Yesterday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made it clear that the Trump administration’s goal is to slash the federal government and to privatize its current services.
How do you do it? So much going on. So nany disasters. And yet you pump out these information filled letters every day. And they’re not short. And it’s not just facts. There’s analysis. I get worn out reading them. Where do you get the energy, the will, the dedication? Not complaining mind you. I’m simply in awe. Thank you for all your hard work.
Thank you JL. Each & everyone one of us can do our research & annotate Heather's important analyses:
Two examples:
1. Per ABC News & other fact outlets,the 2025 "Measles Outbreak" has now spread to 12 states ... 39 new infections in West Texas/NM the last 72 hours alone.
2. Michiganders, I know you are already know but, your ex-CIA Agent Senator ELISSA SLOTKIN is on the Meet the Press this Sunday Morning. That's 8 AM Pacific me.
Fortunately my TV platform automatically moved my recording to the correct time, And, I woke up at 3:43 AM not 2:43 AM : --- )
I am new on commenting -- thought I sent a message re Chris Murphy's speech to the senate that is incredibly illuminating about Trump's corruption from day 1 -- and he goes through every day with new corruption. I'll try to paste it here for you. Please watch and pass it along. It needs to go all over the country.
Sen. Murphy is doggedly committed to exposing the corruption and the blatant sidestepping the Constitution and I just donated to his cause yesterday....
Thank you Diane, great share for us. Welcome new friend. Aside from an occasional troll, troglodyte, substack advertiser, etc., I believe you will find - on the whole, a very educated and welcoming community here.
As a CT resident, I was slow to accept him but now I fully do. I think he represents the next generation. He is smart, genuine. He understands the nature of his profession. I say this because even though Biden spent his life in politics, he was old school and was slow to read the modern tea leaves. Understand that Obama picked him because he brought to the table what remained of the white working class. But that was then this is now. That crowd went screaming into the arms of the MAGA movement in another word, into the arms of their executioners. Now we must rethink and not be the party of exclusion. Easier said than done. I say this because so
many of us are in denial. And now of course, I’ll take my lumps.
Mine is the comments to lfaa arrived since I tried to go to sleep three hours ago. "Le Monde" is full of stuff too - 5.16 yesterday afternoon in France.
My gut tells me we are onto a new pandemic and this administration as was the 1st one, is totally unprepared to deal with it. I wonder if this will be the catalyst for that big pendulum shift that naturally occurs. So many who voting for him are still in denial but an accumulation of negatives should make them realize the mistake. But the cost will be so dear. And then I fear that the sane side, our side, will insist on issues that are exclusionary to the population as a whole and we will squander our destiny. Win yes but not win with super majorities. Well my opinion of course.
The weird thing is that it does not seem to me to be fundamentally idiocy, though level of education may have something to do with it; and yet I know many apparently bright, "well educated" folks who are 100% MAGA, reciting absurdist talking points on cue. It seems to be the trap of cult dynamics, and (I surmise) an authoritarian streak in early upbringing. It's messy, but kids need to be taught to question everything.
Had a discussion about this some time ago with a former LMT. He was against the measles one and asked me if i would have any children I had, vaccinated. I answered of course. Then he said thank god for the polio vaccine. Duh.
My understanding is that measles attacks the immune system as part of its symptomology, making the sufferer more vulnerable to subsequent infections by nasty bugs for some months after a measles infection. Worldwide, a pattern was noticed of improved survival of other diseases for those immunized against measles. And measles is miserable (as I can still remember from pre-vaccine days of old) and dangerous. It not a thing an informed and caring parent would wish on anyone. Especially since viruses are insidiously effective but lack legs. We are fools to aid and abet them. We are their prey.
Oouugh, Toilet Green. The more I thought about it, however, the more I thought: that's it. I am thoroughly convinced that we have the likes of Toilet Green in office because our schools are not teaching our children the lessons they need to sustain a democratic system of government: critical thinking skills, how to spot fallacious arguments in others and thinking in oneself (confirmation bias) along with government and history. MAGATS are clueless about the downside of Fascism.
Some MAGA sorts are deliberately exposing their kids to measles and have been for some time. You can send ones immune system into basic training, so it's armed and ready when the enemy appears, or throw the unprepared into live fire. Which of these would seem to be the wiser (and more humane) road to immunity? Assuming survival?
In the Middle Ages.....leppers and all those with diseases were sent to colonies away from cities...........
How about turning Red States into Measles colonies....and put all the anti-vaxxer morons in there.........Make Robert Kennedy Jr the president of Anti-Vaxxer Paradise
Bill, Biden's infrastructure act is evidence that Dems include the Red populace with meaningful benefits. They never got the time to experience that benefit, and Dems suck at messaging. If there's something Dems need to do, it's learn how to put on Reality Entertainment.
Bill, I agree with you 100% except, that for that pendulum to start shifting, the maga crowd need to start getting messages from sources other than Fox and the far right media. If we ever accomplish that elusive goal, we can start restoring this pendulum shift naturally.
Bill, I think that if the pendulum does swing, it will be: Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Repeat: Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Threaten to impoverish the folks as Trump, Musk and Speaker Johnson have done and you will have awakened a Sleeping Giant. We need to be ringing the hell out of that bell.
Thankfully there are not enough that have shunned these necessary childhood vaccines to cause a full-blown pandemic. But, children are dying and it’s inexcusable.
My daughter did delayed vaccines on her kids but they still received all of them required before school. Now the pro-life crowd doesn’t really want children to survive.
Yes, it's pretty interesting that the "pro-life" crowd is perfectly willing to let children die of a totally preventable disease that could easily lead to an epidemic. Cognitive dissonance. Just like the other trump/musk actions, it will only hit home when it literally hits home. A sad commentary on the reality of today. (I will spare you my rant about the disgusting roll the majority in Congress is playing in this whole process.)
Reagan convinced a large portion of the public that any promotion of the general welfare of the public is counterproductive and/or evil, and plutocracy has built a cult around it, as evidenced by the utterances of Musk and other Trump appointees. It's BS of course, but there is a hell of a lot of money behind it.
I actually had dinner with a guy last night who said "I think the measles outbreak is due to open boarders." I nearly fell off my chair. The right wing megaphone of misinformation and lies is killing this country, along with Trump, Vance, Musk, and all the senators who failed to convict Trump when they had a chance.
Agree. If you have seen Dr. Richardson's podcasts, interviews or other appearances it is very apparent she disdains hero worship.
We need to hero worship less and work more. We are in this mess because we ceded power to politicians and allowed everyone in the media to tell us what to think. We forgot to check facts and spread the truth in any political fight everywhere.
"This is Shelby Connor from Parrish, Alabama. We've had 260 box car loads of dog gone shit sittin' at our rail yard for months. It stinks.”
"That's a state matter. Did you call the Alabama Department of Environmental Management?"
"What ya'll mean? These trainloads of shit have come down from New York. It's a federal inter-state matter."
"Sir, please be respectful. It's human waste.”
"I don't care what you call it. It's stinkin' up our town. We can't even go to a Little League baseball game ‘cause the boxcars are right across the tracks. How would you like to drive to church on Sunday and take a whiff of it while praying to the Lord?”
"Did Trump send this stench down here because we didn't elect Roy Moore? Let me speak with your director."
“Sir, Mr. Pruitt isn't available. And he no longer reviews environmental issues. Our new mandate from the president is to help companies get rid of waste the cheapest way possible. They probably picked Alabama because your dumping rates are so low. You'll have to call the West Virginia office to file a complaint. They handle waste disposal. Oh wait, that office has been closed down, too."
"I wanna know why New York and New Jersey’s shit is sittin’ in our little town. Git the stuff outta here."
“Shelby, shouting into the phone won't get you anywhere. I'm trying to help. Here, let me give you the Denver office. They have experience handling bio solids. Oops, sorry, that office was recently closed, too. Mr. Connor, we're not going to be around much longer as an agency. The EPA is shutting down. Haven't you heard?"
"I voted for Donald Trump. And now he's turning his backside on us."
"The president is doing a great job getting rid of regulations so more jobs can be created. Do you know how many people you could employ shoveling that sludge into a dump? Your residents could have more work for generations. I suggest that you could turn this waste into fertilizer-rich compost and grow organic vegetables."
"You got a point there. That’s why we voted for him. I need a second job, too. How can we git more New York bio waste?"
Rickey, if they do produce cites, they are always to far right wing nut sites like Judicial Review while advising you to "dig deeper. Usually they just post some dreck with no citations and then demand that anyone who answers them to provide their credentials. Usually they also have to have the last word, but to my amazement, recently a few of them didn't.
What little "documentation" they do supply is very far-fetched, such as Alito's citations for anti-abortion, distractingly irrelevant, or mangled to the degree it pertains to anything actual, such as the "Transgender" mice. It's not easy to find sustainable evidence for total lies.
Actually had one who cited a reliable source, but had misread it. My fav, however, was an ex h.s. classmate (total right wing)arguing with me in all caps and citing KBOO, a very left wing station in Portland, which someone called slit your wrists radio. I did let her know where it was politically.
In my 20s (early 1970s) I listened for some time to very strange but refreshing KTAO, and supported KPOO, (shortly before moving from the Bay Area) which was billed as "poor people's radio". I think all were associated with the "KRAB Nebula" in Seattle. Might KBOO have been part of that?
I have provided Heather's name and platform to MANY friends. She is a unique source of everyday events. The breadth and scale of her knowledge is immeasurable. Her essays are often hopeful, heroic and restorative, providing truth, evidence and established knowledge.
I've been spreading the word of HCR's "Letters" to many grateful friends and acquaintances since she started writing. Now, years later, one of my screening methods to determine "friend or foe" of people I meet through various activities, is to ask "what did you think of Heather's Letter today?"
I started reading HCR early on, and absolutely feasted on "Now and Then" podcast (while it was on) and her FB "Politics and History" chats. I was introduced by a fellow bandsman (a USMC (Ret) JAG Major) who, gods love her, plays the flute.)
Loved "Now and Then" and the "Politics" chats. I would put on my headphones and the phone on the fence post and get some gardening done. When the hour was over, I'd always say . . . nooooo, I want more :)
This is great. What is even better is to spread the action items we can all take. We are sharing protests in our area, phone numbers of our congress people and boycotts.
There seems to be a sharp rise in hero worship in Dr. Richardson's commenters lately. Can we please translate this enthusiasm into activism?
Stephanie, I post Heather's letter on Facebook (yes, I know) every day and several people read it and I see some of them also posting it. I see below that Janet W. has nice screening method for people she meets.
Public Servant, the fact that she is a historian able to draw from our nation's history makes her insights even better. I am a history person and I appreciate this aspect of her writing.
I want to share your poem on fb and want to attribute it to you by name. Yet you want to remain anonymous, yes? So I attribute it to Public Servant? Please advise.
Heather’s superpower is her ability to combine FACTS and HISTORICAL CONTEXT to demonstrate that what is going on right now is not normal, not constitutional, not democratic, and is injurious to majority of our nation’s people. It is up to us to take that information and hold our elected leaders in BOTH parties to account, to demand they do better. It’s clear one party doesn’t care at all, and it is also clear the opposition party, collectively, doesn’t seem to have the strategy or conviction to fight. We have much work to do.
The NY Times has 10 million online subscribers, 600 thousand print subscribers, 1700 journalists. HCR has 2 million + on Substack and significant other exposures. Her reach is testament to the appreciation for and quality of her work. IMHO.
I am so grateful for HRC's daily letters and also can't fathom how she does this for us night after night after night. And, because she writes with such factual clarity, I am concerned that her importance to the opposition, resistance movement will catch the attention of those in power who will try to find a way to shut down her posts and those of other Substack writers we depend on for the truth. I never, in a million years, thought destuction of free expression would be something I would need to worry about in America.
My thoughts exactly! While I was reading this, I thought, “wow, Heather is touching on so many spinning plates!” I also am astounded by - and so grateful for - her letters. We readers are SO fortunate to have such an intelligent resource at our fingertips. Bravo, HCR!
It is up to each of us to be informed and do the work. Dr. Richardson is a historian. She began the Letters to record history. Please take the time to compile your own facts about what is happening with our Democracy. Share far and wide.
"And yesterday, new cuts appeared to continue the gutting of government services that generally appear to be important to Americans’ health, safety, and economic security."
How can this shitshow be happening without any higher power stepping in? Biden couldn’t blow his nose without hysterical MAGA nitwits threatening to impeach him. Are there no guardrails due to the assumption that a president is an intelligent and decent human who will do the right thing?
The 77 million hysterical nitwits are still there making the same hysterical noise but in favor of the odious felon they elected instead of the decent human being they voted against in 2020, and the nitwits have now been joined by every major US newspaper but one (and that one continues to sanitize and normalize insane, irrational, erratic behavior on a regular basis), plus obsequious kowtowing by all major TV networks but one (and that one is borderline major at best).
Because trump told them it would be Ok. Trump told them the best thing to do was to destroy USA and build it back. The Jan 6 committee went on for four years, never brought charges. All the lawsuits against Trump went on for years. Only one came to fruition was about stormy Daniels. Trump supporters really don’t care about the stormy Daniels case. Give Trump a little while longer. He’ll have his MAGAs and Republican’s convinced that all this is for the best. More and more people in the world become afraid of them every day.
Don’t forget he was found liable for rape and the anti-rape members of Congress still support him. They always have an excuse to pardon him.
Now as he screams about fentanyl he pardons an illegal drug seller. But they cheer him on. I say Mexico and Canada should stop allowing Americans to cross into their countries because it’s been proven they’re the ones bring the fentanyl in.
Lesson:If you are going to screw up make certain you are registered Republican. If you are a Democrat, even the Democrats won’t have your back, remember Senator Al Franken?
Got to say this again - I don't believe he got 77M votes, anymore that what he got in 2016 or 2020. This last election his own statements gave him away along with his actions and muskrat involvement
And don’t forget the subset of the 77 million—congressional republicans who have acknowledged they are afraid of crossing tfg—their constituents’ best interests be damned. They think they need to avoid being primaried so they can return to Congress to continue to nothing for us.
The Kool-Aid that the pied piper gave to his followers was all-powerful.
I am waiting to hear from a voter who can break through the fog and say, "I was wrong. I made a mistake in voting for a felon."
I read where ICE arrested a US citizen, even though he had proof that he was a citizen. Afterwards, the person arrested still can't bring himself to say he made a mistake.
It's dim bulbs like this who continue to doom the United States of America.
Think you may be waiting a while. Watched a video last night of interviews conducted in Georgia, and the most popular item in one of the stores was a tee-shirt with one of those supertrump pics over the White House with text saying "Daddy's Home" and the seller claiming it makes people feel safe to have him there; like "a hug from daddy." They literally have no idea of what is happening.
Somebody needs to tell them, and tell them loud and clear, what the difference is between public and private payments, and what will happen to them once every public service has been privatized.
As a psychiatrist, I highly recommend listening to this podcast if you want to understand the nature of delusional thinking. The goal posts will always be moved.
