If anyone watches cable TV, you will notice, as I do, a great many advertisements from various charities soliciting donations. The ads that concern me most are those requesting donations for homeless or disabled veterans. I am not annoyed by these ads or by the organizations that produce them. I am annoyed with our government.

The men and women these organizations help are servicemen and women who loyally served their country when they were called upon to do so. They served in faraway lands, often under deplorable conditions. Many suffered life-changing injuries and psychological trauma. Yet, when they come home, their government looks the other way and basically tells them, “They are on their own.” Thankfully, the majority of the American people are not as cruel as the government and donate to their care.

As Americans, we pay income taxes that support both our military and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Under this administration, the budgets of both have increased, but the workforce of the VA has been severely cut, making it more difficult for veterans to receive the help they need. It seems that the government expects taxpayers to support our veterans with both our taxes and our donations, while big businesses get millions of dollars in tax breaks or pay no taxes at all.

This can become very expensive for Americans, especially when Trump is so willing to start wars at will and so eager to use our military as pawns in his narcissistic, power-hungry quest to control the world.

The recent reports surrounding conditions aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, where sailors have been serving an extended deployment with inadequate food, water, plumbing, and hygiene supplies and have allegedly been punished for reporting these squalid conditions, along with Trump’s cruel reaction to them, demonstrate this administration’s contempt for our military personnel.

If members of the military are not taken care of during times of war, they certainly cannot expect to be properly cared for when they return home.

It is a shame that the richest country in the world will not spend the money necessary to care for the men and women who gave so much to protect it.

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The midterm elections are only a matter of weeks away. The war in Iran drags on with no end in sight, while our military personnel are treated with disdain by Trump and Hegseth. The costs of feeding our families and paying for everyday life continue to rise, as Trump worries about his ballroom, his arch, gilding statues around Washington, naming buildings after himself, and plastering his photo on currency and passports. The economy is only working for the wealthy. Trump’s poll numbers are the lowest they have ever been. Trump is afraid of losing his power if Democrats take control of the House and possibly even the Senate.

Realizing that he may lose everything, Trump is becoming desperate. In my opinion, at this point, there are only two situations that can save him. I think the most likely scenario is that, in desperation, Trump declares a national emergency and cancels the elections. There have already been reports from independent media that Trump has been considering this option and has not ruled it out.

If Trump declares a national emergency, there will definitely be a deluge of legal challenges to his declaration. The nation will be thrown into complete chaos as cases work their way through the courts and our electoral system is thrown into shambles. This could lead to the second situation in which Trump could be saved from electoral defeat in the midterms. Once the numerous cases have found their way to the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Roberts could side with Trump and effectively put an end to free and fair elections, and our democracy.

I believe my fears are justified, as the Supreme Court recently sided with Trump’s executive order restricting mail-in ballots, saying that Democratic-led states lacked the legal standing to challenge the order. Let’s also not forget that Trump increased ICE’s budget to $75 billion in 2025 and added another $39 billion in 2026. Trump has also threatened to use ICE to “protect” the elections.

If you are one of those people who think a great Democratic turnout in the midterms will stop, or at least slow down, Trump’s momentum in destroying our democracy, you had better think again. Trump is like a cornered, rabid animal, and I believe he will do anything to remain in power and avoid accountability. He thrives on chaos and will undoubtedly create more of it to save his own skin.

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I have seen a good many primary elections in my 78 years on this planet. They have all been more or less the same: Democratic and Republican primary candidates trying to explain to their electorates why their qualifications and policies are best for the American people. The candidates were thoroughly investigated by the press for their character and integrity to ensure that those seeking office met the highest moral standards. Any hint of impropriety or scandal, especially a sexual scandal, was sure to doom the candidacy of anyone with political aspirations.

But in the Trump era, things are different. Republican candidates with not only accusations of sexual misconduct or other illegal behavior, but actual felony convictions for sexual abuse, and even prison sentences for fraud, drug trafficking, and crimes of violence, are proudly running with the support and blessing of a fellow convicted felon, Donald Trump. In many instances, these candidates have been pardoned by Trump for their felonious actions.

It is interesting to note that a couple of Democrats with similarly sordid pasts were not endorsed by their party and were forced to withdraw from their primary races. Republican primaries are beginning to look more like tryouts for the baseball teams of maximum-security prisons.

We should all be afraid of what is happening in the primaries. It shows that the Republican Party has no intention of casting off the corrupt, anti-democratic influences of Trump and his fascist followers and returning to the party of Eisenhower and Lincoln. It is sad that so many Americans seem to hate our democracy. The primaries are a clear indication that only we can save our democracy this November, if we vote in unprecedented, overwhelming numbers.

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I’ve been away from Substack and my newsletter for about a month, after spending a week in the hospital and recovering at home from a bad case of prostatitis. Now that I am able to sit comfortably at my laptop, I am back to writing. But I don’t feel the same as I did before.

When I was in the hospital, I shared a room the first night with a patient with Alzheimer’s who kept me awake. The next day, I was moved to another room for what I thought would be a much more peaceful situation. I was wrong.

My new roommate was an elderly gentleman who was 100% MAGA and made no attempt to hide it. He had Fox News on the TV day and night and carried on loud conversations with his daughter about how badly people are treating Trump, despite everything he’s done for America. I was in excruciating pain day and night, and having to listen to the ignorant rantings of his daughter and the commentators on Fox News only made my suffering worse. Because the hospital televisions were subscribed to Spectrum, all of the available news channels were Fox. I didn’t want to pay extra just to watch non–Trump propaganda.

What upset me more than the television was my neighbor’s behavior toward the hospital staff. The healthcare industry, especially hospitals, employs a diverse workforce, including Black, Hispanic, gay, and immigrant staff members. In every encounter with a nurse, phlebotomist, or technician who was a minority, my neighbor showed nothing but contempt and rudeness, completely opposite to his behavior toward white staff members. I coped by watching old TV shows like Bewitched and The Andy Griffith Show, and by treating the staff with the respect and dignity they deserve.

When I was discharged and returned home, I was still in a great deal of pain and dealing with a catheter, but I also realized I felt different emotionally—almost defeated. I have always been a big fan of The Rachel Maddow Show and MS Now, and rarely let a day go by without spending a few hours catching up on the news. For almost two weeks, however, I couldn’t bring myself to watch anything—especially those programs.

I felt as though nothing had changed. I was no longer hopeful or confident that Trump would be defeated. Instead, I felt betrayed by Democratic politicians who appear on MS Now only to promote their latest books, offering no concrete solutions for winning the midterm elections. It seems as though the same politicians are repeating the same talking points that led to past defeats. They appear unwilling to break free from their wealthy donors and support younger, more energetic, and more progressive candidates. Are they any different from the Republicans in Congress who refuse to relinquish power rather than serve the American people?

I experienced a week of living with a MAGA supporter who was immersed in far-right media, while I had no access to opposing viewpoints due to the limited media options available. It reinforced for me how people can be surrounded by a single narrative day and night, with little or no exposure to alternatives. It’s like two groups of strangers sitting in separate rooms, taught to hate each other because they are told the other side is the enemy. In my view, efforts to preserve a diverse and independent press have not kept pace with these changes.

For the past week, I couldn’t muster the energy or motivation to sit down and write my newsletter. I felt as though it made no difference whether I voiced my opinion or not. I felt guilty for letting down my paying subscribers and was surprised that I only lost two. I usually read several newsletters from writers I respect, but I realized this week that many were saying essentially the same thing. I grew tired of headlines promising “bombshells” about the Epstein files and Trump’s legal issues, only to find little had changed.

I unsubscribed from a few writers who called themselves “journalists” but were, in reality, opinion writers like myself. I would rather read honest opinion than work presented as investigative reporting when it is not. I continue to follow those journalists who are genuinely engaged in investigative work and strive to provide factual reporting.

I am still not following MS Now and other trusted news sources with the same enthusiasm I once had. I’m sure that once my physical health is fully restored, I will regain the energy to engage more actively. For now, I can’t shake the feeling that many Americans are unaware of, or disengaged from, what is happening in our country, and that concerns me as we approach the midterm elections.

Too many people take comfort in thinking that Democrats will take control of the House and Senate and Trump’s attack on our freedoms will be stopped. But, in order to stop Trump, the midterm elections must first of all take place. What many people don’t realize is that Trump, his Republican toadies in Congress, and his billionaire donors, are doing everything, regardless of legality and constitutionality , to ensure we do not have a fair election, if any.

