The Distraction Index

This week reveals a pattern of institutional capture alongside high-profile enforcement actions. The removal of Fannie Mae officials for raising data-sharing concerns, combined with the White House's claim that October economic data may never be released, suggests systematic suppression of oversight mechanisms and public information. Simultaneously, a Trump administration official's criminal referral against Rep. Swalwell and judicial skepticism over prosecutorial authority in cases against former FBI Director Comey indicate weaponization of law enforcement against political opponents. These constitutional vulnerabilities—politicized data access, selective prosecution, and erosion of institutional independence—operate largely beneath the surface while attention concentrates on Venezuela military briefings, energy policy shifts, and immigration enforcement announcements. The distinction matters: one set of actions dismantles democratic guardrails; the other, while significant, occupies the visible news cycle.