Words mean things. So does this hat.

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Troops sent into American cities over the objections of their own governors. The Record The president's former personal lawyer installed as a prosecutor to charge his critics, until a judge ruled the appointment unlawful and threw both cases out. The Record A top White House aide saying that suspending habeas corpus "depends on whether the courts do the right thing or not." The Record

Twelve billionaires in the administration, the wealthiest White House in modern history. Washington Post A president who took in $1.4 billion from crypto ventures in a single year while his administration loosened the rules on crypto. The Record

A defense secretary sending strike times from his personal phone. The Record A health secretary citing a TikTok video at a Cabinet meeting to tell pregnant women Tylenol causes autism. The Record

Read the RecordRead it on its own page

adjective, from adjudicate

Settled by a court: heard, judged, and decided, as opposed to merely alleged. Paraphrased from Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster

A judge or a jury looked at the evidence and ruled. It's not an accusation anymore.

Example

May 9, 2023: a unanimous federal jury found Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll in the mid-1990s and for defaming her. The Supreme Court declined his appeals on June 29 and again on August 17, 2026. That finding is adjudicated and final. AP via PBS, The Record

nouns

Rape: sexual intercourse or other sexual penetration forced on a person without consent. Sexual abuse: sexual contact forced on a person without consent. Exact legal definitions vary by state. Paraphrased from Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster

Rape is forced penetration. Sexual abuse is forced sexual contact. Both mean she didn't say yes.

What the court actually found

The 2023 jury did not find Trump liable for rape as New York's criminal law narrowly defined it at the time. It found him liable for sexual abuse.

So here's how we say it, because it's exactly what the court found: found liable for sexual abuse by a unanimous jury. Trump denies it.

noun, U.S. Constitution, Article III, Section 3

"Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court." U.S. Constitution

Making war on your own country, or helping its enemies, proven by two witnesses or a confession in court. It's the only crime the Constitution spells out, and the bar is high on purpose.

Does it fit? No, and we won't pretend it does.

October 5, 2026, at a rally in Nebraska, defending his war on Iran: "They can take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego." The crowd cheered. ABC

Two days later he said "we protect our cities" and that he meant Iran would do it with a bomb. NBC, FactCheck.org

That isn't treason. It's the commander in chief talking about two American cities, one of them home to a large military population, like they're a talking point. A Republican running in San Diego said no American city is expendable. He's right.

noun

The belief that race determines human traits and abilities and that some races are inherently superior to others; prejudice, discrimination, or hostility directed at people because of their race; and policies or systems that produce unequal treatment by race. Paraphrased from Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster

Treating people as better or worse because of their race, in what you believe, what you say, or what you write into the rules.

noun

A system or attitude that demands obedience to authority and concentrates power in a leader or small group not accountable to the people or to constitutional limits. Paraphrased from Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster

Power that doesn't want to be checked. Not by courts, not by Congress, not by the press, not by you.

The receipts

National Guard and Marines sent into Los Angeles, D.C., Portland, and Chicago. The Supreme Court blocked Chicago. The Record

His former personal lawyer was installed as a federal prosecutor to indict James Comey and Letitia James. A judge threw out both cases, ruling the appointment unlawful. The Record

His top aide said suspending habeas corpus "depends on whether the courts do the right thing or not." The Record

More than 200 denaturalization cases filed against naturalized citizens, 250 targeted by the end of October. CNN pulled from the press pool. A senator's cellphone number posted to his followers. The Record

A war on Iran launched without a vote of Congress. The Record

noun

A far-right, authoritarian, ultranationalist movement or system marked by a dictatorial leader, centralized power, forcible suppression of opposition, and the elevation of the nation, and often a race, above the individual. Paraphrased from Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster

Authoritarianism with a strongman, a nation-above-everything story, an enemy inside the country, and force to back it up.

Our read, not the dictionary's

Scholars argue about whether the word fits yet. We think it fits the direction. Here's what points that way, all on the record:

2,000 federal agents sent into one metro area; two U.S. citizens shot dead by immigration agents within weeks. The Record

Troops in American cities over the objections of their governors. The Record

Prosecutions of the president's critics, and an attorney general removed amid frustration she wasn't prosecuting enough of them. The Record

nouns

Dictator: a ruler with absolute power, not effectively limited by a constitution, laws, or opposition. Dictatorship: government by such a ruler. Paraphrased from Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster

One person in charge, and nothing that can stop him.

Does it fit? Not yet. That's why the word on our page is "wannabe."

There's an election on November 3. Courts still rule against him. The Senate passed a War Powers bill on Venezuela. Those checks are why this isn't a dictatorship, and why they matter.

The wanting: a senior DOJ official accused by whistleblowers of saying they might have to tell the courts "fuck you." He's now a federal appeals judge. He denies it. The Record

Pardons for about 1,500 people charged over January 6. This month he said he'd consider pardoning his own officials before leaving office. The Record, The Record

noun

Government in which a small group, often the wealthiest, holds control, typically for its own benefit. Paraphrased from Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster

The richest few run things, mostly for themselves.

The receipts

Twelve billionaires in the administration, worth $390.6 billion combined as of March 2025, the wealthiest White House in modern history. Washington Post

Elon Musk put $294 million into boosting Trump and other Republicans in 2024. The other billionaire appointees and their spouses gave more than $52 million. Washington Post

The Cabinet's combined net worth: $7.5 billion, 64 times that of the previous Cabinet. Washington Post, citing Forbes

$1.4 billion in crypto income for the president in 2025 while his administration loosened crypto rules. The Record

The Commerce Secretary's sons' firm was lead placement agent on a deal his department funded. The Record

noun, from Greek kakistos, "worst"

Government by the worst, least qualified, or most unprincipled people. Paraphrased from Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster

The worst people for the job, doing the job.

The receipts. This isn't about diplomas. It's about who got handed which job, and what they did with it.

A former personal lawyer with no prosecutorial experience made U.S. Attorney. A judge ruled the appointment unlawful and threw out both of her cases. The Record

The Defense Secretary sent strike timing over Signal from his personal phone. The Inspector General found it risked the mission and the troops. The Record

The Health Secretary told a Cabinet meeting that Tylenol causes autism, citing a TikTok video. The Record

The Homeland Security Secretary was fired after telling senators the president approved a $220 million ad campaign starring her. He said he didn't. The Record

The FBI Director flew the government jet to his girlfriend's wrestling event while firing veteran agents. The Record

Now you know the words. Wear the answer.

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