52 Comments
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Kirk Mann's avatar

Thank you! The emperer with no clothes is beginning to learn that terrorizing Americans will work only as long as we remain confused and paralyzed. FEAR is 47s #1 weapon. American courage cannot be underestimated once we shake off FEAR, like dogs do when shifting their energy. We need the loyalty and courage of wolves, the dogs ancestors. IMHO 🙏

Tracy Danison's avatar

I cannot help but think that there is too much focus on Trump. He may be their Jesus, but the Christian Nationalist apostles, including Mike Johnson, Gabard, Hegseth, Vance and Bondi are in charge of the state. They are not senile and unlike their messiah, they have plans that they don’t chitchat about : alliance with Russia, empowerment of the federal security apparatus, imposition of new culture as well political norms…They also have brains. Keep in mind the achievements of Jesus’ followers compared to the achievements of Christian ethics and morality, which isn’t better than any other ethics or morality that I can think of. This fight is long and it’s not just against a false messiah.

J. L. Sullens's avatar

I will add Stephen Miller to your list.

Kirk Mann's avatar

Stephen Miller has a doctor's degree in weaponizing fears. Truly a master propagandist with malicious intent. Hard to know exactly what motivates him? Is it merely power and self enrichment? What do you think are his Primal motives as right hand man propagandist to 47?

Linda Densmore's avatar

Pure racist hate. He is one of the most evil in this administration.

J. L. Sullens's avatar

I have no idea. I believe he was behind the Islamophobia of trump's first term, too, though.

Tracy Danison's avatar

Probably just hatred or a will to power. Like Goebbels?

Kirk Mann's avatar

I think you are spot on and that is the best comparison unfortunately. I have to say that Stephen Miller could potentially even be my relative as my grandmother had the same last name and her people were Eastern European migrants that came to this country probably around 1905.

Tracy Danison's avatar

Hi Kirk, I see you have some family insights into all this stuff. Sigh. Me, too. Who would have ever imagined we’d have to be concerned about the state of such a creepy lout as Steven Miller. Sigh. And sigh again.

Kirk Mann's avatar

It's right out of a Batman movie or some thing like that the Joker has taken over and his minions are controlling the citizenry and minds of America.

Kirk Mann's avatar

A horrible reflection on those of us with Eastern European ancestors. God only knows how he weasled himself into the emperors inner circle and most reliable source of hate, racism, and misinformation right out of Santa Monica high school, So Cal sadist or something?

Tracy Danison's avatar

Yes, but I think he’s another faction: the white supremacy people. I think of them as the children of The Turner Diaries. They seem to me less organized and coordinated… But you’re making me think that maybe another thing that we need to do is get a better handle on the ideological who’s who of these folks.

J. L. Sullens's avatar

Totally agree with you on ideological ids.

R Hodsdon's avatar

They all must go. But Trump is where the buck stops.

Karen Z's avatar

Agreed! I believe these are the “power behind the throne”.

Kathy H's avatar

It was a number of factions that came together behind him, evangelists, white supremists, tech bros, oil money, the heritage foundation, the angry financially exploited, surely foreign operatives, maybe even establishment democrats... You're right, it's a big fight, but it is Felon47 that is pushing all of those agendas forward & exposed a lot of the others in the process. Less "deep state" as very bad actors all around him. They all must be stopped.

Tracy Danison's avatar

Hi. I’m not sure that it is Trump pushing their agenda, that’s the thing. I think he’s riding it. Or, at least riding it more than we credit. I think that for this reason we need to focus more on these apparent ‘disciples’ than we do.

Kathy H's avatar

You are right. He is only interested in any agenda as it serves him in any given moment, his only superpower is a refusal to commit to anything. He is a tool & enormous amounts of money were put into him to be a figurehead of normalizing minority rule. I agree making it all about him is a mistake. It is intentional, the focus on him, to distract from, primarily Christian Nationalists, imposing minority rule. Religion is just a tool, too, in trying to establish dominance.

Noel Wright's avatar

Pay more attention to the men and women behind the curtain of unlimited financial “speech”!

Kathy H's avatar

That sums it up well. The abuse of power is rampant, but that is the primary driver.

Kirk Mann's avatar

Spot on thank you for sharing your wisdom.

Premiervox's avatar

At the ending: "Honest men, like me!"

Give me a break.

If the Trump administration continues to sow daily legal chaos, the ultimate question is whether it will obey the major rulings of the federal courts. If not, our democracy might fail the stress test to which it's being subjected.

Kirk Mann's avatar

This Administration and Republican party are like malware infecting a computer. Perhaps literally and figuratively? The hard drive sometimes needs to be pulled out and a new one put in in order to get the computer working safely.

Noel Wright's avatar

You’re onto something: perhaps need a cold reboot?

