Morning all. I sat down with Rep. Derek Tran (CA-45) late yesterday afternoon and am excited to bring our conversation to you, above. Rep. Tran is one of our Hopium 7 - those newly-elected House Members in battleground districts who we helped elect in 2024 and are once again supporting this year. Our discussion is a terrific window into how Members of Congress are navigating these tough early days of Trump 2.0. Get to our talk when you can. I think you will find it informative and interesting. For those who would rather read the interview than watch or listen you can find a rough transcript above.
And do support our intrepid Hopium 7 today. The first step in flipping the House next year is making sure our battleground House Members get the early support they need to make sure they are re-elected.
Republicans Are Growing More Aggressive In Challenging Trump On His Embrace of Putin And Selling Out Of America - A new Hill story recounts what is a very public challenge from GOP leaders on our possible surrendering of our command of NATO:
President Trump is on a collision course with Republican defense hawks over the question of whether the United States should continue its 75-year military leadership of NATO and at what level of commitment…..
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Now the Pentagon is considering an overhaul of the U.S. military’s combatant commands, including one scenario that would have the United States give up its role as NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, according to NBC News, which cited defense officials familiar with the planning.
That news was met with a swift rebuke from Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), who issued a statement warning that any major changes to combatant commands must be done in coordination with Congress.
“We will not accept significant changes to our warfighting structure that are made without a rigorous interagency process, coordination with combatant commanders and the Joint Staff, and collaboration with Congress,” they declared in a joint statement Wednesday.
Former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), who now serves as chair of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, also pushed back against the proposal to give up U.S. military leadership of NATO.
“Weakening American leadership won’t strengthen NATO or U.S. interests. If we’re serious about encouraging more capable European allies, retreating from our position as the leader of the trans-Atlantic alliance would be an odd way to show it,” he said in a statement Thursday afternoon.
Withdrawing from NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe command structure would signal diminished U.S. involvement in NATO and could eventually spell the end of the alliance as it has been known for 75 years.
It would be politically difficult to place U.S. armed forces under the command of a European ally when United States defense spending accounts for roughly two-thirds of all NATO countries’ combined defense spending.
Wicker and Rogers said while they support Trump’s efforts to ensure that European allies increase their contributions to the NATO alliance, they warned against moves that “risk undermining American deterrence around the globe,” which would undercut “our negotiating positions with America’s adversaries.”
The most significant cracks in Trump’s Congressional support has come from his rancid efforts to partner with Putin and abandon our allies. While we will see where this all goes, this is some of the strongest language we’ve heard from Rs so far this Congress; and as we talk about here, little cracks can become big cracks over time. It is why in our work we must keep expressing our displeasure to our Congressional leaders about Trump’s embrace of/surrender to Putin.
Trump Continues To Wreck The Strong Economy He Inherited - Trump’s policies are making America poorer, less healthy, less safe and less free, and the markets are having another bad day:
Recent Hopium Work For Your Weekend Reading, Viewing and Listening Pleasure - Got a few things for you for the weekend, and do note that all of our interviews have rough transcripts available for those who would rather read along rather than watch or listen:
My latest video and comprehensive post, America Is Not Winning Under Trump, He Is Far Weaker Today, Ds Are Raising Their Game and Opening Up A Second Front
Learn more about the all-important Wisconsin Supreme Court race through my recent discussion with our great candidate Susan Crawford and Hopium-favorite WI Dem Chair Ben Wikler
Watch my in-depth interview with our great candidate for Virginia Governor, Abigail Spanberger
Listen to DNC Vice Chair Jane Kleeb talk about the People’s Town Halls and what the new DNC leadership team is doing and planning
Spend time with our good friend, Rep. Adam Smith, the Ranking Member on House Armed Services Committee, on countering Trump’s dangerous foreign policy
Welcome back the inspiring NC Dem Chair Anderson Clayton for a discussion of countering Trump in a battleground state and fighting the GOP’s efforts to steal a state Supreme Court seat
Dive into influential journalist and former Univision anchor Leon Krauze’s recounting of the lessons Dems can learn from Mexico’s recent experience with a Trump-like leader
Come to understand why Trump’s tariffs and reckless economic policies mean higher prices, a weaker America and global chaos with. Dr. Rob Shapiro
Get angry hearing Dr. Michael Mann describe the right’s decades-long attack on science and detail the damage Trump is doing right now
Enjoy Senator Elissa Slotkin’s powerful response to Trump if you never got around to seeing it.
