Letters from an American
Heather Cox Richardson's narrated newsletter about the history behind today's politics.
Heather Cox Richardson's narrated newsletter about the history behind today's politics.Listen on
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Garamond
Why are we still confirming his regime picks. We should not be voting in his favor.
To my Dem Senators. Feel free to send to your Senators, Dem or Republican, adjusted as you see fit.
" I want to know who in the U.S. Senate voted for John Caine for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff? I am really angry that any members of the Democratic caucus are voting to confirm DJT's unqualified loyalists. We have lost the DOJ, FBI, HHS to Trump loyalists, so the coup is complete with his control of the Military which he apparently intends to use by employing the Insurrection Act (by the way we are not at war or being invaded! Isn't it Congress who declares war?) and placing the military at the Southern Boarder. And that, I am sure is just the beginning. It is not a big leap to see DJT using the military on peaceful citizens protesting against his graft, corruption and policies hurtful to the American people. I imagine you were one of the 25 who didn't vote for Caine, but would like to know who to write to, to express my ire. Thank you"
Hope you are enjoying your weekend, Heather! I wrote this poem inspired by you. It would be an honor to read it for you! https://democracydefender2025.substack.com/p/heather-cox-richardson-letters-history-democracy
Love the poem!
What a great poem! Thank you for such accurate tribute to one that means so much to so many of us. 💖
Damn! This is going faster than I could ever have imagined. I suspect very soon it will all be over. I wish my grandfather were alive to advise us what to do. He escaped as the borders closed. Lord, have mercy.
Read write access to the "death file" is nightmare fuel.
In an instant, you have no financial identity.
And they are scouring social media.
Thank you so much for perservering Professor.
Nice, with the "Doggie" version of DOGE. It's bound to catch on.
And soon perhaps it'll be Doggie Gone along with the Ketamine Kid. :)
Our government is being eaten up and swallowed by the Fox News et al universe. Trump has no idea about any of this, he is just a mouthpiece.
I think he knows exactly what they’re all doing, unless that info is in a brain area that has been walled off as too dangerous to look at. He is the ringmaster, even if he’s also demented. Like Pol Pot, the dictator will not remember anything by the time he’s been put on trial and convicted. That seems to be the end story for many dictators; while only some receive their just and often violent rewards at the hands of the people that voted for them (Mussolini?). But you’re right, he is their mouthpiece, and at least we know what to expect next because he can’t keep any stray thoughts to himself; he seems compelled to share his every thought.
Seems very similar to the"transportation" provided to Auschwitz and Dachau...God help the USA...
My god, this isn't getting any easier to take in. I am very glad, though, for these letters. They are always accurate & focused on what is most important. That's a damn near impossible feat!
All Republicans in Congress should take a clue from "Handmaid's Tale" Season One Episode 10 when the handmaids all refuse to stone one of their own who is innocent of any crime but who is to be killed. They drop the stones they were supposed to use to stone her. Aunt Lydia, their overlord, is unable to stop such a rebellion. There is safety in numbers. Get a grip, Republicans. Get vision. See what's happening.
They made a deal to send people to El Salvador
Now they cannot give them due process and even return obvious errors.
All must be returned to the US and the govt forced to ONLY keep people in the US
No More foreign holding of people
You can get Greek citizenship through parental lineage. For me it would be my maternal grandfather. Apparently “jus sanguinis” is slightly more lax in Greece than in Italy.
For Greece, one has to demonstrate some generational lineage, whereas in Italy, the progenitor has to be resident in Italy when the American descendant becomes American either by birth or naturalization.
Frankly, Greece being the worst, all these nations are equally scary to me (I am including america). I think of it like Mussolini marauded and destroyed Italy and then went on to occupy Greece in WWII. There were some horrific events in the process but Italy is (to me) more cosmopolitan than Greece, but the Greeks are much “cleverer”. Most of them hid during the occupation, helped each other and basically kept the lazy Italian soldiers fed and drunk! Wherever we live, we survive how we have to survive, we adapt, we thrive.
Best of luck. Maybe you have a Greek relative. The Italians say, “una faccia, una razza” (one face, one race) when it comes to Greeks and Italians. Ciao, Buona sera. Καλησπέρα or kalispera - good evening.
To think folks at NSA never thought of creating plans for terrorist scenario's such as Trump Rules has unleashed in D.C. make one wonder about what they did to spend all the money on after 911!
