Thanks for these reminders, Simon. Unfortunately, Ds were not perceived in 2024 (at least at the presidential level) as "making Hispanics and Millennials [or non-college voters of every description] central to our politics" as your 2007 essay urged. We must change that perception and, in my view, that reality as well.
I do wish that the party leaders would be much more aggressive about speaking out against everything ICE is doing--for moral reasons, for anti-authoritarianism reasons, and also to show Latino voters that the Dems will actually fight for them.
My whole life, it's felt like there's a perception among reactionary centrists that somehow the votes of conservative-leaning white people matter more than others, that we should forgo fighting for BIPOC people, queer people, etc (see: "identity politics") in case it might offend a few voters in PA. But these pundits and consultants don't seem to understand that the people behind those identities, and their family and friends, vote as well.
In terms of young people, I believe my generation (X) and up really do not understand that deregulation and greed have made the lives we have unattainable for working class and middle class people, given the costs of housing, health care, day care--not to mention usurious student loans. We've seen that Democrats who do speak on these issues do inspire young voters--but the same pundit class mocks them. I'm hopeful that Ken Martin will help guide the party to a place of listening and responding to the needs of the people Simon speaks of.
I'm so heartened--and not surprised--to see that Simon has been calling for a party that stands up for all Americans for decades.
Sen. Chris Murphy just completed his yearly walk across CT. This year his walk started in Litchfield and hit most towns in the farthest reaches of western CT from north to south, sadly not my town. This 4 day walk covered 70 miles. He walked up to people at mini-marts, gas stations etc. Most did not recognize him at first, dressed in shorts, t shirt and faded ball cap. His take-away, minimum wage needs to be much higher, worry about healthcare, plus housing needs to be built and it needs to be affordable. There is also fear at where this administration is leading us. This walking tour every year keeps him apprised as to the pulse of his constituents. So proud that he is my Senator.
Every week, I receive emails in the form of letters from both my Senators and my House Representative replying to questions I contacted them about. This is what all of us deserve from our elected officials.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS today in Poland, and in South Korea on Tuesday. I am hoping the impact of Trump will once again be beneficial – just as it was in Canada, Australia and Romania. In all three countries, voters turned their backs on the right-wing parties. And in Germany, too, the extreme AfD was shut out of power. In Norway, the ruling center-left is having a strong resurgence ahead of this autumn’s parliamentary elections.
It’s been raining here this weekend. That’s good for the seeds we sowed these last few days, and in previous weeks. Seedlings have sprouted, looking strong; it’s soon time to put down our weed-inhibiting mulch of shredded leaves. And judging from the trees in our orchard, it looks like we’ll have a bumper crop of plums and pears. The jury is still out on the apples, cherries and hazelnuts. Gardening and long walks in our woods are good antidotes to the Mad King’s insanity – and we come back energized and ready to do more!
Simon refers to Trump’s tribal “more for me, less for you” agenda. Incredibly, it seems worse than. Through his pardons (beyond the J6 insurgents), and his "defund the police" agenda (firing the regulators and enforcers that protect the American people), Trump is essentially decriminalizing white-collar fraud and corruption – at least that which is committed by corporatists and those on his MAGA side of the fence.
“Ukraine launched audacious drone attacks on four military airports inside Russia, destroying more than 40 warplanes in the biggest blow of the war against Moscow’s long-range bomber fleet,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The attack, dubbed ‘Spider’s Web,’ took a year and a half to prepare, officials at Ukraine’s main security and intelligence agency, the SBU, said on Sunday. Ukraine’s drones targeted Russia’s Belaya, Ivanovo, Dyagilevo and Olenya air bases, all of which house Russian military planes.”
“The bombardment is a significant victory for Ukraine’s deep-strike program, which uses drones to target crucial materiel on Russia’s soil.”
I am planting a little extra to donate to the Soup Kitchen at the Episcopal church and am asking my church members and friends to plant a little extra to donate to the kitchen and the Salvation Army in town who are thrilled at the prospect of fresh vegetables for their clients. Will ask my neighbors as well. Am asking everyone who gardens, or their children or grandchildren who also like to play in the dirt to check with churches and social service agencies who might be interested in doing the same. Blessings on this community who do so much to make this a better world!
Thank you so much Simon. I wonder about messaging regarding the issues as well. How to truly harness our messages, accomplishments and musings and get them to everyone. When we only had 3 channels with news at 5 and 10 or whatever time it was, that was easier than the diaspora we now live with. AND there was a “Walter Cronkite” integrity and understanding of journalism, rather than news as entertainment, clicks for cash, and cortisol releases inciting more clicks for more cash.
At a Tesla demonstration yesterday, a middle-aged man read over a bullhorn a quote by Thomas Paine that connects us to our ancestors who fought for our country - "These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman." I believe our foremothers and fathers can help show us the way with their wise words.
I will be doing a program in August on the lead up to the Revolution and the first year of battles. John Ferling's book, Whirlwind: The American Revolution and the War That Won It, right in the Preface discuss the similarities that we are seeing today. I encourage everyone to read at least this much of the book that can be found at most libraries or thru interlibrary loan.
I think we can safely say that the GOP's motto going forward is "we're all going to die" and we need to never let up on associating Ernst's statement with them. The fact that a sitting politician would not only respond to concerns raised in a town hall with that statement, but then FOLLOW UP with a video of herself walking through a graveyard indicates to me that the republicans feel zero threat to their electability- and why should they? They know that they can say and do whatever they want with minimal electoral and legal repercussions, and that is a major problem.
I interpreted Joni Ernst's responses quite the opposite. Some Rs are under great pressure to deliver for their billionaire and foreign overlords and it isn't going well for them. JE's resposes were those of someone who's losing it. Insult, then ridicule your constituents? I don't think that's a well-thought-out political strategy.
Actually I think it’s a well thought out strategy, straight out of the Roy Cohn/Donald Trump playbook: never admit you’re wrong and double down. Sadly it has worked for Trump. He was legitimately reelected notwithstanding stoking an insurrection, being impeached 2x, convicted of 34 felonies, and indicted multiple times over. I don’t know if it will work for Ernst, but I understand why she thinks it could.
