“Last night, President Trump ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops in Los Angeles, using the excuse of protests against his immigration raids.
Let me be totally clear about what is happening here.
We have been working closely with law enforcement. There is no unmet need. The President is attempting to inflame passions and provoke a response.
He would like nothing more than for this provocative show of force -- and Pete Hegseth's absurd threat to deploy United States Marines on American soil – to escalate tensions and incite violence.
These are not people who have some deep conviction about protecting law enforcement. This is a President who failed to call up the National Guard when it was actually needed -- on January 6th -- and then pardoned the participants as one of his first acts as president.
They want a spectacle. They want the violence.
They think this is good for them politically.
That is why White House aides were posting pictures of Trump getting popcorn last night.
This is not the way a civilized country behaves. It is completely deranged behavior.
To the people of Los Angeles and across the country who are protesting these immigration raids:
Don't give them the spectacle they want. Never use violence. Speak out peacefully and in large numbers.
I know many of you have been watching the news about this, so I thought it important to reach out.
Thank You Govenor Newsom! I am in full agreement with you. So far there have been peaceful marches until this incident with ICE. Not only will folks be dealing with them but National Guard as well. It's all a ruse on TRUMP'S part. I am so very concerned ... I have joined the DGA and DCC and a monthly contributor to both. It is difficult as I live on Social Security but I am compelled to do what I can. I am increasingly worried that civility will go out the window with these newest developments. Some people can only take so much and it has been months since he came to office. We've all been bombarded with his illegality, non-patriotism, utter disregard of our Constitution, and total inhumanity. I wish you and your fellow state constituents the very best in these trying times. It won't be long before this kind of provocative agitation flows outward into our country. I pray that people will "keep their heads together" and continue peaceful, safe marches. I pray that our God will protect us all!
Thank you for the description of the past 5 months! “ We've all been bombarded with his illegality, non-patriotism, utter disregard of our Constitution, and total inhumanity.”
That’s why we are all on the edge of a flash point!
Unfortunately, that is why tRump keeps poking us!!! He wants us to turn violent so he can bring out the “big guns” to complete his destruction of our democracy!!!!
Believe it or not there are many that STILL support Trump - my neighbors!
I had a conversation with a man I thought was intelligent until I found out he got a lot of his information from Fox News and ‘liked Trump’s rallies better.’ Then I realized he was uninformed, misinformed and shallow. I decided I no longer liked this man who supported a dictator whether he knew it or not.
Marlo, I was going to say the person who is allegedly in charge of OUR country is A Malignant Narcissist/ Axis ll personality disordered being who should never have gotten access to the codes..... in 2016.
And then, he was elected again.
The sad truth is that many who voted for him twice would vote for him a third time.
Hence, it's no longer time to be kind with a clinical diagnosis.
I'd rather the honest perspective of Gavin Newsom:
"This is not the way a civilized country behaves. It is completely deranged behavior."
Unfortunately I think the computer tabulators were rigged & Harris most likely was the winner. The data doesn’t make sense nor does his winning all 7 swing states with less than 50% of the vote. Ronald Reagan didn’t win all 7.
And the most infuriating thing about it is why nothing has been done to push back and stand up for the free and fair election outcome. Silence from the Democrats! The MAGA machine primed the pump with a flood of conspiracy theories and claims of fraud. All BS, as proven by every court case failure. But now there is a template there that can and would/will be slung around without context, regardless of actual verifiable instances of tampering and voter suppression. The MAGAs will play the whataboutism game and flood the zone. But that shouldn’t matter. Consider “what would President Harris do?” Of course this situation would have never happened.
Multitudes, including me made many attempts to contact Harris imploring her to do hand recounts of the paper ballots.
Unfortunately she capitulated prematurely and flew off to Hawaii. This made me very angry as I had spent over $2,000 on the democratic campaign.
Nathan Taylor (Election Smart Alliance) is working on getting audits in various counties. He is bringing cases to the courts and needs your support. I donated $1,000. Small change to save our democracy and our country.