Trump, his family, and his millionaire cronies, all have made billions of dollars with Trump as president, while the average American is struggling to survive. Rest assured, Trump’s donors will not want to risk losing a nickel from the massive corruption of Trump’s administration, and will pump billions of dollars into defeating any effort to sideline Trump and his agenda.

I do not doubt, that if polls suggest the Republicans will suffer an unprecedented loss in the midterms, Trump will not hesitate to declare a state of emergency and cancel the elections, or send in ICE or the military to disrupt the elections. He will be backed into a corner and for the first time in his life, he could be held accountable for all the damage he has done to our country and so many people all over the world. He’s scared.

We can’t depend on Congress. We can’t depend on the Supreme Court. And we cannot depend on the military, to save us. We must depend on ourselves and our right to vote. If we turn out at the polls in overwhelming numbers, we can begin to take our country back. If we are lazy and stay home. we deserve what we get.

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It never ceases to amaze me when I hear demented Trump supporters calling Trump the best president we’ve ever had. They are beyond reasoning, even as overwhelming evidence to the contrary confronts them on a daily basis. Their opinions are not based on what he has done for them or for the country, but rather on what he has done to those they hate, regardless of how much they themselves are suffering under his policies.

Trump has eliminated the history of Black and Brown Americans who have served in the U.S. military from the archives of the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery. He has removed books honoring, or even mentioning, people of color or members of the LGBTQ+ community who are portrayed in a positive light from Department of Defense libraries and libraries receiving federal funds. The word “gay” has even been scrubbed from DoD archives, including references to the famous World War II aircraft, Enola Gay.

Trump has threatened companies that maintained inclusive DEI policies in hiring and merchandising, resulting in many of his donors eliminating those policies to appease a racist, would-be dictator. Fortunately, there are still courageous companies that have refused to bow down to Trump and continue to stand up for all Americans.

Thanks to Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill,” millions of Americans can no longer afford their health insurance premiums, while millions more have lost SNAP benefits, Medicaid, childcare assistance, and early childhood education support. These programs primarily affected low-income families, many of whom overwhelmingly supported Trump in 2024.

Trump’s trade policies and his disastrous and illegal war with Iran have devastated the economy, leading to sharply higher gasoline prices and rising inflation, which are crippling many families’ ability to put food on the table. To make matters worse, Trump has publicly stated that he “loves” inflation.

Trump’s sycophantic psychopathic ally, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who heads the Department of Health and Human Services, is systematically dismantling measures that have protected public health for years. We are now seeing a resurgence of measles, whooping cough, and other childhood diseases due to declining vaccination rates; rates influenced by RFK Jr.’s unfounded opposition to vaccines. HHS is no longer equipped to handle a major disease outbreak like the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The nation’s health policies are now being shaped by conspiracy theorists instead of scientists and medical professionals.

It is not only the health and welfare of Americans that are being affected, but also the appearance and symbolism of our nation’s capital, which are being defaced by Trump using taxpayer money.

Acting without the required Congressional approval, Trump demolished the East Wing of the White House to construct a $600 million ornate ballroom dedicated to himself, paid for by taxpayers. He has desecrated the iconic South Lawn by erecting an arena for a UFC event in honor of his 80th birthday. He has taken it upon himself to transform the beautiful reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial into an algae-infested cesspool, costing taxpayers over $18 million. He also plans to erect a triumphant arch in his honor near the Lincoln Memorial. He is presently painting a layer of gold on the four sculpted lions around the Lincoln Memorial at a cost of $5 million.

While destroying the safety and security of Americans, looting the treasury, and reshaping the nation’s capital in his image, he has also shattered our reputation around the world. He has attacked and insulted our closest allies while cozying up to dictators like Putin. We were once known as the leader of the free world, but no longer. We are no longer trusted by our allies and have become a bully under Trump, whose foreign policy centers not on world peace, but on expanding the Trump family’s real estate empire.

None of this reality matters to Trump supporters. As long as Black Americans, immigrants, gay people, and non-Christians are suffering, they don’t care. How much suffering will his supporters endure before they realize what fools they are? We may soon find out; perhaps in the midterm elections.

Trump’s popularity is plummeting, his influence is beginning to wane, and both his physical and mental health appear to be deteriorating. His fear of losing power, and of finally being held accountable for his illegal and immoral actions, is consuming him. He has become like a trapped, rabid animal with access to the nuclear codes. With the midterm elections only a few months away, we can expect Trump and his supporters to do everything imaginable, and unimaginable, to prevent fair elections from taking place. Trump will not be acting alone. He will have the support and assistance of the Supreme Court, America’s oligarchy, and the Epstein class.

Even if Trump is stopped and removed from office after the midterms, his billionaire allies and Republican enablers will remain. His MAGA supporters will also remain, just as uninformed, uneducated, racist, and hateful as ever. It will be far from over for America.

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I admit that I am exhausted with what is going on in our country today. It’s becoming a real chore to write articles for this newsletter, as I feel like I am either preaching to the choir or slamming my head against a wall of ignorance. Every time something happens that gives me hope for the salvation of our country, the Supreme Court steps in and throws ice water on those hopes. Along with many others in this country, I have expectations that the midterms will turn our nation back toward some sense of decency and sanity.

I see the polls, like everyone else, and realize that Trump’s approval numbers are in the toilet. I also see that his attention is not on ending the war with Iran, lowering the cost of gasoline or groceries, or ensuring that Americans have proper healthcare. Instead, he is obsessed with building an arch in his honor or a multimillion-dollar ballroom that no hardworking American will ever see. He is even altering the White House, the people’s house, to stamp it with his brand for future generations.

Everything he has done in his second administration has been aimed at transforming the landscape of Washington into a series of memorials honoring himself. He has been involved in countless instances of corruption, all seemingly designed to enrich himself, his family, and his millionaire cronies. He no longer hides the fact that he is pillaging money from American taxpayers.

He is doing all of this in plain sight, and Republicans in Congress are giving him carte blanche with the U.S. Treasury. They have even handed him what amounts to a gift, protections that would forbid the IRS or the Justice Department from ever investigating him, his family members, or any of his businesses regarding taxes or financial fraud. Meanwhile, the rest of us fear making even a two-dollar mistake on our income taxes.

One would think that, given the overwhelming amount of blatant corruption, the massive cover-ups involving the Epstein files, the destruction of our economy and healthcare infrastructure, the loss of lives in an illegal war, and the erosion of voting rights and freedom of the press and speech, people would express their anger in the primaries. But apparently, that is not happening.

By any decent standard, Americans all across the country should be rejecting every single Republican candidate, especially those who actively support and enable Trump’s actions. By supporting Republicans in the primaries, voters are almost begging them to continue inflicting economic, and even physical pain on themselves, their families, and the nation as a whole. Perhaps, however, the truth is that no matter how corrupt, incompetent, or immoral Trump is for some, racism and hatred take precedence over doing what is right.

We should not be surprised, because we have always seen this ignorance and willful blindness in our communities, among friends, neighbors, politicians, teachers, and even religious leaders, but too often we chose to look the other way. Recently, we have seen citizens successfully push back against fascism and oligarchy in Hungary, and now in Albania. Yet some Americans seem comfortable allowing their democracy and their rights to be taken from them, as long as they do not have to give up their creature comforts and privileges.

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It’s almost Memorial Day, and the weather here is gloomy, much like the way I feel about the future of our republic. With the 250th birthday of the United States a little over a month away, I find myself becoming even more depressed. Instead of celebrating our nation’s birthday, we seem closer to mourning the death of our democracy. What makes this situation even more dismal is that it appears the majority of the American people don’t care.

Every day, we learn how Donald Trump, through his personal, weaponized Department of Justice, his incompetent and subservient Cabinet, a MAGA-controlled Congress, and even a corrupt and complicit Supreme Court, is chiseling away at the rights and freedoms of the American people, especially people of color, immigrants, women, and the LGBTQ+ community. We see this happening right before our eyes, yet for the most part, there is very little pushback.

Perhaps one reason people do not seem to care that our democracy is under siege is that they may not know what is going on, or they are receiving misinformation. This may be one of Trump’s first and most significant achievements in dismantling our Constitution. With the erosion of freedom of the press, enabled in part by billionaire media moguls, the American people are increasingly exposed only to the news Trump wants them to see. While there are numerous independent online news sources and podcasts that can deliver the truth, millions of people either lack internet access or are unfamiliar with the technology needed to find these sources.

