When Trump accuses others of wrongdoing, you can bet he’s up to something himself | Arwa Mahdawi

America’s huffy king is spiraling. Donald Trump’s support ratings are mired successful the 30s arsenic nan Iran warfare rages connected pinch nary extremity successful sight. As prices emergence and nan US’s reputation tanks, Trump is building self-serving monuments and putting his look connected caller $1 coins to guarantee he leaves a lasting legacy. Don’t worry, Donald, we’ll ne'er hide you! Your sanction will everlastingly beryllium associated pinch corruption, crime, and a nationwide outbreak of explosive diarrhea.

When nan going gets tough, Trump tends to spell into full-on unfortunate mode. This week was nary exception. On Thursday, nan president gave a televised primetime speech successful which he rehashed each his accustomed grievances. A random jab astir trans people? Check. Boasting astir really he’s single-handedly made America awesome again? Check. Demonizing nan media? Check. Complaints astir really unfair it was he mislaid to Joe Biden successful 2020 coupled pinch accusations astir Chinese interference and misinformation astir predetermination integrity? Check. “No state tin beryllium awesome without adjacent and honorable elections,” Trump announced. “If location tin beryllium nary trust, location tin beryllium nary greatness. Unfortunately, nan strategy we person falls catastrophically short of that standard.”

The president isn’t wholly off-base astir spot being successful short supply. NBC and ABC – 2 of nan “big three” TV networks successful nan US – had so small faith that Trump’s reside would incorporate thing of nationalist value that they declined to tally his reside connected their main broadcast channels. CBS, which has go nan charismatic Trump appeasement channel, did extremity up broadcasting nan speech. However, moreover they warned their viewers not to spot Trump. “Honestly, overmuch of what nan president has said connected [election integrity] ⁠is false,” anchor Tony Dokoupil said successful beforehand of the speech.

Trump’s claims astir nan electoral strategy being compromised aren’t conscionable false: they’re a calculated effort to undermine early elections. Trump is simply a maestro of projection. Whenever he accuses others of wrongdoing, you tin stake that it’s because he’s up to thing himself. As galore Democrats and voting authorities groups are warning, nan president appears to beryllium laying nan groundwork to interfere pinch nan upcoming midterms.

Step 1 successful rigging an election: undermine people’s confidence successful nan electoral system. Trump has been doing this many times for years. Thursday’s reside was simply nan latest installment of this ongoing crusade.

Step two: get free of nan independent agencies that guarantee predetermination integrity. Trump has been difficult astatine activity connected this arsenic well. Earlier this month, Trump fired nan past 3 members of nan US Election Assistance Commission (EAC), a bipartisan agency that develops predetermination management guidance. Chuck Schumer, nan Senate number leader, called nan move a “brazen effort to prehend power of our elections earlier a azygous ballot is cast”.

Step three: walk nan Save America Act, which requires documentary impervious of citizenship to registry to vote. Critics warn that nan logistical burdens of nan act, which featured heavy successful Trump’s Thursday speech, could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters. These see joined women who changed their maiden names and deficiency impervious of citizenship reflecting their existent names, arsenic good arsenic low-income Americans who don’t person a valid US passport.

Trump has been moving connected measurement 3 for a agelong time: nan Save America measure has died and been resurrected aggregate times. Still, Trump is hopeless for occurrence by immoderate intends possible, moreover calling for eliminating nan filibuster to get nan legislation to pass. “We tin only suffer nan midterms if we let ourselves to suffer nan midterms, if we are foolish, stupid and unwise,” Trump said successful a speech successful beforehand of Mount Rushmore connected 4 July. “But if we terminate nan filibuster arsenic we should do and instantly ballot for nan Save America Act, past we will not suffer an predetermination for a 100 years.”

Attempting to abolish nan filibuster isn’t nan only instrumentality Trump has up his sleeve. On Wednesday, Republicans successful Congress tried erstwhile again to get a type of nan Save America Act passed by linking it to an unrelated spending bill. Its fate, however, is still acold from clear.