I too spent $$ supporting Democratic institutions & then I stumbled on Ralph Nader's book "Let's Start the Revolution:tools for displacing the Corporate State & Building a Country that works for the people" written before the 2024 election where I found out how the D's establishment has been "taken over" by the consultant class and made extremely poor use if the precious funds I contributed. It make sure they took their 15% cut of the donations and did not put it to good or effective use. It was truly eye opening. I have since refused any donations and only contributed directly to candidates that don't use these "blood sucking" consultants. I recommend you read his book. It will make you a great deal more wise.
Spot the Issue! Democrats lost two of the three times a DAMN "Realty TV Star" ran for President. The only time Democrats won was with a white man, Biden. The two who lost were the most qualified candidates in history; two WOMEN. The second time Trump won HE was a CONVICT and SHE (Harris, a woman of color) was a former ATTORNEY GENERAL of the most populated state, California. Could it be BIGOTRY? Why the HELL are Democrats so DAMN fearful of that "B" word?
If the nature of the beast is BIGOTRY then Democrats must run a white man with a woman VP. At 2 yrs. and one day into his second term he needs to resign and allow the Woman VP to teach the country a lesson that a woman can be good President. Then she can run for two more terms. Shame on Biden for not doing that a year ago.
I understand that. I also understand James Comey and and Bernard Sanders also interfered in 2016 . Still, it was easy for such white men to do so because Hillary is not a man.
That con man refused for weeks to concede he lost and demanded final edit of the DNC platform before he would do so. That is crazy as hell because Hillary won and therefore it was her policies that the majority would support, not his far left views. Nevertheless she agreed because his refusal to admit he lost was dividing the party. Moreover, he did an interview where he was called out to explain his stances working within the law; which he could not because they were already shot down. Thus he was getting lots of bad press thereafter and Hillary was asked whether he was qualified to be President and being a diplomat she responded saying she "would let his answers [in that interview] speak for themselves." In this video of Sanders the next night he lied saying she said he is not qualified. Then he says that she is not qualified. That sly bastard was getting the press off his ass for not responding during his interview and placing his attacks on Hillary front page. The press then went after Hillary for her respose. The result of him demanding final edit of the platform and saying Hillary is not fit made too many Bernie Bots stay home and not vote. Plus it made the party look bad to too many swing voters. A good read is "What Happened" by Hillary. Even though I am more in line with Sanders and AOC than Hillary I know they will never be President; too far left of center for swing voters. I have never trusted Sanders because as a con man he is only filling an otherwise empty space of political opinion and doing it for "$27" as he always asked for claiming it was the average amount of donations he was sent. Well, $27 x thousands s enough to buy a couple of new homes. That is what he did. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Zjs7XCicyU
The ultimate and immediate goal is to claim justifiable declaration of martial law. Do not give him that edge! Thank ou, Gov. Newsom for setting the record straight. I hope you are able to get on all the major and popular news outlets to say this as well.
Well done Governor Newsom with keeping it cool. Our Thanks. As you said, this is a "manufactured crisis." It is 100% Reality TV written, produced, directed and staring Don TACO. He finally made it to Hollywood but his action show was a flop. His Popcorn however was likely a big hit... against the walls of the Oval Office; butter everywhere.
Thank you. We need to call them what they are; Nazis. But for a small handful the GOP died with Ike. The party has morphed into a mixture of hate, fear and greed. The hateful bigots fear those who look different, the religious right wing fear eternal damnation and they are played by a small number of greedy rich and well connected global corporatist fascist who fear having to pay their share of taxes and have no allegiance to any country whatsoever. Their all bonded together by fear itself. These Nazis seek to divide and conquer the United States against each other with undereducated, low payed, non-union labor employed by a union of rich investors; corporate share holders who live in mansions all around the world. Damn Nazis!
That the U.S. Secretary of the Navy doesn't know the date of the Pearl Harbor attack and confused it with D-Day--well, that says it all. He and his speechwriter should take a remedial course in U.S. history.
I checked it out. Wow. In an added dimension, the Chancellor might as well have told the people of the U.S., "What happened to you? How could you have fallen so far in a few years, a few decades, half a century?"
Use/share this spreadsheet as a resource to call/email/write members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Reach out to your own reps, as well as those in other states on a specific committee important to a topic you’re sharing. Use your voice and make some “good trouble.”