I do see a few people regretting their vote, now that the policies have bitten them in their economic asses. They don't give a rat's behind that other people are suffering.
Where? I read yesterday in Jess Piper’s Substack about a woman in MO who lost her federal job—but she said it was all Musk’s fault. If only tfg would fire Musk, everything would be fine again!! My advice to new managers was always to understand shit rolls uphill and if they don’t mind their store—meaning the people who work for them—it will be to their personal detriment.
So she fully accepts that Trump has zero power as POTUS if he doesn’t stop Musk.
This was the same line blaming Pelosi for not bringing in national guard on 1/6. Trump was unable to act for over 3 hours because Pelosi had more power than him.
I think it’s crucial that we move away from name calling. We’re all victims (including trump supporters) of an inequitable system that has created crazy levels of wealth inequality by prioritizing profit over our wellbeing - that hurts every one of us- including Trump supporters. They wanted a radical change in our system - and I don’t blame them (the Dems messaging was that everything was great - no change needed - a critical mistake). Of course the changes that are happening will hurt all of us - probably Trump supporters disproportionately. But let’s show up with curiosity about their experiences … why they voted the way they did. That will allow us (Dems) to possibly create solutions that address their concerns and then pull them into our tent and maybe win again. But name calling plays into the hands of false “us vs them” narrative created by the billionaires who don’t want us to question the system!
Kate, I appreciate your apparent kindness and good heart. But your suggestion that we should interview trumpers to uncover ways to address their concerns would be an exercise in futility. Their reasoning for voting as they did is based on their being carried away by "team spirit."
Trumpers can give you bumper-sticker answers for why they support Donald, but none of their parroted phrases are backed up by facts or policy. They were never in the locker room to learn the team's plays; they are fans in the bleachers, egged on by the cheerleaders in Congress. The appeal of being a trumper is to be "on the winning side." It goes no deeper than that.
The question isn't asking how we can address trumpers' concerns. The question is, "How do we break the trance?"
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Dale! I definitely think this is true for hard core Trump supporters. But not all 70 plus million of them. Many were being hurt by high inflation (ie egg prices), high housing prices, higher education increases, etc etc and we didn’t do a good job speaking to those very real concerns. I’m def not saying Trump offers any solutions to those problems (in fact, he’ll make worse) but he did recognize their frustration and voice it. If we’d done a better job listening, the Dems could have shared very real solutions and done a better job acknowledging these real problems. Rather than just “we’re not going back to Trump” and “who would ever vote for him” messaging.
Good logic, but what did Trump actually ever address in his "campaign" harangues? Apart from the need to get rid of Mexicans flooding across the border?
Kate, I do not want to argue, but your response seems to totally ignore the Harris/Walz campaign's repeatedly addressing these very problems. Over and over! "We're not going back" was not the only message coming out of the campaign. If the Democratic ticket failed in any way, it's that they didn't lie to voters. This is apparently what is necessary to win elections now.
Any thinking person knows that the U.S. president cannot directly affect everyday prices or housing availability. The most a president can do is recommend legislation to a Congress, which must enact laws that regulate the industries that price their goods and services. This takes time.
The only other option is for a dictator to take complete control of a government and force his will on everyone within the nation's borders. Musk and Trump are doing that, but so far, they've just driven prices up and created chaos that sabotages investment.
There was nothing wrong with Harris/Walz messaging, per se. If a mistake was made regarding messaging, it was relying on corporate media to amplify their message, while Trump World exploited their extensive network of social and captive media.
The Dems were moving forward with infrastructure, health care, jobs and diplomacy. Insisting that their messaging was that everything was great is coming from the people not listening. It hurt to have Republicans in control of the House for 2 years. They can’t even put a budget together and just want another CR where they sneak in more cuts and spend their days hurting the country.
Kate, I started reading your comment thinking, there you go, another one with a moral and appeaser advice, but as I read a long, I changed my mind and I think your idea is quite correct. Not easy to implement but worth to keep posting because you'll keep getting converted people like me.Thanks !!!
Well, there is impeachment. Maybe Musk could be impeached? I think so even though he is not getting a paycheck. It would be a message to Musk from Congress to get out of government or go to jail. But the problem is that the Justice Department is part of the Executive Branch, which I've written out on my substack that needs to be independent like the Federal Reserve.
Speaking of impeachment, don’t forget Democrats are the minority in both houses of Congress so they would have to rely on some GOP members in order to bring Articles of Impeachment, and then face a Senate that, even without Moscow Mitch’s guaranteed no vote, would be likely impossible to get a conviction from. Democrats MUST take the House and Senate back in 2026.
Two things: 1) I think that I read that Elizabeth Warren and others want to call Musk to testify before Congress. Can they? I don't know. If they can,what would compel him to come?
2)If we impeach Trump, we'd then have his toxic VP. Could we impeach them both? If so, think of who would then be prez. The line of succession is not appealing.
If we're assembling a list of nominees, then I propose that my Mackie is the ideal candidate. Unlike the other proposals, she does not come to the table with the sense of entitlement attendant to those with documented pedigrees. She's a mix of 18 breeds, chief of which are Australian Cattle Dog and Chow Chow. I have the DNA test to prove it, which should satisfy the birthers out there.
She was dumped to fend for herself by her original owner, so she appreciates the benefits of structured governance in our home versus the anarchy of the streets. She knows that loyalty is a two-way street.
Ruby is a lab/boxer mix. She’ll greet EVERYONE with a 360 twirl in the air….and make EVERYONE happy. We’ll go wherever we’re needed to bring happiness and laughter…even to all those trump enablers who I continue to hate with every fiber of my being.
Betsy, if we declare Peter Thiel persona non grata and deport him back to Germany, his toxic puppet will end up lost and incoherent and pushed aside like the piece of garbage he is. With that you have one of the main problems solved. :)
This is inexcusable. American citizens are being shafted just like Trump’s betrayal of Ukrainian citizens who have lost their safety shield of weaponry able to intercept incoming artillery… many are dying and /or maimed while their housing & other bldgs are being decimated by Russian artillery.
This is abominable. Trump needs to stop his billionaire huckster friend Musk.
With an autocrat...no one can stop it now except the people..period. SCOTUS is compromised. It is an uphill battle BUT not fighting and ending up like Russia or Hungary will be horrid...so there is no other choice. It's alot I know
Carol, just wait until Hegseth or his overlords reveal Zelenskyy's location and the Russians send in the bombs, followed by a Putin proxy. I've felt for a while that once 47 took office, Zelenskyy's life would be in greater danger than ever.
Impeachment is an action that is very specific to the office that one holds and is described by the constitution. Since doge is neither a legitimate agency of the government nor a private company that legally contracts with the government, impeaching its head isn’t necessary. A simple indictment may be sufficient. I don’t know. Maybe some of the attorneys here can clarify?
Besides, the administration has asserted that Musk isn't the administrative head of DOGE (he's a special adviser to the president) and Trump has told members of his cabinet that they, not DOGE, are ultimately responsible for cutting federal budgets (although rather confusingly he added "if they don't cut, Elon will"). The Musk-funded America PAC recently paid for $1m of adverts supporting Trump so there's little chance anyone is going to stand up to Elon Musk any time soon, including Trump.
"Donald Trump said that DOGE is “headed by” Elon Musk at his address to the nation on Tuesday after the White House had previously said that Musk was not in charge."
Since 'Trump' said it, it must be true. It least that is what was added to several lawsuits filed about DOGE/Musk's actions.
Er, Trump said it so it must be true? Seriously though, the administration has very soon got to come clean about this in the courts. They'll probably lie because that's what's been working for them so far.
As GOP supports "slash and burn", Dems support "decorum over democracy" (R Hubble, 2025}. To do nothing is an option which means the Dems may be able to hold their votes on the Budget Bill and options. Regardless, this will be a long year.
Aligned with Russia openly - and now HAS Ukrainian blood on HIS hands AS do the Republican Senators ......wants to take Sovereign lands ie like Russia did Ukraine - Canada was a Military threat in the 2015 steel and aluminum the first go round . The Democrats have to FIGHT LIKE HELL like the Republican DO..even if it looks more civil than MTG !! We need tons of energy right back at them. Tho it is true...the Senate is stacked.......how about LOUD sub committees like Bernie is doing or something else complimentary. Yes, this IS insane. It isn't doable over trumps 2-4 years...trump or his cabinet never plan to leave. And we might as well work with that truth now to change that...any way you look at it ...it is going to be work
I do not think his actions meet the criteria for treason: levying war against the US or giving aid and comfort to its enemies (since he seems to get to decide who the enemies are). High Crimes and Misdemeanors, yes, absolutely, but getting the MAGAt congress to go along won't happen until it is far, far too late.
Ukraine, Putin are the least common denominators. 22 Republican sentors supported Ukraine funding. Dozens of Republican House members.See Feathers of Hope.
Treason is another one of those words that is frequently misunderstood and misused, mainly because of context. Donald's actions are treacherous, yes, but do not meet the definition of treason, mainly because we are not in a declared war with Russia.
In Donald's case, sedition is the most likely chargeable offense, as he, with Elon is ... "conspire to overthrow, put down, or destroy by force or wage war against the government; forcefully oppose government authority, preventing, hindering or delaying the execution of any law of the U.S.; seize, take, or possess any U.S. property contrary to its laws."
I would submit that using the government's computer systems against itself is an act of force. Here's a helpful article:
Where can we find higher power - certainly not the Supreme Court, which is no longer supreme. Unfortunately, the ultimate goal is to win not to understand.
Thank you for providing me with some evidence that maybe I am not crazy after all. I just watched a video of a young Wanda Sykes doing a stand up of Bill Clinton’s sexual indiscretion in the White House and how the Republicans jumped all over it. And many of the major Republican attackers were themselves revealed to be cheating. We impeached Clinton for having consensual sex with a woman of age of consent. But Clinton is a Democrat, different rules apply for Republicans.
I reckon he’s playing out some kind of father complex, Trump’s dad was a successful businessman, albeit a crooked one, and Trump is a failed businessman. Putin is the archetypal stern father he will never please, but will sell his grandmother trying. Plus I’m sure Putin has his balls on a rack somewhere in the Kremlin.
Used to think it was tiny balls on a necklace somewhere (classic honeypot kompromat) but more I read of KGB ‘recruitment’ style, more it seems instead of blackmail they seek alignment of interests: a) convergent financial interest donations (as with musk), b) friendly financial leverage (good rate mortgages on T assets in Russia and elsewhere), c) emotional/psychological dependence/ownership via Melania (T’s handler? for Putin) and via Putin strongman club membership.
Blackmail produces resistance in the mark, alignment is the gift that keeps on giving.
I'm sure Trump thinks he's playing Musk, and of course he is. Look who everyone's blaming now instead of Trump. And he used the guy's own money to do it. The man's a genius at this.
I think it served a purpose, which is better than nothing, but yes, a whole lot more pointed and organized resistance is needed, including declarations of what international relationships have meant for us and how their trashing is likely to bite us in the future. What price are we paying, have already paid in a matter of days, for feckless MAGA vandalism? It might be fun for some to watch, but then we'll have to live with it.
Agree 100%. Where is this countries dem leadership? Where are the voters? Trump continues to blame Joe Biden. No one disagrees with Trump about Joe Biden. Not giving Biden credit is one thing that cost us the election. Biden saved this country after covid. HCR is a genius but her message only reaches those that already agree with her. How do we get the message out to inform and persuade MAGA ?
Except technically, he’s not a Democrat. The Dems don’t understand the power of the visual. Instead of messages on paddles and little hand-held signs, at Trump’s marathon blabber to Congress, the Dems should have stood up and walked out while singing the American national anthem. They should have walked out the doors and addressed a huge crowd gathered there, watching the proceedings on Jumbotrons. Then a fiery speech, some rousing music from a top artist everyone knows and loves.
Trump is a master of spectacle and razzmatazz. The Dems need someone like that - an orator who knows how to get people all riled up and enthused. There should be relentless ads in all the red states warning that Trump/Musk is coming for their Medicare, Medicaid and their kids’ school lunches.
The idea of “sit back and wait” while Musk, Trump and all the Project 2025 gremlins trash the working government of the United States is flat out wrong. Cui bono? Who benefits from the passive tactic the Dems are employing”? Not the people. Not the Dems. IT’S TRUMP, MUSK AND THE PEOPLE BEHIND PROJECT 2025… meaning the billionaires. What does it take to get people to fight back?
NL you are 🎯 💯. If there are billboards that say, "Trump is coming for your Medicare", they will be much more primed to pay attention to Dems when this does indeed happen. Currently they think every warning is just Dem hysterics.
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of CT is another senator who is courageously speaking out against Trump & Musk every day. Also my junior Senator, Angus King of Maine, who is an Independent, but who caucuses with the Democrats, has been speaking out. My other Senator, Susan Collins, is worthless.
Thank you. Senators Murphy and King have been EXTREMELY vocal. So have my Senators Markey and Warren. My House Rep is doing what she can.
I am becoming VERY weary of the "circular firing squads" that inevitably surface on these forums. If someone asks "What are the Democrats doing?" my response has to be "What are YOU doing?"
In case we hadn't noticed, we have very little power in DC right now. But I am impressed with how Jeffries is holding his crew together. I suspect we will have a government shutdown this week because the Dems will stick together and not vote for raping Medicaid. Let's hope there are one or two Republicans with beating hearts who will join them.
Beyond that, it is on us. In the streets? Boycotts? Phone calls? Letters? Putting together a powerful platform and selecting the right candidates for the future? Yes.
The tide will turn because the damage unleashed will impact, hurt or kill millions of the 77 million who voted for Musk. And it will do the same to the 89 million who stayed home thinking that all politicians are the same.
There is a lot of frustration here, of course. A lot of fear. We may not win this. And, yet, we have to try. Being in a group makes trying so much easier.
We must take care of ourselves, recognize and take courage from models of inspiration, and continue to call and write our representatives.
They still haven't caught on that this country has elected a Reality Show twice! Give the people what they want! It's clearly not boring policy discussions!
Yup, Sandra, exactly: Where are the Democrats - leadership, etc.? I get continual fundraising emails, but that’s pretty much it.
Here’s a strategy I’d like to be hearing this week: Hey, Leader Johnson and Leader Thune - How can we help keep the government from imploding by the upcoming Ides of March? Do you need our ideas, help, support, votes, kind thoughts as you plow through and try to extinguish this Trumpster Fire and Musketeer Mess? Give us a call. There might be a significant wait time, but…..
He claims that Putin wants peace and illustrates this by raining down drones and ballistic missiles on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure, because "that's what anyone in his position would do." Trump's peace plan for Gaza has been rejected by regional leaders and is rapidly breaking down as Netanyahu has stopped international humanitarian aid until all Israeli hostages are released, a clear breach of the fragile ceasfire. Trump has issued his own threats to Hamas, also in breach of the agreement. His bullying of Zelensky has only galvanised support in Europe for the beleagured Ukranian leader. His attempts to force Iran into a new nuclear deal have been swiftly rebuffed by Iran's supreme leader - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/08/irans-supreme-leader-rails-against-trumps-bullying-military-threat
Meanwhile, North Korea has announced that it is constructing a nuclear-powered submarine and has threatened South Korea and the United States with a "horrible" price for their upcoming military exercises, claiming it will bring a "storm" worsening security in the region. That Nobel Peace prize seems further away than ever for Trump.