There was another People’s Town Hall in Pennsylvania last night. Here is DNC Chair Ken Martin’s Bluesky recap:
Loved this exchange on our paid subscriber get shit done chat yesterday for as we’ve been discussing Congressional offices not only track the calls they get they also note when calls drop and we just cannot let up:
Kate:
Thank you, Simon, for the push last night to get back into the habit of calling my Rep and Sens daily. I am in Iowa, so all three are GOP, and it's discouraging. When I called this morning, I got right through to Rep Miller-Meeks and Sen. Ernst and left voicemail for Sen. Grassley. Two weeks ago, they couldn't keep up with phone calls and their voicemails were full. I will do my part not to let them think that our opposition has flagged. I'm also writing postcards for Susan Crawford in WI.
Michele:
Can you share your message to your Rep and Sens? Need some guidance.
I switch mine up to my GOP senators every day, but I always end it with something along the lines of: "Please uphold your oath to protect the Constitution." Today I talked to Budd's (NC) voicemail about the risk of increased terrorist attacks because water inspectors are not able to do their jobs thanks to the executive order that stated government workers can only charge $1 on their cards (on NPR this morning; also in the Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/03/09/doge-government-credit-card-limits/). I talked to Tillis about the wanton destruction of funding for science and technology (very important to NC's economy) and how the administration is ceding the country's preeminence in these fields. I say whatever is on my mind, and at this point, I look forward to it!
Kate Feldman:
Brilliant. Thank you.
Yes, peeps, if you can, call every day. We cannot let up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Let’s Get To Work - While we have made many recommendations to Democrats in recent months for how to raise our game and fight harder and smarter, let’s focus on our current four recommended sets of actions for how we can best channel our love of country and our frustrations into concrete action today:
1 - Fight The Trump-Musk Attack On Our Government, Our Privacy And Our Constitutional Order - Encourage your Senators and Representatives to let Facts be be submitted to a candid world in a joint Senate-House Letter to America; to hold their own hearings; to file criminal referrals for Musk and his malicious posse to DOJ/FBI and amicus briefs in the court cases regarding the usurpation of their Constitutional authorities or file suits of their own (House Dems began doing this two weeks ago). Encourage them to hold a daily morning press conference to more aggressively challenge Musk’s ransacking of the USG that is making America less prosperous, less healthy, less safe and far less respected in the world.
2 - Loudly Protest Trump’s Embrace of Russia and Abandonment of NATO and Europe - Let your electeds know you are outraged by traitorous Trump’s selling out of Zelenskyy, abandonment of Europe and embrace of Putin; and that we cannot accept this level of appeasement of someone who is a clear enemy of America and the West, and certainly not an ally. Demand that Trump not let his Saudi meeting w/Putin become our Munich; demand that he not become our Neville Chamberlain; demand that we rejoin our European and NATO allies in support of Zelenskyy and democracy here and everywhere. The country is not with Trump’s embrace of Putin and we must be very loud, very, very loud now. See my new essay on the need to support our allies and not surrender to Putin, and my new interview with Rep. Adam Smith, the Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, one of the most important foreign policy voices in our party.
3 - Organize Against The 17 Most Vulnerable Republican House Members - For those of you who live in AZ, CA, CO, IA, MI, NE, NJ, NY, PA, VA, WI please start talking to your local orgs - state and local Democratic parties, grassroots groups, traditional Dem allies - about mounting a campaign targeting the most vulnerable 17 Republican House Members to urge them to vote against whatever joint House-Senate reconciliation bill emerges in the coming weeks. We launched this new effort a few weeks ago and while we should be urging all our Senators and Reps to vote against these emerging plans, those of you can work these 17 House Rs have a special role to play in this next phase of the battle over the budget. As we’ve discussed there is a lot of concern in the Republican House about the size of the Medicaid cuts required in the House outline passed last month and we need to keep working it people! (will be updating this in coming days now that the DNC, the House Dems and the state parties have become active in all these districts - as we hoped!!!!! Sign up to attend a new “People’s Town Hall” today)
4 - Keep Calling Attorneys General In The States - Ask them to protect you and your data, tax returns and privacy, and to keep federally mandated monies flowing to your states and communities. For those in the 19 states that brought the successful Treasury suit thank them and encourage them to keep going. I still believe these 19 states should make criminal referrals of Musk/his posse to DOJ/FBI and raise the stakes.
