Morning all. The proud, plucky patriots of the Hopium community gathered last night to catch up on another extraordinary week in our politics. A video recording and transcript of our get together are above. Get to it when you can. It was a lively session - as always!
A few notes from our discussion last night:
1 - We are in the fight now with Trump we all wanted to have. Leaders Schumer and Jeffries have forced a discussion about the harms Trump and the Republicans are doing to the country. So far the focus has been on their savage attack on our health care system and the rising prices their reckless tariffs have brought. I think Dems would be wise to add a third pillar to strengthen our indictment of them - threats to democracy, their rising and dangerous authoritarianism and traitorous abandonment of the American creed - particularly as we head into the many No Kings Day events across the country on October 18.
Hopium community members should note that we are getting closer to Dems having that rallying cry, that broader narrative and agenda that we’ve been advocating for. There is little question that Democrats are in the process of finding that higher gear we’ve been discussing, a process that really began this summer when Texas Dems and Govs Newsom and Pritzker stepped up and fought, as Governor Newsom told us this week, “fire with fire.”
Our friend, Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, joins us at noon ET today live to talk about Trump’s authoritarian speech to the generals and other news of the day. Click on this link a few minutes before noon to join us.
2 - Trump and the Republicans enter this fight over the budget in a weakened position. Trump and his agenda are very unpopular. He is in clear physical and cognitive decline, and despite their information superiority his powers to persuade are ebbing. The country is legitimately worse off - prices are rising, the economy is slowing, health care premiums are soaring and the health care system teetering, the farm economy is suffering, small businesses across the country are losing workers, the deficit is exploding, the whole world is angry at America for Trump’s ridiculous tariffs and our rights and liberties are being trampled, dangerously, ever day - and voters are really unhappy.
Meanwhile we continue to win and overperform in local and special elections across the country, and the November elections are likely to go our way (if we keep working hard!!!!). Their desperate attempt to find more Congressional seats is a sign they know their politics isn’t working, and will be a hard sell next year.
Which is why I think Trump is not likely to prevail in the big debate we are now having about the budget. He has not been winning any big argument with us this year, and is unlikely to win this one too. Early polling confirms their weakened position - every poll has shown far more Americans blame the Rs for the shutdown, and huge majorities want the ACA subsidies extended. The WaPo had extend the subsidies 71%-29% yesterday. Kaiser has it 78%-22% today, and 59%-40% with Republicans!
Here are Kaiser’s numbers on Trump’s signature legislative achievement - way, way underwater, weak, weak, weak - impotent, even? Given their information superiority it is extraordinary that the biggest thing they’ve done this year is this unpopular.
Here’s CNN’s Harry Enten this morning, openly mocking Republicans for their arrogance these past few days:
Friends, while it is early, we are winning the big arguments on the budget and shutdown with Trump and the Rs. Their digging in and shutting the government down just confirms our core argument against them and illiberalism - they only care about themselves and not about us, the American people, the country. “More for us, less for you” as we say here. This early data is encouraging, and we need to keep fighting.
Remember:
Trump is weak, not strong. Losing, not winning. A failure, not a success. A villain, not a hero.
A big blubbery baby man, anything, anything but a strong man.
3 - This debate over the harms they are doing to the country is one that will now carry over through the 2026 midterm elections. In essence the 2026 general election has begun, and we are seeing how extraordinarily out of position the Republicans are right now, how defensive they are. Even if we get a deal, re-open the government, etc we are now having the debate that we need to have if we are to win the November elections this fall and midterms next year.
4 - Russell Vought’s impulsive lashing out at Dems after our leaders had the audacity to challenge them has damaged their candidates in NJ and VA. While it may have them felt manly and strong, stopping construction on the Gateway tunnel between NY and NJ and threatening mass lay offs of federal workers has sabotaged the campaigns of all Republicans running in both states.
Here’s Mikie Sherrill on the Gateway Tunnel idiocy. Just opens the door to talking about all the harms of their agenda:
5 - I hope everyone here takes shifts on the must win, November 2025 races next week. We have leads and now must get our voters out. GOTV early vote calls and texts really, really matter. Please do your part in the days ahead!
Now, Let’s Get To Work Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!
