The Dictatorship
Trump is using the Iran war to take more control over business
ByJoseph Zeballos-Roig
President Donald Trump considers China the country’s biggest rival. But he also seems to view it as a model where the state calls the shots on who gets ahead in business.
Since returning to office, Trump has taken a more direct stake in American businesses than his predecessors — especially the Republican ones — turning the federal goverrnment into a major shareholder. While it’s still nowhere near China’s state-directed market economyit’s still closer to it than the U.S. has typically been.
America’s investment portfolio currently spans 16 companies with $21 billion invested so far, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. The roster includes smaller stakes in Intel Corp. — the single-largest federal commitment— and rare-earth mineral companies such as MP Materials among others.
Now he’s poised to use the Iran war to exert more power in the economy.
The Trump administration is galloping ahead with a pair of bailouts for Spirit Airlines and the United Arab Emirates, a Persian Gulf nation and a close U.S. ally. Both are grappling with the fallout of the war, which has rippled through the global economy and spiked fuel prices.
Spirit was already in bad shape before war broke out in the Middle East. The budget carrier cycled through two bankruptcies in two years and has long had a dismal reputation among travelers. A University of Chicago professor once infamously comparedtraveling on the airline to a case of chickenpox since “everyone has endured Spirit once.”
Nevertheless, it is in line to receive a $500 million loanfrom the U.S. government to avoid liquidation or even an outright sale — turning Spirit into America’s first state-owned airline.
“We’re thinking about helping them out, meaning bailing them out, or buying it,” Trump told reporters Thursday evening. “I think we just buy it.”
Next up is the UAE. Iranian missiles bombarded the oil-rich nation, crippling its ability to sell and export oil through the critical Strait of Hormuz. Though the UAE has ample financial reserves, it is still bleeding dollars. Now the administration is engineering a currency swap linethat functions similarly to credit. It is the exact same lifeline that was extended to Argentinalate last year, and may wellbe granted to Asian nations in the future.
In both cases, Trump is using reprecussions from the war to justify more government involvement in the economy.
There is precedent for this. During World War I, the federal government took control of the nation’s railroadsthough they were returned to private ownership after the war’s end. In World War II, the feds ordered auto companies to stop building private cars and focus on planes and tanks, strictly rationingthe remaining civilian automobiles. And during the Korean War, President Harry Truman attempted to seize control of U.S. steel mills, only to be blockedby the Supreme Court.
Republicans have long argued that this kind of state meddling — which former House Speaker Paul Ryan referred to as “picking winners and losers” — risks being corrupted by personal influence. They had a field day when the solar power company Solyndra went bankrupt after receiving a federal loan guarantee from the Obama administration, calling it “crony capitalism” because some people invovled with the company had been campaign contributors.
Crony capitalism is typically definedas a system in which private firms leverage influence in government to secure privileged favors and gain advantage, instead of competing in open markets for success. The term was first usedin the 1980s to illustrate the two-decade dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos over the Philippines. Marcos minted oligarchs who dominated the Philippine economy with insider deals and relied on him to preserve their splendor. His rule ended with the economy in free fall.
Closer to home, the U.S. sugar industry has long beenheld upas a blatant exampleof crony capitalism. Domestic sugarmakers have been federally backed through a blend of import tariffs, purchasing quotas and price guarantees for more than four decades. The Trump administration has only reinforced the status quo: It tossed them three lifelines over the past year by restrictingsugar imports, boosting price guarantees and issuing temporary one-time payments for sugar producers.
Big Sugar is the dominant political donor among crop producers and an influential constituency. Republicans in particular learned never to cross them. “Don’t f— with sugar,” former Republican House Speaker John Boehner wrote in his 2021 memoir.
With Trump knocking down wall after wall separating business and government, that critique appears prescient.
Now with Trump knocking down wall after wall separating business and government, that critique appears prescient.
Take the UAE, first among equals in the Persian Gulf. Early last year, Dubai pledged $1.4 trillionin direct U.S. investments over 10 years. The UAE is heavily intertwined with the Trump family, who cultivated extensive business tiesin the country. An Emirati-backed investment firm also has a sizable stakein World Liberty Financial, the crypto venture directed by Trump’s sons. Now the war’s fallout has stirred fearsin the Trump administration that the UAE’s enormous investment pledges are in jeopardy.
Over the past 15 months, Trump has laid the groundwork for a command economy, giving him plenty of opportunities to direct government money to friends and family if he chooses. Now, a war of choice against Iran sets the stage for him to take it even farther.
Joseph Zeballos-Roig
Joseph Zeballos-Roig is a reporter who has covered economic policy and politics for Semafor, Business Insider and Quartz, among other publications.
DETROIT (AP) — The opening of a Canadian-U.S. bridge across the Detroit River, which President Donald Trump had previously threatened to block, was delayed Thursday due to unresolved issues.
In a statement released before a scheduled Friday ribbon-cutting ceremony at the bridge, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority said that “Canada and the United States have agreed to delay the opening of the bridge, taking the necessary time to resolve any outstanding issues.” It didn’t elaborate on what those issues are or how long the delay would last.
