Morning all. We just got the monthly BLS Consumer Price Index report for August and it shows inflation surging. Look at these jumps in the overall rate, food and energy. This is ugly stuff.
A reminder that in early August Trump raised tariff rates significantly on most goods coming into the US. In some cases he raised the rate five fold. And prices surged in August. As we’ve been saying here it has become impossible to ignore the clear, manifest failure of Trump’s economic plan, and Democrats are right to be making rolling back these terrible tariffs central to our fall strategy.
Last night our paid subscribers gathered for our regular Wednesday evening discussion. A recording and transcript can be found above.
Given yesterday’s tragic and shocking killing of Charlie Kirk I did my best to make sense of the current moment as I do each week. Here’s where I ended up last night, and where I am now, today:
The road ahead of us is going to be hard, and as we go forward our North Star must be democracy, rule of law, freedom, love of country and love of one another
I am heading to Minnesota next week to help raise money for the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (the wonderful name of the Democratic Party in Minnesota). I agreed to do this event for I wanted to show my solidarity for those whose who’ve been grappling with the assassination and attempted assassination of prominent Democrats just a few months ago.
If you are in Minnesota or want to support this fundraiser from anywhere in the country in honor of Melissa Hortman and her husband head here. It is next Wednesday night in St. Paul and tickets start at $75.
As I said in my presentation last night our movement is a pro-democracy, pro-rule of law, pro-freedom movement. We oppose autocracy, lawlessness and political violence. There is no part of our family, no ideology on our side that calls for violence or any other illiberal undermining of the great American project. In fact our movement has responded to Trump’s unprecedented assault on the Constitutional order though a vigorous embrace of all the tools available to political movements in a democracy - peaceful protests, playing hard in special and local elections, challenging him in the courts and through debate and discussion. We have sought to reinforce the integrity of the democratic process through our work, not undermine it. We’ve sought to make it hard for people to access guns to kill. We have fought for universal health care and opportunity for all. We have fought for science and higher ed, for equal rights for all. Our movement is a pro-democracy movement that wants to make the lives of all people here in America and around the world better. We have a pretty impressive track record in doing so. These assertions that we seek or advocate violence are ridiculous, and they should not for one second stop us from doing the work required to mitigate the damage Trump is doing and win back power.
As Jon Ossoff challenged us in our discussion this week:
"Allow yourselves to feel hope. Allow yourselves to believe in victory. The only way that we don't win these elections is if we lose faith in ourselves and our ability to shape the country's future as citizens. We still have that power as bleak as it seems. And we still have the power to build a country that we believe in and to present an agenda that can unite the country again. But if we lose faith, that's what worries me. So keep the faith, help me in Georgia, keep fighting."
For our North Star should continue to be, as it has been for over 80 years since FDR oriented our party around his Four Freedoms that includes “freedom from fear” -
Democracy, rule of law, freedom, love of country and love of one another
My main offering today is my video presentation from last night. I will let my words and answers to the 40 minutes of questions and discussion speak for me on this somber day. Get it when you. If you need a bit more got all this too:
Terrific new discussions with Senators Ruben Gallego and Jon Ossoff, NJ Gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill and Rep. Dan Goldman
Posts on Trump’s dangerous appeasement of Putin, with recommendations to Congressional Dems for how to fight Trump this fall, and how the reckoning for Trump’s idiocy, extremism and betrayal has begun.
Now…..
Let’s Go Win The Fall, Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Support Our November, 2025 Candidates
Mikie Sherrill NJ Gov (2025) - $250,000 goal, $72k raised - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my new interview with Rep. Sherrill
Abigail Spanberger VA Gov (2025) - $250,000 goal, $187k raised - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my interview with Abigail Spanberger
Support Our 2026 Candidates
Roy Cooper for NC Senate (2026) - $250,000 goal, $32,000 raised- Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my interviews with Gov. Cooper and NC Dem Chair Anderson Clayton
Jon Ossoff GA Senate (2026) - $250,000 goal, $65k raised - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my inspiring new interview with Senator Ossoff
Hopium House 7 (2026) - $250,000 goal, $197k raised - Donate | Learn More, Volunteer | Watch My Interviews With Our Intrepid Incumbents
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.
For more on Hopium’s approach to elections check out 1) the many important wins we had together last cycle 2) my big recommendations to the family coming out of the 2024 elections about what we need to do now 3) my latest thinking on where we are and the path forward for the Hopium community.
Take Action, Express Your Love Of Country And Strengthen Our Democracy Through Good Works - We are prioritizing two 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 reps work to
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
Block the expansion of ICE, restore due process and end the use of the military on our streets
Fight Trump’s war on science, higher education and our public health; reverse - not delay - the cuts to the ACA and Medicaid; demand the removal of extremist Robert Kennedy from HHS. Yes, we need to FIRE HIM
Stand with Ukraine 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 are now advancing 75 (!!!!) resolutions projects in 23 states +DC. Can we get to all 50 states by the fall election?
On Tuesday night the town council of Corrales, New Mexico debated and passed a resolution of condemnation. A preview of the resolution can be found in this article from a local new site. In considering the resolution Councilor Bill Woldman said:
"I want to thank the Mayor and administration for the comprehensive and important statement on our democracy. This is not a partisan statement, but rather an acknowledgment of a significant deviation from 250 years of practice of the Separation of Powers. While all politics may not be local, it is important for local governmental bodies to acknowledge threats when they exist and support our Congressional Representatives in their resistance to executive branch overreach. Thank you."
Keep up the great work proud, plucky patriots of the Hopium community!!!!
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, and let’s go out and win the fall, together - Simon