For over a year now, millions of Americans have held onto hope for saving our democracy by placing their faith in midterm elections and periodic mass protests, such as the “No Kings” protests, which drew millions of people from all walks of life into the streets of cities and towns across America. Despite the scale of these protests, Trump’s momentum has not slowed. They have not had the same impact on government policy as similar movements in other parts of the world. Even attempts at economic boycotts have largely gone unnoticed. Americans do not appear willing to sacrifice the convenience of shopping on Amazon or at big-box stores to save their democracy.

Trump appears determined to remain in power and out of prison while simultaneously extracting as much money as possible from American taxpayers for himself and his family. The media once stood as a barrier against a rogue president declaring himself a dictator, but that barrier has weakened. This leaves few obstacles in Trump’s path toward establishing an authoritarian regime. Among the remaining checks are the judicial system, the electoral system, and, potentially, the Epstein files.

With this Republican controlled Congress, it is highly unlikely the true content of the Epstein files as they relate to Trump and his millionaire friends will ever be allowed to become public. Regarding our judicial system, the lower federal courts have been able to slow down some of Trump’s illegal and unconstitutional rulings, but too often the corrupt Trump Supreme Court overturns their rulings. SCOTUS can no longer be viewed as protecting our rights under the Constitution. Only our electoral system remains to offer some hope. And Trump knows this.

Trump appears intent on influencing the midterm elections by any means available, with support from Republican-controlled state legislatures and the Supreme Court. He is well aware that a majority of Black voters, and to some extent Hispanic voters, tend to vote Democratic. That is why some red-state legislatures are aggressively gerrymandering congressional districts to reduce or eliminate Black representation. In response, some blue states have engaged in gerrymandering as well, increasing Democratic representation. However, in states like California and Virginia, voters were given a say through special elections, and they approved these redistricting efforts.

The Supreme Court has since intervened, effectively limiting the ability of voters in those states to shape their representation, while supporting policies that reduce minority representation elsewhere. Earlier rulings also sided with states like Louisiana in restricting redistricting efforts intended to increase minority representation. Following these decisions, several Southern states moved quickly to eliminate as many majority-Black districts as possible, evoking comparisons to the Jim Crow era. In many ways, it feels as though the Old South has risen again, more than 160 years later.

This Memorial Day, we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to this country, those who gave their lives to protect the rights and freedoms of all Americans. Yet this year, we face the reality of a president who seeks to redefine America as a nation centered on white, conservative Christianity, where people of color, immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, and individuals with disabilities are marginalized or excluded. He envisions a country where citizens are subservient to an authoritarian government led by oligarchs, where only a select few have rights, and where women are expected to be submissive to men.

This Memorial Day, it is not uncommon to see our own government detain, arrest, and deport individuals suspected of being undocumented immigrants—often based solely on the color of their skin. Trump has effectively turned immigration enforcement agencies into a personal militia tasked with removing those he deems unworthy of citizenship. He has even discussed denaturalizing certain citizens, including those who gained citizenship through marriage or other legal pathways. In such a system, citizenship itself could become conditional, granted or revoked at his discretion, most probably at a cost.

We are also reminded that the January 6th insurrectionists, who stormed the Capitol in an attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election at Trump’s urging, were pardoned and may even be financially rewarded if Trump has his way. It is not difficult to imagine that he could call upon these same individuals again if future elections do not go in his favor.

My heart will not fully be in this Memorial Day or the upcoming Fourth of July celebrations. I cannot help but think that some of those celebrating around me support these actions. Still, as difficult as it is, I will do my best to honor those who gave their lives defending our democracy, and to hope that their sacrifices were not in vain. At this moment, hope may be all we have left.

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It seems that for months now, a majority of us have been depending on the midterm elections to put a stop to Donald Trump’s destruction of our country and his looting of the U.S. Treasury. With Democrats in the minority, there is little to nothing they can do to stop Trump’s desecration of the rule of law and the Constitution. We all have confidence that our votes will make the difference.

People all across the country were given hope that they could take back their country, as millions showed up for No Kings protests nationwide. But at the same time, the Republican Party was extremely busy trying to prevent the voice of the people from being heard. Many of us felt confident in the belief that no one could take our vote away from us. But the Supreme Court and statehouses in red states have proven us wrong.

For a long time, we expected that the Trump Supreme Court wanted to severely gut the Voting Rights Act, and recently, they did just that. They sided with Louisiana, allowing gerrymandering based on racial discrimination to eliminate minority representation in Congress. Once this ruling was made public, states of the former Confederacy raced to redraw their congressional maps to ensure there would be no Black representation in Congress. It appears the South has risen again in all its racist and bigoted glory.

In the state of Virginia, where voters had previously approved a plan to redraw congressional maps that would benefit Democrats, the Republican-controlled Virginia Supreme Court struck down the plan, thus denying the people the right to choose their representatives. Democrats have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to restore the voter-approved map, which is unlikely to happen with a court determined to limit the voting rights of Black citizens.

Don’t think for a minute that Republicans will stop with their wins on gerrymandering. There will be few, if any, Black representatives in the next Congress after the midterms. Eventually, as the majority of Black voters support Democrats, they may lose their right to vote altogether. After that, Hispanics, gay people, women, and Democrats could soon follow. Uncle Tom, Clarence Thomas may then want to revive what some would call the “glorious” days of slavery for his white supremacist donors.

Many reading this may say that I am overreacting, but stop and think about where we are right now compared to when Trump was campaigning in 2024. We have a convicted felon as president who has been defying the courts when they rule against him and has turned the Department of Justice into his personal tool of retribution. He has stripped millions of people of their health insurance, dismantled the Department of Education, and put a reckless lunatic in charge of our nation’s health and safety. He has started a war with a megalomaniac, paranoid, alcoholic leading the Department of Defense, costing us billions of dollars every day. Let’s not even talk about the drunken nut job leading our FBI.

Every day, we see people, immigrants, both legal citizens and undocumented individuals, being arrested and detained for simply “looking” Mexican. Some have been beaten, deported, or even killed, despite having proof of citizenship. Trump wants to denaturalize people he deems unworthy of U.S. citizenship, whatever that means. In essence, he wants to make the ultimate decision about who gets to live in this country and who does not. It is only a small step from this to declaring the United States a country “for whites only.”

Trump is getting away with just about everything, from defrauding the government and conducting foreign policy in his own financial and personal interests, to erecting gaudy monuments to himself around Washington, to depleting much-needed services for the elderly, the sick, and the poor in favor of extending tax cuts to the wealthy. He is not being stopped, or even slowed down. It will take far more than 8 million Americans peacefully protesting in the streets to stop the rape and destruction of our country and Constitution. In my opinion, at this point in time, a fair midterm election is on shaky ground.

If Americans show up in numbers never before seen to vote in November, we may have a chance at survival. But many people need to get their heads out of the sand and give a damn about the future of our country, and the future of their children and grandchildren. I’m not sure I have that much faith in the American public. I hope I am proven wrong.

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The recent event at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, where a man was arrested for breaching security with weapons and a Secret Service agent was shot, apparently by friendly fire, has raised many eyebrows. Was it an assassination attempt, a staged event, or was it known that the suspect would be at the hotel with weapons, and security allowed him to breach the perimeter?

With two previous “assassination attempts,” which many have categorized as fake or at least questionable, accepting this event as legitimate is extremely difficult. With Trump’s sinking poll numbers, his incompetent handling of his illegal war with Iran, and his continuing involvement in the Epstein files, it is entirely plausible that this incident was planned to deflect attention from his disastrous performance as Commander-in-Chief.

At the press conference following the incident, the “survivors” appeared surprisingly calm, while Trump used the occasion to insist on the necessity of building his multimillion-dollar ballroom, rather than emphasizing gun control, reducing violence, or lowering hateful rhetoric. As with the previous incidents, we will probably never know all the details behind these theatrics.

Like many people in this country, I find it hard to believe anything that comes from Trump’s mouth or from anyone in his regime. I’m sick of his lies, his chaos, and his hateful, vile, and divisive rhetoric. I’m also sick of Republicans in Congress, the corrupt, racist, and fascist justices of the Supreme Court, and the sycophantic members of the corporate media who gladly enable Trump’s behavior, putting money over the rights and freedoms of all Americans.

