $500 million, promising opulent features like marble floors and mahogany walls. The UN instead opted for a different contractor, and the renovations eventually cost over $2 billion. According to The Daily Beast, Trump never formally submitted the bid he claims was rejected.

Resurfacing during the 2025 UN General Assembly

Grudge-filled speech: In his speech to the UN General Assembly in September 2025, Trump aired his decades-old frustration, recalling the supposedly superior offer he made to renovate the building.
“Triple sabotage” claims: During the same visit, Trump alleged that “sinister events” were a form of “triple sabotage” by the UN, referencing an escalator that stopped, a dead teleprompter, and muffled audio during his remarks. UN officials stated that the teleprompter was controlled by Trump’s team and that a White House videographer had likely triggered the escalator’s safety mechanism.
Personal grievances mixed with policy: Trump’s speech blended his personal grievances with policy attacks on the UN, labeling climate change a “con job” and criticizing the institution for what he viewed as inaction and empty words.

Broader criticism of the UN

Beyond his personal grievances, Trump’s criticism of the UN and other international bodies extends to broader issues of policy and the U.S. role in global affairs.

Cuts to funding and withdrawals: His administration has systematically reduced financial contributions to the UN and withdrawn the U.S. from several organizations during his two terms, including the UN Human Rights Council and the World Health Organization.
Accusations of ineffectiveness: Trump has long accused the UN of being an inefficient and bloated bureaucracy that fails to solve global problems.
Emphasis on sovereignty over globalism: His “America First” posture champions national sovereignty and challenges the idea of multilateralism, portraying the UN as an obstacle to U.S. interests.

Mangele · October 1, 2025, 2:28pm

The United States President Donald Trump has questioned the frequent and continued military operations by the American defence forces in Kenya and neighbouring Somalia.

Addressing America’s top military brass on Tuesday, September 30, Trump said that after decades of protecting foreign nations, it was time for the US defence forces to focus on dealing with unspecified enemies from within America.

Trump stressed that America was under invasion from within, a situation he claimed had been long ignored by previous regimes, including his predecessor, Joe Biden.

“Only in recent decades did politicians somehow come to believe that our job is to police the far reaches of Kenya and Somalia while America is under invasion from within,” Trump said.

“We are under invasion from within, no different from a foreign enemy, but more difficult in many ways because they do not wear uniforms. At least when they wear uniforms, you can take them away,” he added.

To deal with the ‘enemies from within’, the US President revealed that he would be sending military officials to some of the cities in the US, including New York, San Francisco and Chicago.

It is not yet clear whether Trump’s latest comments will influence the US military’s participation in the counterterrorism operations along the Kenyan border with Somalia.

In recent months, the US military has conducted several operations along the Kenyan border with Somalia in a move aimed at eliminating the Al Shabaab militia.

These operations mostly involved airstrikes and joint ground operations through the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), which has been pivotal in reducing terrorism in the Horn of Africa.

Additionally, Kenya has a long-standing military cooperation with the US. Just a year ago, former President Joe Biden’s administration designated Kenya as a non-NATO ally.

The designation, which was approved in May last year during President William Ruto’s State Visit (How Kenya Would Be Affected if it Loses Its US Non-NATO Ally Status - Kenyans.co.ke)to the US, handed Kenya a significant boost in military and economic benefits.

However, 14 months later, President Trump’s administration initiated a review of Kenya’s non-NATO status. This is after Congressman James Risch proposed amendments to America’s National Defence Authorisation Act for fiscal year 2026.

The proposal sought to review Kenya’s non-NATO status within 90 days, specifically assessing Kenya’s foreign and diplomatic relations and whether it aligns with those of the US.

Mangele · October 1, 2025, 3:39pm

On Tuesday, September 30, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gathered U.S. military generals for a speech that heavily emphasized culture-war themes. Hegseth railed against “wokeness” in the military, claiming that unqualified people were being promoted to senior positions based on racial and gender quotas.

But the speech is drawing criticism from many veterans, some of whom argue that Hegseth needs to pay more attention to national security and less attention to MAGA culture-war obsessions.

Ironic that the top secret leaker and General Bone Spurs ( the 5 times draft dodger) lectured our top brass (the best of the best)!

For a former National Guard major, the chance to lecture hundreds of generals and admirals summoned for the occasion proved irresistible, writes Eliot A. Cohen: https://theatln.tc/fDH5qOAf

In an article published on October 1, The Guardian’s George Chidi examines some of the negative reactions veterans are having to Hegseth’s speech.

