Trump's Moves to Consolidate Power, Punish Enemies
www.military.com

... In 2007, eight years after becoming Venezuela's president, Hugo Chvez revoked the license of the country's oldest private television station. Eight months into his second term, President Donald Trump suggested revoking the licenses of U.S. television stations he believes are overly critical of him.

Since he returned to office in January, Trump's remaking of the federal government into an instrument of his personal will has drawn comparisons to elected strongmen in other countries who used the levers of government to consolidate power, punish their enemies and stifle dissent.

But those familiar with other countries where that has happened, including Hungary and Turkey, say there is one striking difference: Trump appears to be moving more rapidly, and more overtly, than others did.

"The only difference is the speed with which it is happening," said David Smilde, who lived in Venezuela during Chavez's rise and is now a professor at Tulane University.

Political enemies of the president become targets ...

Trump urges Microsoft to fire ex-Biden administration official
www.digitaljournal.com

... US President Donald Trump called on Microsoft on Friday to fire its head of global affairs, Lisa Monaco, a former senior official in Democratic administrations.

"It is my opinion that Microsoft should immediately terminate the employment of Lisa Monaco," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

Since taking office in January, the Republican president has taken a number of punitive measures against his perceived enemies and political opponents.

Former FBI director James Comey, a prominent Trump critic, was indicted on two criminal counts on Thursday and Trump said Friday he hopes "there are others."

Trump, in his call for Microsoft to fire Monaco, noted that she served as deputy attorney general in the Joe Biden administration, when criminal cases were brought against him. ...