Trump calls this war where people are dying a game. He thinks he’s being strategic and allows people to die until he deigns to have talks with Ukraine on Tuesday. He pretends he wants to stop death while facilitating it. He will always side with Putin and our country is next. He’s emulating Putin with his talks of taking over Canada and Greenland.
I can’t understand why people think America is the world power. Were nothing with Trump in office.
But he undoubtedly has the power to cause enormous harm if provoked and he doesn't care much about the consequences for others, only for himself. His supporters would argue that while Biden was ineffectual in foreign affairs, Trump is certainly 'consequential' (that's the word the pundits are using for impactful - but not in a good way). Despite this, I think he's bored. He's spent 13 out of his first 48 days in office playing golf (at a cost of around $18m to taxpayers - Elon 'Mr Efficiency' Musk please take note). He's appointed himself as chair of the Kennedy Center and has also decided to assemble and lead a task force to manage the football world cup in 2026.
So, more and more, without a doubt, this is The War against the Administrative State which the Republican Party for years has salivated for, in Full and Open Swing. What are the Dems, Americans, going to do about it? Paul Krugman in a recent conversation laid out how much what has been going on have earmarks of how Viktor Orban in Hungary successfully took power. And don't count on having an effective electoral process to deal with it come a few years.
At the risk of going over the proverbial cliff, you have taken in the thriller series , Civil War, right? So the military net vote has been pro-Trump, likewise civilian police and security services, and we damned well know how ICI seems eager at the bit. But how are vets taken the demolition derby at VA, the loss of thousands of jobs gov has traditionally provided for them? Who knows?
I read that sixty percent of vets voted for the orange menace. I wonder how many of them are ruing that choice. The one in my town who had a 'Vets for Trump' flag in his front yard took it down a while back. But he still has a T**** flag next to the US Flag in his yard.
The reason is that Fox News became the news station of choice! In the past the military lnews outlets like Stars and Stripes had influence. VOA also a part of that. Check out Ernie Pyle.
James, it’s insane isn’t it? They imbibed the menaces orange aid & are forever rendered powerless to change. However, The top Generals the orange slime fired…. do you suppose they’re swooning around simply playing golf or twiddling their fingers?
tribal loyalties you can count on, but there is likely some buyers' regret there. Important thing in closely contested elections is to get a 5% swing, which is about what happened last Nov, which includes reduced turnout btw.
Not if the brass see him as a plant. Easily uprooted if they want to. Of course once they begin, they have to be committed to going all the way. Half measures won’t be enough.
The poisonous disinformation from Fox et al was allowed to be planted in the minds of soldiers (as “entertainment” no less!) so military leadership has a problem. If they try to defend the country from domestic enemies, they can’t rely on all their own people. Russia has almost won, by subversion.
Where is the leadership to point any of this out? Trump is destroying the country. Trump campaigns 25/7. He has been campaigning since before his last election as soon as he was beat out by Biden he started campaigning again we’re just not in the race The Dems have let us down.
But he started campaigning as soon after his YUGE first inauguration crowd filled our screens - it never stopped. Except for when he was on the golf course. He has to have a screaming red-hatted crowd in front of him. Actually, he's not getting that at the moment. No wonder he's looking sluggish.
Not so sure of that. Elections are run by the states. And election officials usually have a sense of integrity. Even in places I would be afraid to travel through :)
But yes, we can't wait. A LOT of people are about to be hurt or killed by Musk. The pendulum will swing. This insanity can't stand.
Bill, in your neck of the woods noncompliance with the galloping fascist takeover might be the norm but remember: only 19 states' AsG are suing. That means that more than half the country is controlled by morons (aka Republicans).
I hope everyone can listen to Krugman’s interview with Kim Scheppele. There is also a transcript. No wasted words. Part 2 discusses where our ongoing coup resembles Orban’s tactics and where it is different.
This could be seen with Sebastian Gorka’s involvement early on with the president at the beginning of his political foray. I have been going to the Congressional websites which have some interesting facts and lists of current legislation and bills. Senator Scott introduced something about a National Scam day this past week. Reading the actions somewhat easier than trying to watch CSPAN but I have been doing this off and on for decades inbeteeen well life which means family cancer, serious chronic illnesses, aged parents, school issues and concerns, work, environmental abd social justice volunteer work or trying to manage contract work with a young family. So only now and then. Library of Congress has a great service so all is not lost it’s just decades of lobbying, dark money, the ossification of communication a lack of flow back and forth so one even with Representative letters still doesn’t feel like skin in the game and again money talks way more now like in Mark Twain’s gilded age.
This has been coming for along time. Many journalists and others wrote books there are an almost small mountain staring I would say from Howard Zinn and from all over and sometimes one doesn’t always agree but reading them the ones I did or even attempted allowed me to see a wave of political power washing down.
The Roberts Supreme Court opened the Oligarch floodgates to buy our government with their corrupt decision on Citizens United.
If we can't amend the Constitution to only allow public political funding with no exception, local, State, and national, we will never be able to determine our own future.
When the Soviet Union fell, Russia was privitized by businessmen. The $25,000 offer to resign in this economy is a cynical offer of businessmen. The Elon/Felon administration is the cynical offer of businessmen. I should probably be sleeping. Zzz…
Yes indeed, I posted in here the other day myself. A very interesting, very concerning conversation. Neither of these remarkable people just pulled all those out of their heads, nothing off-hand abt their thoughts at all.
AS is a bogey for the American right. A very extreme version would be The Turner Diaries, which inspired the Oklahoma bombing, among many other acts of violence and murder and likely Jan 6, the "Day of Rope". For all we know, paramilitaries may already be forming a private army to "serve Trump"...
Right now, the dams should be grooming, a leader, several leaders, other than hold up a few signs, really not seeing them do that much. Trump will not go away until there is a strong leadership to replace him. You need strong leadership to have the faith of Americans.
I am probably naive, but I also think that if they do have a plan, they may not be publically announcing it in advance. Kind of like military leaders don't usually put their plans out on the front page of the newspapers.
If you are going to reduce the bureaucracy, go about it by identifying the “fat” and trimming it incrementally rather than randomly slashing the bureaucracy. Clinton was able to do it over the course of his presidency without the likes of Elon Musk. And please, if you’re going to damage Teslas, leave the charging stations alone.
Not a goddamn thing! Why aren't we hearing from Kamala "I want to be your President" Harris? Why aren't we hearing from Biden, Obama, Clinton... or George W Bush? Where the F is the LEADERSHIP in this country? J J J F F F C C C
Every substack blog I’m on is asking this question, and yet no one answers. Why don’t the mainstream media challenge them to be interviewed in front of us all??? Including Bush!
Steve, I have been asking your exact question. I even wrote an ex-president, asking for a military covert operation using our Special Ops Teams, to retake our white house and arrest trump,musk, and Vance for Treason. No answer of course.
As I am ex-military, I also asked, where Is General Milley and our Joint Chiefs of Staff, and why are they silent!
If you didn’t listen before-why would you listen now? Trump is the same as before only many times worse because he has sugar daddies with lots of money and nothing to do but appease him and he will let them do whatever they want.
One way is out action to our very well thought out words. Enough talking about the corruption cruelty and injustice. What would it take for each and everyone of us to infuse LOVE into every action we take? Isn’t it wonderful and are we not grateful firstly for the opportunity to read, learn and apply the wisdom of the sages?
I'm in Canada, we're dealing with Trump's pointless but belligerent Tariff assault. Organize organize organize, even if it's only passing along a few $, i think there's a lot going on however much people debuke Dems. Lots of "noise" in demonstrations, letter writing etc is not a bad idea. I'm surprised there isn't a "million person" march on Washington by this point. Hit every election possibility by those concerned. Everything Trump/Maga is going now is unconstitutional, downright illegal, yet Congress is tongue tied, mostly just letting things proceed, with cabinet heads now full at it. Without a doubt, there is going to be a lot of breakage, how much, and how permanent, I cannot say.
Frank, do me a favor, have a chat with Justin Trudeau. Tell him tariffs on power going to NY Maine Minn. Vermont, Mass., places that will never vote for Trump, only gratifies Trump. He could care less. Instead target tariffs at GOP states/dominated industries. E.g. 100% on Teslas, Kentucky Bourbon, etc.
It’s pretty terminal at this point, although I certainly appreciate the ones doing the lion’s share of protesting, and I have a goal of 14 phone calls to senators, reps, and the White House every week.
That Krugman interview with the expert on Hungary was terrific, & very scary. For instance, prior to that interview, I didn't know that members of Hungary's government helped the Heritage Society write Project 2025!!
Is Putin just watching and waiting for Trump, Vance and Musk to deliver the USA to him? Putin has to be smiling like a giddy kid waiting for his top Christmas present.
It’s shameful and disgusting to watch Trump along with Musk destroying our country. These are two men who don’t give a damn about the country, they don’t care about “we the people “, they don’t care about the ocean, rivers, air or anything else but money 💰. The fact that the Republican Senators and Representatives go along with the destruction of our country is beyond me. I really want to understand why this deep hatred and cruelty is so important to the MAGA cult. Trump, Musk,and the Project 2025 team are determined to destroy our democracy with no regard whatsoever.
Vicki... Trump is not going to deliver the USA to Putin.
He is going to deliver Europe to Putin.
Trump is going for Canada and Greenland.
The new world order, they will carve up the world and rule as a great, (the greatest ever, there has never been a greater.... etc. etc.. ) pure white, anti-gay alliance where women and brown people are put in their place. They will be permanently at war with China (like in Nineteen Eighty Four. And the drug Soma, depicted in Brave New World (Aldous Huxley) is in your hand right now.
I am frightened for my daughters and their families. I am old. Your point is valid (bigly so, in Trump’s language). We are a Jewish family with women who are strong.
I am going to sleep now because I can’t think straight anymore ☹️
All I can see is new world disorder. Trump hasn't been able to achieve anything of note yet except create chaos in his own administration. All Americans are going to feel the implications of this soon enough. If a government shutdown unfolds as a result of the budget negotiations that might almost be a relief and a break from all the commotion and idiocy. Belgium went along happily for 592 days without a government in 2018-2020 and what's happening now in the States can scarcely even be called government at all.
The Dems should withhold their votes for the budget so the repugnant Republicans own their failures.
A government shutdown will give everybody a taste of what trump and the Republicans plan to do permanently when they betray the people for the Oligarchs to keep power, and to hell with the rest of us.
CNN reports that some House offices have made temporary changes to their payroll to ensure that staff can be paid in advance in case of a shutdown, and one group of congressional staffers saw a pre-planned trip canceled for the weekend of March 15.
If Trump and his minions continue this chaotic reset of the American economy and way of life, destroying the social safety net even further, leaving veterans and elders in the ditch to fend for themselves, I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see some people who are terminally ill and have nothing to lose expressing their powerless rage with things like suicide bombings and other kinds of violence and sabotage.
I am so angry at the electorate who didn't see this coming, like maybe most of us who read Heather, warned. At least even Roberts and ACB seem to realize how the Supreme Court legacy is at risk. Fingers crossed. I hope people smarter than I will reach deep into the well of American ingenuity to come up with a strategy for saving our country from disaster.
Many of us have probably seen Musk's quote this week: "The fumdamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy." Which has prompted a response with Hannah Arendt's assertion: "The death of human empathy is one of the earliest and most telling signs of a culture about to fall into barbarism."
Barbarism is an attribute Trump and Musk share with Putin and Orban and their cohort.
He puts it down to his Aspergers. On an SNL show in 2021 he said: "Look, I know I sometimes say or post strange things, but that's just how my brain works. To anyone who's been offended, I just want to say I reinvented electric cars, and I'm sending people to Mars in a rocket ship. Did you think I was also going to be a chill, normal dude?" It's not down to western civilization being flawed, it's just a deeply flawed individual who excuses his abhorrent behaviour by pleading that he's on the spectrum, a distasteful insult to millions of people who have similar issues but who don't want to destroy civil society before fleeing to Mars. There are others calling themselves 'startup nations' who want to create 'freedom cities' in the US where anti-aging clinical trials, nuclear reactor startups, and building construction can proceed without having to get prior approval. Trump is apparently attracted to the idea - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJA_GBhCGgE
Meanwhile, his administration continues to ignore the real problems facing Americans.
Wired had an article last month about some SpaceX employees who were onboarded at the FAA under a policy designed to increase “employment opportunities for people with disabilities.” Schedule A, is a special authority that allows government managers to “hire persons with disabilities without requiring them to compete for the job,” according to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). You couldn't make this stuff up.
It is important to point these things out now - the destruction of the safety net. Then, when it does happen and people who are low-information are affected, some of them will connect the dots sooner. Our biggest hope, I think.
If you have a local newspaper, write short and calm letters with a few facts. It will encourage those who see this is insanity, and may make some Trump voters think. Respectful letters, because respect is crucial to breaking someone from a cult.
The first six words of your last paragraph are profound.
I lost my fabulous local paper to Gannett years ago. I could pay nearly $30 a month to get less than 24 pages of print, of which 30% are ads, or I can pay for an additional 4 Substack subscriptions. I had been subscribing to the digital version until my bank called me Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend to notify me of "suspicious activity" on my account. 5 transaction withdrawals of $4.99 each in the space of about 10 minutes; from Gannett publishing.
I am always happy to be reminded how fortunate I am to have a newspaper at all, especially a really good one. The publisher is certainly a philanthropist. And I don't know what I would do without Substack!
I remember that you told us you were going to get a new knee soon. Right? All is well, I hope.
I had the same thought about suicide bombers. Some of those MAGA are really unhinged and I don't think they are going to take this utter disillusionment of the leopards eating THEIR faces very well.
I think it started a long time ago, Trump and what's happening now are just the symptoms, not the underlying "disease". In addition this election had a lot of people between a rock and a hard place.
Revolution is one possible outcome, but think about all of Trump's mention of WWIII. Wagging his finger at Zelinsky and claiming that Zelinsky is going to start WWIII. Trump's fantasy is that he, himself, is going to do the very thing he's accusing others of. Warning the Palestinians that if they don't produce every single hostage, he's going to annihilate them. Telling the Iranians that he's going to destroy them if they don't acquiesce to his plan to limit their nuclear weapons. Starting a world war would demonstrate his complete power. When you've got the richest man in the world doing your bidding to destroy your own country, why stop there? The destruction of the world would be the ultimate expression of power, far quicker than letting it expire in a haze of pollution and climate change.
Speeches in the House and Senate, lawsuits galore in the courts, Republicans standing and cheering at the SOU address, refusing to hold town halls, a SCOTUS we can no longer trust. The government of the people is unraveling before our eyes. All following the plan set down by the Heritage Society.