Naveed Shah, policy director for the veterans group Commons Defense, told The Guardian, “A lot of the words that are coming to me aren’t fit to print. The people in that room who have served for 20, 30-plus years in uniform do not need Pete Hegseth to tell them about warrior ethos…. Certainly, addressing the troops could be useful or beneficial, but to call 800-plus generals and senior enlisted advisers from around the world into this room just before a government shutdown? It’s not just bad optics or strategy. A bad cold could have threatened our entire chain of command.”

‘Bad optics’: 'Vets slam ‘unqualified’ Trump official’s ‘insulting’ speech

Mangele · October 3, 2025, 9:07pm

“Gestapo Barbie” Kristi Noem was just DENIED access to the Broadview City Hall and forced to turn away with her tail between her legs!

Department of Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem is in Illinois for one of her infamous photoshoots with Trump’s deportation goons as they conduct Operation Midway Blitz, an operation that recently involved ICE thugs dragging naked kids from their beds and throwing them in vans in the middle of the night.

She went to the Broadview City Hall, ostensibly to use the restroom, but instead found the doors barred and an old man yelling at her “NO, YOU CANNOT. PLEASE DON’T TOUCH THE DOOR.”

“Interesting,” quips Noem before leaving. “That’s what Governor Pritzker says is cooperation.”

Governor Pritzker has been vehement in his opposition to the ICE invasion of Chicago. “Secretary Noem should no longer be able to step foot inside the State of Illinois without any form of public accountability. Last time when the secretary was here, she snuck in during the early morning to film social media videos and fled before sunrise. It’s been nearly 45 days since Secretary Noem has held an official press conference, so it’s time she faces the public and takes questions from the press to be held accountable for the Trump Administration’s gross misconduct,” wrote the Governor on Twitter.

Every act of resistance, no matter how small, is one more chink in their armor of perceived invincibility and their authority. Go piss yourself, Kristi! Good riddance.

Mangele · October 3, 2025, 9:53pm

MAGA’s “Next Charlie Kirk” Caught in a Sting — Brilyn Hollyhand Under Fire After $7,500 Speaking Fee

By Divya Verma,

18 hours ago

Brilyn Hollyhand is a 19-year-old conservative rising star. The GOP and MAGA have been trying to launch him as the replacement for Charlie Kirk, as “New Charlie Kirk”. However, right now, Hollyhand is facing backlash after a sting operation revealed that his agent requested $7,500.

This was framed as the speaking fee. Travel expenses were to be billed separately. This amount was quoted for Hollyhand to make a campus appearance.

The Daily Beast story reports that the sting was arranged by a group that was pretending to be a college group looking to hire Hollyhand. The agent allegedly returned a quote:

“Brilyn’s charge is $7,500 plus coach class airline and expenses for (2) two. Is this within budget?”

Hollyhand has denied public charging for campus appearances, saying he pays his own travel and accommodations to speak on campus and only charges for “large conferences.”

https://x.com/thedailybeast/status/1973893029103591561?ref_src=twsrc^tfw|twcamp^tweetembed|twterm^1973893029103591561|twgr^aa11d33905d05772e596432445233ca85fbc0bbc|twcon^s1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsbreak.com%2Finquisitr-news-522568%2F4270431038190-maga-s-next-charlie-kirk-caught-in-a-sting-brilyn-hollyhand-under-fire-after-7-500-speaking-fee

He has been in controversy ever since he came into the scene. While Kirk was known to begin his journey from grassroot level and had a lifetime of experience with being married with two kids, Hollyhand himself is just a kid.

Earlier, The Daily Beast has reported that many within the MAGA circle find his approach elitist. He sparked a backlash earlier when he posted a video from a private jet while en route to a campus visit.

His video was deemed extremely tone-deaf with ‘country club’ optics.

But critics counter, pointing to an invoice in which he received $2,191.91 for travel, accommodation, and food related to a campus event with Penn State College Republicans.

Complicating the story, the agent subsequently modified the words, stating Hollyhand is “happy to work with whatever budget is available to bring in a speaker” for campus events.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1972409347746750901

Turning Point USA leaders have now distanced themselves from Hollyhand. They have clarified that his tours and speaking appointments are not officially affiliated with their organisation.

However, the young speaker does have a group of supporters who have argued that some level of funding is needed for him to travel and speak at these events. They have argued that if conservative message has to be spread on college campuses, there needs to be financing and funding.

Yet, the sting has raised serious questions over the transparency of the whole operation and whether he will be able to maintain the level of consistency like Kirk.

