Every Democrat Must Now Join The Fight Against Trump's Escalating, Dangerous, Traitorous Authoritarianism

Two Live Events Today - Rep Eric Swalwell At 230pm ET, Senator Cory Booker Tonight at 8pm ET

Morning all. We are here now……..

And the country is not happy about this, not one bit:

We are in the fight with Trump now all of us wanted to have. This past week we were strong, principled and resolute. They were unprepared, flummoxed, panicky, weak and wobbly. Early budget fight polls show us in a much stronger position, winning the big arguments. The House Rs ran away, again. As I wrote a few days ago the big thing Dems are doing now is starting the necessary process of forcing Republicans to take responsibility for their extremism, their betrayal of the country, the harms their policies are doing to all of us.

Part of their panicky response has been Trump’s deeply dangerous escalation of their reckless, authoritarian, un-American, traitorous plan to turn the American military away its responsibilities in Europe and Asia towards coming after their domestic opposition - all of us - now a clear majority of the American people. We discuss this new escalation at length with Gov. Gavin Newsom and Rep. Adam Smith in our newly released interviews.

In the coming days the Democratic Party and the pro-democracy movement needs to speak with one very loud and very clear voice against this fascistic, un-American regime and its mad, ailing, desperate and dangerous leader. Congressional leaders should be doing events with Governors and state AGs showing our unity of purpose, making it harder for Trump and Miller and Hegseth to isolate their opponents, and divide and conquer. Every elected Democrat, at every level of office, should be putting out statements denouncing what Trump is doing, and talk to their constituents about what is happening now, in their country, with their tax dollars. Amicus briefs should be flying. Our leaders should be booking themselves to speak to as many No Kings events as possible on October 18th. We are here now, and we must fight.

We are hosting live events today with two of our most able Congressional leaders to talk about all this:

• 230pm ET - Rep. Eric Swalwell. Click on this link a few minutes before to joins us

• 8pm ET - Senator Cory Booker. Click on this link a few minutes before to join us

You can find links to all our live events on our Events page, and watch recordings of all of our events, presentations and discussions under the Podcast tab on the Hopium site and on YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify too.

As I showed in this recent memo voters have woken up this rising authoritarianism, and concerns about “threats to democracy” have spiked in recent polling. It has become a much greater concern, for example, than health care, our primary area of engagement with Trump. There is a lingering and false understanding in some Democratic circles that engaging on Trump’s escalation in the cities is somehow not where voters want us to be. If it was ever true - and I don’t think it is - IT IS NO LONGER TRUE. The assault on blue states and blue cities has become a major area of concern with voters and they are deeply unhappy with what they are seeing.

2024 Exit Polls

It has been our clear recommendation that Democrats now need to have at least three parts to our narrative now, all revolving around our opposition to the harm Trump is doing to the country - we must oppose his tariffs and the harm they are doing to every day people, our businesses, our farmers - all of us; we must oppose his extraordinary assault on our health care and public health; and we must oppose his fascistic attack on our long-held and deeply American rights and freedoms, his abandonment of the Constitutional order, and his clear intent to become a dictator not a President. Broadening and deepening our argument will make it stronger and more durable over time.

The shutdown itself should be understood as a manifestation of their growing illiberalism and “let them eat cake” and “more for me, less for you” oligarchical lack of concern about the country and the American people. For the reason we are in shutdown is that Trump and the Republicans are refusing to even meet, let alone negotiate, with Democrats whose votes they need to pass a budget this year. It is an attempt to deny the minority party agency in our democracy, to dictate, imperially, rather than to seek compromise. For if you believe, as Trump and Miller do, that Democrats are domestic terrorists, “vermin,” lesser beings, then we have no agency for we have no legitimacy. So they cannot negotiate; cannot imagine that we have asserted the right to do so; and so they rage, escalate, panic, stumble, and grow further and further away from the American people and our democracy itself.

I also want to encourage our community to take another look at our Resolutions Project, and consider trying to advance a “Resolution of Condemnation” in your local community or state. This project was intended to help people and leaders across the country find their voice on this aspect of Trumpism - his extraordinary and traitorous assault on our Constitutional order - and put communities across the country on record opposing this ongoing betrayal of the United States of America. We now have passed or are moving resolutions in 85 jurisdictions in 23 states. The time seems right for a renewed emphasis here.

In the last few weeks Democrats have courageously begun to draw a very bright line with Trump on health care, and it is working. Now we have a few more lines to draw, together…….for we have a country to defend and a future to secure for our kids and grandkids…..

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 $100,000 for Mikie Sherrill. Thank you all!

Winning The Fall - Support Our November, 2025 Candidates and Yes On 50

• Mikie Sherrill NJ Gov (2025) - $250,000 goal, $102k 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, $206k 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, $42,000 raised- Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my interview with Gov. Cooper

• Jon Ossoff GA Senate (2026) - $250,000 goal, $80k raised - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my inspiring new interview with Senator Ossoff

• Hopium House 7 (2026) - $250,000 goal, $213k 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, $47,000 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

1. 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

2. 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 unlawful occupation of our cities

3. 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

4. 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 85 (!!!!) resolution projects in 23 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