Contrarians Shake the Ground Beneath Trump

When you're winning, pour it on: Publisher's Roundup 70

Last week marked an inflection point in the fight against Trump’s corruption — thanks to you Contrarians. That’s because in the space of a few hours on May 29, my democracy litigation colleagues and I won the two biggest victories against Donald Trump’s corruption yet. First, we represented 35 former federal judges in getting a Florida federal court to reopen an investigation into Trump’s $1.8 billion slush fund. And then we won the Kennedy Center case, including getting an order that Trump’s name must come off the building. All thanks to your paid subscriptions!

But one of the fundamental lessons of the fight for democracy — indeed of any fight — is when you’re winning, pour it on. And that’s just what we did this week with two more major legal onslaughts against the slush fund plus much more (all covered here at the Contrarian, naturally).

Photo by Clay Elliot on Unsplash

First, we did not accept the Trump administration’s claim that it was backing away from the fund. In a sign that we had drawn blood, anonymous leaks that the fund was supposedly dead were followed by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s testimony on the Hill. He declared that the fund was “not moving forward.”

With an administration that lies so much (just look at Trump’s flip-floppery on Iran, among countless other examples), we weren’t buying it. That’s why, a day after Blanche’s announcement, we sued to make sure that not a penny of this money is ever paid — and the associated “settlements” also are stopped.

Sure enough, after we filed, Trump apparently back-tracked, saying of the fund “I love it…. I think it’s so important” and “These are great people that were destroyed, their families have been destroyed.” Violent insurrections who attacked cops should be paid? We don’t think so. And who better than our clients — two January 6 prosecutors — to take that on?

But more was to come. On Thursday, we filed a rare bipartisan brief opposing the fund. We represent Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) in an amicus brief fighting this outrageous attempt to take $1.8 billion from taxpayers. They assert that it violates the Appropriations Clause by spending federal money without congressional authorization. Like hiding the Epstein files — which we are also litigating — Trump’s fund has unusual bipartisan opposition on the Hill. Experts say those kinds of defections are a sign of failing authoritarianism.

Now the Trump administration has filed legal briefs claiming that the fund is not going forward. Well, we are going forward. We won’t stop until we have not only guaranteed that no money will be paid, but also that Trump’s sweeping “settlement” absolving himself and his family from vast liabilities is also reversed.

But our corruption-fighting week wasn’t yet over. That’s because of a leaked internal Kennedy Center memorandum to staff in response to our win in the case. The good news was that it contained a very detailed rundown of all the steps being taken to remove Trump’s name from the center. I can’t wait to be there when his name is excised from the front of the building. The bad news was that the document mischaracterized what the judge ordered. The memo claimed “[t]he Court did not rule that the Center must stay open during the renovation.” That is false, and on Friday we filed a motion with the court saying so. We will not let this stand.

Of course, that was not the only anti-corruption activity that we undertook this week. We filed a bar complaint against former Attorney General Pam Bondi, brought a new lawsuit to expose FBI Director Kash Patel’s Olympics boondoggle on the taxpayer dime, and continued the discovery push in our DOGE cases as we march toward our deposition of Elon Musk.

So, as you can see, our response to Trump’s flooding the zone with corruption is rule of law shock and awe. And all of our over 300 legal cases and matters at Democracy Defenders Fund and Democracy Defenders Action are made possible by your paid Contrarian subscriptions. Because we are owned by nobody, profits go to support our litigation work.

Of course, we don’t only fight in the courts but also in the court of public opinion. To see for yourself, just check out this week’s roundup of the best of the Contrarian.

Lives at Risk

‘Terrible and Inhumane’: Delaney Hall and the Grim Reality of ICE Detention

Tim Dickinson wrote on the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, run by a notorious for-profit jailer group, which has renewed a flashpoint as protesters rally outside for hunger strikers within. “Instead of improving conditions inside, DHS has chosen violence outside Delaney.”

The Voting Rights Act Is Gone. Our Nation’s Health Will Suffer the Consequences

Avenel Joseph wrote on the connection between the Supreme Court’s recent gutting of the VRA and the likely worsening of health outcomes in the states most affected — especially for Black Americans. “States where voting is more accessible report better mental health, fewer uninsured residents, and lower infant mortality.”

Primary Night & Voting Rights

Iowa May Go the Way of Texas

Jen Rubin wrote on how another red state, Iowa, entered play for the Senate in November — thanks to highly electable Democratic primary winner Josh Turek, who has “put the state’s long- and short-term economic woes in the context of a political system rigged by the oligarchy’s growing power and wealth.”