As much as I am disgusted and bored by these presumably staged assassination attempts, I take some relief in the hope that they are simply rehearsals for a final act. We all know that Trump is a coward, and he is terrified of being held accountable for all the evil he has done in his life. He doesn’t have the integrity to resign, and he certainly would not survive his greatest nightmare—prison. In his deranged, narcissistic mind, he sees himself as a beloved superhero being tormented by his enemies. He has compared himself to Napoleon, Caesar, and Alexander the Great.

Keeping his delusional complexes in mind, Trump would likely want to leave this mortal world in grandiose fashion, with accolades from around the world. We know that will never happen. So what is the next best thing? When the pressures of war, the Epstein files, and the failures of his presidency become too much for him to handle, an assassination could, in theory, solve all of his problems.

Imagine an assassination in which the horror is witnessed by millions across the world, while his supporters weep and mourn his passing, blaming his detractors, and even Biden and Obama for his death. The corporate media does its best to garner sympathy for a man portrayed as misunderstood and persecuted for his love of country. We see a flag-draped casket being pulled along Pennsylvania Avenue, and then finally taken to one of Trump’s golf courses, where he will rest for eternity. Or will he?

As in past incidents, we might see no credible evidence. No hospital reports, no autopsy details, and no open casket. Memorials to Trump begin to appear all over the country. Vice President Vance is sworn in, and the coup that began on January 6th continues. Trump is beatified as a martyr for MAGA.

Trump’s family, his Supreme Court allies, and his billionaire friends continue to live off the billions of dollars he rewarded them for their loyalty and participation in his corruption. Trump funerary memorabilia is sold at exorbitant prices at rallies and memorial services in Congress and government buildings across Washington and the country. Just as Trump’s life was a scam, so too is his death.

In the meantime, Donald Trump is enjoying life in Venezuela, Russia, or perhaps North Korea, with the billions of dollars he swindled from the American people, as he sits in his Oval Office replica, believing he is still president. Trump’s ultimate con job is the staging of his own death. Impossible? Think about it.

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This year’s Fourth of July will mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of our nation, but it may also signal the end of the United States of America as we once knew it. Some may say I am being overly dramatic or pessimistic, but all we have to do is look around us and remember what things were like only a few years ago. We have already changed, for the worse.

In just the past week, we have witnessed the President of the United States attack the Pope, the leader of the world’s largest Christian denomination, for not supporting Trump’s war with Iran. In the same week, Trump posted an image of himself as Jesus Christ, and when he was criticized for doing so, he claimed he was portraying himself as a doctor. While Trump received condemnation from world leaders, both political and religious, the majority of Republicans in Congress and members of his administration staunchly defended him. In retaliation against the Pope, Trump has also pulled $11 million from Catholic Charities in Florida, which serves migrant children. And there has been silence from Congress.

We have seen the President of the United States, once regarded as the leader of the free world, threaten to annihilate one of the world’s oldest civilizations, Iran, and attack and demean our longtime allies for not supporting his war. We have also seen him admonish Americans, already suffering from the high costs of his disastrous tariffs, for complaining about rising gas prices caused by his inept handling of this war of choice.

We have seen him propose a 40% increase in the federal budget for his war in Iran, to be paid for by drastic cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and other essential health services. At the same time, he tells Americans that it is not the job of the federal government to take care of them. America’s poor and middle class will pay for Trump’s war, while he, his family, and his cronies in the defense industry reap billions of dollars from it.

Approximately 60% of Americans do not approve of Trump’s war with Iran, according to an NBC poll, yet Republicans in Congress refuse to limit his authority in handling the conflict, once again proving that Congress serves Trump, not the American people.

Trump has most likely committed war crimes and manipulated the stock market during the short course of his war with Iran, ultimately benefiting his family and friends. His profits from waging an illegal war are only a small part of the money he has taken from his MAGA followers and, ultimately, from American taxpayers. According to Forbes, Trump has made over $3 billion in his first year of his second term.

He has also sought a $10 billion allocation from the federal government for his latest venture, the “Board of Peace,” over which he would maintain lifetime control. Additionally, he has sued the IRS for $10 billion over an alleged leak of his tax information, and the Treasury Department has reportedly sought to resolve the case. As Trump is technically in charge of both the IRS and the Treasury Department, no doubt the resolution will be in his favor. Once again, he will be taking money from the American taxpayer.

As far as I am concerned, Trump’s entire second term has been one massive con job to fleece the American people. He has done nothing to benefit anyone except himself, his family, and his friends. He has been aided every step of the way by Republicans in Congress, along with a few Democrats looking to cash in on his corruption.

I am angered by the ineffectiveness and cowardice of many Democratic leaders in Congress, but I think I am even more upset with the American people. Our country is not the country most of us grew up in. It has already changed for the worse because so many of us simply did not care. When our immigrant neighbors, LGBTQ friends and family, and poor, starving children around the world were attacked, and in some cases tortured, most Americans remained silent, much like the German citizenry in Nazi Germany. They did not care because it had not affected them—yet.

Our country has lost its position in the world as a defender of democracy and a beacon of hope and liberty. Our moral compass has been eroded by Trump’s greed and desire for absolute power. We are now a country where people who are different, whether by race, religion, sexual orientation, or disability, are increasingly rejected. We are becoming a nation where it is unacceptable, or even dangerous, to belong to a different political party.

We have become a country where those who once recited “liberty and justice for all” in the Pledge of Allegiance are now demonized and labeled “woke.” In some states, it is even becoming illegal to teach about American heroes who were Black, Brown, Native American, gay, or non-Christian. Our history is being whitewashed to erase anyone who was not a white, male Christian.

We have allowed a small minority of Christian nationalist fascists to damage our country, in part because a Black man was twice elected president and because people who had long been denied rights were finally beginning to receive them. Some of us are now waking up and want to reverse this downward spiral into a nation of hate and intolerance, but too many others remain entrenched in their hostility toward anyone who is different, unwilling to accept anything short of an authoritarian state.

Even if Democrats regain control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections, we will not return to what we once were. We have been permanently changed. As long as movements like MAGA and media outlets, such as Fox News that amplify division continue to spread their rhetoric, we will never be the same. But we can become better.

We can become better if we reject hatred, violence, greed, and prejudice, and learn once again to care for others, especially those less fortunate. We must not allow the wealthy few to exploit those responsible for their success. We must strive to become the country that the Statue of Liberty welcomes refugees to.

It may be too late to return to the country we once were, but it is not too late to become the country our forefathers envisioned. It is up to all of us to make that choice.

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Like many of you, I attended a No Kings protest near my home. The protest was held in Hamlin, a town of roughly 5,000 people located on the shores of Lake Ontario in western New York. It is a deeply red area outside of Rochester, and I was pleasantly surprised that approximately 300 people showed up.

I was also surprised by the response from those who drove by. A large number honked their horns and gave the crowd a thumbs-up, with only the occasional passerby flipping us the bird. The majority of people, however, didn’t even cast a glance at the protesters or their signs.

I was both proud and impressed to see the thousands of protests around the country, and even around the world. Over 8 million Americans protested Donald Trump and his cruel and inhumane regime. At the same time, I wondered just how effective the No Kings protests have been.

Now, only a few days after the protest, Trump continues to damage the country and cause chaos and suffering throughout the world, while Republicans in Congress staunchly stand behind him. His Department of Justice carries on a campaign against those who have dared to criticize, disagree, or investigate him, instead of protecting the American people from real criminals and terrorists. Much of its focus appears to be on shielding Trump from accountability regarding his alleged involvement with Jeffrey Epstein.

To deflect attention from the Epstein files, Trump is continuing what he describes as a conflict with Iran, all the while driving up our national debt by billions a day. He now suggests that this country can no longer afford to fund Medicare, Medicaid, daycare, and other health services Americans depend on, while paying for wars. All of this continues in the shadow of the No Kings protests.

Are the protests having an effect on Congress, Trump, or his supporters? Does Trump even know they’re taking place, and if he does, does he realize how large they are? If he does know about them, does he care? It seems clear that he does not care about anyone but himself, so it is most likely he does not care about the reasons so many people are protesting. He may be angered by the number of people opposing him, but rather than seeking to understand or address their concerns, he appears more focused on punishing dissent.

