A chilling development in the Trump administration's escalating campaign of terror has left experts warning that the U.S. government is now openly embracing extrajudicial killings as a tool to silence dissent and stifle free speech.
President Donald Trump has authorized secret military strikes against civilians in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, claiming they are "terrorists" engaged in non-international armed conflict with designated terrorist organizations. But critics argue that this justification for targeted killings is a thinly veiled attempt to legitimize an authoritarian crackdown on opposition voices.
The Trump administration's National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 (NSPM-7) has been criticized for conflating constitutionally protected speech and political activism with "domestic terrorism" – a term with no basis in U.S. law. The document defines domestic terrorism as including actions such as "doxing" and "conspiracies to impede law enforcement," leaving advocates for free speech and civil liberties concerned about the erosion of their rights.
Meanwhile, the administration has framed Minneapolis protests as part of a larger "Radical Left Movement of Violence and Hate," painting them as a coordinated effort by anti-American agitators. This rhetoric has been used to justify aggressive policing tactics against protesters, including federal immigration agents who have shot at least 13 people since September, killing at least five.
Critics argue that these actions amount to an authoritarian takeover of the U.S. government and a post-truth America where facts are subordinated to political expediency. The Intercept has faced pushback from corporate news outlets and right-wing billionaires seeking to suppress dissenting voices, while its reporting on NSPM-7 and other Trump policies has been praised by advocates for press freedom.
As the U.S. government increasingly consolidates power under Trump's leadership, experts warn that American democracy is at risk of being dismantled. The Intercept remains committed to holding those in power accountable and expanding its reporting capacity to tackle this unprecedented threat – but it needs your support.
President Donald Trump has authorized secret military strikes against civilians in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, claiming they are "terrorists" engaged in non-international armed conflict with designated terrorist organizations. But critics argue that this justification for targeted killings is a thinly veiled attempt to legitimize an authoritarian crackdown on opposition voices.
The Trump administration's National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 (NSPM-7) has been criticized for conflating constitutionally protected speech and political activism with "domestic terrorism" – a term with no basis in U.S. law. The document defines domestic terrorism as including actions such as "doxing" and "conspiracies to impede law enforcement," leaving advocates for free speech and civil liberties concerned about the erosion of their rights.
Meanwhile, the administration has framed Minneapolis protests as part of a larger "Radical Left Movement of Violence and Hate," painting them as a coordinated effort by anti-American agitators. This rhetoric has been used to justify aggressive policing tactics against protesters, including federal immigration agents who have shot at least 13 people since September, killing at least five.
Critics argue that these actions amount to an authoritarian takeover of the U.S. government and a post-truth America where facts are subordinated to political expediency. The Intercept has faced pushback from corporate news outlets and right-wing billionaires seeking to suppress dissenting voices, while its reporting on NSPM-7 and other Trump policies has been praised by advocates for press freedom.
As the U.S. government increasingly consolidates power under Trump's leadership, experts warn that American democracy is at risk of being dismantled. The Intercept remains committed to holding those in power accountable and expanding its reporting capacity to tackle this unprecedented threat – but it needs your support.
It's like they think they're above the law or something. And now they're framing protests as part of some big "Radical Left Movement"? That's just ridiculous. I mean, what even is that term? It sounds like a made-up excuse to crack down on people who are just trying to make their voices heard.
I know we should be worried about our democracy right now. It feels like Trump is trying to take power away from the people and just rule with an iron fist.
its like trumps admin is just trying 2 silence opposition & stifle dissenting voices. news outlets r getting intimidated by corporate pressure 2 keep quiet & right-wing billionaires are literally pushing 4 media blackouts 
and i'm worried bout what the future holds 4 this country... 
. I mean, come on, the guy's got a different style of governance than, say, Obama or Bush. It's not like he's actively seeking to undermine democracy. He's just trying to shake things up and make America "great" again 
. And yeah, maybe some of his policies are questionable, but let's not demonize him completely 
. I think we should try to understand where he's coming from and have a nuanced conversation about the issues 
gotta say, trump's doing some super sketchy stuff with the national security memo 7 
. silencing dissent and stifle free speech is not how you build a healthy democracy 
. can't just conflate political activism with terrorism and expect everyone to roll over 
news outlets are trying to silence dissenting voices too 
.
️. And the fact that they're using corporate news outlets and billionaires to try and shut down dissenting voices? 
. And what's with these secret military strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific? Are we really talking about targeted killings of civilians here? 
That's just not how democracy works 
. We need to speak out against this kind of authoritarian behavior and protect our rights as citizens 
Also, what's with all this talk about "non-international armed conflict"? That sounds like a fancy way of saying "we want to kill whoever we feel like". And what about due process? Are they going to send people to Guantanamo without even a trial? 
And who needs due process when you can just label someone a "domestic terrorist"? 
It's all about maintaining "national security" and silencing opposition voices... or is it just about suppressing dissenting opinions that might ruin the narrative? 
. It feels like they're trying to control everything and stifle anyone who speaks out against them. The whole "domestic terrorism" thing is just a fancy way of saying "we don't want to hear your opinions anymore". 
. i'm so worried about the future of our democracy 
need more independent journalism like The Intercept to hold those in power accountable