If Hollyhand claims that he has not charged for campus stops and there happens to be records of him benefitting financially from these tours, he will be under extreme scrutiny over financial arrangements and benefits. This will have a direct impact on his brand and how he sees his future in the conservative circles.

The ball is in Hollyhand’s court. It is up to him to come clean with his financial records and disclose his fees and his booking practices, or counter the critics with some more arguments.
For young conservative activists watching closely, the episode may serve as a test: will his brand survive questions about authenticity and money?

Mangele · October 5, 2025, 1:23am

Candace Owens Drops List Of Billionaires Who REALLY Set Up Charlie Kirk To Be MURD3RED

Okay, so Candace Owens just lit a match, and she is about to burn everything to the ground. From the moment Charlie Kirk’s sudden death hit the headlines, she’s been warning that the story the public is being fed isn’t the real one.

In her words, this wasn’t a tragedy. It was a setup. And now she’s naming names. According to Candace, Charlie was under extreme pressure in the weeks before he passed. She’s saying that he was supposedly threatened by a circle of billionaires. And those threats left him anxious, paranoid, and convinced that something dangerous was going to happen to him.

But it goes even deeper. She is accusing the FBI of actively protecting the billionaires she says were behind it all, covering up evidence, silencing witnesses, and making sure the truth never sees daylight. According to her, this isn’t just a conspiracy; it is a full-scale operation to protect some of the most powerful figures in the world from ever being held accountable.

And now, she is promising to do what nobody else will: drop the full list of names of people she holds responsible, the billionaires she says orchestrated Charlie’s murder. Things are about to get messier than ever because Candace did NOT come to play, so let’s get into her claims.

Mangele · October 5, 2025, 2:01pm

Mangele · October 6, 2025, 12:23am

Mangele · October 6, 2025, 1:13am

The case against Jon Paul Sheptock

Arrest and charges: On or around September 27, 2025, Jon Paul Sheptock was arrested by Texas Department of Public Safety troopers. He faces one count of promotion of child pornography.
The victim’s claims: The alleged victim told detectives that the crimes began nine years ago when she was a 17-year-old high school student. According to court records, Sheptock allegedly stole an explicit photo from her iCloud account and used it to blackmail her into sending more images.
Production of child sexual abuse material: Following a tip received in August 2025, investigators determined that Sheptock was in possession of, and had produced, child sexual abuse material.
Church response: At the time of his arrest, Sheptock was the worship pastor at First Montgomery Baptist Church. The church immediately removed him from his position. In a statement, the senior pastor, Chris Gober, said the church would cooperate fully with law enforcement.

Mangele · October 6, 2025, 1:31am

rexxsimba · October 6, 2025, 11:06am

https://x.com/RexxSimba/status/1975155177763316004?t=kku1zMVzSl8KRHMsMB0haw&s=19

Mangele · October 12, 2025, 10:59pm

Mangele · October 12, 2025, 11:32pm

Mangele · October 13, 2025, 9:25pm

Republicans get slammed with DEVASTATING election news as a new strategy to defeat the corrupt “Citizens United” Supreme Court ruling rapidly picks up steam.

This could change everything…

Twenty years after Chief Justice John Roberts took the helm of the Supreme Court, the consequences of his Court’s pro-corruption crusade are clearer than ever. The American people overwhelmingly agree that money has poisoned our democracy — yet the Court that unleashed Citizens United is now poised to make things even worse. Two new cases, including one backed by Donald Trump’s vice president, J.D. Vance, could obliterate what little remains of America’s campaign finance and anti-bribery laws.

Citizens United was the culmination of a half-century conservative plot to legalize corruption — a “master plan” that turned the Supreme Court into a weapon for billionaires and corporations. By declaring that “money is speech” and that corporations are “people,” the Roberts Court gave the ultra-wealthy the green light to buy elections and politicians alike. Now, with Vance’s case, they’re going for the kill shot: to erase limits on coordinated spending between political parties and candidates, effectively turning every party committee into a money-laundering front for oligarchs.

At the same time, the Court is flirting with a ruling that could make bribery itself nearly impossible to prosecute. In one jaw-dropping case, a Trump-pardoned ex-politician — represented by Trump’s own former solicitor general — is asking the Court to erase his bribery conviction because, he claims, “everyone does it.” This comes after years of rulings where the justices overturned bribery convictions for politicians like former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and even Trump allies, narrowing the definition of corruption until almost nothing is left. As the justices themselves accepted lavish gifts and luxury trips from billionaires, they had the audacity to insist that the real problem wasn’t corruption — it was laws trying to stop it.