What is particularly infuriating is that the corporate news media, much of it owned by his billionaire buddies, barely mentions the protests or the reasons behind them. In an effort to stay on Trump’s good side and continue to make money, they spread hate, and misinformation, as they hide the truth from the American people. As a result, much of the truth reaches the public slowly, often through independent media.

But is this too little, too late? There have been three scheduled No Kings protests, all on Saturdays. This has given opponents time to ignore or dismiss the protesters, unlike protests in parts of Europe, where demonstrations have sometimes been unannounced and sustained over several days, disrupting both government and society. Those types of protests have, at times, brought about faster change.

Some changes are taking place through the courts, but progress has been slow and tedious, as new legal challenges arise almost daily. In my view, efforts to limit voting access or undermine election systems are among the most serious concerns facing the country today.

As the No Kings protests have grown in both number and size, what can be done next? Some organizers are encouraging economic action, such as boycotts or strikes, to apply pressure where it is most felt: financially. For example, plans for May Day, May 1, include a general strike with no work, no school, and no shopping. The goal is to demonstrate collective economic power and remind leaders that authority ultimately comes from the people.

In my opinion, economic boycotts, like those seen in parts of Europe, can send strong signals to governments about public dissatisfaction. The big question is whether Americans will be willing to take the time and make the sacrifices required to participate, such as refraining from shopping, staying home from work or school, and standing in defiance of systems they oppose.

I worry that those who stand to lose the most in terms of rights and freedoms, particularly younger generations, may be less likely to participate. I say this because many of the protesters I observed were older, like myself. I hope I am wrong, and that younger people recognize the critical role they can play.

Do Americans care enough about their rights and freedoms, and those of their neighbors, to dedicate one day, May 1, 2026, to participate in an economic boycott? I sincerely hope so. Time will tell.

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I don’t recognize my country anymore. For years, I lived through a changing nation where people who had previously been denied their rights and freedoms, and who had to hide who they truly were, gradually attained those rights and freedoms. I went from watching television shows where all the actors were white to watching television that actually reflected what Americans truly look like: Black, Hispanic, Muslim, Jewish, and gay.

While traveling around the world, I was proud to say I was American, a citizen of a land where everyone was free to pursue the American Dream, “regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, or sexual identity.” Remember that phrase? You don’t hear it much anymore. In fact, you could be demonized and harassed for saying it.

I’ve always been a liberal Democrat with many friends who share my views, as well as friends who are Republicans and conservatives. We all got along, working together, celebrating together, and living in peace and harmony. Not anymore. Democrats and Republicans have become enemies. Our demented president has even called Democrats “America’s worst enemy.”

When I was younger, I remember brave Black leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis, and Malcolm X peacefully fighting for the rights they deserved, rights that were ultimately realized with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. I also remember the Stonewall Uprising as the beginning of the gay rights movement, which eventually allowed me to live my life freely and without fear.

Some of my most vivid and proud memories are of the massive Fourth of July concerts on the Esplanade in Boston, where up to a million people gathered to celebrate our independence. People from all over the world, immigrants and descendants of immigrants, came together to celebrate America’s birthday. I remember thinking, “Only in America.” Today, there would probably be ICE agents in the crowd, arresting many of those same revelers.

I do recall a time in my youth when there was savage, hateful rhetoric directed at people who were fighting for the same rights that white Americans already enjoyed. However, I don’t remember the hatred being so widespread or so intensely focused on people simply for being different in even the slightest ways, or for holding differing opinions. Maybe I am wrong, and there has always been a deeply rooted hatred in our communities that eventually rose to the surface under Trump.

Yes, I do not recognize my country anymore. I thought it was lost, so I went to the “lost and found” department of reality and reported it missing. I searched for the truth, the facts, and my own observations, and then I realized; it wasn’t lost; it was stolen.

While I wasn’t looking, a select group of people, millionaires, billionaires, racists, white supremacists, Christian nationalists, and fascists, have been dividing the citizens of this country in order to steal it and dismantle our democracy. The main perpetrators of this theft are none other than the former party of “law and order”: the Republican Party.

They haven’t done it alone, however. They’ve been aided by Democrats in Congress who refused to step down from power well into their 70s and 80s, denying younger, more energetic leaders the opportunity to serve. They allowed Republicans to block and secure Supreme Court seats without mounting a serious fight. They allowed Trump to appoint a vast number of federal judges who will serve lifetime terms, while continuing to cling to outdated notions of bipartisanship, long after Republicans could no longer be trusted to act in good faith.

Perhaps the worst act of negligence occurred when a Democratic Attorney General, Merrick Garland, in an effort to appear nonpartisan, failed to aggressively investigate Trump and his allies for attempting to overturn the government on January 6, 2021—thus paving the way for the steady erosion of our rights and freedoms.

When a Black woman ran against Trump in 2024, millions of Americans—fully aware of the chaos of his first term, chose instead to believe a proven racist, liar, and adjudicated sexual offender who openly stated he would rule as a dictator. Many embraced the idea of a white supremacist, Christian nationalist government, where minorities would be treated as second-class citizens, if allowed to remain at all.

As Republicans gained control of both houses of Congress, they capitulated to Trump, allowing him to appoint deeply unqualified individuals to lead major government agencies. In effect, the cabinet became filled with loyalists sworn to serve Trump rather than the American people. As a result, the rule of law has eroded, and we are left with one of the most corrupt governments in American history.

Congress has ceded its authority over tariffs and declarations of war, effectively enabling Trump to consolidate power like a dictator. Rather than helping the American people, they have caused widespread suffering, cutting Medicare and Medicaid, reducing benefits for children, people with disabilities, veterans, and education programs. Millions are now uninsured or burdened with exorbitant healthcare costs. Meanwhile, efforts are underway to restrict voting rights, potentially allowing Trump to remain in power beyond his term.

As Americans struggle with rising costs, gas, food, and energy, due in part to tariffs and military conflict, Trump’s billionaire allies continue to amass unprecedented wealth. Once again, war and economic hardship are borne by ordinary citizens while the wealthy benefit.

Perhaps some of the greatest enablers of this crisis are members of the conservative Supreme Court, who have allowed Trump and his associates to operate with near impunity. While the Court has ruled against him in a few instances, such as certain tariff cases, I have little confidence that this restraint will continue. Even when Trump loses, he attacks the Court and refuses to accept its rulings.

The very people we depended upon to protect our country have let us down, and have allowed for it to be stolen, and even sold to the highest bidders. We can’t count on Congress, or the Supreme Court, or the military. We only have ourselves to reclaim our country. Trump is trying to steal the midterm elections, but we must vote in numbers never before seen in this country to save our democracy.

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For the past couple of weeks, I have been experiencing feelings of both anger and depression over what our once-beloved country has been going through under the so-called leadership of a pathetic, senile, amoral, narcissistic, psychotic pedophile.

Sometimes, I feel anger because, with every waking day, we learn of new allegations from the Epstein files regarding Trump’s sexual involvement with underage girls and children as a client of Epstein’s sex trafficking ring. The headlines I read here on Substack almost always include the word “bombshell” to describe the latest finding. But these “bombshells” inevitably turn into duds, as nothing ever comes from these new revelations.

I feel anger when I hear nothing but words from Democrats in Congress that lead right back to the status quo. I feel anger when I see the vast majority of Republicans in Congress continue to protect Trump from being held accountable for his alleged involvement with Epstein, and when they allow him to usurp the powers of Congress to levy tariffs and declare war. They allowed Trump to start a war on a Friday night while Congress was not in session, without seeking consultation with congressional leaders, instead consulting with his son-in-law, Jared Kushner. He declared war on a whim.

Since the start of his illegal and unconstitutional war, he and his totally unqualified and inept Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, have been acting like a couple of five-year-old kids playing G.I. Joe with toy soldiers. They behave as though they are playing a video game as they bomb Iran, cheering while people are dying. They caused the deaths of over 168 girls in the bombing of a girls’ school in Iran but have denied any responsibility, even when our own evidence proves it was our missiles that were to blame. Trump has never apologized or even shown any sympathy for the deceased. Instead, his cronies show up proudly wearing oversized clown shoes, gifted by their Dear Leader, as a sign of forced solidarity.