A Deeply Disturbing Decision in the Alabama Voting Case

Erwin Chemerinsky wrote on the Supreme Court’s ruling this week to allow Alabama to use voting maps found to be racially discriminatory, putting yet another nail in the coffin of the VRA. “The conservative justices seem to be following a single principle: Do whatever it takes to help the Republican Party.”

Voters Want Transformation, Not Restoration

Neera Tanden wrote on takeaways from CAP’s 2026 IDEAS Conference. “The fact is that people feel stuck — because they are stuck. They don’t believe the system works — because it doesn’t work for them…. The American people do not want to go back to a broken status quo.”

Pulte in as DNI

Trump’s New Intel Head Is Worse than Unqualified

Riley Pynnonen and I wrote on Trump’s pick to replace Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence: a man who is already a central figure in the president’s campaign of political retribution.

Bill Pulte Is Not Being Sent to Lead the Intelligence Community

Brian O’Neill wrote on how Trump’s acting DNI pick suggests the transformation of U.S. intelligence writ large. “Pulte’s selection does not break from the trajectory of outgoing DNI Tulsi Gabbard’s tenure. It suggests that trajectory is moving into more dangerous territory.”

Journalism Under Attack

The Tea ft. Jim Acosta & Isaiah Martin

On The Tea this week, April Ryan and guests spoke about ongoing attacks on journalism and Democrats fighting fire with fire. “The most egregious thing that we’ve seen all week is Bari Weiss and the Ellisons killing 60 Minutes.”

Of Course They’re Going After E. Jean Carroll

Jennifer Weiss-Wolf reported on Trump’s ongoing obsession with silencing the iconic journalist who has successfully sued him twice. “The Trump administration’s latest move to deploy Justice Department investigators against Carroll is not only an attempt to distort the rule of law to vilify her and her colleagues, but it also sends a clear signal to all of us. Go public, risk retaliation.”

When the Newsroom Becomes a Server Farm

Ruben Steiger wrote on the AI-based threats to substantive and local journalism, including “pink slime” sites, search decimation, and bailouts leading to industry dependency. “AI breaks the economics of investigative journalism.”

Racism in sports

Naomi Osaka and Taylor Townsend Hosted a Party. And the Haters Showed Up

Shalise Manza-Young wrote on the telling response to a celebration at the French Open. “Too many people loathe Black folk, but what they really hate is Black joy. To see that through it all … we are still here.”

The NAACP’s Sports Boycott Targets the Wrong Group of Black Americans

Carron J. Phillips wrote on the NAACP’s request for Black professional athletes to withhold support for predominantly white institutions in states affected by attacks on voting rights — and why this may be less effective than appealing to the college athletes on whom these institutions rely.

Fighting Back

How To Reclaim Power from the Right

Brian Tyler Cohen wrote on why this is a moment for Democrats to fight the administration’s law-changing, norm-bending fire with fire. “You could say that demonizing the opposition is bad for the country. But you can’t say it’s worse than Donald Trump’s presidency.”

In this week’s Contrarian Calls to Action: Mobilize for America’s 250th, Fight Pulte’s Noxious Nomination, plus more ways to stand up for democracy, ICE demonstrators, and voting rights. Also see Tim Dickinson’s conversation with Ezra Levin for more on the First Amendment Celebration Indivisible is planning with Jane Fonda (!) for June 14. I’ll be there!

The Contrarian Covers the Democracy Movement

This week, we saw protests in Oregon, Alabama, Kansas, Albanians against a Kushner resort, continuing ICE demonstrations, and Tesla takedowns. Get help organizing from Indivisible, find protests in your area at mobilize.us, and send us your protest photos at submit@contrariannews.org.

Cartoons, Culture & Fun Stuff

This week, our cartoonists covered narcissism (The Wart Stops Here, Michael de Adder), terrible choices (The Situation Room, Nick Anderson; No Experience Necessary, RJ Matson), and both at once (The Bari Weiss Fix at CBS, Nick Anderson).

How Trump’s Nostalgia-Fueled Concert Turned Into an Embarrassing Debacle

Meredith Blake wrote on the would-be star-filled lineup for “The Great American State Fair,” which has seen even Milli Vanilli sending regrets. “Instead of celebrating this milestone by showcasing the best in American culture, the Trump administration tried to resurrect some of the worst musical trends of the recent past.”

Emily Beyda encouraged readers to embrace comfort food when the election results are difficult to watch, and Ciera Stone introduced us to Vela, a rescue dog who needs a home.

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