A lot has happened in the past seven days. Trump’s promised “Operation Aurora” kicked off in Colorado as ICE and other federal agencies carried out raids at apartment buildings in the Denver Metro area. According to The Colorado Sun’s Jennifer Brown, the agency has yet to reveal how many people were detained and if they had connections to the gang ICE was targeting, but residents and activists described masked agents using smoke grenades and breaking in doors.
On New Year’s Day, a Tesla Cybertruck pulled up to the entrance of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, where the driver triggered a device consisting of fuel canisters and fireworks, detonating the vehicle. He claimed no lives but his own, whether or not he intended to.
As part of our weekly roundup of articles about political extremism in Colorado, the Colorado Times Recorder is highlighting Jason Salzman’s analysis of evidence showing that GOP congressional candidate Gabe Evans was anti-LGBTQ+ throughout his life. He also reported on a series of misleading ads put out by the Denver Gazette. We are also highlighting Craig Mason’s Letter to the Editor analyzing state Rep. Brandi Bradley’s presidency of an anti-government group and reporting from Colorado Newsline’s Quinton Young on how a counterterrorism exhibit in Denver downplays the events of January 6th.
As part of our weekly roundup of articles about political extremism in Colorado, the Colorado Times Recorder is highlighting Heidi Beedle’s coverage of the Pueblo City Council, David Flomberg’s article on a series of antisemitic fliers that have continued to pop up around Colorado, and Owen Swallow’s coverage of the Charlie Kirk rally held at CU Boulder last week. In addition, we have included reporting from Colorado Politics’s Marissa Ventrelli on the strange package that was mailed to Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold.
I have spent my entire career working to end election-related conflicts, mostly overseas. Unfortunately, this experience is now increasingly relevant at home.
Donald Trump won’t be around forever. But the political crises his attacks on democracy have caused will outlive his one-term presidency.