I am completely flabbergasted by the cruel and obnoxious behavior of our commander in chief, as he attends the dignified transfer of one of our fallen soldiers wearing a campaign baseball hat, and later uses a video of that solemn event to raise money for whatever sordid purposes might enrich him or his family. My anger grows as I watch Hegseth, congressional Republicans, Fox News, and a majority of MAGA supporters defend his actions.

We still don’t know the real reasons for his attack on Iran, but none of those reasons involve saving Iranians from a brutal dictatorial regime. The primary beneficiaries of destroying Iran are Israel and Saudi Arabia, both avowed enemies of Iran. It cannot be a coincidence that Saudi Arabia is giving Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and Middle East envoy, billions of dollars for his private business endeavors without expecting anything in return. Israel has tried to persuade former U.S. presidents to attack Iran, but until now, they have not found anyone willing to do so.

We are now going into the third week of Trump’s war, and there is still no clear plan to end it or even to seek a ceasefire. Trump’s actions have destabilized and endangered the entire Middle East region, as Iranian attacks on other countries have increased. The most obvious sign of Trump’s incompetence is Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has effectively cut off the world’s oil supply, something the administration seemingly failed to anticipate. After months of attacking and denigrating NATO and our allies, Trump is now begging them to help secure the passageway. So far, they have rejected his pleas.

My anger over Trump’s actions and Congress’s ineptitude eventually gives way to depression, as there does not seem to be any light at the end of this dismal tunnel. As Trump attacks and threatens the media for reporting the truth about his war, I can envision a future of “state media,” with no freedom of speech or of the press.

What I find most frightening, however, is the reaction of the American people. I grew up during the Vietnam War era, when Americans protested another unjust war. I also remember Bush lying to us about the reasons for going to war with Iraq. But Trump has shown so little respect for Congress and the American people that he not only didn’t lie, he simply ignored them in his decision to attack Iran. There are scattered protests, but nothing like what I witnessed during the Vietnam War. I am shocked by the number of people who accept what Trump is doing in the Middle East, captivated by his lies and the misreporting of Fox News and other right-wing media.

So many people I speak with, or whose messages I read on social media, do not seem to have a clue about what is going on. They see gas prices rising and the everyday cost of groceries and energy increasing rapidly, yet they still blame Biden because Trump and Fox News tell them to. They have no idea that their rights and freedoms are slowly eroding. They have lost that “Spirit of Seventy-Six” our forefathers once had. They ignore his blatant corruption and grifting, dismissing it as the way all politicians behave. I don’t know if they will ever see the light.

I even become depressed while writing this newsletter, as I realize that I am largely preaching to the choir, with the exception of those commenters who have nothing to offer but vile remarks and threats. They are too far gone to reach. I know the only way out of this mess lies in the next midterm elections. But I also know that Trump and the Republicans realize this as well, and they are working hard to ensure that fair elections do not take place, hence their strong support for the SAVE Act, which, in essence, is the “Save Trump’s Job Act.”

Trump’s war is only one weapon in his arsenal to distract Americans from the Epstein files and to undermine future elections. He is backed into a corner and will fight to the bitter end to avoid losing power, even if it means millions will die. It is hard not to feel anger at Trump’s actions or depression at the lack of progress in stopping him, but we have few choices other than to keep fighting in any way we can.

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I am not surprised that Trump started a war with Iran, even though he described himself as the “Peace President” and founded a scam organization he called the “Board of Peace.” While campaigning, he promised no more wars and lower prices, convincing uneducated and racist voters to reelect him. True to his character, everything was a lie.

As the Epstein files are painfully and slowly being released, the depths of Trump’s involvement in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking ring are coming to light. As bad as we thought his actions may have been, the facts are beginning to show they were much worse. The Epstein files, his endless grifting, and his defiance of the rule of law have foretold a future filled with litigation and possible prison time, consequences that can only be avoided if he remains president. With looming midterm elections predicting an astounding defeat for Trump’s Republican Party, he appears backed into a corner. To survive, he must remain in office by any means possible. If he is going down, he seems intent on taking everyone and everything with him.

Trump and his subordinates have offered a variety of reasons for attacking Iran. Whatever the real reasons are, they were certainly not done for the benefit of either the American or Iranian people. With each passing day, it becomes clear that the attack was ill-planned and that the consequences are spreading throughout the Middle East and beyond. Did Trump acquiesce to Netanyahu’s wishes, hoping to please him and his billionaire allies in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who stand to profit from a war with Iran? Possibly. As always, in any war, defense contractors will make a fortune.

In the early days of Trump’s war, it is already evident that there are no plans for what happens after the air campaign ends. Trump wants us to believe that the attack and assassination of Iran’s top leaders were carried out to bring democracy to the Iranian people, while at home he is actively attempting to dismantle American democracy.

Whatever the reason for Trump attacking Iran, he did so illegally, without the advice and consent of Congress. It appears he acted on a whim, an action that left thousands of Americans stranded at airports throughout the Middle East without a safe way out. Not only was Congress not notified, but American embassies and Americans living and working in danger zones were not notified or given the means to evacuate. Qatar is a major hub for American and European travelers heading to Asia, and now thousands are stranded at airports in that country, thanks to Trump.

I am naturally concerned about the millions of people, Americans, Europeans, Asians, and citizens of the region, being caught up in a madman’s delusional fantasy, but I am just as concerned for my fellow Americans back home. Iran has long been a major source of terrorist attacks on American and allied targets throughout Europe and the Middle East, and it possesses some of the most sophisticated cyber-terrorism capabilities in the world. The Iranians will not allow this attack and the assassination of their top leaders to go unanswered. Deadly retaliation is likely.

When Bush invaded Iraq, I felt reasonably safe and comforted by the knowledge that we had the best protection our government could offer. I had great faith in the FBI, Homeland Security, and the Department of Justice to protect me and my fellow Americans. But not under the Trump regime. Look at who we have protecting us.

First, consider the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth. He is a drunkard, racist, former Fox News TV host who has openly embraced Christian nationalism and has a history of inflammatory rhetoric. He has worked to erase the documented history of Black service members and LGBTQ Americans in the military, and now he is tasked with protecting those same communities from terrorist attacks. That should concern everyone.

We have an Attorney General whose primary qualification appears to be unwavering loyalty to Trump. Since taking office, she has focused on prosecuting Trump’s perceived enemies while defending him against allegations related to the Epstein files. Does that inspire confidence in your safety?

Perhaps one of the least qualified of Trump’s loyalists is Kash Patel, former podcaster and conspiracy theorist, head of the FBI. Ordinarily, the FBI stands at the forefront of fighting terrorism, but not now. As mentioned earlier, Iran maintains a sophisticated cyber-terrorism network capable of wreaking havoc in our country. In the past, specialized FBI agents focused on countering threats like those posed by Iran. However, days before Trump’s attack on Iran, Patel reportedly fired many agents with expertise in Iranian cyber-terrorism. This decision leaves the country increasingly vulnerable to potential cyberattacks.

Last but not least, we have Kash Patel’s boss. Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, who has spent most of her time invading and terrorizing American neighborhoods with a high number of immigrant and minority populations. If she’s not directing her ICE agents to drag people from their homes without due cause, kidnapping children from their homes and schools, and randomly stopping cars and beating or killing them, she’d playing “dress-up” for the cameras for self promotion. Don’t worry, Noem’s man in charge of terrorism prevention in this country is hand picked by the White House, to protect us. His name is Thomas Fugate.

Who is Thomas Fugate? Well, he is a 23 year old former Trump campaign worker, who graduated recently from college with a degree in Politics. If that doesn’t make him qualified to do the job, his former employment as a gardener and grocery store stock clerk certainly does! Our safety and security are in the hands of a bunch of sycophantic imbeciles, and there is nothing we can do.

I have little doubt that Trump’s war could continue for months, if not years. I believe this may be part of his strategy. He knows there is a strong possibility of impeachment after the midterms, and he may not remain in office much longer unless he takes drastic measures. The war in Iran has already been mentioned by some as a potential justification for declaring a national emergency and postponing elections. As I see it, the midterms may be one of the last opportunities to protect our democracy. It is imperative that we all do everything in our power to stay safe and remain focused on ensuring secure and fair elections.

It is going to be a long, difficult, and unpredictable road ahead.

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I have never considered any member of the Trump family or administration to be a person possessing integrity or morality. However, after Trump’s personal attorney general, Pam Bondi’s performance at her congressional hearing a few days ago, I am convinced there isn’t a hint of decency in anyone or anything connected to Donald Trump.