I want to thank everyone who has given in recent days. We saw a big uptick in giving before the critical q3 filing deadline. Note that we’ve hit $200,000 raised now for our 7 House incumbents and Abigail Spanberger, and our Audacious expansion fund is off to a great start. Thank you all!
Winning The Fall - Support Our November, 2025 Candidates and Yes On 50
Mikie Sherrill NJ Gov (2025) - $250,000 goal, $97k raised - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my new interview with Rep. Sherrill | Read my new post about Sherrill’s sturdy polling lead | Sherrill leads by 8 in new Fox poll
Abigail Spanberger VA Gov (2025) - $250,000 goal, $203k raised - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my interview with Abigail Spanberger
Yes on 50 (CA) - $50,000 goal - Donate | Learn more, volunteer | Sign Up For CA Dem Party Daily Phonebanks | Watch my new interview with Gov. Gavin Newsom
Hopium members in CA/NJ/PA/VA - please vote on Day 1, or as early as you can, either by mail or in-person. When you vote early your names comes off the campaign GOTV rolls allowing them to move on to lower propensity voters, which increases D turnout and makes it more likely we win. Voting early = another way to help us win.
Please vote early and encourage everyone you know to join you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Winning The Midterms - Support Our 2026 Candidates
Roy Cooper for NC Senate (2026) - $250,000 goal, $41,000 raised- Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my interview with Gov. Cooper
Jon Ossoff GA Senate (2026) - $250,000 goal, $78k raised - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my inspiring new interview with Senator Ossoff
Hopium House 7 (2026) - $250,000 goal, $211k raised - Donate | Learn More, Volunteer | Watch My Interviews With Our Intrepid Incumbents
Expanding The Map - Support Our Audacious Expansion Fund (2026-2032)
Hopium’s Audacious Expansion Fund - $250,000 goal, $45,000 raised - Join our new campaign to invest in the Democratic Parties of Alaska, Florida, Iowa, Maine, and Texas | Donate To All Five State Parties | Watch my interviews with Alaska Chair Eric Croft, Florida Chair Nikki Fried, Iowa Chair Rita Hart and Texas Chair Kendall Scudder
Our updated fundraising goals are now for the end of the year, December 31st, except for the 2025 races, which are now for Election Day, 2025.
Defending America, Winning The Big Argument With Trump - We have two recommended actions today:
1 - Call Your Senators and Member Of The House And Demand They Act Upon Our Four-Part Agenda - We need to be loud people, very, very loud and make the case for our our emerging four part agenda. Demand that your Senators and House Member work to keep the government open and
Roll back Trump’s terrible, illegal tariffs that are re-igniting inflation, driving up prices, shifting the tax burden from the wealthy to working people, hurting small businesses and farmers, reviving tyrannical “taxation without representation,” and alienating governments and people throughout the world
Defend our democracy, rule of law and our liberties by blocking the expansion of ICE, restore due process to our immigration system, defend the 1st Amendment, and end the use of the military on our streets and the occupations of our cities
Fight Trump’s war on science, higher education and our public health; reverse - not delay - the cuts to the ACA and Medicaid; support and co-sponsor Rep. Haley Stevens’ effort to Impeach and remove Robert Kennedy
Stand with Ukraine and our European allies, and far more forcefully challenge Trump’s traitorous efforts to sell out the US and the West to Russia and China
2 - Bring “Resolutions Of Condemnation” To Your Community - Inspired by the tactics of our Founders learn about how Hopium members are advancing “Resolutions of Condemnation” in their communities across the country and consider bringing this initiative to your state, country or city/town. Be sure to check out our new discussion with Deborah Potter and Rachel Poliner who have passed resolutions in New Mexico and Boston, and offer advice on how to get a resolution passed in your own community.
Remarkably, members of this community have passed or are advancing 84 (!!!!) resolution projects in 22 states + DC. Can we get to all 50 states by the fall election?
Finally, please self-report your activities to our daily paid subscriber chat. These reports help inspire all of us to do more and fight harder! Been impressive to see how many of you remain involved in local, in person protests of all kinds in your communities. Great to see!
Keep working hard all. We have a country to save and a future to reclaim for our kids and grandkids, together - Simon