Kirk Mann's avatar

Noel, I literally had severe identity theft while trying to renew my US Passport. Clicked on link populated on Google adjacent to legit gov site. I was certain I was on US Government website until second credit card was declined! Imagine all your most delicate info stolen? Sold on the “dark web”. Personal disaster. In addition to taking all imaginable steps to safeguard all my accounts and business connections, was advised to file police report. A techy policeman came to my home, told me to shut down my laptop and get offline. This is about 6 weeks after the imposter government website debacle. He suggested my computer was also likely infected. Local computer technicians gave 2 options, buy new computer or replace harddrive. $735 later, I have new and superior hardrive. The fake gov website was exceedingly real, however, felt like it was organized by a foreign government or at least highly sophisticated organization. Facebook accounts business and personal were hijacked. Of all the corps I have had to deal with, META was at the very bottom of customer care and protection. And who was standing next to the emperor during the inauguration? Not only is Zuckerberg under the wing of 47 but he's also now complicit with the Chinese government. The biggest problem as I see it is it's estimated that over 80% of America's information Silo is now controlled by the right and far right. These are monopolies that are now controlling the internet and social media. In comparison I must say that alphabet/google has been more benevolent. Anyway long story short is sweetie they need a new computer or a new hard drive metaphorically speaking! I hope my story as I tell it helps others not fall into sophisticated traps that are all around us currently. Be extremely careful out there.

Noel Wright's avatar

I’m sorry that this happened to you! We are being swamped by a wave of cyber crime, while the DOJ and FBI have stopped aggressively investigating cyber crimes such as by Russian agents. They have stopped enforcing laws against undeclared foreign agents like disgraced former Lt. General Michael Flynn. What top job will they give to Flynn ( after martial law is declared)?

You’re right, now any of us can become victims of identity theft, or even worse, targeting and retribution for criticizing the Mad King and his henchmen and henchmen! Got to keep speaking out regardless of that intimidation! It’s all about intimidation and cowering people into silence. That’s how it works in China, Russia, North Korea and numerous other dictatorships around the world, and Humpty D. Trumpty has brought the disease here, thanks to a largely clueless, but large segment of our population.

Jill Mitchell's avatar

In that interview with Time, Trump said he didn’t know the Supreme Court ordered him to facilitate Kilmars return to the U.S.

Kathy H's avatar

He needs to be penalized for every lie he tells.

Susan Y's avatar

Good job Michael Moss!

The Trump administration does every thing wrong every day, in every way.

Please make them go away, before fascism is here to stay.

Marianne Lippi's avatar

Project 2025 is guiding all this. They want to rewrite the constitution, reduce government and create a society they want as Christian Nationalists to control our country. Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale is not far off of what the Heritage Foundation and it's many cohorts are seeking to create. Trump is a tool with his clownish band of followers who are trying to achieve this goal.

Noel Wright's avatar

You’re right, this may be our last hurrah!

Patricia W. Cole's avatar

DJT wouldn't know "honest" if it walked up and smacked him upside the head !!!

Kathy H's avatar

I know, right?! I was waiting for spontaneous combustion, surely Pope Francis is at God's right hand by now. 😅

Dick Demaine's avatar

The original article is always published in the text only version the day before. Look at your feed for the text article.

Carl Selfe's avatar

Please continue to lead. We have crossed the Rubicon, I believe, and must all take to the streets to demand the country back. The administration touts mirages as victories: arresting a judge on false pretenses; negotiating 200 tariff deals aka zero; continuing to deport illegally American citizens and others. This is where we are. If the Courts do not act soon, we the people will reach that fork in the road. They will shoot some of us. We will not stop coming. I can see us storming the fences at and rushing the White House. We did storm the Pentagon, remember? I bet you were in that group of warriors, storming the Pentagon. https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/forking-roads?r=3m1bs

RJM's avatar

Woukd it be possible to provide provide CC or transcript? I prefer to read than to listen. It’s much faster!

A.j.'s avatar

Thanks to Michael Moss!

He is a clear and consise reader.

With HCR so busy gathering the information we need, its great that Michael Moss has stepped up to help out. Thanks Michael for doing a great job!!!

A.j.'s avatar

I actually prefer the audio. I can listen in the car or while doing dishes.

It's all great information,

Please keep it coming!

Traveling Tumbleweed's avatar

Thank you Michael for doing this when Heather is not able. I love to hear and read them both.

Ursula Kunath's avatar

The master of distraction and disinformation at work. We’re better than this, and he is a lying coward. Another week in chaos !

Richard Burrill's avatar

As President Reagan so often said, "There you go again!" That expression is certainly applicable to our president. Trump is a Joker, and a bad one at that.

robert e williamson jr's avatar

Nothing like "Trump Logic" early on a spring morning, kinda smells like roofing tar!

I'm humming the, Ride of the Valkyries, thinking of Apocalypse Now!

Apropos!