The Clown Show Moves To Switzerland, Ukraine Gains in Crimea, Let's Rally For Cait Conley Today!!!!!!!!!!!!

June 30th filing deadline is now eight days away - let's rally for our courageous candidates across the country!!!!!!

Morning all. Got a few things for you today:

A new CBS poll shows how badly Trump has lost the argument on his failed war. Only 21% of voters think the war has solved more problems than it has created:

Meanwhile the Iranian fiasco has moved to a “Summit” in Switzerland where talks apparently are underway (after Trump blew them up yesterday). Look at this idiotic backdrop the US has created - elevating Iran into a place equal to the United States (Qatar and Pakistan too), calling it a “Summit” when there are no heads of government there to meet:

Listen to JD Vance in this clip saying “this is not a deal the US is imposing on the region” - didn’t we just go to war to impose a new reality on Iran? OMG what a clown show!!!!!!!!! and that the Middle East “has been a basket case for a long time” - OMG squared!!!!!!

Utter ongoing, humiliation for the US in every moment of this ongoing fiasco…..

Let’s review the other fiascos Trump, aided by his Laurel and Hardy (Witkoff and Kushner) negotiating team, has brought us:

• The Board of Peace/Gaza

• Trump’s bowing to Xi in China

• Seizing Greenland

• Whatever the f-ck is happening with Venezuela

• Backing Putin over Zelenskyy

Dr. Phillips O’Brien has a very good new analysis up this morning on the consequential advances Ukraine is now making in Crimea:

The last few days have given some concrete evidence about both the situation for the Russian occupiers of Crimea and Ukrainian plans for the peninsula. The Ukrainian strategy of isolating the peninsula seems to be both accelerating and having concrete results. If the Russians do not have the ability to counter soon, Crimea could be isolated, with pretty dire strategic results for them.

The best piece of concrete evidence for the isolation of Crimea is that the peninsula is running out of fuel. Yesterday, the Russian governor was forced to take the dramatic step of forbidding fuel sales to civilians. According to a BBC story:

Governor Sergey Aksyonov said individuals and businesses would be turned away from petrol stations, and fuel would only be sold to government agencies ensuring Crimea’s “functioning and security”.

It is hard to overstate how serious the fuel situation must be on Crimea for such a draconian restriction to be imposed on civilians. Putin has always maintained the fiction that Crimea is some happy and functioning part of the Russian state. No more.

The global humiliation grows for Putin daily, too.

Newly filed reports with the Federal Election Commission have confirmed that Republicans are behind fake progressive PACs meddling in Democratic House primaries. Here’s Politico today:

A Republican-linked group was the sole funded of two pop-up super PACs that spent more than $4.3 million across a swath of Democratic congressional primaries to support candidates seen as less electable.

Democrats had speculated that the two groups, Real Change PAC and Lead Left, were Republican meddling as they spent heavily across Democratic primary races in Texas, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Nebraska and Maine in recent months.

Here’s new reporting from Judd Legum:

A network of purportedly progressive super PACs, spending millions in Democratic primaries across the country, is funded by a Republican dark money group, the American Prosperity Alliance (APA).

Newly filed FEC documents reveal that three PACs that claim to oppose Trump and Republican policies — Lead Left PAC, Real Change PAC, and California Blue PAC — are wholly funded by Conservative Americans PAC, another super PAC. Conservative Americans PAC, in turn, received all of its funding this cycle, over $30 million, from the APA.

…………..

A fourth sham PAC, Progressive Champions PAC, has spent $1.5 million attacking Cait Conley, a Democratic candidate in New York’s 17th Congressional District. Progressive Champions PAC’s ads claim that Conley is “not progressive” and tie her to President Trump.

Progressive Champions PAC is so new that it has not yet had to disclose its funders. But there is little doubt it is part of the same GOP network. On Saturday, Progressive Champions PAC and the other three sham PACs filed their FEC reports in the same 32 second window — all using the same Republican compliance software, Crimson Filer.

We’ve raised $17,000 in recent days for Cait Conley to help her counter these illicit Republican attacks. Thanks to everyone who has given. Can we get to $20,000 today? Donate to Cait here, and watch my new conversation with her here.

I am closing out today by sharing speeches members of our community have recommended in our chat over the past few days….

First, Michelle Obama’s remarkable speech at the opening of the Obama Presidential Center…..

And because I haven’t really given the Knicks enough love, here’s Mayor Mamdani’s speech at last Thursday’s Victory Parade:

Now, My Friends, It’s Time Get To Work!!!!!

Some Things To Call Congress About This Week

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

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

• 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 151 new people, strong progress towards 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. Follow the link for group and gift subscriptions too!

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

(Please be patient as we overhaul and update this section)

Supporting Battleground Candidates For The House and Senate

Caitlin Conley For NY-17 - We’ve launched a special campaign to help Cait Conley win her primary next Tuesday in one of the most flippable House seats in the country. Donate here, and watch my interview with Cait - West Point grad, special ops leader, 3 times Bronze Star recipient. We’ve already blown past our initial goal of $10,000 as of this morning, as we are already over $17,000 now. Can we get to $20,000 by midnight tonight?

Hopium’s Winning The House Campaign - $787,100 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 - $85,100 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 - $20,100 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn more and volunteer | Watch my wonderful new interview with Josh Turek

Mary Peltola For Alaska Senate - $105,100 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 - $89,100 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 - $3,200 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn more and volunteer |

Jon Ossoff GA Senate - $189,100 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn more through my uplifting conversation with Senator Ossoff

Roy Cooper for NC Senate - $124,100 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn more through my new discussion with Gov. CooperExpanding The Map - Investing And Winning In Key Expansion States (we will filling out this section in coming days)

Expanding The Map - Investing And Winning In Key Expansion States

Winning Iowa - $7,800 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 our great gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand

Winning Ohio - $162,100 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

Hopium’s Audacious Expansion Fund - $600,100 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.

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