The man controlling who gets hired into the Trump administration was born in Moscow and refuses to undergo the security clearance process he demands of everyone else. That explosive revelation anchored today's Trump Tyranny Tracker as authoritarian consolidation accelerated across multiple fronts.
The Russian Gatekeeper
Sergio Gore, Trump's personnel director with authority over vetting more than 4,000 executive branch staffers, has refused to submit the mandatory SF-86 form required for permanent security clearance. But here's the kicker that should terrify every American: Gore was born in Moscow, not in Moldova as he's claimed. The man deciding who gets access to America's secrets won't reveal his own.
Gore has wielded immense influence over federal appointments while operating on only interim clearance, citing "distrust of the deep state and the FBI." Translation: the fox is guarding the henhouse and doesn't want anyone checking his background. When the person vetting America's national security apparatus could potentially be feeding information to foreign intelligence agencies, we've crossed into uncharted territory of vulnerability.
War Planning Without the War Cabinet
Trump's Iran crisis management reveals just how fractured and dangerous his inner circle has become. He's deliberately excluding Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and DNI Tulsi Gabbard from key decisions about potential strikes on Iran, instead relying on Vance, Rubio, Ratcliffe, and General Caine.
Gabbard's sidelining came after she posted a nuclear war warning video just two days before Israel launched attacks on Iran—timing that suggests either remarkable prescience or advance knowledge she wasn't supposed to share. Russian media is reportedly "freaking out" about Gabbard being pushed aside, which tells you everything about whose interests she's been serving.
The fracture reflects a deeper struggle between Russian and Israeli intelligence operations both trying to influence Trump's decision-making. Russia desperately wants to prevent regime change in Iran, their key ally and drone supplier. Meanwhile, Israel pushes for maximum pressure. Trump sits in the middle as these foreign powers wage influence campaigns through his own administration.
Surveillance State Goes Full Throttle
The immigration crackdown has become a testing ground for broader authoritarian control. The Department of Homeland Security now requires 72 hours notice for congressional visits to ICE detention centers—enough time to clean up anything—while completely barring lawmakers from field offices. This direct attack on congressional oversight eliminates the last check on executive power.
But the surveillance expansion goes far beyond immigration. Trump ordered U.S. missions abroad to resume student visa processing with mandatory social media monitoring, specifically flagging criticism of U.S. policy or support for Palestine as grounds for denial. California police used AI-powered license plate readers to investigate immigration protesters—not just undocumented immigrants, but American citizens exercising their First Amendment rights.
The deportation of Australian journalist Alistair Kitchen for his Substack coverage of Columbia protests shows how far this has gone. Border agents had prepared for him before he even boarded his plane in Australia, using Palantir-powered surveillance to build a complete profile. When they couldn't find real grounds for deportation, they fabricated drug charges over legal marijuana purchased in New York.
The Authoritarian Playbook Accelerates
These aren't isolated incidents—they're systematic. A Russian-born official controls federal hiring without oversight. Foreign intelligence operations influence war planning. Congressional oversight gets blocked while AI surveillance targets protesters and journalists face ideological screening.
Obama's warning that America is "dangerously close" to autocracy isn't hyperbole—it's an accurate assessment of how quickly democratic institutions are being hollowed out from within. When the people vetting our government may be working for foreign powers, when war decisions bypass official chains of command, and when surveillance tools target critics rather than threats, we're no longer operating within democratic norms.
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