Congress Returns Monday With Trump Diminished, Wildly Unpopular, And Failing On Many Fronts

With Trump faltering it's time for us to be very, very aggressive now my friends. Let's make this a good week......

Morning all. Let’s review some headlines from the past few days:

Judge orders Kennedy Center to remove Trump’s name from building - Washington Post

Trump fumes at Congress and courts for holding up his ballroom - Washington Post

Federal prosecutor leading the James Comey indictment over his seashells post resigns from the case - NBC News

Federal Judge Bars Trump From Immediately Setting Up $1.8 Billion Fund - New York Times

Judge Reopens Trump’s I.R.S. Suit and Questions His ‘Weaponization’ Fund - New York Times

GOP immigration enforcement bill stalls amid backlash to $1.8 billion ‘anti-weaponization’ fund - PBS

Cornyn’s Defeat Fuels Tensions With President Trump in Senate G.O.P. - Politico

Trump approval rating slips to record low of 34 percent in YouGov/Economist poll - The Hill

US Senate votes to advance resolution to curb Trump’s Iran war powers - The Guardian

US House members defy leadership, to force vote on Ukraine aid - Reuters

From Moscow to Crimea, Ukraine is winning the drone war against Russia - The Atlantic Council

Trump leaves Situation Room meeting with no update on an Iran deal - Politico

Key inflation gauge worsens as Americans’ income and spending power erodes - AP

US first-quarter GDP growth revised lower to 1.6% pace - Reuters

These Researchers Would Be in Africa Fighting Ebola—but Trump Cut Their Funding - Wired

Kenyan court blocks opening of U.S. Ebola quarantine center on air base - CBS News

‘Ask Todd’: Bondi throws Trump lawyer-turned-acting A.G. Blanche under the bus on the Epstein files - MS Now

Trump Falls Asleep Again After He Says Medical Checkup Went Perfectly - The New Republic

Yesterday we learned that James Talarico not only eats meat but has a girlfriend too. Meet Brianna Menard:

Hard to imagine Hegseth’s big speech in Singapore this morning is going to make the China hawks in the GOP happy:

Here’s the latest data from Real Clear Politics that every Republican political operative in the country looks at first thing every morning. Look at that downward slope for the Rs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We often talk here how Trump sees the world through a simple lens of strong and weak, winning and losing, success and failure. As Congress returns to Washington this week they will be returning to a weaker Trump, who is doing a lot more losing than winning right now. And that means we will need to be aggressive this week. It is important that we call our Senators and Members of the House. They need to hear from us - stop the corruption, the ballroom, the slush fund, the self-enrichment; vote for Ukraine, not Putin; vote to rein in his illegal and failed war in the Middle East; vote against giving ICE tens of billions with no reform. The anger we all feel needs to manifest in these offices this week. They need to hear us, feel us, for the tide is turning against Trump in Washington and we need to keep the pressure on. We need to be loud and proud this week everyone.

Let’s review that special Tweet Senator Cornyn shared yesterday one more time to get a sense of how things are going in the Senate right now:

To put a little pep in your step this weekend be sure to check out some of our latest discussions with those leading the charge:

• National leaders Governor Josh Shapiro and Senator Ruben Gallego

• Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder

• House candidates Rebecca Bennett (NJ-7), Elaine Luria (VA-02), Jonathan Nez (AZ-02), Denise Powell (NE-02), Bobby Pulido (TX-15) and our great candidate for Governor in Ohio Amy Acton

• DCCC Deputy Executive Director Will Van Nuys

• And my latest talk If You Think Trump Is Winning You Aren’t Paying Attention

And yes, it is now time, my friends, to put our heads down and

Get To Work Everyone!!!!!!

We kicked off a campaign on Thursday to give Rebecca Bennett resources to fight off a massive $650,000 attack against her in NJ-7. Our goal is to raise $10,000 by Tuesday - we’ve almost hit $7,500 so far. Thanks to all who have contributed! Watch my new interview with one of our very best candidates of the cycle and consider donating to her campaign today!

The Washington Post has a major new report on NJ-7 - He hasn’t been seen in Congress for months. Now Republicans are worried -

For almost three months, Rep. Tom Kean Jr.’s whereabouts and condition have been a mystery in his New Jersey congressional district. Now they are becoming a source of growing alarm for his party in Washington, where Republicans fear his prolonged absence could cost them his swing seat — and possibly their House majority.

Kean has not voted in the House since March 5. His district, one of the most affluent in the nation, is also one of the country’s most competitive, a seat Republicans need to hold for a chance to keep a House that they currently control by only a handful of votes. The cost of his absence has already shown up on the House floor. Earlier this month, a resolution on U.S. military action in Iran deadlocked 212-212, with Kean not casting a ballot.

“No one knows where he is and, from my understanding, the speaker doesn’t know what the exact situation is,” said Doug Heye, a longtime Republican operative and former top aide to then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Virginia). “Just as there’s no room for error in the congressional majority, there’s no room for error in this congressional race.”