How to respond is unclear to me but I think the Democrats should go after Joni Ernst HARD and in ways that will play across the socials.
she could have doubled down without insulting the constituents - she started pegging the one constituent as 'upset' [don't recall her word]. she could have said, no need to 'become hysterical, of course we want to protect everyone's health care - we'd never tamper with medicaid, medicare, etc. the usual. Of course she's made herself a sitting duck.
I mean, I do think that they are up against the wall in a way because they know that they have a very narrow window to pull their crap. It's going to only get more bonkers from here on out. But in terms of fearing retribution from their base, they don't seem to be that worried about how they come across.
It's not just the narrow window, though the window is narrow. And not retribution from the base. It's not just T and Elmo who have committed or aided in committing crimes. BTW saw an interesting interview with Stuart Stephens in IDK Jan or so; he said he was thinking/ speculating the T admin's actions should be seen as analogous to Civil War Gettysburg Picket's charge. The Court ruling on tariffs is major in many ways, not to mention on kidnapping/ abducting of ppl from the US. Of course their desperation makes them even more dangerous
The GOP is the Party of Death. An existential threat. I don't know if such phrases are political winners, but seems clear to me that they are an apt description.
I'm looking forward to catching up with the most recent live interview, as well as the articles shared by Simon today. Looking at threads responding to news posts on FB, I've been struck by how reactive MAGA people can be, either repeating the same old expressions--"get a job," " they're *illegal*"--no matter what the particular situation may be. Also, when Trump moves the goal posts--as in deporting all kinds of people legally here, as opposed to the "criminals" he promised--they twist themselves into pretzels to back whatever new thing he's doing. I don't know why I'm spending time on that, except to say Democrats will never convert these people, but may do better to have sort of plain-spoken ways of communicating, say to the ridiculous things Joni Ernst has said in the last few days. And I do think Democrats could find more emotional ways to appeal--say in the erosion of public education. People really get irate and emotional when they think people are messing with their kids' futures.
MAGA has allowed that percentage to be what they have always been. Their true selves are now out in the open. They have stopped being hypocrites; now know them for what they are.
Soon after I posted this I saw a clip of Senator Warnock on Meet the press. The host quoted David Plouffe’s insistence that Biden should have exited the race in 2023, etc., but the senator calmly answered that election is over and we need to focus on “the big ugly bill.” I won’t unpack his analysis of the budget bill but he basically did exactly what I was calling for. I hope more Democrats copy his approach and rhetoric.
I think we need to make peace with the realization that some percentage of the country is lost to the MAGA cult. But it's much smaller than the number that voted for trump in 2024, and the people who make up that difference are potentially gettable.
Also, FB is more theater than it is reality. A person commenting "they're illegal" or whatever may be committed to that ideology but they are also responding to the (icky) dopamine hit of trolling a stranger. That's part of the dark magic of social media. But some fraction of those people may/would see it differently in a real conversation about people they actually know with someone they actually know and like. That, too, may be a redeemable part of MAGA, but it's the work of years, not minutes.
I think some of it will require generational change, perhaps like the passing of former Confederates did. Some of it may also require the hard lessons of hardship and tragedy that the trump2 regime is dishing out daily.
People in my circles respond to accusations of Trump's wrongdoing or corruption with a "What about Joe Biden?" rant.. Then they start with the name-calling. It tells me that they can't hack the cognitive dissonance, and they will protect their guy to the death. It's so disheartening to see. These are people I know and grew up with, not bots. I try to think of ways to open their hearts and minds to the cruelty and corruption. If it's someone they know, will they care and change their mind? How can we get them off the idea that Democrats/Biden are just as corrupt, so it doesn't matter what Trump does? Just my musings.
Full confession, this an AI précis of Bonhoeffer's Theory of Stupidity, The actual theory is just too long for a quick answer.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer's theory of stupidity, explored in his writings, particularly in his Letters from Prison, argues that stupidity, not evil, is a greater threat to society. Bonhoeffer saw stupidity as a moral failing, a refusal of critical thinking and self-reflection, rendering individuals defenseless against reason. He believed that stupidity, unlike evil, is not susceptible to rational argument or confrontation, and can be a dangerous force, even in positions of power.
I fear you are dealing with flat out, can't be changed, proud of it stupidity. And TACO is just so tasty in all he says.
One thing I have noticed about Fox is that it relies heavily on personal stories to convey "news" items. So if Fox wants to promote a particular piece of propaganda, it will run a "news" story, an editorial, and a human interest story about someone affected by whatever issue they're promoting. My MAGA friends use this rhetorical technique when they're arguing. "Why don't you ever bring up the mom of five who was murdered by the illegal? Situational empathy!"
It occurs to me that it might behoove Democrats to do something similar. There are lots of painful stories to pull from! It worked really well in Kentucky when they young woman who was raped by her stepfather spoke so movingly about having an abortion in a TV ad. There are no doubt tons of small business folks, VA nurses, and cancer patients who could speak eloquently about what the administration is doing. I think it would be awesome to build a bank of these stories and start plastering social media with QR codes that feature them. People relate better to stories than facts and figures!
I'm troubled by Ronald Brownstein's belief that the votes of the white working-class, especially men, are hopelessly lost to Democrats. That's an especially discouraging message for those of us living in heavily red rural areas. Democrats have to take a large share of the responsibility for this. We dug ourselves into a hole with working-class voters, and we can dig ourselves out. That starts with emphasizing class unity among workers of all races. But we have to do the work.
Oh? I too. live in a heavily rural area. These things are evident: We will help our own, but not those who are "new," or don't resemble us, unless it suits our purpose. Education is just a problem, not a solution. The public programs that are available, be they through the Dept. of Agriculture, Social Security or Medicare or Medicaid, are given because we deserve it, we earned it, all others? They are takers. The republican party has made that argument time after time.
It is not the Democrats alone who are to blame. It is allowing these troublesome and selfish attitudes to fester decade after decade. Whose fault is that? Everyone's.
It starts in school and is nurtured very carefully. Look to the school boards and see what they have done. Are they working for the good of the community and the country or to cultivate their own prejudices?
As the line from the musical "South Pacific" says, "They must be carefully taught."
Anat Shenker-Osario an influencer and messaging consultant recommends that we label the big ugly reconcilliation bill as THE MAGA MURDER BUDGET.
After all it is what it is and what it does. Make the GOP try to defend it and point to Joni Ernst as exhibit A. Push it into the media ecosphere, so even as GOP trashes it, it reinforces the idea.
