Aug 20 - Golden Quisling of the Week and Month

 

WEEKLY GOLDEN QUISLING (Media)

Winner: Axios
Date: August 20, 2025
Reason: Access-courting “how-to” for influencing Trump, framed as neutral analysis.

Release:
Today, The Salem Fireextinguisher names Axios as the Weekly Golden Quisling for publishing a step-by-step playbook on how CEOs and world leaders can “Influence Trump.” The piece normalizes influence-peddling as savvy statecraft and packages insider talking points as news judgment. Behind the Curtain: Influencing Trump. Axios

Statement of facts (past 7 days):

• Axios published “Behind the Curtain: Influencing Trump” by Jim VandeHei & Mike Allen, on Aug 20, 2025, outlining “11 ways” to win favor with the president. Axios

• Axios AM the same morning centered the “Influencing Trump” frame in its newsletter push. Axios

• Axios leadership amplified the piece on X the morning of Aug 20. X (formerly Twitter)+1

Last Week's Award

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MONTHLY GOLDEN QUISLING (Political Theater)

Winner: “Boogie Down Liberation Front” (BDLF)
Date: August 20, 2025
Reason: A one-off, anonymous-brand vandalism of AOC’s Bronx office that generated maximum agitprop with minimal investigative follow-through and no publicly announced arrests—perfectly timed into the DSA convention cycle.

Release:
This month’s Golden Quisling goes to the “Boogie Down Liberation Front.” The label appeared once—attached to red-paint vandalism of Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s Bronx campaign office—then vanished. The claim moved through Decolonize This Place’s “anonymous submission” pipeline and a journalist’s feed; local outlets confirmed the incident basics. As of today, no public arrests or NYPD BOLOs have been issued. Readers can connect the rest.

Statement of facts (timeline & channels):

• Incident: Police responded shortly before 12:45 a.m. (Mon) July 21, 2025 to AOC’s Westchester Square office on Herschell St.; facade splashed with red paint and a sign reading “AOC funds genocide in Gaza.” NYPD said no arrests and the investigation is ongoing. CBS NewsNY1ABC7 New York

• Address & call log precision: 1371 Herschell St.; 12:41 a.m. criminal-mischief call noted by Bronx local press. Bronx TimesPolitics NY

• Claim pipeline: Decolonize This Place posted it as an “anonymous submission” from BDLF; a statement also circulated via reporter Ashoka “Ash J” Jegroo and was echoed by outlets. X (formerly Twitter)The Daily BeastThe Times of Israel

• Follow-through: Through Aug 20, 2025, local TV and metro outlets continue to report no arrests, with no NYPD-released suspect stills/Crimestoppers video in mainstream coverage. CBS NewsFOX 5 New York

Context (calendar & climate):

• DSA National Convention occurred Aug 8–10, 2025 (Chicago), including NPC elections—~2½ weeks after the vandalism. convention2025.dsausa.org+1

• AOC’s team publicly cited recent threats and said they were working with security partners after the incident. WPEC

Special mentions (cc noted here for transparency):

• Reporter: Ashoka “Ash J” Jegroo—as a named conduit who published the claim. The Daily Beast

• NYPD (DCPI / 45th Pct): for the absence of any publicly released suspect imagery or arrests to date in coverage—facts that materially shaped how this story landed. CBS NewsNY1

End of releases.