I wrote my three Democratic congress critters (who, like many other Democrats, have been bombarding my inbox with pleas for more money) that they should contact me after they have arrested T**** and had him removed from the Oval Office by US Marshals. I asked them why, when Representative Green was escorted out of the chamber, were they not with him. I told them my cohorts are saying "it's only 22 months 'til the midterms, and 46 months 'til the next election, we'll be able to organize and elect more Democrats." But we don't have 22 months, or 46 months. I give us four, before the civil war/revolution begins. This cannot be allowed to stand. And the MAGA movement does not appear capable of seeing their way out of it.
My grandchildren will not grow up under a fascist regime.
Agree completely. Every single day I get 6-10 texts from some Democrat ( mostly Hakeem Jeffries) asking me for $. I contributed to Kamala via Act Blue, & they must have sold my info to tens of other liberal organizations. Am not contributing a penny until our Democratic Representatives & Senators begin standing up for us.
In a world of Elon Musks, they need to be John Lewis!
What country are you living in? Of course they need money. The richest man in the world and the richest people are running the show. Give money if you can and support any efforts. They are as helpless as you until the numbers add up.
They are trying to tear everything down from within. This is like dropping the twin towers, only with broader and longer lasting repercussions. We are under attack from within, and none of our representatives seem to have a cohesive plan on how to counter it. We continue to push back, reps are starting to avoid town hall meetings where they are getting booed for spewing T's talking points. We're continuing to push back, but it would help to have more leadership than reps waving little signs at the SOTU.
But look what happened. The President of the United States said to drink Lysol and he ran again and won. I blame myself for that. I blame the Democrats for that. No one was standing on the desk at Congress saying you gotta stop man. In a few short months he will have the republicans in line. Look at his cabinet.
Thanks Heather and thanks to all your readers who keep each other company during this absolutely mind bending and heart wrenching time. I had such a bad dream last night about Trump…triggered I think by his very telling statement to the effect that he is completely onboard with the current heightened onslaught of Russian attacks on Ukraine after the US stopped sharing intelligence information with Ukraine to ward off these strikes. He saw it coming and would do the same thing if he was in Putin’s shoes. This is his clearly deteriorating mental calculation funneled through an amoral compass. Article 5 of NATO is foolish to him because it is not in his view reliable in the dog eat dog world that is his now paranoid and petty outlook. Europe is in a race to readjust but it is a very scary situation over here.
Thank you for your clarity. One thought I have had over and over is Musk has no concept of what it is to be American. He grew up in apartheid Africa. He moved here as an adult. He hasn’t had any American experience except transactional business. He doesn’t know what makes people proud to be American. He doesn’t know what he is trashing. Trump is in the same boat even though he DID grow up here. Entitled. Racist. Transactionists.
A comment on Nick Kristof's column today, "The Thing That Could Be Trump's Undoing":
"I live in the same neighbourhoods as a great many of the Forbes 500. I am the daughter of an international financier and I was a US national political operative in the 80s and 90s.
"I can say without equivocation the goal here is to gut the middle classes - from lower middle through upper middle - reduce lifespans and return the world to a feudal system.
"Our billionaire neighbours - especially the tech billionaires - truly believe we are extraneous except as serfs for menial tasks - this extends to you mere multi-millionaires I assure you."
How does this actually work, this Musk firing people? Who makes the call and who enforces it? Since he is a nobody as regards the actual governing of the country, why can’t people just say “show me your warrant or go drive a Tesla into the sun”? Rachel Maddow showed a picture taken of kids with backpacks accompanied by some goons / “federal marshals “ in an elevator on the way to force their way into an office they were shutting down that they were locked out of by the employees. And bigger picture, all this illegal and unconstitutional stuff is obvious, but what is the recourse?
The recourse is many things everywhere and all at once without a centralized control we protest, we boycott, we disrupt and we refuse to be complacent and complicit. We protect our undocumented friends and neighbors and we lean heavy on the Dems to do what we elected them to do, govern with courage, honesty, and wisdom.
We did not elect enough Democrats to make a difference. Half of the people voted for Trump or others. Trump ruins and kills people with special attention to those who oppose him. We need crowds of people speaking out against him and his followers. Stop talking about Democrats unless you support them.
Janis, slightly greater than 34% of the voting eligible population did not vote at all. While the Current Occupant won a slightly greater percentage (1.?%) of the remaining vote, that is not a mandate, nor is it "half the people".
Yes. Exactly the way Putin did it to Russia. That is the playbook right now. They are hollowing out major institutions deliberately to allow plundering of our wealth.
Thank you so much for doing this every day, and making sure all facts are backed up with sources. I rely on these letters more than you know. It is so hard to watch all these cuts and the mishandling of our democracy without tears and anger that have no place to go.
I worked with online groups advocating for the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act, and it was a joy and relief to watch President Biden sign it into law in January of this year. Now, it looks like all of Social Security is at great risk and we have no idea what will happen to the programs that are designed to actually help people. I continue to call and email legislators, but if I'm honest, it feels ineffectual and I feel helpless. Not hopeless, never hopeless, but we all need to step up our game in making our voices louder and heard in all areas.
It sounds like you are very good at working the long game, Virginia. And that's what's going on now, too. Thank you. Please keep calling your legislators. Add your state reps to your rotation. Your state constitution, statutes & policies have more of an affect on your daily life than federal.
Information is so hard to find, isn't it? That is one of THE best things about HCR's newsletter - she collates, annotates the factual & verifiable, then presents the forest with clear view of the trees. I feel especially grateful for HCR & her work every time I seek information at the state & local level. Little to no journalism to be found here; tracking or chasing original sources (e.g., attending city council meetings) takes an inordinate amount of time to Just Get The Facts.
If you have the time, please consider finding a way or two to protect if not elevate the vote. Write letters through Vote Forward. Consider becoming an Election Official -
check with your county administration as to how/when. Directly & specifically include your commitment to voting in every interaction with every elected official - "I am _____________ from _____________ and I vote. I am contacting you today to express my concerns about..." As we get closer to any given Election Day, pivot your efforts to Getting Out The Vote (GOTV). "Every election is determined by the people that show up." (Larry J. Sabato) I like to focus on getting out the vote of every one of those polled who disapprove of Trump.
Finally, take extra special care of yourself and those around you. Regardless of politics, we need to safeguard democracy within ourselves and our communities.
Musk has bought and paid for his presidency, the US has been bought by a billionaire IMMIGRANT from S. Africa , where are the birth certificate conspiracy theorists now?
How do you do it? So much going on. So nany disasters. And yet you pump out these information filled letters every day. And they’re not short. And it’s not just facts. There’s analysis. I get worn out reading them. Where do you get the energy, the will, the dedication? Not complaining mind you. I’m simply in awe. Thank you for all your hard work.
Letters followed by a long list of links.
Thank you JL. Each & everyone one of us can do our research & annotate Heather's important analyses:
Two examples:
1. Per ABC News & other fact outlets,the 2025 "Measles Outbreak" has now spread to 12 states ... 39 new infections in West Texas/NM the last 72 hours alone.
2. Michiganders, I know you are already know but, your ex-CIA Agent Senator ELISSA SLOTKIN is on the Meet the Press this Sunday Morning. That's 8 AM Pacific me.
Fortunately my TV platform automatically moved my recording to the correct time, And, I woke up at 3:43 AM not 2:43 AM : --- )
We need more democrats on the right wing shows. There are plenty of them very capable.
Sen. Murphy is by far the best with Pete Buttigieg a close second!
I am new on commenting -- thought I sent a message re Chris Murphy's speech to the senate that is incredibly illuminating about Trump's corruption from day 1 -- and he goes through every day with new corruption. I'll try to paste it here for you. Please watch and pass it along. It needs to go all over the country.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hycoCYenXls
Sen. Murphy is doggedly committed to exposing the corruption and the blatant sidestepping the Constitution and I just donated to his cause yesterday....
Thank you Diane, great share for us. Welcome new friend. Aside from an occasional troll, troglodyte, substack advertiser, etc., I believe you will find - on the whole, a very educated and welcoming community here.
As a CT resident, I was slow to accept him but now I fully do. I think he represents the next generation. He is smart, genuine. He understands the nature of his profession. I say this because even though Biden spent his life in politics, he was old school and was slow to read the modern tea leaves. Understand that Obama picked him because he brought to the table what remained of the white working class. But that was then this is now. That crowd went screaming into the arms of the MAGA movement in another word, into the arms of their executioners. Now we must rethink and not be the party of exclusion. Easier said than done. I say this because so
many of us are in denial. And now of course, I’ll take my lumps.
The sooner the better Rickey ,there is no time to waste.
Smart, prosecutorial ones who have done their homework.
Counsellor, I'll make it a point to watch that this morning. I made it until 0530 PST today before my brain decided it was time to get worrying again.
I only made it until 3:30 so moved to the living room chair and turned on a show. Thank goodness I then fell asleep until 7.
Unfortunately my current ‘I can’t sleep’ series is Boston Legal and it hits too close to home for a nearly 20 year old show.
Mine is the comments to lfaa arrived since I tried to go to sleep three hours ago. "Le Monde" is full of stuff too - 5.16 yesterday afternoon in France.
lol Ally.
Worry is not preparation. Worrying is like paying a debt you don't owe.
That's OK Ally. I took a morning "nap" & just re-woke at 8:30 .. er 9:30🕤.
But, what a thread! JL all the way to the end of the trail.
Thank you everyone.
PS: I do recommend that Barbara Mullen bat clean-up in every game : ---)
Bravo Bryan
My gut tells me we are onto a new pandemic and this administration as was the 1st one, is totally unprepared to deal with it. I wonder if this will be the catalyst for that big pendulum shift that naturally occurs. So many who voting for him are still in denial but an accumulation of negatives should make them realize the mistake. But the cost will be so dear. And then I fear that the sane side, our side, will insist on issues that are exclusionary to the population as a whole and we will squander our destiny. Win yes but not win with super majorities. Well my opinion of course.
Lunitic Marg Toilet Green wants to have measles parties???? This is crazier than the worst bad acid trip anyone could be on.
Proper governement funding would put Toilet Green into a straight jacket and padded cell immediatly.
Together with all the idiots in Georgia that consistently vote for her.
The weird thing is that it does not seem to me to be fundamentally idiocy, though level of education may have something to do with it; and yet I know many apparently bright, "well educated" folks who are 100% MAGA, reciting absurdist talking points on cue. It seems to be the trap of cult dynamics, and (I surmise) an authoritarian streak in early upbringing. It's messy, but kids need to be taught to question everything.
I think the folks in Georgia sent the flaming loony to the GOP side of Congress so she could be with her peers.
Measles party v. Vaccination
Hmmm
Tough choice....
(The truth is you don't need a party. It's 90% contagious.)
Had a discussion about this some time ago with a former LMT. He was against the measles one and asked me if i would have any children I had, vaccinated. I answered of course. Then he said thank god for the polio vaccine. Duh.
Empty Greene went from the dunce in the corner to committee chair.
How? Why?
Why were violent criminals pardoned and lawful officials persecuted or fired. Something is rotten is the state of America.
Gangrene is very loud and very MAGA, that's why.
The committee she chairs is DOGE.
Embarrassing to even think about answering your question Martin. 😜
Shouldn’t we be locking up people who are a danger to themselves and others? She’s proven she is repeatedly.
🤣🤣🤣
Why hasn't Congress censured her yet?
Great question. Majority 'birds of a feather', so her outbursts are properly, bias friendly and not disruptive ?
My understanding is that measles attacks the immune system as part of its symptomology, making the sufferer more vulnerable to subsequent infections by nasty bugs for some months after a measles infection. Worldwide, a pattern was noticed of improved survival of other diseases for those immunized against measles. And measles is miserable (as I can still remember from pre-vaccine days of old) and dangerous. It not a thing an informed and caring parent would wish on anyone. Especially since viruses are insidiously effective but lack legs. We are fools to aid and abet them. We are their prey.
Oouugh, Toilet Green. The more I thought about it, however, the more I thought: that's it. I am thoroughly convinced that we have the likes of Toilet Green in office because our schools are not teaching our children the lessons they need to sustain a democratic system of government: critical thinking skills, how to spot fallacious arguments in others and thinking in oneself (confirmation bias) along with government and history. MAGATS are clueless about the downside of Fascism.
Some MAGA sorts are deliberately exposing their kids to measles and have been for some time. You can send ones immune system into basic training, so it's armed and ready when the enemy appears, or throw the unprepared into live fire. Which of these would seem to be the wiser (and more humane) road to immunity? Assuming survival?
In the Middle Ages.....leppers and all those with diseases were sent to colonies away from cities...........
How about turning Red States into Measles colonies....and put all the anti-vaxxer morons in there.........Make Robert Kennedy Jr the president of Anti-Vaxxer Paradise
Bill, Biden's infrastructure act is evidence that Dems include the Red populace with meaningful benefits. They never got the time to experience that benefit, and Dems suck at messaging. If there's something Dems need to do, it's learn how to put on Reality Entertainment.
Well, hammer home what's real. The word "reality" is stained with respect to entertainment. Getting real is getting serious, in one way or another.
Bill, I agree with you 100% except, that for that pendulum to start shifting, the maga crowd need to start getting messages from sources other than Fox and the far right media. If we ever accomplish that elusive goal, we can start restoring this pendulum shift naturally.
They won’t read anything that criticizes Trump.
We still have to try FK, you never know. 😁
The mental malware of cult allegiance. Circular thinking. Awoken from that demonized as the ultimate disgrace.
Bill, I think that if the pendulum does swing, it will be: Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Repeat: Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Threaten to impoverish the folks as Trump, Musk and Speaker Johnson have done and you will have awakened a Sleeping Giant. We need to be ringing the hell out of that bell.
Thankfully there are not enough that have shunned these necessary childhood vaccines to cause a full-blown pandemic. But, children are dying and it’s inexcusable.
My daughter did delayed vaccines on her kids but they still received all of them required before school. Now the pro-life crowd doesn’t really want children to survive.
Yes, it's pretty interesting that the "pro-life" crowd is perfectly willing to let children die of a totally preventable disease that could easily lead to an epidemic. Cognitive dissonance. Just like the other trump/musk actions, it will only hit home when it literally hits home. A sad commentary on the reality of today. (I will spare you my rant about the disgusting roll the majority in Congress is playing in this whole process.)
Reagan convinced a large portion of the public that any promotion of the general welfare of the public is counterproductive and/or evil, and plutocracy has built a cult around it, as evidenced by the utterances of Musk and other Trump appointees. It's BS of course, but there is a hell of a lot of money behind it.
....Follow the money
Measles won’t spread like Covid because so many people are vaccinated. Older people had it as children.
I’m not making light of it, just noting that it won’t be a repeat of Covid.
But other creepy bugs await in the wings.
I actually had dinner with a guy last night who said "I think the measles outbreak is due to open boarders." I nearly fell off my chair. The right wing megaphone of misinformation and lies is killing this country, along with Trump, Vance, Musk, and all the senators who failed to convict Trump when they had a chance.