Self-report: I daily contact my two Democratic Senators and my one Freedom Caucus Representative. Today I donated to my local Indivisible chapter. I make my daily messages different each day. I don't want them to think I'm a telephone bot although I sometimes feel that way. Enough about me.
I really enjoyed the conversation with Ron Brownstein. Will he take over the DNC for us? Give him a free 747 if he's willing to run the DNC until 2028. I could not agree with him more when he said the problems for Democrats are different in 2026 and 2028. Thanks to Trump, and some improvements in playing the role of loyal opposition, Democrats should win in 2026. Unless they pull defeat out of the jaws of victory as they have in the past. But, in 2028, they must solve their own polling problems and fix the notion that they don't care about non-college-educated working Whites. Indeed, they also need to have a solution to the impact of AI on jobs. That's a lot to ask but Democrats aren't inherently stupid. They should be able to do it. They need to listen to the likes of Ron and Simon and Political Girl and so many others. In that direction, there is hope.
We humans have a long dark history of genocide, ethnic cleansing and demonizing "THE OTHER". It has been women (The burning times) and from what I can tell, ALWAYS people of color; anyone NOT white and male and/or Christian. I just looked up the known genocides of the last 2000 years. It is a long tragic list and involves every different culture all over the world. Our history is particularly egregious: Slavery AND the planned, forced genocide of the indigenous people on this continent. In order to save my sanity, I contemplate this as part of the large cycles of evolution... and that I happen to be born in, not the darkest of times, but a very dark one. I want to believe we are in the last gasps of Patriarchal white supremacy, but I may not see the ending in my lifetime. When the Dark is threatened it rises up with more cruelty and desperation. (Perhaps we have to all read The Lord of the Rings again to get courage and inspiration from Sam and Frodo). Meanwhile, all I can do is one thing at a time, one day at a time, as much as I can. Thanks Simon, for your out loud "journaling". I am always so interested and deepened.
Reviewing 2000 years of genocide doesn't mean this is how it will play out this time. Is replaying past horrors helpful now? Is there a benefit? I"m afraid I dont see it.
It's darkest before the dawn... a breakthrough that really shifts the balance could be eminent. (Throw little Marco in jail is my vote) Your words have a tone of inevitability and hopelessness, Kate.
Don"t give into it. Future generations are counting on us.
p.s I just scrolled down and saw Ukraine scored a major victory against Russia's airforce. The whole world is engagrd in this transformative battle. Good news on any day on any front is possible... indeed likely. Keep the faith.
Hi Michael. Thank you for your care. This may be a bigger conversation. But I'm always so thankful for different views from different lenses. I'm a social worker and so have studied the long hard roads of the oppressed. I have had to learn to see clearly and not shy away from the shadow side of human nature. Also I have a deep spiritual practice so I can "sit with" what is, with a fair amount of equanimity. This is what helps me stay engaged and fight for the future of my granddaughters. It's a dialectic: On the one hand, to see it like it is (and has been) and also believe deeply in the power of change and especially in the grit and determination of the American people. And yes. I always need people reminding me that keeping faith is what it's about. Thanks.
One thing that is missing in this discussion of winning back the Millennials and Gen Z is climate change. By shutting down the IRA and funding for climate research, the daily climate headlines have disappeared. The Guardian is doing a good job and dragging other mainstream papers to cover climate change. But we need to start leading with climate and the devastation it is causing. The Democratic candidates who included climate as one of their main issues won their races and those who didn't want to disturb the climate-deniers/nay sayers, like Kamala, did not. The take back rallies hardly mentioned Climate. It's time to change if we want young people supporting Democratic candidates. A little self-reflection on climate might be good too. Your interview with Michael Mann was good, but do a word count to see how often you have discussed this as the main topic of the day. You do every day say that you are doing this for your children and grandchildren, but don't often incorporate the daily climate report, extreme temperatures, droughts, floods, overheated oceans of the day. We need to build the pressure and do so in an intensional way. There are so many newsletters, young people aren't going to keep reading Hopium if they are hearing about their top issues. When have you ever had a climate action in your things to do?
I don't mean to be critical, I love Hopium and it's my favorite newsletter specifically because you do recommend actions we can take. You need to put thought into a sustained set of actions that will draw in Hispanics, young people and others who are losing faith the Trump.
Mark, a few comments here, and am broadly sympathetic to the argument that we need to be talking more about climate change (why I brought one of the world's leading climate scientists on here, promote his work most days and often talk about his arguments in my public talks). It should also be noted that this community perhaps more than any other center-left political project in the game right now has made Trump's attack on science, knowledge, research and academia central to everything we are doing right now.
To strengthen your argument to me and the Hopium community need you to back it up with data. Go into the recent CIRCLE and Harvard IOP youth polls and report back to us their conclusions about where climate stands with young people right now. If this is the political opportunity you claim, prove it. If there is data showing that embracing climate was THE SINGLE REASON candidates won their elections in 2024 would love to see that data too (but I don't think it exists).
This suggestion - "incorporate the daily climate report, extreme temperatures, droughts, floods, overheated oceans of the days" into my daily posts is unlikely to happen. Your assertion that a way to gauge the importance of an issue here or anywhere should be based on word count is I, mean, c'mon. The reason we didn't talk about climate or other issues was that my discussion with Ron Brownstein wasn't about a strategy to win young people back so you asserting that it was "missing" from the talk was an inappropriate dig. If there are climate related actions you think we should be taking spell them out. Very open to incorporating them. You may want to take a look at Senator Schumer's recent criticism of the gutting of IRA provisions something I was intending to write on this week when the Senate comes back into session.
While I am sympathetic to your argument, and look forward to your reports back to us in the coming days, when you do please try to approach your engagement in a more constructive manner. The tone of this post was unnecessarily critical and negative, and not really how we engage each other here. Here we lift people up, encourage people to do more, offer suggestions and do not indulge in unnecessary criticism. Thank you, Simon
I truly meant my last paragraph and didn't mean to be another Democrat eating its own. By word count I didn't mean I expected equity, but it is an easy way to find out how often you talk about something. I have a friend who has the longest running blog on the internet who often uses word-count as a way to see what issues have caught his attention most often.
I realize that you do make an effort to bring climate to the fore, but across the democratic family, has been an issue that we should own and we seem to be afraid to bring it front and center.
