Sure Does Feel Like The Wheels Are Coming Off The Trumpian Bus

Paid subscribers gather tonight at 7pm ET, Founding Members Friday at 1pm

Morning all. I almost wrote a post today solely about the World Cup for there are already so many wonderful stories - Messi hat trick at 38! - and great videos coursing through social media. It has become, as we all hoped, a joyous festival of world culture, rabid fans discovering the US, and inspiring soccer. But we do have some important political news today so I will only share one particularly World Cuppy social media post (The Tartan Army = Scottish soccer fans):

Feeling all feisty, clever, and strong again from being around other heads of government at the G7 Trump lobbed this little grenade into the Senate at 3am this morning:

Here is how Punchbowl News explained what this means:

Senate GOP leaders wanted to get back in sync with President Donald Trump after weeks of public clashes. Quickly clearing two of the president’s high-profile nominations was a good place to start.

Trump has blown that up.

The president suddenly announced early Wednesday morning that he’s delaying his nomination of Jay Clayton as director of national intelligence until his pick for the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, James McDonald, is approved by the Senate. McDonald would be Clayton’s successor in the key Justice Department post. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) have to approve of the nominee for SDNY.

Clayton was set for a hearing today in the Senate Intelligence Committee to become director of national intelligence. Clayton’s quick confirmation was supposed to be the piece that unlocked a bipartisan deal to reauthorize FISA Section 702.

Clayton would supersede Bill Pulte, Trump’s close ally and FHFA director, as DNI.

Thanks to Trump’s bombshell, that won’t happen immediately, as Senate Majority Leader John Thune desperately hoped.

Trump — who is heading back to Washington today from the G7 meeting in France — also reiterated his new ask to get FISA passed: the SAVE America Act. This is a total no-go for Democrats and even some Republicans.

………..

What does all this mean? Trump is attacking Thune and top Senate Republicans — without naming them — over the Clayton-Pulte dispute. He’s putting pressure on Thune once again over eliminating the filibuster and blue slips for judicial nominations, two hallowed Senate traditions. He’s forcing the SAVE America Act — the Republicans’ photo ID and proof-of-citizenship bill — to the forefront of the Senate legislative agenda, even though there’s no way it can pass.

All this is a disaster for Thune.

Over the past several weeks, Trump has made his disputes with Senate Republicans a huge issue. Whether it’s the White House ballroom project, the “anti-weaponization fund,” Iran, or other issues, Trump seems to want to pick fights with Republicans as much as he does Democrats. It’s hurting the president, whether he cares or not.

Here’s how Trump entered the G7 meeting this morning. “I am the boss” he tells everyone. More feisty, clever, and strong (watch the video through to the end to see how submissive, spent, and slovenly he looked):

Meanwhile a remarkably swift consensus has formed in official Washington that the Iran “deal” is a far more a surrender and a geopolitical disaster for Trump and the United States:

We will see how the G7 meeting ends but so far the reports suggest Trump has played along what the other G7 countries wanted, not attacking them as he often does at these meetings and praising Russia. This feels like an emerging pattern in recent months as Trump declines physically and politically - he acts submissively around other powerful leaders when in their presence - Xi, Bibi, Putin, now the G7/Macron/Zelenskyy, even Iran in some comments these last few days - yields to their wishes and gets rolled. He loves playing the strongman on TV - “I am the boss” - but it is becoming increasingly impossible to hide the reality he is a weak, desperate, sundowning, addled old man whose powers are ebbing and his regime failing.

Listen to him describe his relationship with Egyptian strongman leader Sisi at the hotel - “He was in a hotel and I met him. And we fell in love, deeply in love.” OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously what is it with Trump and strongmen?

As I’ve been writing this escalating war with the Republicans in the Senate is some of the most politically dangerous stuff I’ve seen since I’ve been in Washington. It feels a bit like punching down, a frustrated bully needing to get the little people in line but man oh man is he playing with fire here. He needs to the Senate to advance his agenda but also to protect him from accountability for this corruption and lawlessness this year and beyond. Senate Rs are sending up very clear warnings to Trump about the risks he is taking. Here’s the headline from that incredible interview Senator Cornyn did with the NYT last week. Trump clearly isn’t listening:

Additionally, Trump suffered another huge loss in a primary last night as his candidate lost in the Georgia gubernatorial primary to businessman Rick Jackson, an unexpected defeat that may also end up killing Georgia’s post-Callais redistricting effort that was supposed to begin today:

Trump did get his man in the Georgia Senate runoff last night, but so did we - very, very far right Mike Collins. Here’s a video the Ossoff campaign released last night (yes, they are ready!!!!):

So, to sum up:

• The Trump project is in deep shit here and everywhere

• He is looking more and more like a ridiculous big, blubbery baby man than the Super MAGA MAN he imagines himself to be

• His escalating and reckless war with the Republican Senate is doing even more damage to his political project, and is in this town further confirmation of his ebbing powers, growing desperation, and profound decline

• The World Cup is awesome

Paid subscribers will gather tonight to talk about all this to night at 7pm ET. Register here - we have lots to talk about people!