The results are predictable: a political system for sale to the highest bidder. Under the Roberts Court’s twisted logic, a bag of cash, a yacht, or a private jet gifted to a lawmaker is just a “gratuity” — not a bribe — unless there’s a signed contract spelling out the favor. That’s how Trump’s allies, like his would-be border czar Tom Homan, can reportedly take $50,000 in cash without fear of prosecution.

But the story doesn’t have to end in kleptocracy. Across the country, reformers are fighting back. States like Montana are pushing ballot measures to stop pretending corporations are people — cutting off their ability to spend on elections altogether. Congress has reintroduced an amendment to overturn Citizens United and return power to actual citizens. And cities and states are expanding public campaign financing systems so regular people, not billionaires, can run for office without selling their souls.

As Senator Jon Ossoff recently put it, corruption isn’t some distant moral issue — it’s the root cause of almost every injustice Americans face. It’s why nursing homes are underfunded, why prescriptions cost a fortune, why corporate landlords can ignore your calls, and why hedge funds own your neighborhood.

The conservative movement understands this all too well — that’s why they’ve spent decades rigging the system to keep corruption legal and permanent. Their endgame is clear: lock in a government owned by the wealthy few, no matter how Americans vote. The only way to stop them is to make anti-corruption the defining fight of our time — because until we do, democracy will remain just another thing the rich can buy.

Mangele · October 14, 2025, 10:53pm

While former President Joe Biden engaged in diplomatic efforts to end the Israel-Hamas war during his final year in office, and announced a temporary ceasefire in January 2025, it did not permanently end the conflict. A new, more lasting ceasefire was brokered by former President Donald Trump in October 2025, after he had been in office.

Biden’s ceasefire efforts

January 2025: Days before leaving office, Biden announced a three-phase ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas that his administration had spent more than a year negotiating.
Terms of the deal: The plan included a full ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas of Gaza, a hostage exchange, and increased humanitarian aid.
Limited success: This temporary agreement held for a time and resulted in the release of some hostages before the deal fell apart. Hostilities resumed, prompting a new round of negotiations.

Trump’s peace deal

October 2025: President Donald Trump brokered a new peace deal in his first year of a new term, and both Biden and former President Bill Clinton publicly praised his efforts.
Brokered in Egypt: The deal was signed at a summit in Egypt and involved the release of all remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners.
Ongoing fragility: While the agreement achieved a ceasefire, it is described as fragile, with questions remaining about the future governance and reconstruction of Gaza.

Mangele · October 18, 2025, 10:20pm

“No Kings” is the name of a nationwide protest movement that has organized mass demonstrations against the administration of Donald Trump, accusing him of authoritarian and anti-democratic actions. The second major wave of “No Kings” protests occurred on October 18, 2025, taking place in major cities and smaller towns across the United States.

Key information about the “No Kings” protests

Origin and name

The movement’s name, “No Kings,” is a direct reference to the founders of the United States who resisted a monarch and declared independence from a king.
It is organized by a coalition of grassroots progressive groups, including Indivisible, MoveOn, and 50501, along with national organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union and labor unions.

Purpose and accusations

Protesters accuse the Trump administration of acting with “executive overreach” and “blatant disregard for the law,” eroding democracy and civil rights.
Specific points of protest include:
- Nationwide immigration raids by federal agents, even in sanctuary cities.
- The deployment of federal troops to U.S. cities.
- Attacks on federal workers and institutions.
- Defying court orders and defying the Constitution.
- The use of political power to enrich billionaires and corporate interests.

October 18, 2025 protest

Widespread participation: The second wave of protests saw millions of people attend over 2,600 events across all 50 states.
Peaceful demonstrations: The vast majority of events remained peaceful, and organizers provided training in non-violence and de-escalation.
Political context: The protests took place amid a government shutdown and rising tensions over the administration’s policies.
Symbolism and atmosphere: In many cities, the mood was vibrant, with costumes and signs, and protesters emphasized patriotism, freedom, and democracy. In cities like New York and Atlanta, participants included civil rights veterans and young activists.

Reactions from opposing sides

Republican criticism: Some Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have labeled the events “hate America rallies” and have accused organizers of paying protesters.
Counter-mobilization: Some Republican governors, like Greg Abbott of Texas, deployed National Guard troops in anticipation of the protests, a move criticized by opponents as an attempt to intimidate peaceful protesters.
Federal response: When asked for comment, a White House spokesperson gave a dismissive response.

Long-term goals

Organizers emphasize that “No Kings” is a long-term movement aimed at building a sustained, community-based effort to protect democracy and resist what they view as a dangerous shift toward authoritarianism

Mangele · October 19, 2025, 1:15am

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