Working with Oxfam to bring focus on both the IRA and more specifically the environmental justice provisions and their benefits to red states and trying to bring the cost of repealing/killing the IRA is going to cost red states billions and hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Sadly Mark climate change has not made it as a major issue with most voters, though it continues to generally slowly climb up in importance. Of course, the audience one addresses is key. Seeing how what people really care about is money and their finances Sen Whitehead talks about the economic damage that climate change is already causing, and the threat to affordable insurance and mortgage markets might be a good messaging opportunity. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/visualizations-data/ycom-us/ Like you, I have really wanted climate to be a leading concern of voters but it has proved to be wishful thinking on my part, so far. https://www.atlasvanlines.com/resources/blog/6-reasons-why-people-are-leaving-florida#:
Steve, thanks for sharing the interesting articles. I also wish climate change was a bigger issue for more people, but it requires more abstract thought for people to grasp than their money and finances. So I agree that speaking of direct effects on things like cost of insurance is more immediately effective than showing how climate change is the cause of rising costs. The map visualization shows that in all but 3 states, at least half of survey respondents are at least somewhat worried about climate change. That’s somewhat encouraging, but it’s not strong evidence that messaging about climate change would be highly effective. The Atlas Van Lines article reinforces that notion by listing the top two reasons people moved out of Florida, insurance cost and natural disasters, without linking them to climate change. Our country’s political house being on fire now (and expected economic impacts) seems to outweigh the (perceived as) future threat of the whole earth on fire from global warming.
Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger posted a 3-minute "emergency video" today saying Ukraine's new drone attack on Soviet planes is a "massive" and "devastating" success, destroying perhaps a third of Soviet bombers deep in their territory. He said it refutes Trump's claims that Ukraine "holds no cards." Better known for his Jan. 6 Committee membership, Kinzinger is a former Air Force pilot who flew many missions and was on the House Foreign Affairs Committe, so his calling attention to this is notable.
Thank you for sharing. Indeed, good news in a time of such huge piles of news that I admittedly forget about what is happening on any given day in that war. Ukraine's never-give-up attitude to keep its democracy can be inspiration for all of us doing all we can to save ours!
Thank you Simon!!!! Today I may have time - as opposed to weekdays - to read your great, prescient essays, so thank you for posting them! Two random things today: The diversity of the Democratic party protects it from becoming a cult like the Republican party is today. So, no matter how fractious we Dems are, at least we don't grovel at the feet of one demented, felon. That is our greatest strength. And, Whether he realizes it or not, Trump is going to "solve" our (nonexistent) "illegal immigrant invasion" by degrading America to such an extent, that there will be no reason for people in other countries to want to come here. If his EO's and budget-busting billionaire tax cuts become reality, our dynamic, flourishing economy and our Democracy, both the envy of the world in the past, will be no more. The chaos, cruelty and corruption that he is fomenting, if not stopped, will accomplish this. . . As you say, we have MUCH work to do!!!!!
Why is it no one is willing to face the monster in the room? The one that is at the heart of every existing political party. Misogyny. Women who hold an office of power are held in contempt. When they run for the highest office? They are defeated, not because of their ideas, but because of their sex. Isn't it time that was acknowledged?
If only the words and thoughts of men are the "winning" ones, what is this country telling the world? Something along the lines of, "Welcome to the United States, where only the utterances of men count, no matter how ignorant, stupid and venal they are." Is that what we are saying?
A dean of an Episcopal Cathedral once said, "If a woman was good enough to raise Jesus, a woman is good enough to be the leader of a nation." This was said over 40 years ago. Funny how that has been scoffed at and ignored by so many people of "good faith." No matter what that faith is.
Wolfgang Streetch in How Will Capitalism End? describes the current phase as one in which capitalism is detaching itself from democracy since the burdens of democracy reduce capital's ability to maximize its returns. Oligarchy and corruption are part of the transition He speaks of the resurgence of families, clans, gangs as structures that replace the disappearing social support structures of late capitalism. Community is ever more key to both survival and resistance.
(Streetch is the director of the Max Planck Institute for Social Research )
Sadly, yes. Insofar as there's no better, competing system to take its place, the old system of structures begins to break down, here and there, with no one with the mandate or resources to fix what's broken. Think Flint lead in the water; NC and CA without FEMA. Grid failures. Measles outbreaks. It's already happening.Multiply as you will. Communities will be our recourse.
He describes dynamics within capitalist social structures that have led to slow growth throughout the OECD, the accumulation of massive public and pvt debt, and very high rates of inequality. These conditions and the demands of democratic societies for support and remedies make it less and less profitable for capital to partner with national democracies. Capital is global and its only imperative is increasing its rate of return. The book is readable and worthwhile if y ou're interested in this pov.
It is such a nightmare! Why judges who have been ignored ( and the Supreme Court has been dissed as well) haven't had people arrested for contempt is beyond me. Just because Trump will pardon them is no reason to not treat the lawyers and cabinet members such as Kristi Noem and Marco Rubio as criminals is not a good excuse.
Thanks for these reminders, Simon. Unfortunately, Ds were not perceived in 2024 (at least at the presidential level) as "making Hispanics and Millennials [or non-college voters of every description] central to our politics" as your 2007 essay urged. We must change that perception and, in my view, that reality as well.
I do wish that the party leaders would be much more aggressive about speaking out against everything ICE is doing--for moral reasons, for anti-authoritarianism reasons, and also to show Latino voters that the Dems will actually fight for them.
My whole life, it's felt like there's a perception among reactionary centrists that somehow the votes of conservative-leaning white people matter more than others, that we should forgo fighting for BIPOC people, queer people, etc (see: "identity politics") in case it might offend a few voters in PA. But these pundits and consultants don't seem to understand that the people behind those identities, and their family and friends, vote as well.
In terms of young people, I believe my generation (X) and up really do not understand that deregulation and greed have made the lives we have unattainable for working class and middle class people, given the costs of housing, health care, day care--not to mention usurious student loans. We've seen that Democrats who do speak on these issues do inspire young voters--but the same pundit class mocks them. I'm hopeful that Ken Martin will help guide the party to a place of listening and responding to the needs of the people Simon speaks of.
I'm so heartened--and not surprised--to see that Simon has been calling for a party that stands up for all Americans for decades.