Some Things To Call Congress About This Week

• Yes to the Ukraine Support Act, get it passed through the Senate and to the President’s desk

• Yes to making American oligarchs pay for Trump’s failed Iran war - not every day Americans

• No to the ballroom, the Arch, the gilded statues, the slush fund, the corruption, self-enrichment……

• hell no to Todd Blanche as Attorney General, and yes to very tough questioning of the new DNI nominee, Jay Clayton

• Hell hell no to the new OMB regs that will destroy government-funded science in America. Join the new Stand Up For Science campaign to Stop Vought. Save Science today.

Help Make Hopium Stronger, Bigger, Better - A big thank you to everyone who has become a paid subscriber in recent days. We’ve signed up 111 new people, on our way to our goal of 500 by July 4th. Take 10% off a paid annual Hopium subscription today and help make our Independence Day membership sale and drive a success!

Now, Let’s Get To Work, People!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Winning The Midterms, Competing In Red States and Red Places, Expanding The Map

Hopium’s Winning The House Campaign - $777,100 raised, $1,000,000 goal (new ambitious, audacious even, q2 goal) - Donate to all twelve of our endorsed House challengers with a single contribution split twelve ways | Get to know Jamie Ager (NC-11), Christina Bohannan (IA-01), Paige Cognetti (PA-08), Rebecca Cooke (WI-03), Elaine Luria (VA-02), Sean McCann (MI-04), Jo Mendoza (AZ-06), Chaz Molder (TN-05), Jonathan Nez (AZ-02), Janelle Stelson (PA-10), Shannon Taylor (VA-01), and Sarah Trone Garriott (IA-03) by watching our recently recorded Hopium interviews.

Friends if these twelve win, the House will flip, no matter redistricting madness the Rs execute in the coming days. So eyes on the prize here everyone!

Hopium’s Winning The House - Second Wave - $78,100 raised, $250,000 goal - We’ve launched a second House fund, one targeting candidates who’ve recently emerged from primaries or have to run in new districts. Our initial crew is Rebecca Bennett (NJ-07), Bob Brooks (PA-07), Johnny Garcia (TX-35), Bob Harvie (PA-01), Denise Powell (NE-02), and Bobby Pulido (TX-15).

A donation to the Second Wave Fund is split evenly among these six, and more as other worthy candidates emerge for their primaries. We are off to a great start here people!

Josh Turek For Iowa Senate - $19,200 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn more and volunteer | Watch my wonderful new interview with Josh Turek

Mary Peltola For Alaska Senate - $104,200 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn more through my uplifting conversation with Mary Peltola as she fights to turn Alaska blue

James Talarico For Texas - $85,600 raised, $250,000 - Donate | Learn more from my inspiring interview with Rep. Talarico as he fights to turn Texas blue

Graham Platner For Maine Senate - $1,600 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn more and volunteer

Winning Ohio - $159,100 raised, $250,000 goal - Our new campaign splits contributions evenly among Sherrod Brown, the Acton/Pepper ticket, and the Ohio Democratic Party | Donate today and help us turn this critical 2026 battleground blue

Winning Iowa - $6,700 raised, $100,000 goal - We’ve also set up a new Winning Iowa campaign that splits a contribution three ways - to Turek, to Gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand, and to the Iowa Democratic Party and its great chair, Rita Hart | Watch my new interview with State Auditor Rob Sand

Hopium’s Audacious Expansion Fund - $594,100 raised, $1,000,000 goal (new stretch goal) - Join our campaign that has helped expand our map by investing in the Democratic Parties of Alaska, Florida, Iowa, Maine, and Texas, all now central battlegrounds in the 2026 election | Catch interviews with the five intrepid state chairs leading their troops into battle this year - will get you fired up! and use the link to make contributions to any of the state parties directly | Contribute to all five state parties with one contribution split evenly among these five critical battlegrounds

Roy Cooper for NC Senate - $122,100 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn more through my new discussion with Gov. Cooper

Jon Ossoff GA Senate - $186,100 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn more through my uplifting conversation with Senator Ossoff

Please use the paid subscriber chat to self-report the good trouble you make each day.

Keep working hard everyone. We have a country to save, and elections all across this great country to win, together! - Simon