Protest with a watchful eye. Trump's private army form J6 will infiltrate and instigate the riot Trump wants. They will do it with heavy face coverings and backpacks laden with fire accelerant. Watch and film the way they walk, the clothes they ware, the shoes on their feet.
Than you, Heather Cox Richardson, for this timely message and underscoreing how history is lost on thus cockeyed administration. So far, they are batting 0 on facts and history. When you can't even explain the Declaration of Independence....
I first learned about it in elementary school and given deeper insight in high school social studies. One wonders are they just that stupid? Also, sigh, December 7 is another well known fact. This reminds me of Forrest Gump, "stupid is as stupid does."
"As they sat before the cameras, the German Chancellor said: “May I remind you that we are having June 6 tomorrow. This is the D-Day anniversary.” Trump, showing absolutely no understanding of history or modern-day Germany’s stance on Naziism, responds, "Not a pleasant day for you.” As the Chancellor breaks in, he continues, “That was not a great day." Clearly taken aback, Merz collected his thoughts, and then, looking straight at Trump says, "This was the liberation of my country from Nazi dictatorship."
Woof. woof.
Spread the word: our leader is a dummkopf. And/or he's thinking 1944 Normandy. Or was he?
The most important part of today’s letter is the exposure of how Trump’s movement manipulates history, not to inform the public but to control it. John Phelan’s glaring error—confusing June 7 for December 7—reveals something deeper. This administration’s obsession with patriotic myth is not grounded in facts but fueled by propaganda.
While claiming to "restore" history, Trump’s vision deliberately distorts it to promote a narrative of grievance, divine entitlement, and authoritarian nostalgia. This revisionism is not harmless. It replaces truth with dogma and complexity with hollow idol worship.
As Heather reminds us, history is not meant to comfort. It is a discipline rooted in evidence and clarity, and its warnings are essential to the survival of democracy. When history becomes a political tool rather than a means of collective growth, the foundation of democratic society begins to crack.
Journey to American Democracy offers a timely and necessary response. It urges us to reclaim history as a record of struggle, courage, and progress. That is how democracy endures.
Sadly I have to mute the start as I do not like the lead in music. But I love you, HCR! Keep up the great reporting on the day's events through the critical lens of history, politics, power, and resistance. Thank you!
Dear friends, why are we in this mess? Let me respond as best as I can. My answer, we opened the gates and let the Trojan Horse inside. The foot soldiers within, were well armed and well positioned. They systematically took over the two houses of congress, the judiciary and the remaining institutions. Now, our social safety nets are shredded, our support systems including education and learning institutions are damaged, our way of life and the rule of law is being challenged every day. Where do we go from here? Let us organize and isolate the foot soldiers. Defeat them at their game. The upside-down power pyramid consists of the republican party, the deep pockets who are the Rober barons of modern era, The Heritage Foundation, The Federalist Society, ALEC, Citizens United, and the Right-Wing media network. For a more Indepth reading, I have written a book with fifteen chapters of hard-hitting facts. "Trojan Horse - Democracy Hijacked". It will be released, June 20, 2025. I recommend your reading.
Governor Newsome wrote:
“Last night, President Trump ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops in Los Angeles, using the excuse of protests against his immigration raids.
Let me be totally clear about what is happening here.
We have been working closely with law enforcement. There is no unmet need. The President is attempting to inflame passions and provoke a response.
He would like nothing more than for this provocative show of force -- and Pete Hegseth's absurd threat to deploy United States Marines on American soil – to escalate tensions and incite violence.
These are not people who have some deep conviction about protecting law enforcement. This is a President who failed to call up the National Guard when it was actually needed -- on January 6th -- and then pardoned the participants as one of his first acts as president.
They want a spectacle. They want the violence.
They think this is good for them politically.
That is why White House aides were posting pictures of Trump getting popcorn last night.
This is not the way a civilized country behaves. It is completely deranged behavior.
To the people of Los Angeles and across the country who are protesting these immigration raids:
Don't give them the spectacle they want. Never use violence. Speak out peacefully and in large numbers.
I know many of you have been watching the news about this, so I thought it important to reach out.