It took me a few days to recover from the fit of nausea I experienced while watching Trump’s personal lawyer, formerly known as an attorney general, Pam Bondi, testify before the House of Representatives. Now it’s my turn to share my thoughts.

First of all, it was the farthest thing from a genuine testimony I have ever seen. It was more like a cheap, staged production reminiscent of one performed by generals under Dear Leader Kim Jong Un just before their execution. I watched in disgust and amazement at first, and then with pity. How someone can debase themselves so completely in public is beyond comprehension.

Merely looking at Bondi, one might assume the qualifications she brings to the office she holds. She is young, blond, and fairly attractive, at least when her fangs are not showing. Perhaps the main reason she was chosen by Trump is that, as Florida’s attorney general, Bondi did not pursue investigations related to Jeffrey Epstein or others accused of sex crimes. Trump likely knew she would continue to protect him and his deviant billionaire cohorts as U.S. attorney general.

I do not understand what Bondi gains from this relationship. I do not believe she is so desperate that she seeks sexual satisfaction from a senile, decrepit, impotent 79-year-old man. Perhaps she sees herself as a modern-day Eva Braun serving her Führer, or perhaps she has been promised a seat on the Supreme Court.

I was not the only one disgusted by Bondi’s performance. Many within his own party, including members of the MAGA movement, voiced their disapproval. In character, Trump praised her performance as “fantastic,” according to Newsweek. Most staunch MAGA supporters, however, wholeheartedly backed Bondi’s actions, in line with their denial of anything they perceive as critical of Trump.

Just as Bondi ignored Epstein’s survivors by refusing to look at them during the hearing, the Trump administration, his Justice Department, and many Republicans in Congress are ignoring them by failing to hold accountable the privileged billionaires whose names were redacted by the FBI.

As more damning information is released in the Epstein files, uncovering individuals allegedly involved in his sex trafficking ring, some European and Middle Eastern countries have begun investigating their own citizens connected to Epstein. King Charles has stripped his brother Andrew of his royal titles and called for further investigation. Meanwhile, in the United States, the Trump administration continues to voice support for cabinet members allegedly connected to Epstein while strengthening the cover-up that protects Donald Trump.

What do these actions by the U.S. government say to the world? In my opinion, they suggest that our president, members of our government, and leaders in corporate America may have been involved in or benefited from Epstein’s worldwide sex trafficking network. More troubling, I fear that this network may still be operating under the protection of powerful political figures.

For years, the super-wealthy have not only sought to accumulate vast fortunes, but have also strengthened their influence over governments worldwide. They have attempted to create an oligarchy in which they are above the law and immune to the normal restraints of society. While ordinary people may harbor dark sexual fantasies but refrain from acting on them, certain powerful individuals appear to rely on networks that enable criminal behavior without fear of prosecution. If everyone criminally involved with Epstein were brought to justice, we might be left with only a skeleton of our former government.

I cannot end this post without mentioning recent remarks from our Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., about not taking precautions during COVID. He stated that he “wasn’t afraid of a germ” and that he once “snorted cocaine from a toilet seat.” This is the person responsible for keeping us safe and healthy. Need I say more?

We are only in year two of Trump’s second term, and we are knee-deep in the consequences of his leadership. With environmental protections being dismantled, food safety regulations rolled back, and medical science challenged by conspiracy theories, it feels as though we have nowhere to go but further downward into the sludge of Trump’s cesspool.

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I am sure we have all heard the phrase, “You’re known by the company you keep.” As children, we were told that if we hung around troublemakers, people would think we were troublemakers too. Our parents always warned us about associating with “a bad crowd.”

That lesson did not change as we grew older. Whether the crowd consisted of high school dropouts who loitered on street corners or in bars instead of doing something to improve their lives, or a group of people who band together for a particular purpose while excluding others based on religion, skin color, economic status, or sexual orientation, the result is the same. They are nothing more than a group of losers.

As adults, we learn to avoid people who belong to groups that do not exemplify our beliefs and values. We also refuse to support such people when they seek public office. Unfortunately, many American citizens either looked the other way or ignored their parents’ advice when they elected Donald Trump president, twice. Racist losers finally found someone to represent them.

Most people knew Trump was an avowed racist years before he entered politics. Many viewed him as a joke and a conman and never believed he could be elected president. Unfortunately, some minorities somehow convinced themselves that he was one of them. With Trump’s attacks on DEI and his deliberate erasure of Black people from American history, they now know better.

Yesterday, in what may be his most egregious racial attack yet, Trump posted a meme depicting former President Obama and his wife as apes. No other president in history has ever demeaned a predecessor in the way Trump has attempted to demean Obama. Not only did he attack the race of a former president, but he insulted and demeaned every person of color in the world. At first, the White House defended the post, then blamed a staff member for sharing it, and finally deleted it after criticism, even from members of Trump’s own party.

This incident is disgusting and utterly unworthy of the leader of our nation. But it is exactly what we have come to expect from Donald Trump. We know he is a racist, and we know that those who surround him are racists as well. Even though many of us did not vote for him and do not support him, we are forced to endure his vile behavior, at least until the next election, hopefully.

But what about those who support and encourage him in his racist endeavors? We are not required to associate with them. I am talking about the corporations that have bowed to Trump and eliminated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs. Out of fear of angering an openly racist president, corporations, universities, and media outlets have stripped DEI from every aspect of their operations.

These institutions no longer strive to serve their customers; instead, they cater to the racist whims of Donald Trump. Their silence in the wake of Trump’s attack on the Obamas has been deafening. What does that tell us about them? If we are Black, gay, or part of any other marginalized group, we do not matter to them. As long as they remain in Trump’s good graces, we effectively do not exist. They are willing to erase us from the workplace and from the history of this country.

If these were merely a small group of racists in our town, we would follow our mothers’ advice; we would ignore them and avoid them entirely. We should treat large corporations the same way. They do not deserve our support or our respect.

As we approach the midterm elections, and as Trump and his authoritarian regime prepare to suppress the votes of Democrats, women, and people of color, it is crucial that we make our voices heard. We must all be like Minnesotans.

Recently, rabid Trump supporter Steve Bannon announced that ICE would be surrounding polling places during the midterm elections, and Trump’s press secretary has refused to refute that statement. Trump will use ICE in swing states and heavily Democratic cities to intimidate voters in an effort to steal the election. Just as the people of Minneapolis and Minnesota have bravely stood up to Trump’s Gestapo, we too must stand up for our democracy.

As daily protests in Minnesota disrupted normal life, local businesses began to suffer. Rather than condemning Trump’s vile, cruel, illegal, and deadly immigration policies, cowardly corporate CEOs issued statements calling for “calm.” With citizens murdered, disabled women dragged from their cars and beaten, and toddlers terrorized and torn from their parents, these executives chose to side with the perpetrator instead of the victims.

We can no longer support people or institutions that are determined to destroy us. We must support one another and the businesses that defend our democratic way of life, our shared human values, and our very existence. We should actively support organizations that value and uphold DEI and reject those that follow Trump’s reign of terror against anyone who is different. Here is a list of DEI-friendly businesses to help guide your shopping decisions.

It is time to stand up for ourselves and our neighbors and to reject a culture of obscene wealth and hatred. It is time to take back our country in the midterms.

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These past few weeks, it has been very difficult to choose a topic to write about, as there has been a deluge of monstrous, disgusting, cruel, illegal, and unconstitutional actions emanating from the Trump regime, especially from his private police force, ICE. From kidnappings, beatings, home invasions, child abuse, and torture to outright murder, Trump’s Gestapo has left me sickened and enraged. I am proud of the strong and sustained protests, carried out in snow and arctic temperatures, by the people of Minneapolis in defense of their immigrant neighbors. At the same time, I am outraged and nauseated by the complete lack of real leadership from the Democratic leaders of Congress.

I am not going to focus on a single event from the past few weeks. Instead, I am sharing my thoughts as a senior citizen who grew up believing that America was a functioning democracy.

When I was a child, I believed America was the greatest country in the world. I believed this because I was constantly told so, in school, in church, at home, and, of course, by the television programs I watched. I accepted it because I didn’t know any better. I had never been to another country, much less lived in one. I didn’t even know anyone who had lived abroad. I did, however, know people, mainly relatives, who had fought wars in other countries.

