The Worst of the Week: DOJ fires prosecutor who charged an ICE officer, then opens a probe of her

Sun, 06 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Nineteen entries this week, and the through-line was revenge dressed up as governance: a defunct $1.8 billion slush fund for Trump allies, a fired prosecutor now under criminal investigation, and an FCC threat aimed at a Meet the Press host. The president found time between retaliations to call the Iran strikes 'small potatoes,' invite ranchers to shoot wolves, break ground on a 250-foot arch in his own honor, and post an AI video of a military strike that never happened. The seven below.

[Revenge] Judge Demands Answers on Trump's Defunct $1.8B 'Anti-Weaponization Fund' for Political Allies (severity 4/5) — A federal magistrate ordered the Trump administration to disclose who architected a $1.8 billion fund designed to pay 'victims of political lawfare' — a category populated largely by Trump allies and grievance-holders. The DOJ reportedly dropped the fund last month; Democracy Forward is suing on behalf of people the administration itself targeted, including a fired prosecutor and an acquitted professor. The reparations, it seems, flowed in one direction. US news | The Guardian
[Revenge] DOJ Fires Prosecutor Who Sought Civil Rights Charges in ICE Shooting, Opens Criminal Probe of Her (severity 4/5) — The Trump Justice Department fired the federal prosecutor who pursued civil rights charges against an ICE officer in a shooting case, and has now opened a criminal investigation into her. The prosecutor's offense, as best as can be discerned, was doing the job. TPM – Talking Points Memo
[Revenge] Trump Threatens NBC's Kristen Welker with FCC 'Punishment' Over Endorsement Story (severity 3/5) — After Meet the Press host Kristen Welker reported that Trump's GOP primary endorsements had produced 'mixed results,' Trump accused her of 'purposeful inaccuracy' and warned she would 'be reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment.' The FCC, an independent regulator, does not exist to punish journalists whose ratings of primary win rates displease the president. Raw Story
[Quote] Trump Dismisses Iran Strikes as 'Small Potatoes' Compared to Domestic Political Fights (severity 3/5) — Trump described the U.S. military action against Iran as 'small potatoes' relative to his domestic battles, drawing bipartisan condemnation. Sen. Elizabeth Warren called it 'a horrific thing for our commander in chief to say about people who sacrificed their lives for our country.' Servicemembers were, presumably, the potatoes in question. Politics
[Quote] Trump Signs Order Stripping Wolf Protections, Tells Ranchers 'You Can Shoot 'Em' (severity 3/5) — Signing a September 5 executive order to remove endangered-species protections for gray wolves, Trump summarized the new policy for ranchers with characteristic elegance: 'You can shoot 'em.' The wolves, listed as endangered since the 1970s and painstakingly recovered over decades, were not consulted. Politics
[Self-enrichment] Administration to Break Ground on 250-Foot Triumphal Arch Without Final Federal Approvals (severity 3/5) — The Trump administration plans to start digging on a 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington, D.C., skipping final federal approvals and ignoring a pending lawsuit. The monument, roughly the height of a 25-story building, is being erected in Trump's own honor at public expense. NPR Topics
[Lie] Trump Posts AI-Generated Video of Kharg Island 'Attack,' Forcing Pentagon Denial (severity 3/5) — Trump shared a realistic AI-generated video depicting a U.S. strike on Iran's Kharg Island oil terminal to his official Truth Social account, prompting the Pentagon to publicly clarify that no such attack occurred. The commander-in-chief, in effect, made his own military spokespeople issue a denial of the commander-in-chief. The Independent

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The Worst of the Week: DOJ fires prosecutor who charged an ICE officer, then opens a probe of her