Thank you for reading,
Gavin Newsom”
Thank You Govenor Newsom! I am in full agreement with you. So far there have been peaceful marches until this incident with ICE. Not only will folks be dealing with them but National Guard as well. It's all a ruse on TRUMP'S part. I am so very concerned ... I have joined the DGA and DCC and a monthly contributor to both. It is difficult as I live on Social Security but I am compelled to do what I can. I am increasingly worried that civility will go out the window with these newest developments. Some people can only take so much and it has been months since he came to office. We've all been bombarded with his illegality, non-patriotism, utter disregard of our Constitution, and total inhumanity. I wish you and your fellow state constituents the very best in these trying times. It won't be long before this kind of provocative agitation flows outward into our country. I pray that people will "keep their heads together" and continue peaceful, safe marches. I pray that our God will protect us all!
Thank you for the description of the past 5 months! “ We've all been bombarded with his illegality, non-patriotism, utter disregard of our Constitution, and total inhumanity.”
That’s why we are all on the edge of a flash point!
Unfortunately, that is why tRump keeps poking us!!! He wants us to turn violent so he can bring out the “big guns” to complete his destruction of our democracy!!!!
Please don’t give him the satisfaction!!!!
Believe it or not there are many that STILL support Trump - my neighbors!
I had a conversation with a man I thought was intelligent until I found out he got a lot of his information from Fox News and ‘liked Trump’s rallies better.’ Then I realized he was uninformed, misinformed and shallow. I decided I no longer liked this man who supported a dictator whether he knew it or not.
Marlo, I was going to say the person who is allegedly in charge of OUR country is A Malignant Narcissist/ Axis ll personality disordered being who should never have gotten access to the codes..... in 2016.
And then, he was elected again.
The sad truth is that many who voted for him twice would vote for him a third time.
Hence, it's no longer time to be kind with a clinical diagnosis.
I'd rather the honest perspective of Gavin Newsom:
"This is not the way a civilized country behaves. It is completely deranged behavior."
"DERANGED,"PERFECT
Unfortunately I think the computer tabulators were rigged & Harris most likely was the winner. The data doesn’t make sense nor does his winning all 7 swing states with less than 50% of the vote. Ronald Reagan didn’t win all 7.
Go to analysis at:
ElectionTruthAlliance.org
or
SmartElections.US
And Reagan was far far more popular than this idiot!
And the most infuriating thing about it is why nothing has been done to push back and stand up for the free and fair election outcome. Silence from the Democrats! The MAGA machine primed the pump with a flood of conspiracy theories and claims of fraud. All BS, as proven by every court case failure. But now there is a template there that can and would/will be slung around without context, regardless of actual verifiable instances of tampering and voter suppression. The MAGAs will play the whataboutism game and flood the zone. But that shouldn’t matter. Consider “what would President Harris do?” Of course this situation would have never happened.
Multitudes, including me made many attempts to contact Harris imploring her to do hand recounts of the paper ballots.
Unfortunately she capitulated prematurely and flew off to Hawaii. This made me very angry as I had spent over $2,000 on the democratic campaign.
Nathan Taylor (Election Smart Alliance) is working on getting audits in various counties. He is bringing cases to the courts and needs your support. I donated $1,000. Small change to save our democracy and our country.
I too spent $$ supporting Democratic institutions & then I stumbled on Ralph Nader's book "Let's Start the Revolution:tools for displacing the Corporate State & Building a Country that works for the people" written before the 2024 election where I found out how the D's establishment has been "taken over" by the consultant class and made extremely poor use if the precious funds I contributed. It make sure they took their 15% cut of the donations and did not put it to good or effective use. It was truly eye opening. I have since refused any donations and only contributed directly to candidates that don't use these "blood sucking" consultants. I recommend you read his book. It will make you a great deal more wise.
I totally agree.
Link is wrong. Should be .org
Thank you. I corrected it.
Spot the Issue! Democrats lost two of the three times a DAMN "Realty TV Star" ran for President. The only time Democrats won was with a white man, Biden. The two who lost were the most qualified candidates in history; two WOMEN. The second time Trump won HE was a CONVICT and SHE (Harris, a woman of color) was a former ATTORNEY GENERAL of the most populated state, California. Could it be BIGOTRY? Why the HELL are Democrats so DAMN fearful of that "B" word?