I see that all the time in comments at the WSJ.
Agree. If you have seen Dr. Richardson's podcasts, interviews or other appearances it is very apparent she disdains hero worship.
We need to hero worship less and work more. We are in this mess because we ceded power to politicians and allowed everyone in the media to tell us what to think. We forgot to check facts and spread the truth in any political fight everywhere.
It's turning out that government of the people, by the people, for the people is ultimately DIY. Who'd of thunk it?
Guess we forgot that. I am all for the people kicking some ass.
(From 'Donald's Vanity Tantrums')
Environmental Protection Agency
2018
"Hello, EPA, may I help you?"
"This is Shelby Connor from Parrish, Alabama. We've had 260 box car loads of dog gone shit sittin' at our rail yard for months. It stinks.”
"That's a state matter. Did you call the Alabama Department of Environmental Management?"
"What ya'll mean? These trainloads of shit have come down from New York. It's a federal inter-state matter."
"Sir, please be respectful. It's human waste.”
"I don't care what you call it. It's stinkin' up our town. We can't even go to a Little League baseball game ‘cause the boxcars are right across the tracks. How would you like to drive to church on Sunday and take a whiff of it while praying to the Lord?”
"Did Trump send this stench down here because we didn't elect Roy Moore? Let me speak with your director."
“Sir, Mr. Pruitt isn't available. And he no longer reviews environmental issues. Our new mandate from the president is to help companies get rid of waste the cheapest way possible. They probably picked Alabama because your dumping rates are so low. You'll have to call the West Virginia office to file a complaint. They handle waste disposal. Oh wait, that office has been closed down, too."
"I wanna know why New York and New Jersey’s shit is sittin’ in our little town. Git the stuff outta here."
“Shelby, shouting into the phone won't get you anywhere. I'm trying to help. Here, let me give you the Denver office. They have experience handling bio solids. Oops, sorry, that office was recently closed, too. Mr. Connor, we're not going to be around much longer as an agency. The EPA is shutting down. Haven't you heard?"
"I voted for Donald Trump. And now he's turning his backside on us."
"The president is doing a great job getting rid of regulations so more jobs can be created. Do you know how many people you could employ shoveling that sludge into a dump? Your residents could have more work for generations. I suggest that you could turn this waste into fertilizer-rich compost and grow organic vegetables."
"You got a point there. That’s why we voted for him. I need a second job, too. How can we git more New York bio waste?"
😁🤔👍
Oh my!
Sheet ya.
You voted for Trump and he literally shits on you!
That is what the radical right can never do - provide evidence to this extent.
Rickey, if they do produce cites, they are always to far right wing nut sites like Judicial Review while advising you to "dig deeper. Usually they just post some dreck with no citations and then demand that anyone who answers them to provide their credentials. Usually they also have to have the last word, but to my amazement, recently a few of them didn't.
What little "documentation" they do supply is very far-fetched, such as Alito's citations for anti-abortion, distractingly irrelevant, or mangled to the degree it pertains to anything actual, such as the "Transgender" mice. It's not easy to find sustainable evidence for total lies.
Actually had one who cited a reliable source, but had misread it. My fav, however, was an ex h.s. classmate (total right wing)arguing with me in all caps and citing KBOO, a very left wing station in Portland, which someone called slit your wrists radio. I did let her know where it was politically.
In my 20s (early 1970s) I listened for some time to very strange but refreshing KTAO, and supported KPOO, (shortly before moving from the Bay Area) which was billed as "poor people's radio". I think all were associated with the "KRAB Nebula" in Seattle. Might KBOO have been part of that?
I have provided Heather's name and platform to MANY friends. She is a unique source of everyday events. The breadth and scale of her knowledge is immeasurable. Her essays are often hopeful, heroic and restorative, providing truth, evidence and established knowledge.
Thank you!!
I've been spreading the word of HCR's "Letters" to many grateful friends and acquaintances since she started writing. Now, years later, one of my screening methods to determine "friend or foe" of people I meet through various activities, is to ask "what did you think of Heather's Letter today?"
Excellent screening question, Janet.
I started reading HCR early on, and absolutely feasted on "Now and Then" podcast (while it was on) and her FB "Politics and History" chats. I was introduced by a fellow bandsman (a USMC (Ret) JAG Major) who, gods love her, plays the flute.)
And you, Ally, and I met on the Letter and are now friends and have met in person.....one of the nice things to have happened.
This is a lovely idea:
Heather's Community Meet Ups!
Heather's Book Clubs!
Heather's Documentary Film Clubs!
I need to coordinate another meet. Soon as I’m less gimpy!
I am always gimpy, but have a cane and pain killers. Or you could come here for a wee dram.
Loved "Now and Then" and the "Politics" chats. I would put on my headphones and the phone on the fence post and get some gardening done. When the hour was over, I'd always say . . . nooooo, I want more :)
Same here. She always get posted to my Facebook and Bluesky pages. Her sourcing is impeccable.
Yes yes yes
Forward her letter far and wide
Post it or post a link in your social media.
(And PLEASE, drop your X accounts!)
If like me, you have persons in your family without email or internet ( my 75 and 83 y/o siblings) PRINT out pertinent letters and give it to them.
copy and paste to your elected feds. Grassley at least reads them, Ernst not so sure, Nunn, bet not.
good idea, Rickey, thank you!
Grassley might read but he's terrified of trump.
at his age? He shouldn't be terrified of anything. What's the worst that can happen?
Stephanie, it's also her clarity describing complex events and the logic sequence of facts and fluidity that makes her letters so readable.
Essential.
Forward This:
Impeach. Feathers of Hope. https://jerryweiss.substack.com/p/remove-impeach-impeach
IMPEACH TRUMP. AGAIN. ( impeachtrumpagain.org )
5MillionPatriots.blogspot.com
In the meantime, impair his agenda.
(sorry)
This is great. What is even better is to spread the action items we can all take. We are sharing protests in our area, phone numbers of our congress people and boycotts.
There seems to be a sharp rise in hero worship in Dr. Richardson's commenters lately. Can we please translate this enthusiasm into activism?
I share daily on FB, with the tag “Today’s truth”.
Stephanie, I post Heather's letter on Facebook (yes, I know) every day and several people read it and I see some of them also posting it. I see below that Janet W. has nice screening method for people she meets.
Yes!!! She documents everything with citations and in a straight forward nonpartisan manner. Everyone needs to read at least once.
Heather is not just a historian. She is a stalwart defender of democracy. I wrote a poem in tribute to her energy, will, and dedication: https://democracydefender2025.substack.com/p/heather-cox-richardson-letters-history-democracy
Heather is a "Gift from the Universe" for all that stand for freedom, justice and democracy.
Public Servant, the fact that she is a historian able to draw from our nation's history makes her insights even better. I am a history person and I appreciate this aspect of her writing.
Public Poet? 🙏
Public Historian?
If we ever regain the majority, we should appoint her Historian Laureate
Excellent writing, PS! Thank you!
I want to share your poem on fb and want to attribute it to you by name. Yet you want to remain anonymous, yes? So I attribute it to Public Servant? Please advise.
Well said Diana -- I think the same thing every day -- Thank you Heather for your amazing work.
'Thankful that she does..... overwhelming gratitude.
Heather’s superpower is her ability to combine FACTS and HISTORICAL CONTEXT to demonstrate that what is going on right now is not normal, not constitutional, not democratic, and is injurious to majority of our nation’s people. It is up to us to take that information and hold our elected leaders in BOTH parties to account, to demand they do better. It’s clear one party doesn’t care at all, and it is also clear the opposition party, collectively, doesn’t seem to have the strategy or conviction to fight. We have much work to do.
The NY Times has 10 million online subscribers, 600 thousand print subscribers, 1700 journalists. HCR has 2 million + on Substack and significant other exposures. Her reach is testament to the appreciation for and quality of her work. IMHO.
I am so grateful for HRC's daily letters and also can't fathom how she does this for us night after night after night. And, because she writes with such factual clarity, I am concerned that her importance to the opposition, resistance movement will catch the attention of those in power who will try to find a way to shut down her posts and those of other Substack writers we depend on for the truth. I never, in a million years, thought destuction of free expression would be something I would need to worry about in America.
Ditto!!
My thoughts exactly! While I was reading this, I thought, “wow, Heather is touching on so many spinning plates!” I also am astounded by - and so grateful for - her letters. We readers are SO fortunate to have such an intelligent resource at our fingertips. Bravo, HCR!
It is up to each of us to be informed and do the work. Dr. Richardson is a historian. She began the Letters to record history. Please take the time to compile your own facts about what is happening with our Democracy. Share far and wide.
Thank you also HCR!!!!
Simple: STOP the COUP! Fire Musk/DOGE!
I am grateful for HCR's work and dedication too!
"And yesterday, new cuts appeared to continue the gutting of government services that generally appear to be important to Americans’ health, safety, and economic security."
And national security quite frankly.
How can this shitshow be happening without any higher power stepping in? Biden couldn’t blow his nose without hysterical MAGA nitwits threatening to impeach him. Are there no guardrails due to the assumption that a president is an intelligent and decent human who will do the right thing?
The 77 million hysterical nitwits are still there making the same hysterical noise but in favor of the odious felon they elected instead of the decent human being they voted against in 2020, and the nitwits have now been joined by every major US newspaper but one (and that one continues to sanitize and normalize insane, irrational, erratic behavior on a regular basis), plus obsequious kowtowing by all major TV networks but one (and that one is borderline major at best).
Because trump told them it would be Ok. Trump told them the best thing to do was to destroy USA and build it back. The Jan 6 committee went on for four years, never brought charges. All the lawsuits against Trump went on for years. Only one came to fruition was about stormy Daniels. Trump supporters really don’t care about the stormy Daniels case. Give Trump a little while longer. He’ll have his MAGAs and Republican’s convinced that all this is for the best. More and more people in the world become afraid of them every day.
Don’t forget he was found liable for rape and the anti-rape members of Congress still support him. They always have an excuse to pardon him.
Now as he screams about fentanyl he pardons an illegal drug seller. But they cheer him on. I say Mexico and Canada should stop allowing Americans to cross into their countries because it’s been proven they’re the ones bring the fentanyl in.
Trump told them he would recreate the America in which black people can be oppressed with impunity. That’s the effective component of the message.
Lesson:If you are going to screw up make certain you are registered Republican. If you are a Democrat, even the Democrats won’t have your back, remember Senator Al Franken?
Got to say this again - I don't believe he got 77M votes, anymore that what he got in 2016 or 2020. This last election his own statements gave him away along with his actions and muskrat involvement
you are on the right track to be suspicious of vote manipulation.
Trump came right out and said musk interfered with the vote count here in Pennsylvania… I heard him say it!
Yep. Kamala is keeping her powder dry, which is all she can do at present.
And don’t forget the subset of the 77 million—congressional republicans who have acknowledged they are afraid of crossing tfg—their constituents’ best interests be damned. They think they need to avoid being primaried so they can return to Congress to continue to nothing for us.
'Avoid being primaried'... good Lord! That's like having nuclear war break out, and worrying about what's going to happen to your investments.
Proposal - change the term "Congressman" to "Congressional Public Servant"
Absolutely right analysis !!! That's a cost inflicted on us to protect their perks.
There's more and more angry MAGA who are getting their faces eaten by leopards.
The Kool-Aid that the pied piper gave to his followers was all-powerful.
I am waiting to hear from a voter who can break through the fog and say, "I was wrong. I made a mistake in voting for a felon."
I read where ICE arrested a US citizen, even though he had proof that he was a citizen. Afterwards, the person arrested still can't bring himself to say he made a mistake.
It's dim bulbs like this who continue to doom the United States of America.
Think you may be waiting a while. Watched a video last night of interviews conducted in Georgia, and the most popular item in one of the stores was a tee-shirt with one of those supertrump pics over the White House with text saying "Daddy's Home" and the seller claiming it makes people feel safe to have him there; like "a hug from daddy." They literally have no idea of what is happening.
Somebody needs to tell them, and tell them loud and clear, what the difference is between public and private payments, and what will happen to them once every public service has been privatized.
good grief
WHAT????
As a psychiatrist, I highly recommend listening to this podcast if you want to understand the nature of delusional thinking. The goal posts will always be moved.
https://www.thisamericanlife.org/854/ten-things-i-dont-want-to-hate-about-you
I do see a few people regretting their vote, now that the policies have bitten them in their economic asses. They don't give a rat's behind that other people are suffering.
“If it takes me being falsely arrested, then its a small price to pay for getting rid of other suspected illegals. Go MAGA”
Where? I read yesterday in Jess Piper’s Substack about a woman in MO who lost her federal job—but she said it was all Musk’s fault. If only tfg would fire Musk, everything would be fine again!! My advice to new managers was always to understand shit rolls uphill and if they don’t mind their store—meaning the people who work for them—it will be to their personal detriment.
So she fully accepts that Trump has zero power as POTUS if he doesn’t stop Musk.
This was the same line blaming Pelosi for not bringing in national guard on 1/6. Trump was unable to act for over 3 hours because Pelosi had more power than him.
It is far from reaching critical mass, sadly.
the problem is how far we are from reaching that critical mass. A ny day could be too late.
That's my read as well Ally.
Miselle, pictures please
I've seen clips on the Youtube Meidas Network.
Wait until the power is shut off to the trailer park and there is no more 365/24/7 Fox News in the beer can strewn, filthy carpet TV room.
My theory is that Musk will make Starlink the only available internet and cable service and we will only have access to their propaganda.
I think it’s crucial that we move away from name calling. We’re all victims (including trump supporters) of an inequitable system that has created crazy levels of wealth inequality by prioritizing profit over our wellbeing - that hurts every one of us- including Trump supporters. They wanted a radical change in our system - and I don’t blame them (the Dems messaging was that everything was great - no change needed - a critical mistake). Of course the changes that are happening will hurt all of us - probably Trump supporters disproportionately. But let’s show up with curiosity about their experiences … why they voted the way they did. That will allow us (Dems) to possibly create solutions that address their concerns and then pull them into our tent and maybe win again. But name calling plays into the hands of false “us vs them” narrative created by the billionaires who don’t want us to question the system!
Kate, I appreciate your apparent kindness and good heart. But your suggestion that we should interview trumpers to uncover ways to address their concerns would be an exercise in futility. Their reasoning for voting as they did is based on their being carried away by "team spirit."
Trumpers can give you bumper-sticker answers for why they support Donald, but none of their parroted phrases are backed up by facts or policy. They were never in the locker room to learn the team's plays; they are fans in the bleachers, egged on by the cheerleaders in Congress. The appeal of being a trumper is to be "on the winning side." It goes no deeper than that.
The question isn't asking how we can address trumpers' concerns. The question is, "How do we break the trance?"
It's not just to be on the winning side. It's that this side reinforces the belief that
"Daddy will take care of it"
"Daddy loves me"
"Daddy will punish the people I don't like"
Check this shit out:
https://www.etsy.com/market/trump_stickers_daddys_home?ref=lp_queries_internal_bottom-19
Glum face. Dyspepsia.
