Crash Course: Trump's slow-moving coup could be a runaway train

The term refers to the maneuvers of Trump and his cohort aimed at subverting democracy. [Crash Course] Your daily update from [Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjW7Y_P0QWaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tL1cDc3BjQgphd0ExeWEu4ylfUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~). Donald Trump's "slow-motion coup" is becoming a runaway train Comedian Bill Maher, former National Security Council member Fiona Hill and NYU historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat have all recently used the term "slow-moving coup." In fact, that term, in various formulations, has appeared numerous times in Salon, beginning in 2017, Donald Trump's first year as president. The term refers to the maneuvers of Trump and his cohort aimed at subverting democracy, and, since his electoral defeat last year, at regaining power at any cost. It is important to understand how this coup is playing out — how the runaway train is gaining steam. It’s not just Trump’s promulgation of “The Big Lie”; it also includes partisan-led election law changes underway in state legislatures, voter suppression laws, and gerrymandering. [Read more](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjW7Y_P0RUaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjcvZG9uYWxkLXNsb3ctbW90aW9uLWNvdXAtaXMtYmVjb21pbmctYS1ydW5hd2F5LXRyYWluVwNzcGNCCmF3QTF5YS7jKV9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~). GOP congressman says he would be "proud" to learn his staff helped plan Stop the Steal rally Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., appeared to shift blame to his staff while also heaping praise on them following a report that he and other Trump-friendly lawmakers had meetings with organizers of the Capitol riot. "I don't know if my staff did," Brooks told CNN when asked if he played any part in planning the "Stop the Steal" rally in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6. "But if they did I'd be proud of them for helping to put together a rally lawful under the First Amendment at the ellipse to protest voter fraud & election theft." In a recent report from Rolling Stone, two right-wing organizers of the "Stop the Steal" rally alleged that six other Republican members of Congress corresponded with them ahead of the demonstration on January 6. The sources reportedly described "dozens" of briefings with these lawmakers and were at one point offered "blanket immunity" in another investigation to sweeten the deal. [Read more](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjW7Y_P0R4aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjYvY29uZ3Jlc3NtYW4tc2F5cy1oZS13b3VsZC1iZS1wcm91ZC10by1sZWFybi1oaXMtc3RhZmYtaGVscGVkLXBsYW4tc3RvcC10aGUtc3RlYWwtcmFsbHkvVwNzcGNCCmF3QTF5YS7jKV9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~). - "The Brainwashing of My Dad" author on [how Fox News is prepping its audience](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjW7Y_P0Q3aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjcvc2Vua28tYnJhaW53YXNoaW5nLWZveFcDc3BjQgphd0ExeWEu4ylfUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) for fascist violence - Greg Abbott approves Texas [redistricting that preserves GOP power](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjW7Y_P0RwaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjYvZ3JlZy1hYmJvdHQtYXBwcm92ZXMtdGV4YXMtcmVkaXN0cmljdGluZy10aGF0LXByZXNlcnZlcy1wb3dlci1kaWx1dGVzLW9mLWNvbG9yL1cDc3BjQgphd0ExeWEu4ylfUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~), dilutes voters of color - Dave Chappelle is willing to speak with trans Netflix employees “[with some conditions](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjW7Y_P0RZaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjUvZGF2ZS1jaGFwcGVsbGUtdHJhbnNnZW5kZXItbmV0ZmxpeC1lbXBsb3llZXMtY29uZGl0aW9ucy9XA3NwY0IKYXdBMXlhLuMpX1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA)” - From [Goop to puppets](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjW7Y_P0RQaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjYvc2V4LWxvdmUtYW5kLWdvb3Atc2V4LXVuemlwcGVkLW5ldGZsaXgtcHVwcGV0cy9XA3NwY0IKYXdBMXlhLuMpX1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA), how Netflix is offering a new sex ed - In the world of “Star Trek,” [would people still cook](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjW7Y_P0SAaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjYvaW4tdGhlLXdvcmxkLW9mLXN0YXItdHJlay13b3VsZC1wZW9wbGUtc3RpbGwtY29vay1ldmVuLXRob3VnaC10aGV5LWhhdmUtYWNjZXNzLXRvLWEtcmVwbGljYXRvci9XA3NwY0IKYXdBMXlhLuMpX1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) even though they had a replicator? - Do you hate pigeons? Maybe it’s [time for a reappraisal](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjW7Y_P0RuaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjYvaHVtYW5zLWRvbWVzdGljYXRlZC1waWdlb25zLXRoZW4tYWJhbmRvbmVkLXRoZW0taXMtaXQtdGltZS1mb3ItYS1yZWFwcHJhaXNhbC9XA3NwY0IKYXdBMXlhLuMpX1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) - An [interview with Krysten