News

Is Elon Musk Just A Trump Hatchet Man Or Is He Running The Show?

In less than a month in office, President Donald Trump and his minions have taken actions that ignore the Constitution, ignore federal laws, and ignore federal courts. And the minion at the top of that list is Elon Musk. Here’s what we know: ➡️ Elon Musk is the richest person in the world. ➡️ He […]

D21 On Confirmation Of Kash Patel As FBI Director

Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer Kash Patel’s 51-49 confirmation today as FBI Director – nominated by President Trump and confirmed by all but two of the Republican Senators – is a dangerous threat to the nation and a disaster for the FBI. Patel is an outspoken enemy of the FBI he now leads, […]

Three Branches Of Government Or Just One?

For the first time in our history, a President appears ready to reduce the other two branches of our government – Congress and the Judiciary – to mere arms of the President and Executive Branch. President Donald Trump has falsely claimed that the Constitution gives him “the right to do whatever I want.” This is […]

Here Comes Russell Vought

And now comes Russell Vought. Vought is expected to be confirmed later today as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), one of the most powerful positions in government, a government Vought apparently hates. Vought is known as the architect of Project 2025, a right-wing plan for wholesale deconstruction of our government. He […]

A President Or An Autocrat In The Making?

Just days after taking the presidential oath of office and swearing to “faithfully execute” his office and “preserve, protect, and defend” the Constitution, Donald Trump has shown that he is an autocrat in the making, not a President sworn to uphold the Constitution. Trump’s apparent strategy in the opening days of his second term is […]

50+ Civil & Human Rights Organizations, Including D21, Urge Senators To Oppose Kash Patel’s Nomination To Lead FBI

Ahead of Friday’s Senate confirmation hearing on Kash Patel, Trump’s nominee for FBI director, 58 civil and human rights organizations, including Democracy 21, have urged the Senate to oppose Patel’s confirmation. Given the FBI’s vast authority, “the bureau’s leadership must be entrusted to someone who will uphold the U.S. Constitution, respect the rule of law, […]

D21 President Fred Wertheimer To Receive The Prestigious Paul H. Douglas Award For Ethics In Government

Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer has been awarded the 2025 Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government. The prestigious award is given annually by the University of Illinois System’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs. The award honors “government and private citizens who significantly contribute to the practice and understanding of ethical behavior and […]

Trump 2.0 — “Meet The New Boss, Same As The Old Boss.”

Some people seem to be giving President Donald Trump a pass these days. As he himself recently noted: “In the first term everybody was fighting me. In this term, everybody wants to be my friend.” A pass for Trump is a big mistake. President Trump is the first convicted felon to serve as an American […]

Trump’s Jan. 6 Pardons & Commutations Are A National Disgrace

Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer President Donald Trump’s pardons and commuting of sentences today of convicted criminals who carried out the January 6 mob attack on the U.S. Capitol in 2021 are a national disgrace. The pardons and commutations are part of Trump’s continuing effort to rewrite history. Trump will fail. Historians write […]

Mr. Super Rich Goes To Washington

In the 1939 movie Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, Jimmy Stewart, as newly appointed Sen. Jefferson Smith, arrives in Washington to fight against government corruption. In 2025, it’s now Mr. Super Rich going to Washington, but for entirely different reasons. The Super Rich have donated massive amounts to support Donald Trump’s campaign, his Inauguration festivities, his […]