The 1.5-mile-long (2.4-kilometer-long) Gordie Howe International Bridge spans the Detroit River and connects the Motor City with Windsor, Ontario. The bridge is jointly owned by Canada and Michigan and was expected to open to traffic later this month.
But the opening had been thrown into question after Trump in February demanded in a social media post that Canada turn over at least half of the bridge’s ownership to the U.S. federal government and agree to other unspecified demands in one of the Republican president’s many salvos over cross-border trade issues.
Michigan officials and the White House had been in contact for months about the bridge following Trump’s post, with the understanding that the opening would move forward Friday. Invitations for the bridge’s opening went out this week following a conversation between Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.
“This project is a powerful example of bipartisan and international cooperation, and the governor looks forward to attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony when it happens,” a statement from Whitmer spokesperson Bobby Leddy said.
New bridge a “long-term play”
Internal disagreements within the Trump administration threw those plans into question, as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick pushed back on the opening, according to two people with knowledge of the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss the private talks.
The White House did not immediately return a request for comment Thursday.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday evening, “At the request of the United States we agreed to delay the opening and take the necessary time to resolve outstanding issues.”
He added, “There are some things that have been raised, a series of technical aspects, which we will work through with the United States.”
Even with the delay, officials remained optimistic that the bridge — a roughly $4.4 billion project — is still expected to open.
“We need to keep this very much in perspective,” said Sandy Baruah, president of the Detroit Regional Chamber and former U.S. assistant secretary of commerce. “Our organization, the state of Michigan and others have been working on this bridge for 20 years. If it opens July 1, Aug. 1 or Sept. 1, I’m not going to get overly agitated about it. This is a long-term play.”
Named after the late Canadian Hockey great Gordie Howe, who spent 25 seasons leading the Detroit Red Wings, the bridge is expected to be another vital economic artery between Canada and the United States.
The construction project was negotiated by Rick Snyder, the former Republican governor of Michigan, and paid for by Canada to help ease congestion at the existing Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor tunnel. Work has been underway since 2018.
U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat, said she’s taking people at their word that the holdup is “a minor hiccup.”
“This is probably the most bipartisan issue in the state of Michigan, so it’s ridiculous that we can’t just seal the deal,” Slotkin said.
Commerce and border crossings
Detroit and Windsor have been neighborly for generations, with residents in both countries frequently crossing the shared river border for entertainment and shopping. Windsor’s population in 2021 was about 230,000. Like Detroit, the Canadian city’s economy has a strong focus on manufacturing and the auto industry.
Commercial trade between the two cities primarily has been across the nearly century-old and privately-owned Ambassador Bridge, which is closer to downtown Detroit than the Gordie Howe Bridge.
The Ambassador Bridge had been the busiest commercial border crossing between the United States and Canada until last year, when truck traffic along the Blue Water Bridge connecting Port Huron, Michigan, to Sarnia, Ontario, surpassed the Ambassador Bridge’s numbers, according to the Bridge and Tunnel Operators Association.
In 2025, about 2.1 million trucks crossed the Blue Water Bridge compared to just over 1.8 million that used the Ambassador Bridge. About 3.5 million passenger vehicles used the Ambassador Bridge last year, while 1.6 million crossed via the Blue Water Bridge.
Combined, more than 9.2 million vehicles crossed the border on those two bridges in 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
More than 3.7 million cars and SUVs also traveled between the United States and Canada last year via the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.
Both bridges and the tunnel are working at full capacity, and the new bridge will help improve the efficiency of commercial and personal traffic between the two countries, Baruah said.
“This is what government is supposed to do, make it easier for business to conduct commerce,” he said.
___
Cappelletti reported from Washington.
President Donald Trump’s planned UFC fight on the White House’s South Lawn has required a monumental effort from more than seven federal agencies, hundreds of staff working onsite daily and at least $60 million, according to a legal filing that offers a glimpse into the preparations.
The event is part of the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, and is scheduled for the weekend with the main attraction — seven mixed martial arts matches — on Sunday.
That is, if a judge doesn’t halt the proceedings, which is sought by two Virginia residents in a federal lawsuit against the National Park Service, which oversees the South Lawn.
The agency filed a rebuff of the request Tuesday in court, and, in it, laid out the operations for the event.
“Well over $60 million and tens of thousands of hours of labor have been expended,” the document read, adding that the money came from the UFC and groups affiliated with it.
The Octagon
It’s the eight-sided cage that surrounds the sometimes bloodied combatants and sits at the center of the constructed arena on the South Lawn.
The arena is expected to hold 4,000 spectators, with another 120,000 visitors — who swung tickets from an online lottery — anticipated to watch from the nearby Ellipse.
The installation began May 20, and the Secret Service worked with the UFC to screen between 20 and 30 trucks of equipment — as well as between “700 and 900” staff — that came in daily for the installation.
The document did not specify the extent of government resources spent on the project, but said seven agencies, including Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration, have “allocated significant resources and manpower.”
The schedule
It’ll kick off Saturday with a ceremonial weigh-in at the Ellipse, followed by a concert by country musicians The Zac Brown Band.
A UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest will be ongoing through the weekend, with “interactive experiences,” live shows, celebrity appearances, “exclusive on-stage moments,” meet and greets, live music and interviews with the athletes.
Sunday night is when the seven bouts kick off. At the close, Trump is scheduled to fly to France for the G7 summit.
Disassembly of the installations will begin the next day, and they are expected to be entirely removed by June 23.
The athletes’ Epsom salt baths
There are 14 athletes competing, and their training is rigorous.
Preparations start months in advance, working toward more intense weight cutting and diet alteration in the final week that can include fasting, extreme sauna use and hot Epsom salt baths.
They could be shaving as many as 20 pounds before weigh-ins, which are designed to keep the competition fair between similarly weighted combatants.
Lawsuit calls it ‘corrupt’
It was filed Saturday by the Public Integrity Project on behalf of the two Virginia residents and argues that Trump’s authorization of the event violated National Park Service regulations prohibiting sporting events on federal parklands.
One of the attorneys, Brendan Ballou, characterized it as a “corrupt use of our most sacred national monuments for private gain.”
The National Park Service pushed back on that claim, but also detailed the event’s preparations to make a point.
“All these hopes could be dashed at the very last moment,” it read, “by the whim of two people who believe they have superior taste and want to spoil the event for everyone else.”
FBI agents on Thursday raided the Cleveland offices of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, a pro-democracy organization that helps register voters in that state, according to three people briefed on the search.
Agents also fanned out across the state, showing up at the homes of the group’s leaders and staff members, carrying some subpoenas and seeking information and electronic devices, according to the people, two of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive ongoing investigation. Members of the group had made contact with lawyers on Thursday to determine their legal options, the people said.
Prentiss Haney, a board member for Ohio Organizing Collaborative, told MS NOW Thursday night that agents approached people with connections to Ohio Organizing Collaborative, including some who had performed basic canvassing and volunteer work for the group, and began pressing them for information.
Agents were “basically trying to fish for information,” said Haney.
“They had agents all across the state going to civil rights leaders and community leaders’ doors intimidating them, coming and demanding that they talk about literally anything they would ask,” Haney said, adding that agents “asked them if they’re committing voter fraud, just on their doors, in front of their houses with their children, and just following them to work and school.”
Haney said some of the people said the agents approached without warrants.
“Just straight-up intimidation tactics,” he said.
Spokespeople for the FBI and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment late Thursday night.
Those sources familiar with the investigation said they are concerned this new effort in Ohio is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to sow doubt and distrust in voting integrity in key swing states ahead of the midterm elections.
Federal agents have in recent months launched inquiries and investigations into voting protocols in Georgia and Wisconsin, have subpoenaed voting records in Arizona and sought reviews of voting machines in Puerto Rico.
According to its website, the Ohio Organizing Collaborative facilitates statewide voter registration through grassroots, community-led programs, including its “Democracy Builders” initiative. This collaborative works in Ohio’s major metropolitan areas, such as Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati, to help underrepresented communities register to vote and provides other support.
The group has also joined lawsuits challenging redistricting efforts that it argues reduce Black voters of representation. These lawsuits also “stand your ground” laws that allow a person to shoot someone if they feel threatened.
Haney said the Cleveland raid and harassment of staff are unjustified and that investigators lack any evidence of wrongdoing.
“How can they distract and intimidate civil rights leaders and voters and community leaders who are helping people get registered to vote and create a national spectacle about it?” he said.
“That is the only reason why they would choose to do that, do it now, in the middle of a contested political election in the state. There’s no other reason. They have no evidence of that.”
Carol Leonnig is a senior investigative reporter with MS NOW.
Will McDuffie is a reporter for MS NOW.
Alex Tabet is a reporter for MS NOW.
Laura Barrón-López covers the White House for MS NOW.
- How I failed to make it to my first World Cup match
- Algae resurfaces in reflecting pool after multimillion-dollar fixes
- House Oversight requests Alan Dershowitz testify in Epstein probe
- The Epic Story of How Trump Seized the World Cup
- Rick Scott lifts holds on Coast Guard promotions
- Senate panel approves Department of War name change
- Rick Scott lifts holds on Coast Guard promotions
- US military escorting growing number of oil tankers through Hormuz, Energy secretary says
- Cornyn tells Mike Lee to lay off John Thune
- Rick Scott lifts holds on Coast Guard promotions
-
Politics1 year agoFormer ‘Squad’ members launching ‘Bowman and Bush’ YouTube show
-
The Dictatorship1 year agoLuigi Mangione acknowledges public support in first official statement since arrest
-
Uncategorized2 years ago
Bob Good to step down as Freedom Caucus chair this week
-
Politics1 year agoFormer Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron launches Senate bid
-
The Dictatorship1 year agoPete Hegseth’s tenure at the Pentagon goes from bad to worse
-
The Josh Fourrier Show2 years agoDOOMSDAY: Trump won, now what?
-
Politics1 year agoBlue Light News’s Editorial Director Ryan Hutchins speaks at Blue Light News’s 2025 Governors Summit
-
The Dictatorship9 months agoMike Johnson sums up the GOP’s arrogant position on military occupation with two words