Kean has not cast a vote in Congress in nearly three months. He has not appeared at a public event in his district. He has not held a town hall, attended a committee hearing or stepped onto the House floor — all of which have led to a mix of confusion, frustration and anger.

Representatives for Kean’s congressional office and campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

His congressional office has released little information about why he has been away. Kean said in a statement last month that he has been dealing with “a personal medical issue” but did not specify when he expects to return. As pressure built in recent weeks for Kean to provide more information, the congressman told the New Jersey Globe in a phone interview that he expects to return to work “in the next couple of weeks” and will run for reelection.

Now you see why Rs have spent $650,000 in just the past week against Bennett - for they are deeply worried that with one of our strongest candidates of the cycle this district is slipping away……..

Winning The Midterms, Competing In Red States and Red Places, Expanding The Map

Hopium’s Winning The House Campaign - $737,600 raised, $1,000,000 goal (new ambitious, audacious even, q2 goal) - Donate to all twelve of our endorsed House challengers with a single contribution split twelve ways | Get to know Jamie Ager (NC-11), Christina Bohannan (IA-01), Paige Cognetti (PA-08), Rebecca Cooke (WI-03), Elaine Luria (VA-02), Sean McCann (MI-04), Jo Mendoza (AZ-06), Chaz Molder (TN-05), Jonathan Nez (AZ-02), Janelle Stelson (PA-10), Shannon Taylor (VA-01), and Sarah Trone Garriott (IA-03) by watching our recently recorded Hopium interviews.

Friends if these twelve win, the House will flip, no matter redistricting madness the Rs execute in the coming days. So eyes on the prize here.

Hopium’s Winning The House - Second Wave - $26,900 raised ($47,000 incl dedicated Johnny Garcia funds), $250,000 goal - We’ve launched a second House fund, one targeting candidates who’ve recently emerged from primaries or have to run in new districts. Our initial crew is Bob Brooks (PA-07), Johnny Garcia (TX-35), Bob Harvie (PA-01), Denise Powell (NE-02), and Bobby Pulido (TX-15). More on this exciting new initiative in the coming days…

Mary Peltola For Alaska Senate - $96,700 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn more through my uplifting conversation with Mary Peltola as she fights to turn Alaska blue

James Talarico For Texas - $80,3700 raised, $250,000 - Donate | Learn more from my inspiring interview with Rep. Talarico as he fights to turn Texas blue

Winning Ohio - $150,600 raised, $250,000 goal - Our new campaign splits contributions evenly among Sherrod Brown, the Acton/Pepper ticket, and the Ohio Democratic Party | Donate today and help us turn this critical 2026 battleground blue | Watch my new discussions with US Senate candidate Sherrod Brown, our candidate for Governor Dr. Amy Acton, Lt. Gov candidate David Pepper, and Ohio Dem Chair Kathleen Clyde

This total includes $21,000 sent by a Hopium community member directly to each of our three Buckeye State partners!

Hopium’s Audacious Expansion Fund - $576,100 raised, $1,000,000 goal (new stretch goal) - Join our campaign that has helped expand our map by investing in the Democratic Parties of Alaska, Florida, Iowa, Maine, and Texas, all now central battlegrounds in the 2026 election | Catch interviews with the five intrepid state chairs leading their troops into battle this year - will get you fired up! | Contribute to all five state parties with one contribution split evenly among these five new battlegrounds

Many thanks to two generous Hopium community members who have audaciously donated $20,000 to each of our five state parties over the past two years

Roy Cooper for NC Senate - $115,100 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn more through my new discussion with Gov. Cooper

Jon Ossoff GA Senate - $179,100 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn more through my uplifting conversation with Senator Ossoff

Advocate For The Hopium Agenda/Pass Resolutions Of Condemnation In Your Community/Winning In An Evolving Battlefield

There are a few more ways to go to work in the coming days - call your leaders and advocate for elements of our working, ever evolving Hopium Agenda; bring resolutions that condemn our Mad King and lets facts be spoken to a candid world to your state or local government; and learn how you can help us win in evolving political and electoral battlefield this year.

Here’s our working, evolving Post-Iran Disaster Agenda:

• Work to end this ridiculous new gulf war and Trump’s Imperial global ambitions

• Support Ukraine and Europe, not Russia by passing HR 2913, The Ukraine Support Act, in the House this week

• Roll back the new, illegal tariffs

• Rescind the Trump tax cuts, claw back the extra ICE funding, fund the IRS so it can collect the taxes the rich are hiding from us

• Launch a major anti-corruption, renewing democracy campaign, one that ensures accountability for the crimes and treason committed, limits the political power of our emerging oligarchy, and strengthens democracy here and everywhere

• Make the US a clean energy superpower, fight for true energy independence, and lower utility and energy prices for the American people

• Rein in ICE, end Mass Deportation

• End Trump’s destructive war on science, research, our health scare system and our public Health

• Make clear to American farmers that we want to end the failed war, repeal the terrible tariffs, find legal pathways for farm workers, and make health care and energy more affordable

Please use the paid subscriber chat to self-report the good trouble you make each day.

Keep working hard everyone. We have a country to save, and an election to win, together! - Simon