Sen. Chris Murphy just completed his yearly walk across CT. This year his walk started in Litchfield and hit most towns in the farthest reaches of western CT from north to south, sadly not my town. This 4 day walk covered 70 miles. He walked up to people at mini-marts, gas stations etc. Most did not recognize him at first, dressed in shorts, t shirt and faded ball cap. His take-away, minimum wage needs to be much higher, worry about healthcare, plus housing needs to be built and it needs to be affordable. There is also fear at where this administration is leading us. This walking tour every year keeps him apprised as to the pulse of his constituents. So proud that he is my Senator.
Every week, I receive emails in the form of letters from both my Senators and my House Representative replying to questions I contacted them about. This is what all of us deserve from our elected officials.
If you ever see him, tell him he has a huge fan in Minnesota.
I will. He kindly went politicking with me going to several doors in my neighborhood about 10 years ago.
That’s awesome to hear. I think Murphy is great!
Thoughts on a Sunday:
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS today in Poland, and in South Korea on Tuesday. I am hoping the impact of Trump will once again be beneficial – just as it was in Canada, Australia and Romania. In all three countries, voters turned their backs on the right-wing parties. And in Germany, too, the extreme AfD was shut out of power. In Norway, the ruling center-left is having a strong resurgence ahead of this autumn’s parliamentary elections.
It’s been raining here this weekend. That’s good for the seeds we sowed these last few days, and in previous weeks. Seedlings have sprouted, looking strong; it’s soon time to put down our weed-inhibiting mulch of shredded leaves. And judging from the trees in our orchard, it looks like we’ll have a bumper crop of plums and pears. The jury is still out on the apples, cherries and hazelnuts. Gardening and long walks in our woods are good antidotes to the Mad King’s insanity – and we come back energized and ready to do more!
(Reposting this here, where it’s more apropos.)
One more thought...
Simon refers to Trump’s tribal “more for me, less for you” agenda. Incredibly, it seems worse than. Through his pardons (beyond the J6 insurgents), and his "defund the police" agenda (firing the regulators and enforcers that protect the American people), Trump is essentially decriminalizing white-collar fraud and corruption – at least that which is committed by corporatists and those on his MAGA side of the fence.
Gardening also has been my respite this spring. This is my first year with a plot in our town's community garden. It's my little piece of heaven.
Please see my response to Arctic Stones regarding planting a little extra to help feed those in need in our communities.
Yes, I hope to do that. I have friends/family on fixed income who rely on benefits that might get cut. I'm planting with them in mind.
I am sure they will be greatful!
GOOD NEWS FROM UKRAINE
“Ukraine launched audacious drone attacks on four military airports inside Russia, destroying more than 40 warplanes in the biggest blow of the war against Moscow’s long-range bomber fleet,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The attack, dubbed ‘Spider’s Web,’ took a year and a half to prepare, officials at Ukraine’s main security and intelligence agency, the SBU, said on Sunday. Ukraine’s drones targeted Russia’s Belaya, Ivanovo, Dyagilevo and Olenya air bases, all of which house Russian military planes.”
“The bombardment is a significant victory for Ukraine’s deep-strike program, which uses drones to target crucial materiel on Russia’s soil.”
https://politicalwire.com/2025/06/01/ukraine-destroyed-warplanes-deep-inside-russia/
A Greek descendent mentioned this was like the Trojan Horse in the way this was accomplished!
I am planting a little extra to donate to the Soup Kitchen at the Episcopal church and am asking my church members and friends to plant a little extra to donate to the kitchen and the Salvation Army in town who are thrilled at the prospect of fresh vegetables for their clients. Will ask my neighbors as well. Am asking everyone who gardens, or their children or grandchildren who also like to play in the dirt to check with churches and social service agencies who might be interested in doing the same. Blessings on this community who do so much to make this a better world!
Thank you so much Simon. I wonder about messaging regarding the issues as well. How to truly harness our messages, accomplishments and musings and get them to everyone. When we only had 3 channels with news at 5 and 10 or whatever time it was, that was easier than the diaspora we now live with. AND there was a “Walter Cronkite” integrity and understanding of journalism, rather than news as entertainment, clicks for cash, and cortisol releases inciting more clicks for more cash.
At a Tesla demonstration yesterday, a middle-aged man read over a bullhorn a quote by Thomas Paine that connects us to our ancestors who fought for our country - "These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman." I believe our foremothers and fathers can help show us the way with their wise words.
Wise words, indeed!
I will be doing a program in August on the lead up to the Revolution and the first year of battles. John Ferling's book, Whirlwind: The American Revolution and the War That Won It, right in the Preface discuss the similarities that we are seeing today. I encourage everyone to read at least this much of the book that can be found at most libraries or thru interlibrary loan.
Thanks Virginia,
Found it available on ebooks/ Libby through one of my library cards. I look forward to reading what you’ve recommended.🇺🇸
Undoubtedly, it will soon be on the book-ban list.
I think we can safely say that the GOP's motto going forward is "we're all going to die" and we need to never let up on associating Ernst's statement with them. The fact that a sitting politician would not only respond to concerns raised in a town hall with that statement, but then FOLLOW UP with a video of herself walking through a graveyard indicates to me that the republicans feel zero threat to their electability- and why should they? They know that they can say and do whatever they want with minimal electoral and legal repercussions, and that is a major problem.
I interpreted Joni Ernst's responses quite the opposite. Some Rs are under great pressure to deliver for their billionaire and foreign overlords and it isn't going well for them. JE's resposes were those of someone who's losing it. Insult, then ridicule your constituents? I don't think that's a well-thought-out political strategy.
Actually I think it’s a well thought out strategy, straight out of the Roy Cohn/Donald Trump playbook: never admit you’re wrong and double down. Sadly it has worked for Trump. He was legitimately reelected notwithstanding stoking an insurrection, being impeached 2x, convicted of 34 felonies, and indicted multiple times over. I don’t know if it will work for Ernst, but I understand why she thinks it could.
How to respond is unclear to me but I think the Democrats should go after Joni Ernst HARD and in ways that will play across the socials.
she could have doubled down without insulting the constituents - she started pegging the one constituent as 'upset' [don't recall her word]. she could have said, no need to 'become hysterical, of course we want to protect everyone's health care - we'd never tamper with medicaid, medicare, etc. the usual. Of course she's made herself a sitting duck.