Ritter](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjW7Y_P0RKaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjUva3J5c3Rlbi1yaXR0ZXItZ2lybC1pbi10aGUtd29vZHMtcGVhY29jay9XA3NwY0IKYXdBMXlhLuMpX1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA), who says of her new cult-horror series: "These are tough girls" - On the Netflix thriller "You," [polyamory done right](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjW7Y_P0RJaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjUveW91LW5ldGZsaXgtcG9seWFtb3J5LW9wZW4tcmVsYXRpb25zaGlwL1cDc3BjQgphd0ExeWEu4ylfUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) could have saved a doomed marriage Not a subscriber yet? [Sign up](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjW7Y_P0RVaHR0cHM6Ly9zYWxvbi51czgubGlzdC1tYW5hZ2UuY29tL3N1YnNjcmliZT91PTcxY2IzZThhNmU5NjM5YzgxMDIzY2Q0MjcmaWQ9NWRlZGEyYWFhN1cDc3BjQgphd0ExeWEu4ylfUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) to receive Crash Course. The right's latest anti-trans hysteria just blew up On Monday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law barring transgender athletes from teams corresponding to their gender. The law requires students to play on teams based on the gender listed on their birth certificate, not the one they live as, even if they take gender-affirming hormones that could affect their athletic performance. Proponents of the law claim it’s about "protecting" girls and women, on the unevidenced grounds that trans girls and women have unfair advantages in sports. Time and again, Marcotte writes, “Republicans are able to get away with lying to the press about the motivations behind their anti-trans beliefs and actions, pretending that they're just trying to ‘protect’ women.” “Texas' latest attack is particularly egregious as the anti-trans law comes right on the heels of the state's passage of a draconian abortion ban that has gutted Roe v. Wade and left thousands of women and girls, many of whom are rape victims, facing the dire prospect of forced childbirth.” [Read more.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjW7Y_P0RUaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjYvdGhlLXJpZ2h0cy1sYXRlc3QtYW50aS10cmFucy1oeXN0ZXJpYS1qdXN0LWJsZXctdXAvVwNzcGNCCmF3QTF5YS7jKV9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images) - [As a Parent, I Would Rather Fake My Own Death Than Take Over Curriculum Planning From Teachers and School Boards](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjW7Y_P0SMaHR0cHM6Ly9zbGF0ZS5jb20vbmV3cy1hbmQtcG9saXRpY3MvMjAyMS8xMC92aXJnaW5pYS1nb3Zlcm5vcnMtcmFjZS1wb2xsLWZpbmRzLXBhcmVudHMtd2FudC1tb3JlLWNvbnRyb2wtb2YtY3VycmljdWx1bXMtc291bmRzLWhvcnJpYmxlLmh0bWxXA3NwY0IKYXdBMXlhLuMpX1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA), Slate - [Meet the Guy Who Spends Just $150 a Year to Eat All His Meals at Six Flags](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjW7Y_P0Q5aHR0cHM6Ly9tZWxtYWdhemluZS5jb20vZW4tdXMvc3Rvcnkvc2l4LWZsYWdzLWRpbmluZy1wYXNzVwNzcGNCCmF3QTF5YS7jKV9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~), MEL - [At Last, a Royal Wedding. But No Trumpets, Just a News Conference](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjW7Y_P0RUaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8xMC8yNS93b3JsZC9hc2lhL2phcGFuLXJveWFsLXdlZGRpbmctcHJpbmNlc3MtbWFrby5odG1sVwNzcGNCCmF3QTF5YS7jKV9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~), New York Times - [When Our Grief Turns to Despair](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjW7Y_P0RIaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGFtZW1hZ2F6aW5lLmNvbS8yMDIxLzEwLzI2L3doZW4tb3VyLWdyaWVmLXR1cm5zLXRvLWRlc3BhaXIvVwNzcGNCCmF3QTF5YS7jKV9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~), Dame Republicans pushed anti-mask policies. Now Arizona's COVID death rate is as high as New York's As Arizona Republicans fight vaccine and mask mandates, the state has caught up to New York in total deaths per capita — even as deaths from COVID-19 are falling nationwide, deaths in Arizona are going up. Deaths have risen 138% in the seven-day average per 100,000 people last week, according to The Washington Post. In March, Arizona’s Republican governor, Doug Ducey, lifted all pandemic restrictions, including prohibiting government mask mandates, citing vaccination rates and declining COVID-19 numbers. Now, cases are rising — up 10% in the last 14 days, reports the New York Times. And vaccination rates have stalled at 53%. Meanwhile, Arizona was the first state to sue the Biden administration over its vaccine requirements for federal employees and private-sector workers. Most recently, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich filed a request for a restraining order to block the vaccine requirements. [Read more](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjW7Y_P0RmaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjYvYWZ0ZXItcHVzaC1hbnRpLW1hc2stcG9saWNpZXMtYXJpem9uYXMtcmF0ZS1ub3ctYXMtaGlnaC1hcy1uZXcteW9ya3MvVwNzcGNCCmF3QTF5YS7jKV9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~). (Photo by Getty Images) Have a tip for Salon? Feedback on this newsletter? [Let us know](mailto:brett.bachman@salon.com). 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