Good grief! That’s appalling.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Dale! I definitely think this is true for hard core Trump supporters. But not all 70 plus million of them. Many were being hurt by high inflation (ie egg prices), high housing prices, higher education increases, etc etc and we didn’t do a good job speaking to those very real concerns. I’m def not saying Trump offers any solutions to those problems (in fact, he’ll make worse) but he did recognize their frustration and voice it. If we’d done a better job listening, the Dems could have shared very real solutions and done a better job acknowledging these real problems. Rather than just “we’re not going back to Trump” and “who would ever vote for him” messaging.
Good logic, but what did Trump actually ever address in his "campaign" harangues? Apart from the need to get rid of Mexicans flooding across the border?
Kate, I do not want to argue, but your response seems to totally ignore the Harris/Walz campaign's repeatedly addressing these very problems. Over and over! "We're not going back" was not the only message coming out of the campaign. If the Democratic ticket failed in any way, it's that they didn't lie to voters. This is apparently what is necessary to win elections now.
Any thinking person knows that the U.S. president cannot directly affect everyday prices or housing availability. The most a president can do is recommend legislation to a Congress, which must enact laws that regulate the industries that price their goods and services. This takes time.
The only other option is for a dictator to take complete control of a government and force his will on everyone within the nation's borders. Musk and Trump are doing that, but so far, they've just driven prices up and created chaos that sabotages investment.
There was nothing wrong with Harris/Walz messaging, per se. If a mistake was made regarding messaging, it was relying on corporate media to amplify their message, while Trump World exploited their extensive network of social and captive media.
The Dems were moving forward with infrastructure, health care, jobs and diplomacy. Insisting that their messaging was that everything was great is coming from the people not listening. It hurt to have Republicans in control of the House for 2 years. They can’t even put a budget together and just want another CR where they sneak in more cuts and spend their days hurting the country.
Kate, I started reading your comment thinking, there you go, another one with a moral and appeaser advice, but as I read a long, I changed my mind and I think your idea is quite correct. Not easy to implement but worth to keep posting because you'll keep getting converted people like me.Thanks !!!
Well, there is impeachment. Maybe Musk could be impeached? I think so even though he is not getting a paycheck. It would be a message to Musk from Congress to get out of government or go to jail. But the problem is that the Justice Department is part of the Executive Branch, which I've written out on my substack that needs to be independent like the Federal Reserve.
Speaking of impeachment, don’t forget Democrats are the minority in both houses of Congress so they would have to rely on some GOP members in order to bring Articles of Impeachment, and then face a Senate that, even without Moscow Mitch’s guaranteed no vote, would be likely impossible to get a conviction from. Democrats MUST take the House and Senate back in 2026.
Two things: 1) I think that I read that Elizabeth Warren and others want to call Musk to testify before Congress. Can they? I don't know. If they can,what would compel him to come?
2)If we impeach Trump, we'd then have his toxic VP. Could we impeach them both? If so, think of who would then be prez. The line of succession is not appealing.
Impeach!! My chocolate lab would do a better job than those two hideous freaks! Plus she’s kind and loving and joyful!
My black Lab would make a great VP, if sleeping on the job is ok.
Our Sheltie and Border Collie would make a great Executive team! They're great at getting things lined up and in order in no time! 😉
If we're assembling a list of nominees, then I propose that my Mackie is the ideal candidate. Unlike the other proposals, she does not come to the table with the sense of entitlement attendant to those with documented pedigrees. She's a mix of 18 breeds, chief of which are Australian Cattle Dog and Chow Chow. I have the DNA test to prove it, which should satisfy the birthers out there.
She was dumped to fend for herself by her original owner, so she appreciates the benefits of structured governance in our home versus the anarchy of the streets. She knows that loyalty is a two-way street.
Mackie for President!
Ruby is a lab/boxer mix. She’ll greet EVERYONE with a 360 twirl in the air….and make EVERYONE happy. We’ll go wherever we’re needed to bring happiness and laughter…even to all those trump enablers who I continue to hate with every fiber of my being.
Let’s make her VP
Except for the impeach part of your replay, I love the rest.:)
Wev'e learned that impeaching isn't the hard part. It's the 2/3 senate you need to convict.
Betsy, if we declare Peter Thiel persona non grata and deport him back to Germany, his toxic puppet will end up lost and incoherent and pushed aside like the piece of garbage he is. With that you have one of the main problems solved. :)
Sure, I'd be happy to declare Thiel persona non grata, but I can't see ICE deporting him. Would that we could solve our problems by wishing...
Sandra, I would give you so many likes that I would be arrested for voting fraud. You had my one and only legal like.
This is inexcusable. American citizens are being shafted just like Trump’s betrayal of Ukrainian citizens who have lost their safety shield of weaponry able to intercept incoming artillery… many are dying and /or maimed while their housing & other bldgs are being decimated by Russian artillery.
This is abominable. Trump needs to stop his billionaire huckster friend Musk.
We need Congress -- both parties -- to step up to stop this. If Congress acted together (dream on, I know) they could stop this madness in its tracks.
With an autocrat...no one can stop it now except the people..period. SCOTUS is compromised. It is an uphill battle BUT not fighting and ending up like Russia or Hungary will be horrid...so there is no other choice. It's alot I know
Shauna, we are so close of being like Russia and Hungary that I feel the stench already. :(
And we need Trump to be stopped. When will Congress stop being spineless and the Democrats pull together to fight this mess.
Carol, just wait until Hegseth or his overlords reveal Zelenskyy's location and the Russians send in the bombs, followed by a Putin proxy. I've felt for a while that once 47 took office, Zelenskyy's life would be in greater danger than ever.
Impeachment is an action that is very specific to the office that one holds and is described by the constitution. Since doge is neither a legitimate agency of the government nor a private company that legally contracts with the government, impeaching its head isn’t necessary. A simple indictment may be sufficient. I don’t know. Maybe some of the attorneys here can clarify?
Besides, the administration has asserted that Musk isn't the administrative head of DOGE (he's a special adviser to the president) and Trump has told members of his cabinet that they, not DOGE, are ultimately responsible for cutting federal budgets (although rather confusingly he added "if they don't cut, Elon will"). The Musk-funded America PAC recently paid for $1m of adverts supporting Trump so there's little chance anyone is going to stand up to Elon Musk any time soon, including Trump.
"Donald Trump said that DOGE is “headed by” Elon Musk at his address to the nation on Tuesday after the White House had previously said that Musk was not in charge."
Since 'Trump' said it, it must be true. It least that is what was added to several lawsuits filed about DOGE/Musk's actions.
https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/watch/trump-says-doge-headed-by-musk-after-white-house-previously-said-musk-was-not-in-charge-233606725822
Er, Trump said it so it must be true? Seriously though, the administration has very soon got to come clean about this in the courts. They'll probably lie because that's what's been working for them so far.
Musk and Trump have slipped underneath our beds in the night… as pesky as crabs and not nearly as benign.
Time to saw the legs off our beds.
Kazz, since they don't have spines they can make under the beds any way. Time to think something else. :)
As GOP supports "slash and burn", Dems support "decorum over democracy" (R Hubble, 2025}. To do nothing is an option which means the Dems may be able to hold their votes on the Budget Bill and options. Regardless, this will be a long year.
Aligned with Russia openly - and now HAS Ukrainian blood on HIS hands AS do the Republican Senators ......wants to take Sovereign lands ie like Russia did Ukraine - Canada was a Military threat in the 2015 steel and aluminum the first go round . The Democrats have to FIGHT LIKE HELL like the Republican DO..even if it looks more civil than MTG !! We need tons of energy right back at them. Tho it is true...the Senate is stacked.......how about LOUD sub committees like Bernie is doing or something else complimentary. Yes, this IS insane. It isn't doable over trumps 2-4 years...trump or his cabinet never plan to leave. And we might as well work with that truth now to change that...any way you look at it ...it is going to be work
His actions seem treasonous to me.
I do not think his actions meet the criteria for treason: levying war against the US or giving aid and comfort to its enemies (since he seems to get to decide who the enemies are). High Crimes and Misdemeanors, yes, absolutely, but getting the MAGAt congress to go along won't happen until it is far, far too late.
Ukraine, Putin are the least common denominators. 22 Republican sentors supported Ukraine funding. Dozens of Republican House members.See Feathers of Hope.
Treason is another one of those words that is frequently misunderstood and misused, mainly because of context. Donald's actions are treacherous, yes, but do not meet the definition of treason, mainly because we are not in a declared war with Russia.
In Donald's case, sedition is the most likely chargeable offense, as he, with Elon is ... "conspire to overthrow, put down, or destroy by force or wage war against the government; forcefully oppose government authority, preventing, hindering or delaying the execution of any law of the U.S.; seize, take, or possess any U.S. property contrary to its laws."
I would submit that using the government's computer systems against itself is an act of force. Here's a helpful article:
https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2021/01/treason-sedition-and-insurrection-whats-the-difference/
Which we know that not one of those qualities are ones that he either has or aspires to develop.
No people are afraid of the felon rapist. Cowards all of them from the congress on down and especially the corporate media.
Where can we find higher power - certainly not the Supreme Court, which is no longer supreme. Unfortunately, the ultimate goal is to win not to understand.
Stephanie, all three branches of government have abdicated their constitutional responsibilities. It begins to look as though revolution is necessary.
Feathers of Hope.
Justice Barrett is breaking ranks. Last in first out?
Thank you for providing me with some evidence that maybe I am not crazy after all. I just watched a video of a young Wanda Sykes doing a stand up of Bill Clinton’s sexual indiscretion in the White House and how the Republicans jumped all over it. And many of the major Republican attackers were themselves revealed to be cheating. We impeached Clinton for having consensual sex with a woman of age of consent. But Clinton is a Democrat, different rules apply for Republicans.
As long as the same hysterical maga horde thinks that the "highest power is the scumbag president" don't expect anything good to happen.
🤣
"Poor Putin has been through such a lot with me, he had to go though the Russia Russia Russia hoax with Shifty Schiff"
And then he facilitates bombs raining down on Europe unchecked... let's call that murder.
The greatest fifth column operation in the history of the world guts the US federal government in Washington and sells it off to a cabal of oligarchs
And all you guys come up with is a person with a piece of paper that says "this is not normal"
That's all you got?
YES Christopher!
If Trump KNOWS he is a Russian asset, that's EVIL.
If Trump DOESN'T KNOW he is a Russian asset, that's WORSE!
See Senator Merkley 👇
https://bsky.app/profile/justinsg.bsky.social/post/3ljpzeyxi5k24
I reckon he’s playing out some kind of father complex, Trump’s dad was a successful businessman, albeit a crooked one, and Trump is a failed businessman. Putin is the archetypal stern father he will never please, but will sell his grandmother trying. Plus I’m sure Putin has his balls on a rack somewhere in the Kremlin.
Used to think it was tiny balls on a necklace somewhere (classic honeypot kompromat) but more I read of KGB ‘recruitment’ style, more it seems instead of blackmail they seek alignment of interests: a) convergent financial interest donations (as with musk), b) friendly financial leverage (good rate mortgages on T assets in Russia and elsewhere), c) emotional/psychological dependence/ownership via Melania (T’s handler? for Putin) and via Putin strongman club membership.
Blackmail produces resistance in the mark, alignment is the gift that keeps on giving.
There is always "Trump Tower Moscow"
Musk is everything tfg aspired to be—and failed at least six times. Remember there was nothing worse in the Trump family than being a LOSER. Nothing.
I'm sure Trump thinks he's playing Musk, and of course he is. Look who everyone's blaming now instead of Trump. And he used the guy's own money to do it. The man's a genius at this.
Most likely Putin has a bed full of DNA to prove depravation on the scumbag president, but that won't surprise anyone. :)
Go, Senator Merkley!!
I think it served a purpose, which is better than nothing, but yes, a whole lot more pointed and organized resistance is needed, including declarations of what international relationships have meant for us and how their trashing is likely to bite us in the future. What price are we paying, have already paid in a matter of days, for feckless MAGA vandalism? It might be fun for some to watch, but then we'll have to live with it.
J6 has now become P2025
Agree 100%. Where is this countries dem leadership? Where are the voters? Trump continues to blame Joe Biden. No one disagrees with Trump about Joe Biden. Not giving Biden credit is one thing that cost us the election. Biden saved this country after covid. HCR is a genius but her message only reaches those that already agree with her. How do we get the message out to inform and persuade MAGA ?
At this point Bernie Sanders seems to be the only committed Democrat, travelling, explaining, exposing and urging collection action.
Except technically, he’s not a Democrat. The Dems don’t understand the power of the visual. Instead of messages on paddles and little hand-held signs, at Trump’s marathon blabber to Congress, the Dems should have stood up and walked out while singing the American national anthem. They should have walked out the doors and addressed a huge crowd gathered there, watching the proceedings on Jumbotrons. Then a fiery speech, some rousing music from a top artist everyone knows and loves.
Trump is a master of spectacle and razzmatazz. The Dems need someone like that - an orator who knows how to get people all riled up and enthused. There should be relentless ads in all the red states warning that Trump/Musk is coming for their Medicare, Medicaid and their kids’ school lunches.
The idea of “sit back and wait” while Musk, Trump and all the Project 2025 gremlins trash the working government of the United States is flat out wrong. Cui bono? Who benefits from the passive tactic the Dems are employing”? Not the people. Not the Dems. IT’S TRUMP, MUSK AND THE PEOPLE BEHIND PROJECT 2025… meaning the billionaires. What does it take to get people to fight back?
Agreed on the walkout. Rather than the SSB, however, this:
O Beautiful for Patriot dreams, that sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam, undimmed by human tears
America, America, God mend thine every flaw
Confirm thy soul in self control, thy Liberty in law.
Katharine Lee Bates
Stupid little message paddles! No razzmatazz in sight, yet.
NL you are 🎯 💯. If there are billboards that say, "Trump is coming for your Medicare", they will be much more primed to pay attention to Dems when this does indeed happen. Currently they think every warning is just Dem hysterics.
Those misbegotten paddles, alas, were everything that's been wrong with the Dem reaction.
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of CT is another senator who is courageously speaking out against Trump & Musk every day. Also my junior Senator, Angus King of Maine, who is an Independent, but who caucuses with the Democrats, has been speaking out. My other Senator, Susan Collins, is worthless.
Thank you. Senators Murphy and King have been EXTREMELY vocal. So have my Senators Markey and Warren. My House Rep is doing what she can.
I am becoming VERY weary of the "circular firing squads" that inevitably surface on these forums. If someone asks "What are the Democrats doing?" my response has to be "What are YOU doing?"
In case we hadn't noticed, we have very little power in DC right now. But I am impressed with how Jeffries is holding his crew together. I suspect we will have a government shutdown this week because the Dems will stick together and not vote for raping Medicaid. Let's hope there are one or two Republicans with beating hearts who will join them.