It should be on every ad for her and all Republicans in every election!
I mean, I do think that they are up against the wall in a way because they know that they have a very narrow window to pull their crap. It's going to only get more bonkers from here on out. But in terms of fearing retribution from their base, they don't seem to be that worried about how they come across.
It's not just the narrow window, though the window is narrow. And not retribution from the base. It's not just T and Elmo who have committed or aided in committing crimes. BTW saw an interesting interview with Stuart Stephens in IDK Jan or so; he said he was thinking/ speculating the T admin's actions should be seen as analogous to Civil War Gettysburg Picket's charge. The Court ruling on tariffs is major in many ways, not to mention on kidnapping/ abducting of ppl from the US. Of course their desperation makes them even more dangerous
The GOP is the Party of Death. An existential threat. I don't know if such phrases are political winners, but seems clear to me that they are an apt description.
I'm looking forward to catching up with the most recent live interview, as well as the articles shared by Simon today. Looking at threads responding to news posts on FB, I've been struck by how reactive MAGA people can be, either repeating the same old expressions--"get a job," " they're *illegal*"--no matter what the particular situation may be. Also, when Trump moves the goal posts--as in deporting all kinds of people legally here, as opposed to the "criminals" he promised--they twist themselves into pretzels to back whatever new thing he's doing. I don't know why I'm spending time on that, except to say Democrats will never convert these people, but may do better to have sort of plain-spoken ways of communicating, say to the ridiculous things Joni Ernst has said in the last few days. And I do think Democrats could find more emotional ways to appeal--say in the erosion of public education. People really get irate and emotional when they think people are messing with their kids' futures.
MAGA has managed to turn some percentage of the country into bots at this point.
MAGA has allowed that percentage to be what they have always been. Their true selves are now out in the open. They have stopped being hypocrites; now know them for what they are.
Soon after I posted this I saw a clip of Senator Warnock on Meet the press. The host quoted David Plouffe’s insistence that Biden should have exited the race in 2023, etc., but the senator calmly answered that election is over and we need to focus on “the big ugly bill.” I won’t unpack his analysis of the budget bill but he basically did exactly what I was calling for. I hope more Democrats copy his approach and rhetoric.
Yes, this is EXACTLY what they should all be doing.
I think we need to make peace with the realization that some percentage of the country is lost to the MAGA cult. But it's much smaller than the number that voted for trump in 2024, and the people who make up that difference are potentially gettable.
Also, FB is more theater than it is reality. A person commenting "they're illegal" or whatever may be committed to that ideology but they are also responding to the (icky) dopamine hit of trolling a stranger. That's part of the dark magic of social media. But some fraction of those people may/would see it differently in a real conversation about people they actually know with someone they actually know and like. That, too, may be a redeemable part of MAGA, but it's the work of years, not minutes.
I think some of it will require generational change, perhaps like the passing of former Confederates did. Some of it may also require the hard lessons of hardship and tragedy that the trump2 regime is dishing out daily.
People in my circles respond to accusations of Trump's wrongdoing or corruption with a "What about Joe Biden?" rant.. Then they start with the name-calling. It tells me that they can't hack the cognitive dissonance, and they will protect their guy to the death. It's so disheartening to see. These are people I know and grew up with, not bots. I try to think of ways to open their hearts and minds to the cruelty and corruption. If it's someone they know, will they care and change their mind? How can we get them off the idea that Democrats/Biden are just as corrupt, so it doesn't matter what Trump does? Just my musings.
Full confession, this an AI précis of Bonhoeffer's Theory of Stupidity, The actual theory is just too long for a quick answer.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer's theory of stupidity, explored in his writings, particularly in his Letters from Prison, argues that stupidity, not evil, is a greater threat to society. Bonhoeffer saw stupidity as a moral failing, a refusal of critical thinking and self-reflection, rendering individuals defenseless against reason. He believed that stupidity, unlike evil, is not susceptible to rational argument or confrontation, and can be a dangerous force, even in positions of power.
I fear you are dealing with flat out, can't be changed, proud of it stupidity. And TACO is just so tasty in all he says.
One thing I have noticed about Fox is that it relies heavily on personal stories to convey "news" items. So if Fox wants to promote a particular piece of propaganda, it will run a "news" story, an editorial, and a human interest story about someone affected by whatever issue they're promoting. My MAGA friends use this rhetorical technique when they're arguing. "Why don't you ever bring up the mom of five who was murdered by the illegal? Situational empathy!"
It occurs to me that it might behoove Democrats to do something similar. There are lots of painful stories to pull from! It worked really well in Kentucky when they young woman who was raped by her stepfather spoke so movingly about having an abortion in a TV ad. There are no doubt tons of small business folks, VA nurses, and cancer patients who could speak eloquently about what the administration is doing. I think it would be awesome to build a bank of these stories and start plastering social media with QR codes that feature them. People relate better to stories than facts and figures!
It would behoove Dems to copy what R's do but do it better.
I'm troubled by Ronald Brownstein's belief that the votes of the white working-class, especially men, are hopelessly lost to Democrats. That's an especially discouraging message for those of us living in heavily red rural areas. Democrats have to take a large share of the responsibility for this. We dug ourselves into a hole with working-class voters, and we can dig ourselves out. That starts with emphasizing class unity among workers of all races. But we have to do the work.
Oh? I too. live in a heavily rural area. These things are evident: We will help our own, but not those who are "new," or don't resemble us, unless it suits our purpose. Education is just a problem, not a solution. The public programs that are available, be they through the Dept. of Agriculture, Social Security or Medicare or Medicaid, are given because we deserve it, we earned it, all others? They are takers. The republican party has made that argument time after time.
It is not the Democrats alone who are to blame. It is allowing these troublesome and selfish attitudes to fester decade after decade. Whose fault is that? Everyone's.
It starts in school and is nurtured very carefully. Look to the school boards and see what they have done. Are they working for the good of the community and the country or to cultivate their own prejudices?
As the line from the musical "South Pacific" says, "They must be carefully taught."
Anat Shenker-Osario an influencer and messaging consultant recommends that we label the big ugly reconcilliation bill as THE MAGA MURDER BUDGET.
After all it is what it is and what it does. Make the GOP try to defend it and point to Joni Ernst as exhibit A. Push it into the media ecosphere, so even as GOP trashes it, it reinforces the idea.