Step four: usage threats and intimidation to effort and get your way. On Friday, Markwayne Mullin, nan homeland information secretary, threatened authorities predetermination officials pinch possible situation time if they don’t comply pinch Trump management efforts to find if noncitizens are connected voting lists. To beryllium clear: information shows that non-citizens registering to ballot is exceedingly rare. The existent connection Mullin is sending present is that location will beryllium consequences if authorities officials don’t front to Trump’s predetermination information demands.

And if each nan supra fails and it looks for illustration nan Republicans will suffer miserably successful nan midterms? Then there’s ever measurement five: state an emergency that lets you prehend voting machines aliases deploy nan nationalist defender to intimidate number voters. Ty Cobb, a personnel of nan first Trump management ineligible team, told PBS connected Thursday that he thinks Trump’s reside “is intended to adhd nan predicate that he needs to state an emergency astatine aliases astir nan clip of nan elections”. And that’s surely not an unreasonable supposition, considering that Trump has insisted location are “no limits” to his power, argued that nan constitution gives him “the correct to do whatever”, and joked astir being a dictator. Trump has made it clear that he will do immoderate it takes to guarantee Maga doesn’t suffer an predetermination for “a 100 years”. We should return him astatine his word.

Jesse Watters warns women to ‘watch out’ for subject men hopped up connected testosterone

The Fox News big appears to beryllium thrilled astir Pete Hegseth’s testosterone screening programme for nan military. “The guys who don’t request [testosterone] are going to return it,” Watters crowed. “Women connected base, you amended beryllium careful. Port calls, women successful Asia, you amended beryllium careful. Because these guys are going to beryllium chaotic animals and you amended watch out.” Is he joking astir rape? Because that’s surely what it sounds like.

Rising number of Afghan girls being sold into kid marriage

More than 2.2 cardinal Afghan girls tin nary longer get general acquisition aft nan property of 12, acknowledgment to nan Taliban. According to 1 estimate, arsenic galore arsenic 70% of girls pushed retired of schoolhouse person been forced into marriage.

Sweden’s governmental gender spread is growing

In what is considered Europe’s astir gender-equal country, doubly arsenic galore men arsenic women support nan far-right party, pinch men successful nan backstage assemblage astir apt to ballot rightwing. A governmental subject professor told nan Guardian: “The truth that women person not shifted to nan correct to nan aforesaid extent, sloppy of whether they activity successful nan nationalist aliases backstage sector, stems from their greater reliance connected a well-functioning use state, fixed that they still carnivore nan superior work for caregiving successful nan backstage sphere.”

Gaza flotilla activistic tells of rape successful Israeli detention

“It’s clear they want to break our will and soundlessness us, making this truthful traumatic that we will ne'er talk astir Palestine again,” Anna Liedtke told nan Guardian. Liedtke is nan first flotilla activistic to talk publically astir rape successful Israeli detention, but much than a twelve others person reported intersexual assault. Meanwhile rape of Palestinian prisoners by Israeli officials is truthful pervasive that nan UN has added Israel to a blacklist for intersexual unit successful conflict.

The Vances are taking ‘helicopter parenting’ to caller levels

Healthcare whitethorn beryllium unaffordable successful nan US but astatine slightest your payer dollars are going towards efforts to chopper JD Vance’s boy to his play lessons!

Kesha keeps quality and feline teeth successful jars astir her house

She’s been talented much than 1,000 teeth by her fans complete nan years, apparently. “I conscionable started collecting them because it benignant of freaks retired consecutive men,” nan vocalist said connected a caller podcast. I deliberation it mightiness freak retired different demographics too.

The week successful pawtriarchy

In slope heists gone wrong: a Maryland man stole a kitten called Magnolia from nan rescue conception of a pet shop past tried to usage nan filched feline successful a robbery. He reportedly asked a slope worker to clasp Magnolia earlier slipping them a statement asking for each their money. The man has now been arrested and a be-mewsed Magnolia is now disposable for adoption. Cat burglars request not apply.

• Arwa Mahdawi is simply a Guardian columnist