Beyond that, it is on us. In the streets? Boycotts? Phone calls? Letters? Putting together a powerful platform and selecting the right candidates for the future? Yes.
The tide will turn because the damage unleashed will impact, hurt or kill millions of the 77 million who voted for Musk. And it will do the same to the 89 million who stayed home thinking that all politicians are the same.
Yes. Bill, I agree with everything you say.
There is a lot of frustration here, of course. A lot of fear. We may not win this. And, yet, we have to try. Being in a group makes trying so much easier.
We must take care of ourselves, recognize and take courage from models of inspiration, and continue to call and write our representatives.
Oh, aren't you being a bit hasty with Susan Collins? :)
Elizabeth Warren? AOC? Buttigieg? Raskin? Jeffries?
In my daily call to congresscritters, I call both Schumer and Jeffries and ask WHERE IS THE DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP?!
They still haven't caught on that this country has elected a Reality Show twice! Give the people what they want! It's clearly not boring policy discussions!
Yup, Sandra, exactly: Where are the Democrats - leadership, etc.? I get continual fundraising emails, but that’s pretty much it.
Here’s a strategy I’d like to be hearing this week: Hey, Leader Johnson and Leader Thune - How can we help keep the government from imploding by the upcoming Ides of March? Do you need our ideas, help, support, votes, kind thoughts as you plow through and try to extinguish this Trumpster Fire and Musketeer Mess? Give us a call. There might be a significant wait time, but…..
But at least those voters didn’t elect a woman and a maybe Black one at that right? I wonder how those people feel now?
He claims that Putin wants peace and illustrates this by raining down drones and ballistic missiles on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure, because "that's what anyone in his position would do." Trump's peace plan for Gaza has been rejected by regional leaders and is rapidly breaking down as Netanyahu has stopped international humanitarian aid until all Israeli hostages are released, a clear breach of the fragile ceasfire. Trump has issued his own threats to Hamas, also in breach of the agreement. His bullying of Zelensky has only galvanised support in Europe for the beleagured Ukranian leader. His attempts to force Iran into a new nuclear deal have been swiftly rebuffed by Iran's supreme leader - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/08/irans-supreme-leader-rails-against-trumps-bullying-military-threat
Meanwhile, North Korea has announced that it is constructing a nuclear-powered submarine and has threatened South Korea and the United States with a "horrible" price for their upcoming military exercises, claiming it will bring a "storm" worsening security in the region. That Nobel Peace prize seems further away than ever for Trump.
Trump calls this war where people are dying a game. He thinks he’s being strategic and allows people to die until he deigns to have talks with Ukraine on Tuesday. He pretends he wants to stop death while facilitating it. He will always side with Putin and our country is next. He’s emulating Putin with his talks of taking over Canada and Greenland.
I can’t understand why people think America is the world power. Were nothing with Trump in office.
But he undoubtedly has the power to cause enormous harm if provoked and he doesn't care much about the consequences for others, only for himself. His supporters would argue that while Biden was ineffectual in foreign affairs, Trump is certainly 'consequential' (that's the word the pundits are using for impactful - but not in a good way). Despite this, I think he's bored. He's spent 13 out of his first 48 days in office playing golf (at a cost of around $18m to taxpayers - Elon 'Mr Efficiency' Musk please take note). He's appointed himself as chair of the Kennedy Center and has also decided to assemble and lead a task force to manage the football world cup in 2026.
Pretty absurd, isn’t it?
Sometimes I think that the worse and the sooner the better if we need the soft maga and distracted American voters to start paying attention.
You don't feel safe with Russia/Hungary/Netanyahu?
So, more and more, without a doubt, this is The War against the Administrative State which the Republican Party for years has salivated for, in Full and Open Swing. What are the Dems, Americans, going to do about it? Paul Krugman in a recent conversation laid out how much what has been going on have earmarks of how Viktor Orban in Hungary successfully took power. And don't count on having an effective electoral process to deal with it come a few years.
This is a war AGAINST THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. Trump is betraying his country! Where is the army, why don’t they defend their country?
At the risk of going over the proverbial cliff, you have taken in the thriller series , Civil War, right? So the military net vote has been pro-Trump, likewise civilian police and security services, and we damned well know how ICI seems eager at the bit. But how are vets taken the demolition derby at VA, the loss of thousands of jobs gov has traditionally provided for them? Who knows?
I read that sixty percent of vets voted for the orange menace. I wonder how many of them are ruing that choice. The one in my town who had a 'Vets for Trump' flag in his front yard took it down a while back. But he still has a T**** flag next to the US Flag in his yard.
The reason is that Fox News became the news station of choice! In the past the military lnews outlets like Stars and Stripes had influence. VOA also a part of that. Check out Ernie Pyle.
James, it’s insane isn’t it? They imbibed the menaces orange aid & are forever rendered powerless to change. However, The top Generals the orange slime fired…. do you suppose they’re swooning around simply playing golf or twiddling their fingers?
tribal loyalties you can count on, but there is likely some buyers' regret there. Important thing in closely contested elections is to get a 5% swing, which is about what happened last Nov, which includes reduced turnout btw.
Trump owns the military under segsath.
Not if the brass see him as a plant. Easily uprooted if they want to. Of course once they begin, they have to be committed to going all the way. Half measures won’t be enough.
The poisonous disinformation from Fox et al was allowed to be planted in the minds of soldiers (as “entertainment” no less!) so military leadership has a problem. If they try to defend the country from domestic enemies, they can’t rely on all their own people. Russia has almost won, by subversion.
ultimately, i wouldn't entirely count on that.
The Armed Services is a lot MAGA. I am not so sure they would defend our current government.
Where is the leadership to point any of this out? Trump is destroying the country. Trump campaigns 25/7. He has been campaigning since before his last election as soon as he was beat out by Biden he started campaigning again we’re just not in the race The Dems have let us down.
I call Schumer and Jeffries offices and tell them that.
Good on you!!!! Thank you
But he started campaigning as soon after his YUGE first inauguration crowd filled our screens - it never stopped. Except for when he was on the golf course. He has to have a screaming red-hatted crowd in front of him. Actually, he's not getting that at the moment. No wonder he's looking sluggish.
President Trump plans to use the military to put down any dissent from the American people.
There won’t be any elections structure by 2026. We’ve got to find leadership to tackle this undemocratic activity NOW.
Not so sure of that. Elections are run by the states. And election officials usually have a sense of integrity. Even in places I would be afraid to travel through :)
But yes, we can't wait. A LOT of people are about to be hurt or killed by Musk. The pendulum will swing. This insanity can't stand.
Bill, in your neck of the woods noncompliance with the galloping fascist takeover might be the norm but remember: only 19 states' AsG are suing. That means that more than half the country is controlled by morons (aka Republicans).
I hope everyone can listen to Krugman’s interview with Kim Scheppele. There is also a transcript. No wasted words. Part 2 discusses where our ongoing coup resembles Orban’s tactics and where it is different.
https://open.substack.com/pub/paulkrugman/p/from-orban-to-trump-part-ii?r=m52qv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
This could be seen with Sebastian Gorka’s involvement early on with the president at the beginning of his political foray. I have been going to the Congressional websites which have some interesting facts and lists of current legislation and bills. Senator Scott introduced something about a National Scam day this past week. Reading the actions somewhat easier than trying to watch CSPAN but I have been doing this off and on for decades inbeteeen well life which means family cancer, serious chronic illnesses, aged parents, school issues and concerns, work, environmental abd social justice volunteer work or trying to manage contract work with a young family. So only now and then. Library of Congress has a great service so all is not lost it’s just decades of lobbying, dark money, the ossification of communication a lack of flow back and forth so one even with Representative letters still doesn’t feel like skin in the game and again money talks way more now like in Mark Twain’s gilded age.
This has been coming for along time. Many journalists and others wrote books there are an almost small mountain staring I would say from Howard Zinn and from all over and sometimes one doesn’t always agree but reading them the ones I did or even attempted allowed me to see a wave of political power washing down.
The Roberts Supreme Court opened the Oligarch floodgates to buy our government with their corrupt decision on Citizens United.
If we can't amend the Constitution to only allow public political funding with no exception, local, State, and national, we will never be able to determine our own future.
When the Soviet Union fell, Russia was privitized by businessmen. The $25,000 offer to resign in this economy is a cynical offer of businessmen. The Elon/Felon administration is the cynical offer of businessmen. I should probably be sleeping. Zzz…
They won't pay it anyway. Trump and Musk are famous for that. I'd tell them to fire me or pound sand.
Love the label Elon/Felon.
Yes indeed, I posted in here the other day myself. A very interesting, very concerning conversation. Neither of these remarkable people just pulled all those out of their heads, nothing off-hand abt their thoughts at all.
Thanks for this tip! Can you provide a link, or let us know where the interview is? Thanks again!
https://open.substack.com/pub/paulkrugman/p/from-orban-to-trump-part-ii?r=m52qv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
Thank you, Carol! I don't know how I missed it when you posted it earlier... major brain fart, I guess....
"The War against the Administrative State..."
What is a non-administrative state? A failed one?
AS is a bogey for the American right. A very extreme version would be The Turner Diaries, which inspired the Oklahoma bombing, among many other acts of violence and murder and likely Jan 6, the "Day of Rope". For all we know, paramilitaries may already be forming a private army to "serve Trump"...
Come on Frank.... wake up! He doesn't need a private army... haven't you seen what he's doing in the Pentagon?
Yes, "command and obey"... but don't count out the paramilitaries, they are likely motivated right now to their toenails. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Right-wing_militia_organizations_in_the_United_States
Right now, the dams should be grooming, a leader, several leaders, other than hold up a few signs, really not seeing them do that much. Trump will not go away until there is a strong leadership to replace him. You need strong leadership to have the faith of Americans.
I suspect the Dems are much more active than you think. I don't buy all the negative MSM tunes that are playing out right now.
I hope you're right, Frank.
Me too.
I am probably naive, but I also think that if they do have a plan, they may not be publically announcing it in advance. Kind of like military leaders don't usually put their plans out on the front page of the newspapers.
Thanks, Frank. And do let's bury those little paddles...
The Jan 6 rioters, Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, lots of vigilantes out there. All ready to go.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Right-wing_militia_organizations_in_the_United_States
Exactly.
Don't count on having an effective electoral process to deal with it come 6 months.
If you are going to reduce the bureaucracy, go about it by identifying the “fat” and trimming it incrementally rather than randomly slashing the bureaucracy. Clinton was able to do it over the course of his presidency without the likes of Elon Musk. And please, if you’re going to damage Teslas, leave the charging stations alone.
It would sure be nice to hear Bill Clinton come out loudly and often to remind people he was the ONLY POTUS to leave office with a surplus!!
He is never credited for what he did that was good.
Frank, what are we doing to stop it?
Not a goddamn thing! Why aren't we hearing from Kamala "I want to be your President" Harris? Why aren't we hearing from Biden, Obama, Clinton... or George W Bush? Where the F is the LEADERSHIP in this country? J J J F F F C C C
Every substack blog I’m on is asking this question, and yet no one answers. Why don’t the mainstream media challenge them to be interviewed in front of us all??? Including Bush!
It is bizarre how mainstream media carries on like nothing is happening - "nothing to see here - move along"
Steve, I have been asking your exact question. I even wrote an ex-president, asking for a military covert operation using our Special Ops Teams, to retake our white house and arrest trump,musk, and Vance for Treason. No answer of course.
As I am ex-military, I also asked, where Is General Milley and our Joint Chiefs of Staff, and why are they silent!
If you didn’t listen before-why would you listen now? Trump is the same as before only many times worse because he has sugar daddies with lots of money and nothing to do but appease him and he will let them do whatever they want.
That is so true, Eileen. "If you didn't listen before-why would you listen now?"
Reistance must be strategic and careful, or else the backlash will strenthen the coup.
Either scared or complicit sadly...
One way is out action to our very well thought out words. Enough talking about the corruption cruelty and injustice. What would it take for each and everyone of us to infuse LOVE into every action we take? Isn’t it wonderful and are we not grateful firstly for the opportunity to read, learn and apply the wisdom of the sages?
I'm in Canada, we're dealing with Trump's pointless but belligerent Tariff assault. Organize organize organize, even if it's only passing along a few $, i think there's a lot going on however much people debuke Dems. Lots of "noise" in demonstrations, letter writing etc is not a bad idea. I'm surprised there isn't a "million person" march on Washington by this point. Hit every election possibility by those concerned. Everything Trump/Maga is going now is unconstitutional, downright illegal, yet Congress is tongue tied, mostly just letting things proceed, with cabinet heads now full at it. Without a doubt, there is going to be a lot of breakage, how much, and how permanent, I cannot say.
Frank, do me a favor, have a chat with Justin Trudeau. Tell him tariffs on power going to NY Maine Minn. Vermont, Mass., places that will never vote for Trump, only gratifies Trump. He could care less. Instead target tariffs at GOP states/dominated industries. E.g. 100% on Teslas, Kentucky Bourbon, etc.
Yes, please!
Thank you! I live in NY, and you're absolutely right... Trump would love to see Canada punish New York.... he hates this state!
It’s pretty terminal at this point, although I certainly appreciate the ones doing the lion’s share of protesting, and I have a goal of 14 phone calls to senators, reps, and the White House every week.
I'm doing 5 a day. That's usually my limit on calls as I get too riled up.
Thank you !!
Ever thought about general strike? Or is it too early?
I think that is coming. But it will only happen when enough people feel personal pain. Which is coming soon to friends and family.
But maybe we should have been doing a "Norma Rae" weeks ago.
Enough people have been fired recently to make an impressive March on Washington.
Find ways to highlight the growing FUBAR and promote alternatives?
The most terrifying words in the English language are: "I'm from DOGE and I'm making improvements."
Yeah, I doubt that legitimate elections are in our future.
That Krugman interview with the expert on Hungary was terrific, & very scary. For instance, prior to that interview, I didn't know that members of Hungary's government helped the Heritage Society write Project 2025!!
Is Putin just watching and waiting for Trump, Vance and Musk to deliver the USA to him? Putin has to be smiling like a giddy kid waiting for his top Christmas present.
It’s shameful and disgusting to watch Trump along with Musk destroying our country. These are two men who don’t give a damn about the country, they don’t care about “we the people “, they don’t care about the ocean, rivers, air or anything else but money 💰. The fact that the Republican Senators and Representatives go along with the destruction of our country is beyond me. I really want to understand why this deep hatred and cruelty is so important to the MAGA cult. Trump, Musk,and the Project 2025 team are determined to destroy our democracy with no regard whatsoever.
😡😡😡
Vicki... Trump is not going to deliver the USA to Putin.
He is going to deliver Europe to Putin.
Trump is going for Canada and Greenland.
The new world order, they will carve up the world and rule as a great, (the greatest ever, there has never been a greater.... etc. etc.. ) pure white, anti-gay alliance where women and brown people are put in their place. They will be permanently at war with China (like in Nineteen Eighty Four. And the drug Soma, depicted in Brave New World (Aldous Huxley) is in your hand right now.