If the nature of the beast is BIGOTRY then Democrats must run a white man with a woman VP. At 2 yrs. and one day into his second term he needs to resign and allow the Woman VP to teach the country a lesson that a woman can be good President. Then she can run for two more terms. Shame on Biden for not doing that a year ago.
The Russians interfered in the election in 2016 and 2024.
Watch Olga Lautmen’s Substack. It’s excellent and she is Russian.
I understand that. I also understand James Comey and and Bernard Sanders also interfered in 2016 . Still, it was easy for such white men to do so because Hillary is not a man.
Sanders??
That con man refused for weeks to concede he lost and demanded final edit of the DNC platform before he would do so. That is crazy as hell because Hillary won and therefore it was her policies that the majority would support, not his far left views. Nevertheless she agreed because his refusal to admit he lost was dividing the party. Moreover, he did an interview where he was called out to explain his stances working within the law; which he could not because they were already shot down. Thus he was getting lots of bad press thereafter and Hillary was asked whether he was qualified to be President and being a diplomat she responded saying she "would let his answers [in that interview] speak for themselves." In this video of Sanders the next night he lied saying she said he is not qualified. Then he says that she is not qualified. That sly bastard was getting the press off his ass for not responding during his interview and placing his attacks on Hillary front page. The press then went after Hillary for her respose. The result of him demanding final edit of the platform and saying Hillary is not fit made too many Bernie Bots stay home and not vote. Plus it made the party look bad to too many swing voters. A good read is "What Happened" by Hillary. Even though I am more in line with Sanders and AOC than Hillary I know they will never be President; too far left of center for swing voters. I have never trusted Sanders because as a con man he is only filling an otherwise empty space of political opinion and doing it for "$27" as he always asked for claiming it was the average amount of donations he was sent. Well, $27 x thousands s enough to buy a couple of new homes. That is what he did. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Zjs7XCicyU
The ultimate and immediate goal is to claim justifiable declaration of martial law. Do not give him that edge! Thank ou, Gov. Newsom for setting the record straight. I hope you are able to get on all the major and popular news outlets to say this as well.
Well done Governor Newsom with keeping it cool. Our Thanks. As you said, this is a "manufactured crisis." It is 100% Reality TV written, produced, directed and staring Don TACO. He finally made it to Hollywood but his action show was a flop. His Popcorn however was likely a big hit... against the walls of the Oval Office; butter everywhere.
We are in a crisis!
Guy has balls. Don't think there are any baby nuts hanging from T's gut. Sorry, I am being rude.
Thank you for your sage perspective as always, Heather. 81 years ago, brave Americans stormed Omaha beach to fight the Nazis. Now the Nazis have taken power in America. We must resist in the streets, from LA to Harvard: https://democracydefender2025.substack.com/p/harvard-is-defending-democracy
Thank you. We need to call them what they are; Nazis. But for a small handful the GOP died with Ike. The party has morphed into a mixture of hate, fear and greed. The hateful bigots fear those who look different, the religious right wing fear eternal damnation and they are played by a small number of greedy rich and well connected global corporatist fascist who fear having to pay their share of taxes and have no allegiance to any country whatsoever. Their all bonded together by fear itself. These Nazis seek to divide and conquer the United States against each other with undereducated, low payed, non-union labor employed by a union of rich investors; corporate share holders who live in mansions all around the world. Damn Nazis!
That the U.S. Secretary of the Navy doesn't know the date of the Pearl Harbor attack and confused it with D-Day--well, that says it all. He and his speechwriter should take a remedial course in U.S. history.
Waaaay too late for that, I am afraid, in light of the German Chancellor's remarks. See above.
I checked it out. Wow. In an added dimension, the Chancellor might as well have told the people of the U.S., "What happened to you? How could you have fallen so far in a few years, a few decades, half a century?"
Lots of medals & doesn't have a clue what they mean. Children know the difference in those dates. Geez!
Call. Write. Email. Protest peacefully. Unrelentingly.