Paid subscribers should self-report their actions today in our daily chat. So inspired by how hard so many of you are working. I want to make a special plea to all Hopium readers in states with Republican Senators - please make your calls, every day. Even 50 to 100 people calling every day in every red state can make a difference. We have hundreds of Hopium subscribers in every state in the country and it’s critical that we all do our part now.
Next, for those wanting to do more traditional political/campaign work we have four Hopium-backed efforts we're rallying behind in addition to our new House Hopium 7:
Help Susan Crawford and Ben Wikler in Wisconsin - As a way of honoring our good friend Ben Wikler and supporting this critical April Supreme Court race in Wisconsin, I’m asking our community to donate to the Wisconsin Democratic Party today. The money raised here will make sure Ben has the resources he needs to keep his team in place so they can support this critical statewide race. I know many of you are already deeply involved here - thank you all.
Watch our new discussion with Susan and Ben. Thanks to a huge surge of support in recent days we have already raised $169,000 from over 2,000 of you, blowing past our original $50,000 goal and now our stretch goals of $100,000, $125,000 and $150,000. We are now upping this to a new superduper-stretch goal of $175,000 by March 31st. Amazing work everyone!
Support The Hopium House 7 - We’ve begun our work to help flip the House next year by supporting and shoring up the 7 newly-elected battleground House Dems we helped elect last year. You can give to all 7 through a single donation to our new ActBlue page and learn more about this important effort here. We’ve already raised almost $23,000 towards our $50,000 March 31st goal - thank you all!
Help Abigail Spanberger Win Virginia - Virginia will be one of the big battlegrounds of the November, 2025 elections and we have a great candidate for Governor, Abigail Spanberger. Watch my interview with Abigail, donate, volunteer, and learn more here. Given how many federal employees live in Virginia, this race is also now on the front lines of the Trump/Musk assault on the federal government. We’ve raised more than $66,000 so far towards our March 31st goal of $100,000 - thank you all. Let’s keep working it for Abigail!
Get Anderson Clayton And The NC Dems Fight The GOP’s Attempt To Steal A Supreme Court Seat - Last week we began a campaign to raise $50,000 for Anderson Clayton and the NC Dems. These funds will help the NC Dems get off to a great start in 2025 and help cover the costs of their fight to prevent the Republicans from stealing a Supreme Court seat we won together in 2024. Watch my new interview with Chair Clayton from last week to get an update on the fight over the Supreme Court seat and her plans to win elections and counter Trump this year. We’ve raised $25,000 so far - thank you all!
Help Get Ken Martin Off To A Strong Start - In this time of extraordinary challenge we need a strong DNC. Two weeks ago we set a goal of raising $100,000 by March 31st for our new Chair. Incredibly, over 1,400 of you have donated over $101,000 so far. Watch my interview with Ken about what he wants to do with the DNC, and chip in whatever you can to help Ken and the new exciting team at the DNC get off to a strong start!
Help Hopium Celebrate Our 2nd Anniversary - In a post from last weekend I reflected back on our work together over these past two years, and made two asks:
1) Commit to bring in one new Hopium subscriber at the your current subscriber level this month. Help us grow this community, and bring our plucky, upbeat, hardworking spirit to more people across the US.
2) Upgrade your subscription to paid or paid to Founding (10% off annual paid subscriptions through March). The resources you provide allows me to work full time at Hopium and keeps our community vibrant, growing and making all sorts of good trouble every day. Gift and group subscriptions are also a great way to grow our community!
Keep working hard all. Proud to be in this fight with all of you - Simon
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