Makes sense to me. Whaddya think?
Sure throw it out there. See what sticks. The big beautiful we're all gonna die bill.
The "kill Grandma" bill.
Self-report: I daily contact my two Democratic Senators and my one Freedom Caucus Representative. Today I donated to my local Indivisible chapter. I make my daily messages different each day. I don't want them to think I'm a telephone bot although I sometimes feel that way. Enough about me.
I really enjoyed the conversation with Ron Brownstein. Will he take over the DNC for us? Give him a free 747 if he's willing to run the DNC until 2028. I could not agree with him more when he said the problems for Democrats are different in 2026 and 2028. Thanks to Trump, and some improvements in playing the role of loyal opposition, Democrats should win in 2026. Unless they pull defeat out of the jaws of victory as they have in the past. But, in 2028, they must solve their own polling problems and fix the notion that they don't care about non-college-educated working Whites. Indeed, they also need to have a solution to the impact of AI on jobs. That's a lot to ask but Democrats aren't inherently stupid. They should be able to do it. They need to listen to the likes of Ron and Simon and Political Girl and so many others. In that direction, there is hope.
We humans have a long dark history of genocide, ethnic cleansing and demonizing "THE OTHER". It has been women (The burning times) and from what I can tell, ALWAYS people of color; anyone NOT white and male and/or Christian. I just looked up the known genocides of the last 2000 years. It is a long tragic list and involves every different culture all over the world. Our history is particularly egregious: Slavery AND the planned, forced genocide of the indigenous people on this continent. In order to save my sanity, I contemplate this as part of the large cycles of evolution... and that I happen to be born in, not the darkest of times, but a very dark one. I want to believe we are in the last gasps of Patriarchal white supremacy, but I may not see the ending in my lifetime. When the Dark is threatened it rises up with more cruelty and desperation. (Perhaps we have to all read The Lord of the Rings again to get courage and inspiration from Sam and Frodo). Meanwhile, all I can do is one thing at a time, one day at a time, as much as I can. Thanks Simon, for your out loud "journaling". I am always so interested and deepened.
Past is prologue? Maybe.
Reviewing 2000 years of genocide doesn't mean this is how it will play out this time. Is replaying past horrors helpful now? Is there a benefit? I"m afraid I dont see it.
It's darkest before the dawn... a breakthrough that really shifts the balance could be eminent. (Throw little Marco in jail is my vote) Your words have a tone of inevitability and hopelessness, Kate.
Don"t give into it. Future generations are counting on us.
p.s I just scrolled down and saw Ukraine scored a major victory against Russia's airforce. The whole world is engagrd in this transformative battle. Good news on any day on any front is possible... indeed likely. Keep the faith.
Hi Michael. Thank you for your care. This may be a bigger conversation. But I'm always so thankful for different views from different lenses. I'm a social worker and so have studied the long hard roads of the oppressed. I have had to learn to see clearly and not shy away from the shadow side of human nature. Also I have a deep spiritual practice so I can "sit with" what is, with a fair amount of equanimity. This is what helps me stay engaged and fight for the future of my granddaughters. It's a dialectic: On the one hand, to see it like it is (and has been) and also believe deeply in the power of change and especially in the grit and determination of the American people. And yes. I always need people reminding me that keeping faith is what it's about. Thanks.
I like bigger conversation. Thanks Kate.
One thing that is missing in this discussion of winning back the Millennials and Gen Z is climate change. By shutting down the IRA and funding for climate research, the daily climate headlines have disappeared. The Guardian is doing a good job and dragging other mainstream papers to cover climate change. But we need to start leading with climate and the devastation it is causing. The Democratic candidates who included climate as one of their main issues won their races and those who didn't want to disturb the climate-deniers/nay sayers, like Kamala, did not. The take back rallies hardly mentioned Climate. It's time to change if we want young people supporting Democratic candidates. A little self-reflection on climate might be good too. Your interview with Michael Mann was good, but do a word count to see how often you have discussed this as the main topic of the day. You do every day say that you are doing this for your children and grandchildren, but don't often incorporate the daily climate report, extreme temperatures, droughts, floods, overheated oceans of the day. We need to build the pressure and do so in an intensional way. There are so many newsletters, young people aren't going to keep reading Hopium if they are hearing about their top issues. When have you ever had a climate action in your things to do?
I don't mean to be critical, I love Hopium and it's my favorite newsletter specifically because you do recommend actions we can take. You need to put thought into a sustained set of actions that will draw in Hispanics, young people and others who are losing faith the Trump.
Mark, a few comments here, and am broadly sympathetic to the argument that we need to be talking more about climate change (why I brought one of the world's leading climate scientists on here, promote his work most days and often talk about his arguments in my public talks). It should also be noted that this community perhaps more than any other center-left political project in the game right now has made Trump's attack on science, knowledge, research and academia central to everything we are doing right now.
To strengthen your argument to me and the Hopium community need you to back it up with data. Go into the recent CIRCLE and Harvard IOP youth polls and report back to us their conclusions about where climate stands with young people right now. If this is the political opportunity you claim, prove it. If there is data showing that embracing climate was THE SINGLE REASON candidates won their elections in 2024 would love to see that data too (but I don't think it exists).
This suggestion - "incorporate the daily climate report, extreme temperatures, droughts, floods, overheated oceans of the days" into my daily posts is unlikely to happen. Your assertion that a way to gauge the importance of an issue here or anywhere should be based on word count is I, mean, c'mon. The reason we didn't talk about climate or other issues was that my discussion with Ron Brownstein wasn't about a strategy to win young people back so you asserting that it was "missing" from the talk was an inappropriate dig. If there are climate related actions you think we should be taking spell them out. Very open to incorporating them. You may want to take a look at Senator Schumer's recent criticism of the gutting of IRA provisions something I was intending to write on this week when the Senate comes back into session.
While I am sympathetic to your argument, and look forward to your reports back to us in the coming days, when you do please try to approach your engagement in a more constructive manner. The tone of this post was unnecessarily critical and negative, and not really how we engage each other here. Here we lift people up, encourage people to do more, offer suggestions and do not indulge in unnecessary criticism. Thank you, Simon
Simon,
I truly meant my last paragraph and didn't mean to be another Democrat eating its own. By word count I didn't mean I expected equity, but it is an easy way to find out how often you talk about something. I have a friend who has the longest running blog on the internet who often uses word-count as a way to see what issues have caught his attention most often.