Dystopia time!
I am frightened for my daughters and their families. I am old. Your point is valid (bigly so, in Trump’s language). We are a Jewish family with women who are strong.
I am going to sleep now because I can’t think straight anymore ☹️
Me too. I've got a lot of brain work to do tomorrow/today, and if I don't get any sleep at all it won't be funny.
Let's not underestimate Canadian grit.
All I can see is new world disorder. Trump hasn't been able to achieve anything of note yet except create chaos in his own administration. All Americans are going to feel the implications of this soon enough. If a government shutdown unfolds as a result of the budget negotiations that might almost be a relief and a break from all the commotion and idiocy. Belgium went along happily for 592 days without a government in 2018-2020 and what's happening now in the States can scarcely even be called government at all.
The Dems should withhold their votes for the budget so the repugnant Republicans own their failures.
A government shutdown will give everybody a taste of what trump and the Republicans plan to do permanently when they betray the people for the Oligarchs to keep power, and to hell with the rest of us.
Politico reports that Democrats seem to be serious about forcing a shutdown. They are being dared by House Republicans to do it by a short-term spending bill that envisages cuts across the board apart from on defence spending. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/03/04/house-democrats-shutdown-doge-00205584
CNN reports that some House offices have made temporary changes to their payroll to ensure that staff can be paid in advance in case of a shutdown, and one group of congressional staffers saw a pre-planned trip canceled for the weekend of March 15.
Yes! We all agree with you but where is our strong leader that will oppose Trump
Yep, I think you got this spot on. Without you guys rising up we're all fornicated - nobody from the outside is strong enough to do that.
This not only a trump phenomenon, the right-wing has been working for decades to make it possible for them to destroy our democracy.
If Trump and his minions continue this chaotic reset of the American economy and way of life, destroying the social safety net even further, leaving veterans and elders in the ditch to fend for themselves, I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see some people who are terminally ill and have nothing to lose expressing their powerless rage with things like suicide bombings and other kinds of violence and sabotage.
I am so angry at the electorate who didn't see this coming, like maybe most of us who read Heather, warned. At least even Roberts and ACB seem to realize how the Supreme Court legacy is at risk. Fingers crossed. I hope people smarter than I will reach deep into the well of American ingenuity to come up with a strategy for saving our country from disaster.
Many of us have probably seen Musk's quote this week: "The fumdamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy." Which has prompted a response with Hannah Arendt's assertion: "The death of human empathy is one of the earliest and most telling signs of a culture about to fall into barbarism."
Barbarism is an attribute Trump and Musk share with Putin and Orban and their cohort.
Human beings - empathy = evil .
He puts it down to his Aspergers. On an SNL show in 2021 he said: "Look, I know I sometimes say or post strange things, but that's just how my brain works. To anyone who's been offended, I just want to say I reinvented electric cars, and I'm sending people to Mars in a rocket ship. Did you think I was also going to be a chill, normal dude?" It's not down to western civilization being flawed, it's just a deeply flawed individual who excuses his abhorrent behaviour by pleading that he's on the spectrum, a distasteful insult to millions of people who have similar issues but who don't want to destroy civil society before fleeing to Mars. There are others calling themselves 'startup nations' who want to create 'freedom cities' in the US where anti-aging clinical trials, nuclear reactor startups, and building construction can proceed without having to get prior approval. Trump is apparently attracted to the idea - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJA_GBhCGgE
Meanwhile, his administration continues to ignore the real problems facing Americans.
Hmmmm, sounds like Elon is a DEI hire, with him being on the spectrum.
Wired had an article last month about some SpaceX employees who were onboarded at the FAA under a policy designed to increase “employment opportunities for people with disabilities.” Schedule A, is a special authority that allows government managers to “hire persons with disabilities without requiring them to compete for the job,” according to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). You couldn't make this stuff up.
Why are we NOT surprised, right??
Right!
Musk is a fraud, just like Trump. He did not reinvent EVs. That's just Tesla PR at work, like Trump's Apprentice show. Total frauds.
It is important to point these things out now - the destruction of the safety net. Then, when it does happen and people who are low-information are affected, some of them will connect the dots sooner. Our biggest hope, I think.
If you have a local newspaper, write short and calm letters with a few facts. It will encourage those who see this is insanity, and may make some Trump voters think. Respectful letters, because respect is crucial to breaking someone from a cult.
The first six words of your last paragraph are profound.
I lost my fabulous local paper to Gannett years ago. I could pay nearly $30 a month to get less than 24 pages of print, of which 30% are ads, or I can pay for an additional 4 Substack subscriptions. I had been subscribing to the digital version until my bank called me Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend to notify me of "suspicious activity" on my account. 5 transaction withdrawals of $4.99 each in the space of about 10 minutes; from Gannett publishing.
I am always happy to be reminded how fortunate I am to have a newspaper at all, especially a really good one. The publisher is certainly a philanthropist. And I don't know what I would do without Substack!
I remember that you told us you were going to get a new knee soon. Right? All is well, I hope.
Three weeks ago tomorrow. Recovery is going well.
Wonderful!
I had the same thought about suicide bombers. Some of those MAGA are really unhinged and I don't think they are going to take this utter disillusionment of the leopards eating THEIR faces very well.
I'm not so sure, Miselle, which makes me sad. I see them more like Neidermeyer: "Thank you sir, may I have another".
My hypothesis is that you have to be on the sociopathic spectrum to be a right-winger.
I think it started a long time ago, Trump and what's happening now are just the symptoms, not the underlying "disease". In addition this election had a lot of people between a rock and a hard place.
“What happens,” he asked, “when there is unfettered capitalism that allows people to accumulate this much money and this much power?”
REVOLUTION.
Revolution is one possible outcome, but think about all of Trump's mention of WWIII. Wagging his finger at Zelinsky and claiming that Zelinsky is going to start WWIII. Trump's fantasy is that he, himself, is going to do the very thing he's accusing others of. Warning the Palestinians that if they don't produce every single hostage, he's going to annihilate them. Telling the Iranians that he's going to destroy them if they don't acquiesce to his plan to limit their nuclear weapons. Starting a world war would demonstrate his complete power. When you've got the richest man in the world doing your bidding to destroy your own country, why stop there? The destruction of the world would be the ultimate expression of power, far quicker than letting it expire in a haze of pollution and climate change.
Yes.
Heads need to roll...
Speeches in the House and Senate, lawsuits galore in the courts, Republicans standing and cheering at the SOU address, refusing to hold town halls, a SCOTUS we can no longer trust. The government of the people is unraveling before our eyes. All following the plan set down by the Heritage Society.
I wrote my three Democratic congress critters (who, like many other Democrats, have been bombarding my inbox with pleas for more money) that they should contact me after they have arrested T**** and had him removed from the Oval Office by US Marshals. I asked them why, when Representative Green was escorted out of the chamber, were they not with him. I told them my cohorts are saying "it's only 22 months 'til the midterms, and 46 months 'til the next election, we'll be able to organize and elect more Democrats." But we don't have 22 months, or 46 months. I give us four, before the civil war/revolution begins. This cannot be allowed to stand. And the MAGA movement does not appear capable of seeing their way out of it.
My grandchildren will not grow up under a fascist regime.
Great response James. I am sick of the constant requests for money. I want those with the power to do something with it that does NOT require money.
Agree completely. Every single day I get 6-10 texts from some Democrat ( mostly Hakeem Jeffries) asking me for $. I contributed to Kamala via Act Blue, & they must have sold my info to tens of other liberal organizations. Am not contributing a penny until our Democratic Representatives & Senators begin standing up for us.
In a world of Elon Musks, they need to be John Lewis!
What country are you living in? Of course they need money. The richest man in the world and the richest people are running the show. Give money if you can and support any efforts. They are as helpless as you until the numbers add up.
I'd rather use my money to fund the people's efforts, ie, postcarding and letter writing.
Great idea!
Here it is, that's the true disease of your country - Trump and his cohort are just the symptom.
Well said, Sabine. I wish I could disagree with you, but I cannot.
Check out Oregon Senator Merkley's take on Donny-John as a Russian Asset.
https://youtu.be/gLmL5BVe1nA
They are trying to tear everything down from within. This is like dropping the twin towers, only with broader and longer lasting repercussions. We are under attack from within, and none of our representatives seem to have a cohesive plan on how to counter it. We continue to push back, reps are starting to avoid town hall meetings where they are getting booed for spewing T's talking points. We're continuing to push back, but it would help to have more leadership than reps waving little signs at the SOTU.
“When government services break down, we die” is more chilling now than ever. Obviously some of us are “expendable”.
Like over 400,000 expendables rather than managing pandemic competently.
But look what happened. The President of the United States said to drink Lysol and he ran again and won. I blame myself for that. I blame the Democrats for that. No one was standing on the desk at Congress saying you gotta stop man. In a few short months he will have the republicans in line. Look at his cabinet.
Not Lysol, bleach. Let’s not stoop to rewriting the cray-cray!
And maybe this time they will manufacture death on an industrial scale.
Thanks Heather and thanks to all your readers who keep each other company during this absolutely mind bending and heart wrenching time. I had such a bad dream last night about Trump…triggered I think by his very telling statement to the effect that he is completely onboard with the current heightened onslaught of Russian attacks on Ukraine after the US stopped sharing intelligence information with Ukraine to ward off these strikes. He saw it coming and would do the same thing if he was in Putin’s shoes. This is his clearly deteriorating mental calculation funneled through an amoral compass. Article 5 of NATO is foolish to him because it is not in his view reliable in the dog eat dog world that is his now paranoid and petty outlook. Europe is in a race to readjust but it is a very scary situation over here.
We do keep each other company, for which I am grateful. Thanks for mentioning it and for presenting a personal face for the fear in Europe, too.
Thank you for your clarity. One thought I have had over and over is Musk has no concept of what it is to be American. He grew up in apartheid Africa. He moved here as an adult. He hasn’t had any American experience except transactional business. He doesn’t know what makes people proud to be American. He doesn’t know what he is trashing. Trump is in the same boat even though he DID grow up here. Entitled. Racist. Transactionists.
A comment on Nick Kristof's column today, "The Thing That Could Be Trump's Undoing":
"I live in the same neighbourhoods as a great many of the Forbes 500. I am the daughter of an international financier and I was a US national political operative in the 80s and 90s.
"I can say without equivocation the goal here is to gut the middle classes - from lower middle through upper middle - reduce lifespans and return the world to a feudal system.
"Our billionaire neighbours - especially the tech billionaires - truly believe we are extraneous except as serfs for menial tasks - this extends to you mere multi-millionaires I assure you."
Yes Elizabeth, get rid of all the people from all those Mexican countries, than the poverty striken disenfranchised Americans can be the new Mexicans.
How does this actually work, this Musk firing people? Who makes the call and who enforces it? Since he is a nobody as regards the actual governing of the country, why can’t people just say “show me your warrant or go drive a Tesla into the sun”? Rachel Maddow showed a picture taken of kids with backpacks accompanied by some goons / “federal marshals “ in an elevator on the way to force their way into an office they were shutting down that they were locked out of by the employees. And bigger picture, all this illegal and unconstitutional stuff is obvious, but what is the recourse?
The recourse is many things everywhere and all at once without a centralized control we protest, we boycott, we disrupt and we refuse to be complacent and complicit. We protect our undocumented friends and neighbors and we lean heavy on the Dems to do what we elected them to do, govern with courage, honesty, and wisdom.
We did not elect enough Democrats to make a difference. Half of the people voted for Trump or others. Trump ruins and kills people with special attention to those who oppose him. We need crowds of people speaking out against him and his followers. Stop talking about Democrats unless you support them.
Janis, slightly greater than 34% of the voting eligible population did not vote at all. While the Current Occupant won a slightly greater percentage (1.?%) of the remaining vote, that is not a mandate, nor is it "half the people".
I would turned off the power to that elevator when the goons were between floors.
Give them a call
The lunacy is beyond comprehension! What are tRump and El Muskrat aiming for —the complete dissolution and disintegration of the US government?
Yes. They want to privatize EVERYTHING. They long for the days of aristocracy, but with the tech bros/worker bee model of absolute rule.
Neo-feudalism.
Debt is modern day fuedalism...
Certainly for many, including many students even before they launch their careers.
"St. Peter doncha' call me cause I can't go. I owe my soul to the Company Store."
And notice how companies increasingly want you to rent something you used to own, such as software.
A fire sale for Billionaires.
Frightening so. Think of the efficiency of our Social Security Administration being dismantled ! My heart aches...
Like the GSA fire sale that was suddenly cancelled?
In a word, yes. A whole lot of right-wing libertarianism, anarcho-capitalistism and fascism all rolled up into a writhing mass of the truly nasty.
Yes. Exactly the way Putin did it to Russia. That is the playbook right now. They are hollowing out major institutions deliberately to allow plundering of our wealth.
It is all about the oligarchs, baby!
Thank you so much for doing this every day, and making sure all facts are backed up with sources. I rely on these letters more than you know. It is so hard to watch all these cuts and the mishandling of our democracy without tears and anger that have no place to go.
I worked with online groups advocating for the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act, and it was a joy and relief to watch President Biden sign it into law in January of this year. Now, it looks like all of Social Security is at great risk and we have no idea what will happen to the programs that are designed to actually help people. I continue to call and email legislators, but if I'm honest, it feels ineffectual and I feel helpless. Not hopeless, never hopeless, but we all need to step up our game in making our voices louder and heard in all areas.
You are NOT ineffectual! Thanks for your efforts and thanks for rallying us to step it up.
It sounds like you are very good at working the long game, Virginia. And that's what's going on now, too. Thank you. Please keep calling your legislators. Add your state reps to your rotation. Your state constitution, statutes & policies have more of an affect on your daily life than federal.
Information is so hard to find, isn't it? That is one of THE best things about HCR's newsletter - she collates, annotates the factual & verifiable, then presents the forest with clear view of the trees. I feel especially grateful for HCR & her work every time I seek information at the state & local level. Little to no journalism to be found here; tracking or chasing original sources (e.g., attending city council meetings) takes an inordinate amount of time to Just Get The Facts.
If you have the time, please consider finding a way or two to protect if not elevate the vote. Write letters through Vote Forward. Consider becoming an Election Official -
check with your county administration as to how/when. Directly & specifically include your commitment to voting in every interaction with every elected official - "I am _____________ from _____________ and I vote. I am contacting you today to express my concerns about..." As we get closer to any given Election Day, pivot your efforts to Getting Out The Vote (GOTV). "Every election is determined by the people that show up." (Larry J. Sabato) I like to focus on getting out the vote of every one of those polled who disapprove of Trump.
Finally, take extra special care of yourself and those around you. Regardless of politics, we need to safeguard democracy within ourselves and our communities.
Thank you for that, and for continuing your work.
Musk has bought and paid for his presidency, the US has been bought by a billionaire IMMIGRANT from S. Africa , where are the birth certificate conspiracy theorists now?
In the Oval Office, sucking up to the Skum.