Use/share this spreadsheet as a resource to call/email/write members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Reach out to your own reps, as well as those in other states on a specific committee important to a topic you’re sharing. Use your voice and make some “good trouble.”
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13lYafj0P-6owAJcH-5_xcpcRvMUZI7rkBPW-Ma9e7hw/edit?usp=drivesdk
Protest NONVIOLENTLY, despite Trump administration efforts to provoke violence.
It REALLY does matter. If you need to know why, get this book and read it. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44096650-civil-resistance
Protest with a watchful eye. Trump's private army form J6 will infiltrate and instigate the riot Trump wants. They will do it with heavy face coverings and backpacks laden with fire accelerant. Watch and film the way they walk, the clothes they ware, the shoes on their feet.
Than you, Heather Cox Richardson, for this timely message and underscoreing how history is lost on thus cockeyed administration. So far, they are batting 0 on facts and history. When you can't even explain the Declaration of Independence....
I first learned about it in elementary school and given deeper insight in high school social studies. One wonders are they just that stupid? Also, sigh, December 7 is another well known fact. This reminds me of Forrest Gump, "stupid is as stupid does."
"As they sat before the cameras, the German Chancellor said: “May I remind you that we are having June 6 tomorrow. This is the D-Day anniversary.” Trump, showing absolutely no understanding of history or modern-day Germany’s stance on Naziism, responds, "Not a pleasant day for you.” As the Chancellor breaks in, he continues, “That was not a great day." Clearly taken aback, Merz collected his thoughts, and then, looking straight at Trump says, "This was the liberation of my country from Nazi dictatorship."
Woof. woof.
Spread the word: our leader is a dummkopf. And/or he's thinking 1944 Normandy. Or was he?
Phil Johnson
Thank you Heather. Resist, resist.
I've been thinking for some time now that your daily posts will someday be a wonderful encapsulation of the history of this moment in time.
History Is Not a Weapon, It’s a Warning
The most important part of today’s letter is the exposure of how Trump’s movement manipulates history, not to inform the public but to control it. John Phelan’s glaring error—confusing June 7 for December 7—reveals something deeper. This administration’s obsession with patriotic myth is not grounded in facts but fueled by propaganda.
While claiming to "restore" history, Trump’s vision deliberately distorts it to promote a narrative of grievance, divine entitlement, and authoritarian nostalgia. This revisionism is not harmless. It replaces truth with dogma and complexity with hollow idol worship.
As Heather reminds us, history is not meant to comfort. It is a discipline rooted in evidence and clarity, and its warnings are essential to the survival of democracy. When history becomes a political tool rather than a means of collective growth, the foundation of democratic society begins to crack.
Journey to American Democracy offers a timely and necessary response. It urges us to reclaim history as a record of struggle, courage, and progress. That is how democracy endures.
Thank you for all you do. Yours is an important voice in these times. We all have a part, grateful for what you are doing.
Wow. This is a major undertaking and needed. Thank you and those working on preserving our history with accuracy.
Your podcasts keep me sane. I'm looking forward to following "Journey to American Democracy".
i saw the evolution of domcracy. Trump is crazy.
Please run for President
Sadly I have to mute the start as I do not like the lead in music. But I love you, HCR! Keep up the great reporting on the day's events through the critical lens of history, politics, power, and resistance. Thank you!
Dear friends, why are we in this mess? Let me respond as best as I can. My answer, we opened the gates and let the Trojan Horse inside. The foot soldiers within, were well armed and well positioned. They systematically took over the two houses of congress, the judiciary and the remaining institutions. Now, our social safety nets are shredded, our support systems including education and learning institutions are damaged, our way of life and the rule of law is being challenged every day. Where do we go from here? Let us organize and isolate the foot soldiers. Defeat them at their game. The upside-down power pyramid consists of the republican party, the deep pockets who are the Rober barons of modern era, The Heritage Foundation, The Federalist Society, ALEC, Citizens United, and the Right-Wing media network. For a more Indepth reading, I have written a book with fifteen chapters of hard-hitting facts. "Trojan Horse - Democracy Hijacked". It will be released, June 20, 2025. I recommend your reading.