Not making certain IRS, SSA, NOAA, Dept. of Treasury, FBI, USAID, NSA, etc., had standing procedures to be enacted in situations such as the Trump Rule by DOGE. white collar terrorist assault on the Federal Government to ensue continuity of government, seems to me to be another in a long line those in positions responsible for dealing with National Security have failed the nation once again.
I had enough of this crap for two life times.
ADVICE TO BARBARA PERRA. - just be pissed at everyone of them. All of them on both sides should have demanded much better from their party.
The Democraps have been falling further behind in the game of politics since unfettered money in politics became legal in Jan 2010 - SCOTUS - CITIZENS UNITED VS F. E. C.!
Mean while the Repungnaclans fell to destroying themselves by various senseless means, spreading hate and discontent will only get one so far!
I hate this twisting of words to suit ends. It could go on endlessly and just might. Emergency Orders, Less than Constitutional Acts which are predicated on the basis that the US is engaged in war, the loose definition of a terrorist as it relates to incarcerating non violent people, all these words in a fancy order meant to excuse nothing more than cruelty and bullying and if I let myself go soon Id recite a litany like Andre Breton, sans any kind of beauty, rubies, stars, elbows of horses. That was a guy who understood the politics of words, perhaps.
What I hate is not just Trump but all the thick heads, Bondi, Noem, that vile press secy, JC, Pete H., the cabinet members cheering on the tariffs. There is such poor discipline that any of them can carve out new outrage, insult China or Ukraine, pontificate about organization that have given health or music or what have you for a lifetime, none of which they recognize.
But talking about tariffs. They are either so stupid or so uncaring that none of them, not once, not even a whisper from any of them about how this braininess will really impact the truly poor. I really hope their satin shoes get dirty when they go for a pleasant walk. I hope they notice their ruined pumps and all upset try to wipe them off, and fall on their faces, in the soggy grass, and then the cameras catch them and five reporters ask them What would Jesus say about putting people in hideous detention for life without the chance of being heard, even for 5 minutes, by a judge.
" And then they came for me"
The solution -BAN any foreign jailing
Only in the US as they have demonstrated that system is a failure
Hi Im new to the group as a paid subscriber but not new to Heathers newsletters. Admire her.
And, DOGE has not responded to my FOIA request, submitted just over 30 days ago. Wonder what I do now to follow up.
According to NPR, in the professor’s citing of the article: “The 60-25 vote happened just after 2 a.m. on Friday before the Senate adjourned for two weeks.”
It appears this disaster forestalled the SAVE Act Senate vote, which I understood was imminent.
So they go off to fiddle while Rome burns? With due respect for the holy days during Passover and Easter, recess concludes a week beyond these when both chambers return to session on April 28.
NPR reporting also provides a shameful reminder of an exchange between one who appears to be a loyalist general and the commander-in-chief, “Trump … recalled the general saying, "'I love you, sir. I think you're great, sir. I'll kill for you, sir.'"
https://www.npr.org/2025/04/11/nx-s1-5361080/dan-caine-joint-chiefs-chairman-confirmed
Further, according to AP News, “[t]he vote was bipartisan, with 15 Democrats and independent Sen. Angus King of Maine voting in support of Caine’s nomination.”
https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-confirmation-senate-joint-chiefs-703112923b1d6ff530e8011ee4cfb712
In a somewhat extensive search for the Caine nomination voting record of each senator, including those who did not vote, I found the following: “Vote on Caine Nomination (Executive Session); Congressional Record Vol. 171, No. 65 (Senate - April 10, 2025)”
https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-171/issue-65/senate-section/article/S2579-2?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22voting+absent%22%7D&s=1&r=11
Please note I am unclear on the record date of April 10, 2025, as well as the roll call results, inconsistent with the reporting from several sources. I am therefore uncertain this is the final record.
So, our president just refused to follow the Supreme Court’s directions to bring back Kilmar Abrego Garcia and Heather Cox Richardson says that Stephen Miller lied to us all and said that the Supreme Court decided unanimously in favor of Trump. Isn’t it time to take to the streets every single day until we get a hold of this disaster? How long are we going to wait and what are we waiting for?.
Corrupt, lawless, lying regime. They make me sick. I hope, with all my heart, that when the regime goes down — and it will — the people involved will he held accountable for their inhumane, lawless actions.