💥🇺🇸 Spark & Flag
A weekly briefing from The All American. See through the flash. Avoid the traps. Move the majority.
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.
WEDGE OF THE WEEK: Epstein Files Reveal the Swamp Trump Said He’d Drain
Each week we will either shine a spotlight on a MAGA disinformation “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: A renewed wave of outrage is erupting on the right over Trump’s failure to release the Epstein Files—an issue he once promised would expose the powerful. Now, MAGA influencers and grassroots supporters alike are furious. Trump’s dismissive “nobody cares” comment is being seen as a betrayal of the drain the swamp promise that brought him to power.
🧨 Wedge Play: This is an insider-vs-outsider moment to capitalize upon and flip the script on Trump and MAGA Republicans that have championed themselves as the party that strikes fear to power. Trump’s entire political identity was built on being the one who’d expose elite corruption, but by slow-walking Epstein disclosures and protecting those in power, he’s proving he’s not the outsider anymore—he is the swamp.
For Democrats, this is a chance to lead: support real transparency, back Rep. Ro Khanna’s efforts at full disclosure, and refuse to circle the wagons around any abuser, no matter how powerful. This moment is about trust, and Trump is losing it from the voters and from powerful leaders of MAGA factions. Let’s make sure voters know who’s actually willing to fight for accountability.
Crypto, Congress, and How Trump’s Corruption Grift May Break His Base
What’s going on: Crypto is having a record-breaking summer. As Congress moves forward with new legislation, Trump is simultaneously courting rank-and-file crypto users—especially young men and working-class investors—while openly grifting through shady NFT launches and policy promises that benefit large mega holders, including his own family.
🧭 Big Picture: Trump’s crypto posturing isn’t about the future of monetary innovation or providing access and opportunity for more people to get ahead. It’s about exploiting a disillusioned and de-banked demographic: young, nonwhite, working-class users who feel like the establishment—especially Democrats—wants to shut down their shot at economic mobility. But Trump isn’t a champion here. He’s one of the biggest grifters in the game, enriching himself and selling out the very people who trust him.
⚠️ Why This Matters: Trump won big with this group in 2024, and crypto was a core cultural appeal on his “Manosphere” tour. But if voters are reminded this was one more opportunity for self-dealing, their trust in Trump’s leadership will continue to plummet. Democrats have an opportunity to lead, but only if they focus on protecting consumers in the marketplace, not trying to shut it down. This is an opening for a real, authentic policy stance on protecting the average user and assuring that the industry prioritizes stability and transparency, not just for institutional players.
AI is Being Built for Authoritarianism and No One’s Regulating the Architects
What’s going on: Elon Musk’s AI platform Grok is now producing racist memes, amplifying right-wing propaganda, and flirting with historical revisionism, including a now-infamous “MechaHitler” reference. At the same time, bipartisan efforts to regulate AI have stalled, leaving the future of this powerful technology in the hands of a few unaccountable billionaires.
🧭 Big Picture: AI is being trained with bias and we’re already seeing how it can mirror the authoritarian playbook: limit inputs, divide people through bigotry, and accumulate power. While most Americans agree AI needs rules, Grok is showing us what happens when oversight fails.
⚠️ Why This Matters: This isn’t just a story about the unfettered power of tech and the lack of guardrails at X. It’s a story about one man, Elon Musk, and the slowly eroding pillars of democracy via the free flow of factless information. Without a universalist framework for AI, the most powerful voices will write the algorithms—and they’re not building for fairness or freedom. There’s an opening here for state-level innovation and bipartisan leadership, but the clock is ticking, and we can’t keep punting on the one issue that will define power for the next generation.
THE FLAG
Each week, we’ll share one thing worth watching, listening to, or reading this week. For this inaugural The Spark & The Flag, each of us at Catalyst for American Futures is giving our favorite thing we read this week:
Ilyse’s Recommendation: Read more about the MAGA split in Will Sommer’s False Flag newsletter for The Bulwark. Too often, we assume MAGA is a monolith. Sommer breaks down the fractures and provides tools to exacerbate them.
Seth Recommendation: Trump’s crackdown is backfiring—support for immigration is rising. But who will lead a popular reform agenda rooted in majoritarian values before the moment slips away and the pendulum swings too far left again? Support for Immigration Rebounds as Trump Cracks Down on It, New Poll Finds
Peter’s Recommendation: Not content to terrorize millions of immigrant workers, the Trump Administration has declared open season on America’s 25 million naturalized citizens (including NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani). Read Time Magazine’s coverage of Trump’s latest ambition - to deport people born in the U.S., including citizen - and fierce Trump critic - Rosie O’Donnell.