Growing up in a conservative, Republican small town in northern New York, I knew little or nothing about the world beyond my neighborhood, school, and church. Needless to say, everyone I knew was white and Christian. I knew there were Black people in town, but I didn’t know any and rarely ever saw one. It wasn’t until later that I learned how they were treated by our government and by our fellow citizens.

During my high school and college years, I became increasingly aware of just how racist and bigoted the society I lived in truly was. It really hit home when I began to realize that I was gay, and that I was hated by people in my town and demonized and condemned by the Catholic Church I attended. I was despised by people who professed to be loving Christians, despite knowing nothing about me.

Watching the Civil Rights Movement unfold firsthand, I learned just how deeply racist my country, my community, and even members of my own family were. I remember watching Walter Cronkite on CBS News, before it became a propaganda arm of the Trump administration, showing the cruelty and violence inflicted by police on Black Americans who only wanted the same freedoms I enjoyed. I watched white perpetrators in the South repeatedly acquitted of the beatings and murders of Black men, women, and children, and then celebrated for it. I learned that many white Americans, both North and South, in and out of government, viewed Black people as less than human.

It was when I began traveling abroad that I realized America was not that great. I encountered different cultures, both Western and Asian, and I liked what I saw. I was especially struck by Asian cultures, where teachers are revered and education is highly valued, unlike in America. I was also impressed by how technologically advanced many Asian countries were. I remember friends back home believing that most Asian countries had limited access to electricity. They couldn’t believe my photos of China and Singapore. But they didn’t know any better, they had been taught that America was greater than any other country in the world.

As I grew older and continued to travel internationally, I saw just how backward and ignorant my country could be. I learned that the richest country in the world has the worst healthcare system of any developed nation, by choice, a consequence of a government that caters to and answers only to its wealthiest citizens and corporations. I have friends in other parts of the world who pay a fraction of what I pay for medical care and prescription drugs. American healthcare exists for profit; elsewhere, it exists for people.

I once believed the FBI and the American justice system were the best in the world, and that no one in the United States was above the law. How thoroughly that illusion has been shattered by the fascist regime of Donald Trump. Today’s FBI and Department of Justice are nothing more than the official retribution arms of the Trump regime. Protecting the American people has taken a back seat to protecting Donald Trump from embarrassment and prosecution for his many criminal enterprises. In today’s America, if you have enough money, you can commit crimes with impunity, and if convicted, you can simply buy a pardon from Trump. On the other hand, if you criticize Trump or oppose him politically, you risk arrest, indictment, imprisonment, or financial ruin.

One reason I once believed America was so great was the Constitution, that revered document said to protect the rights and freedoms of all Americans. It didn’t take long to realize that “all Americans” did not actually mean all Americans. The Constitution originally excluded people of color, women, and the poor. Members of the LGBTQ+ community were not recognized as having rights, or even existence. Over time, amendments addressed some of these injustices. Today, however, the MAGA movement and the Christian Right are waging a battle to restore the supremacy of wealthy white men as the sole beneficiaries of rights and freedoms.

Along with falsely believing the Constitution guaranteed rights and freedoms for everyone, I also believed it protected our form of government from foreign and domestic enemies. I believed that when politicians took an oath to defend the Constitution, they meant it. I was wrong.

I cannot believe how many members of Congress, Trump administration officials, Supreme Court justices, and federal judges have made a mockery of the Constitution by ignoring its principles, or shredding it outright. I doubt the framers ever imagined an American electorate so racist, ignorant, and gullible that it would elect a buffoon, a convicted felon utterly devoid of redeeming human qualities.

If the Founding Fathers ever imagined such a catastrophe, they should have provided a clear and decisive way to remove such a pariah from office, rather than relying solely on impeachment or the next election. Sometimes I wonder whether they wrote this revered document as a cruel joke on future generations. Perhaps Benjamin Franklin’s remark, “A republic, if you can keep it,” was meant in jest.

One year into Trump’s disastrous second term, I am struck by the fact that, in my youth, if a foreign leader had appeared on the world stage sporting a fake orange tan, a dead-ferret hairstyle, a morbidly obese body, and speaking nothing but lies and incoherent nonsense, he would have been savagely ridiculed and dismissed as a lunatic. Instead, this is the gift bestowed upon us by the American electorate.

America is not great and never has been, but it has the potential to be great, if our Constitution survives and is strengthened with laws that ensure this disaster can never happen again.

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Check out my newer publication, Stephen Sovie’s Blog, the Other Side of My World

Like most sane, caring Americans, I am sickened and appalled by the videos and photos showing the brutality and savagery of ICE agents in Minnesota. Since the murder of an innocent mother of three, who was shot three times in the head as she and her spouse were returning home after dropping their children off at daycare, ICE has doubled down on both the intensity and scope of its cruelty. As a result of Trump’s incompetent and racist DOJ refusing to properly investigate the shooting, and its steadfast support for the agent responsible for her death, ICE agents are now acting with complete impunity.

Before continuing, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who subscribes to my newsletter, especially those who have been kind enough to sign up for a paid subscription. I am not a journalist bringing you the latest breaking news. I am an average American, just like you, witnessing what may be the end of the democracy we grew up in. I am afraid, for myself and for others, who are losing their rights and freedoms under this authoritarian, fascist regime. I write this newsletter to share my thoughts and fears and to inform those who wish to understand what is happening in our country. This is my way of fighting back against those who seek to destroy our democracy. For those with a free subscription, I ask you to seriously consider upgrading to a paid subscription or making a donation to support my efforts. It would be greatly appreciated. Regardless, this newsletter will remain free for all who choose to read it. Thank you, and now, back to business.

The tactics of Trump’s Gestapo have escalated to the point where agents are invading schools, forcefully dragging students out of classrooms, zip-tying, beating, and detaining them regardless of citizenship status, solely because they are not white. People have been stopped simply for driving through areas of ICE activity, forcibly dragged from their cars, and beaten for no reason at all. ICE is now breaking down doors and invading people’s homes without warrants, arresting and detaining the occupants, even when they are U.S. citizens.

Recently, videos showed ICE breaking into the home of an elderly Hmong man, a U.S. citizen, and dragging him outside into freezing temperatures while he was wearing only his boxer shorts and clogs. He was detained in an ICE vehicle for over an hour before agents realized he was a citizen. He was released without an explanation or an apology. His crime was being Asian.

Quadzilla

ICE Broke Down Citizen's Door w/o Warrant, Took Him Away in His Underwear

His mother Choua, who passed away just three weeks ago, was a nurse who helped American troops during the Laotian Civil War and brought her family stateside post-war as part of a large wave of Southeast Asians seeking refuge…

Listen now

7 months ago · 552 likes · 40 comments · Quadzilla

CE’s latest tactic in Minnesota involves kidnapping small children, detaining them in camps, and using them as bait to arrest and detain their parents.

These examples of ICE cruelty are not mistakes, nor are they exceptions. This is how Trump’s police state has been authorized to behave. In a recently leaked Department of Homeland Security memo to ICE, DHS permits, and instructs, ICE agents to break into homes without a warrant. The Fourth Amendment no longer applies to all people living in America.

As disgusting as ICE’s tactics may be, what is even more disturbing is the reaction of many people, predominantly Republicans in Congress and members of the Trump-supporting public, who respond by saying the victims “broke the law.” By this logic, the same cruel treatment should be inflicted on those of us who have run a stop sign, driven over the speed limit, or harassed a neighbor or a coworker. These acts are civil violations, just as being an undocumented immigrant is a civil violation. In the eyes of ICE and the Trump administration, however, civil violations become crimes when you are Black, Brown, or Asian.

There is no doubt that ICE’s activities are racist when agents go door to door asking people to identify neighbors who are people of color, or when they stop and detain police officers who are themselves people of color. The purpose of ICE has shifted from immigration enforcement to ethnic cleansing. Their mission will not stop at arresting, brutalizing, and deporting immigrants of color. They are already targeting, and will increasingly target, anyone who supports immigrant communities or who dares to criticize Trump or his regime. It is only a matter of time before white people who are Democrats, members of the LGBTQ+ community, non-Christians, or anyone who does not fit the Christo-fascist definition of a “patriotic American” are also targeted.

Stay alert. Stay observant. And remember to carry your “papers.” You never know when you will encounter ICE.

I Accept Donations via Buy Me A Coffee.

Check out my newer publication, Stephen Sovie’s Blog, the Other Side of My World