I realize that you do make an effort to bring climate to the fore, but across the democratic family, has been an issue that we should own and we seem to be afraid to bring it front and center.
Working with Oxfam to bring focus on both the IRA and more specifically the environmental justice provisions and their benefits to red states and trying to bring the cost of repealing/killing the IRA is going to cost red states billions and hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Will report on actions taken.
All the best,
Mark
Sadly Mark climate change has not made it as a major issue with most voters, though it continues to generally slowly climb up in importance. Of course, the audience one addresses is key. Seeing how what people really care about is money and their finances Sen Whitehead talks about the economic damage that climate change is already causing, and the threat to affordable insurance and mortgage markets might be a good messaging opportunity. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/visualizations-data/ycom-us/ Like you, I have really wanted climate to be a leading concern of voters but it has proved to be wishful thinking on my part, so far. https://www.atlasvanlines.com/resources/blog/6-reasons-why-people-are-leaving-florida#:
Steve, thanks for sharing the interesting articles. I also wish climate change was a bigger issue for more people, but it requires more abstract thought for people to grasp than their money and finances. So I agree that speaking of direct effects on things like cost of insurance is more immediately effective than showing how climate change is the cause of rising costs. The map visualization shows that in all but 3 states, at least half of survey respondents are at least somewhat worried about climate change. That’s somewhat encouraging, but it’s not strong evidence that messaging about climate change would be highly effective. The Atlas Van Lines article reinforces that notion by listing the top two reasons people moved out of Florida, insurance cost and natural disasters, without linking them to climate change. Our country’s political house being on fire now (and expected economic impacts) seems to outweigh the (perceived as) future threat of the whole earth on fire from global warming.
Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger posted a 3-minute "emergency video" today saying Ukraine's new drone attack on Soviet planes is a "massive" and "devastating" success, destroying perhaps a third of Soviet bombers deep in their territory. He said it refutes Trump's claims that Ukraine "holds no cards." Better known for his Jan. 6 Committee membership, Kinzinger is a former Air Force pilot who flew many missions and was on the House Foreign Affairs Committe, so his calling attention to this is notable.
https://open.substack.com/pub/adamkinzinger/p/emergency-video-june-1?r=29jro2&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Here's today's WP story on this, in which Soviet supporters are calling it Russia's Pearl Harbor: https://wapo.st/4dEDcjK
Thank you for sharing. Indeed, good news in a time of such huge piles of news that I admittedly forget about what is happening on any given day in that war. Ukraine's never-give-up attitude to keep its democracy can be inspiration for all of us doing all we can to save ours!
yes, thank you
Acknowledge the wins, baby!
Thank you Simon!!!! Today I may have time - as opposed to weekdays - to read your great, prescient essays, so thank you for posting them! Two random things today: The diversity of the Democratic party protects it from becoming a cult like the Republican party is today. So, no matter how fractious we Dems are, at least we don't grovel at the feet of one demented, felon. That is our greatest strength. And, Whether he realizes it or not, Trump is going to "solve" our (nonexistent) "illegal immigrant invasion" by degrading America to such an extent, that there will be no reason for people in other countries to want to come here. If his EO's and budget-busting billionaire tax cuts become reality, our dynamic, flourishing economy and our Democracy, both the envy of the world in the past, will be no more. The chaos, cruelty and corruption that he is fomenting, if not stopped, will accomplish this. . . As you say, we have MUCH work to do!!!!!
Why is it no one is willing to face the monster in the room? The one that is at the heart of every existing political party. Misogyny. Women who hold an office of power are held in contempt. When they run for the highest office? They are defeated, not because of their ideas, but because of their sex. Isn't it time that was acknowledged?
If only the words and thoughts of men are the "winning" ones, what is this country telling the world? Something along the lines of, "Welcome to the United States, where only the utterances of men count, no matter how ignorant, stupid and venal they are." Is that what we are saying?
A dean of an Episcopal Cathedral once said, "If a woman was good enough to raise Jesus, a woman is good enough to be the leader of a nation." This was said over 40 years ago. Funny how that has been scoffed at and ignored by so many people of "good faith." No matter what that faith is.
Wolfgang Streetch in How Will Capitalism End? describes the current phase as one in which capitalism is detaching itself from democracy since the burdens of democracy reduce capital's ability to maximize its returns. Oligarchy and corruption are part of the transition He speaks of the resurgence of families, clans, gangs as structures that replace the disappearing social support structures of late capitalism. Community is ever more key to both survival and resistance.
(Streetch is the director of the Max Planck Institute for Social Research )
I agree community and rebuilding community is a critical key (and cyber community is wholly insufficient)
Steven, does Streetch have any ideas about what follows late stage capitalusm?
Sadly, yes. Insofar as there's no better, competing system to take its place, the old system of structures begins to break down, here and there, with no one with the mandate or resources to fix what's broken. Think Flint lead in the water; NC and CA without FEMA. Grid failures. Measles outbreaks. It's already happening.Multiply as you will. Communities will be our recourse.
"Sadly, yes. Insofar as there's no better, competing system to take its place..."
Not a given, to my mind... but we have to throw out the fascists first
which raises the question why now?
He describes dynamics within capitalist social structures that have led to slow growth throughout the OECD, the accumulation of massive public and pvt debt, and very high rates of inequality. These conditions and the demands of democratic societies for support and remedies make it less and less profitable for capital to partner with national democracies. Capital is global and its only imperative is increasing its rate of return. The book is readable and worthwhile if y ou're interested in this pov.
I was wondering where that horrendous photo of inmates in bunks was taken?
That is the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) of Tecoluca, in San Vicente, El Salvador where Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia and other "hostages" were taken by the maga criminals. https://www.npr.org/2025/04/21/g-s1-61500/house-democrats-land-in-el-salvador-demand-abrego-garcias-return
Thank you, Deborah!
My parents' housekeeper's husband was sent there (they just learned that). It's so deeply horrifying that I can't even process it.
Oh no that’s terrible!
It is such a nightmare! Why judges who have been ignored ( and the Supreme Court has been dissed as well) haven't had people arrested for contempt is beyond me. Just because Trump will pardon them is no reason to not treat the lawyers and cabinet members such as Kristi Noem and Marco Rubio as criminals is not a good excuse.