💥🇺🇸 SPARK & FLAG

A weekly briefing from The All American. See through the flash. Avoid the traps. Move the majority.

Aug 26, 2025

Each week, we’ll break down the stories, signals, and spin shaping American politics—and offer a sharp, usable perspective on how to push back against rising authoritarianism and build a democracy that actually works.

This newsletter is brought to you by The All American, the communications arm of American Futures —founded by Ilyse Hogue, Peter Teague, and Seth Flaxman—lifelong organizers, strategists, and builders working to forge a new majoritarian movement rooted in patriotism and universalist values.

Thanks for reading. Let’s get to it.

Trump Turns the FBI on John Bolton

What’s going on: Federal agents raided the home of John Bolton, Trump’s former National Security Advisor, in a move the Wall Street Journal editorial board called “the kind of gratuitous viciousness that has increasingly defined Mr. Trump’s return to office.” After initially denying that he knew anything about the raid, Trump later bragged on Fox News: “I could know about it. I could be the one starting it. I’m actually the chief law enforcement officer.”

🧭 Big Picture: By targeting Bolton, Trump is signaling that no one is safe if they cross him. That’s the authoritarian playbook: punish dissidents inside your own camp to show no one is untouchable.

⚠️ Why This Matters: It’s a wedge for traditional elites who have minimized the risks Trump presents on the mistaken assumption that they, not he, are in charge. They now face the reality of absolute loyalty tests—if Bolton can be targeted, anyone can. Noah Berlatsky reminds us that solidarity against fascism must extend even to people we don’t like—echoing the bedrock values of American Universalism. The trap is Democrats getting dragged into defending Bolton or responding to GOP “what-about-ism” by re-litigating Biden-era DOJ investigations. The smarter play is to highlight GOP hypocrisy. If Republicans really cared about political persecution, they’d end it. Instead, they’re enabling a president who proclaims himself judge, jury, and executioner—and might be coming for them next.

MAGA’s War on Science at HHS

What’s going on: Inside the Trump administration’s HHS, internal chaos is spilling out over the cancellation of mRNA vaccine contracts. Proven public health tools are being dismantled to appease conspiracy theorists, leaving the public less safe, while leaders claim to champion “health freedom.”

🧭 Big Picture: Democrats, Independents, and Republicans want to be able to protect their families. Yet Trump’s HHS is being run by ideological arsonists, increasing the odds of the next global health disaster. It’s an attempt to normalize extremist, minority, and anti-scientific views, conflating the conflicting values of anti-vaxxers and those in the Make America Healthy Again crowd—a classic bait-and-switch using well-meaning parents worried about health and safety to justify policies that endanger their kids.

⚠️ Why This Matters: The chaos of Trump’s COVID response cost him re-election in 2020, while the overreach on lockdowns and school closures gave rise to a new movement that helped elect him in 2024. Now his team is making the next crisis more likely. By rejecting scientific advances like mRNA, they’re putting children, seniors, and everyone else at risk. This issue can be used to drive a wedge between extremists in the anti-vax camp and regular MAHA enthusiasts. It works because it forces voters to choose between recklessness and responsibility, and between a government making it harder to protect our families and one that invests in health and safety.

TRAP OF THE WEEK: Trump’s Flag-Burning Executive Order

Each week we will either shine a spotlight on a MAGA “Trap of the Week,” and how to neutralize it. Or, we’ll amplify the “Wedge of the Week,” a crack in the MAGA coalition to capitalize upon.

What it is: Trump just signed an EO mandating a one-year jail sentence for anyone who burns an American flag. It’s plainly unconstitutional, widely unpopular, and utterly cynical—the oldest trap in the GOP book.

🧨 Trap Avoidance Strategy: This stunt is designed to bait the opposition into endless First Amendment debates while Trump rallies his base with faux-patriotic theatrics. It’s the same tactic he’s used before: scrape the bottom of the culture war barrel when he’s losing on jobs, healthcare, and corruption.

Don’t take the bait. As coverage in outlets like CNN makes clear, Americans already know this is unconstitutional. The smarter move is to flip the script—buy a flag, wave it proudly, and remind voters that the real desecration is Trump turning the DOJ into his personal hit squad. There are first amendment violations happening all the time under Trump that are not as viscerally divisive. Talk about those instead. We win by refusing to be dragged into his distractions and keeping the spotlight on economic and political failures that create chaos and impact voters' economic outlook and sense of security.

THE FLAG

Each week, we’ll share one thing worth watching, listening to, or reading.

Ilyse’s Recommendation: Zach Beauchamp at Vox has an excellent piece on how liberals don’t invest in young people or their big ideas about how democracy can work. Contrast that with right-wing conservatives who have doubled down on their investments to create a pipeline of paid opportunities for their up-and-comers.

Seth’s Recommendation: Historic 14-minute speech from Gov Pritzker of Illinois defying the announced military occupation of Chicago and pointing out why this is so clearly not about crime: “13 of the top 20 cities in homicide rate have Republican governors. None of these cities is Chicago. Eight of the top 10 states with the highest homicide rates are led by Republicans. None of those states is Illinois.” Protect Democracy has advice on fighting—write or call your governor and ask them to protect disaster readiness by refusing to divert troops for a political agenda.

Peter’s Recommendation: In America, only King George III and Donald Trump have asserted the authority to use troops for routine law enforcement. In a new post, “When Soldiers Become Police, Citizens Become the Enemy,” the writers of The Threadbare Republic Substack warn that “Democracies unravel not in one dramatic collapse but in the steady normalization of the extraordinary. The moment soldiers take on the work of police, the state has already declared war on its own people.”