The Staggering Costs Of Trump's Failed War, More Tariffs Are Coming, Congratulations to Spain!
It's going to be another crazy week in Congress. Updates on Maine and Wisconsin....
Greetings all. A big hearty congratulations to Spain for winning a wonderful World Cup. Here is FIFA’s official winner’s trophy photo:
I will have more to say about Spain and the World Cup but today is their day. Today we celebrate this remarkable team, their incredible tournament run, and their inspiring and gifted leader, Rodri, who won the best player or as we call it here the “Most Valuable Player” of the World Cup…..
In surveying the news outlets this morning the other big story is also a global one - escalation of the wars in Russia/Ukraine and the Middle East, and the weakening of Bibi, Putin, and Trump due to the clear and undeniable failures of their wars. As the US has returned to “war” - illegal, unauthorized, monstrously expensive - global oil prices and domestic gas prices are rising again. Here’s the latest average price of a gallon of gas in the US via Gas Buddy:
I had Claude update our analysis of the total global cost of Trump’s failed war. It is just staggering that one man, acting alone, without allies or Congress, could have done this much damage to the world while also weakening the US in the process. It is everything our Founders sought to prevent:
Trump’s surrender to Iran a few weeks ago and the cessation of hostilities did not improve his standing here with the public. There was no recovery. The angry, autocratic return to “war” with American deaths, higher prices, and a daily reminder of his grand failure parallels his escalating illiberalism here at home - he is failing and increasingly desperate, and so he fights, and attacks, and destroys, and keeps trying, in his unhinged state attempting to get the world, reality itself, and all of us to bend the knee……
The NYT’s The Daily has an interview today with Jamison Greer, Trump’s trade rep, that has this stunning graphic and jaw dropping summary:
At a moment when inflation and affordability are on virtually everyone’s mind in America, Jamieson Greer, the U.S. trade representative, said the Trump administration was planning a new slate of tariffs.
Ana Swanson, who covers international trade for The New York Times and spoke to Mr. Greer, explains why Greer thinks the policy has been a success.
Earlier this year I wrote about how Trump was now trapped in three quagmires - Iran, the tariffs, and ICE/DHS killing Americans on the streets. In posting that piece I also posted this on Bluesky:
And so he presses on, Mad Kingy, on these three disastrous fronts, pushing him and his party further and further away from the American electorate and doing more and more harm to the American people, our democracy and standing in the world.
Last Friday the Israeli Knesset set the date of Israel’s next general election - October 27th. Due to in part his own failed war Netanyahu’s coalition trails the opposition and is polling at his lowest level in years (a coalition needs 61 of the Knesset’s 120 seats to form a government):
While there is a long way to go in both our elections and in Israel it is clear now that both Trump and Netanyahu have been significantly weakened by their failed wars. There is no update on the next election in Russia of course for Russia does not have elections as we know them - but we know Putin is weaker today, far, far weaker, both domestically and abroad.
And as we say here the weakening of these three, of Greater MAGA, is an important and necessary step in ensuring that there is a new birth of freedom, here and everywhere, in the years ahead.
Other things we’re tracking today:
1 - Troy Jackson appears to be close to wrapping up the nomination to be our next Senate candidate in Maine.
2 - There have been extraordinary developments in the Wisconsin Governor’s race:
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley reentered the Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor on Saturday and quickly nabbed an endorsement from Gov. Tony Evers — a major reversal in a fractured primary that has top state party officials scrambling less than a month before Election Day.
“Democrats cannot afford to head into this general election with a nominee who lacks the experience, who lacks the record or the coalition necessary to win this race, especially with Republicans actively trying to hand us that exact outcome,” Crowley told a crowd of supporters in Milwaukee. “This election is too important to gamble on.”
Just nine days ago, Crowley ended his bid for the governor’s race, endorsing then-Democratic front-runner Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez. But a stunning fall from grace over her campaign’s mishandling of financial records led Rodriguez to exit the race herself on Friday, leaving Democratic socialist Francesca Hong and another progressive, former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, at the top of the Democratic field.
Many Democrats fear that choosing someone from the party’s leftward flank like Hong, whose momentum is surging, could put the seat in play for Republican nominee Rep. Tom Tiffany, potentially costing them not just the governor’s mansion, but also down-ballot seats in the state legislature despite the favorable political headwinds nationally.
Now, Crowley is back, buoyed by the support of the state’s two-term governor.
“He’s not just a candidate who can win in November, but he’s the kind of person who cares about doing the job right, he has the experience to make tough decisions, and he’s proven he can work together with others to get good things done,” Evers announced on social media Saturday, hours before Crowley’s official re-entry into the race. “I’m proud to endorse him to be Wisconsin’s next governor.”
Voters will head to the polls for the gubernatorial primary on Aug. 11. Early voting kicks off on July 28.
3 - It’s going to be another very crazy week on the Hill:
What a week we have in store. The House and Senate are both in session. It’s the last time this will happen until the week of Sept. 14, nearly two months from now.
The Senate will be in through Aug. 7, while members of the House are leaving for five weeks starting on Thursday. Yes, it’s only mid-July, but the House won’t be back until Aug. 31.
Congress has a crowded legislative calendar and an increasingly complex and messy geopolitical landscape. House Republicans will try to move forward on reconciliation 3.0, their last big gamble before Election Day.
……..
The House. We’re struggling to remember a week that’s more jam-packed than what GOP leaders have planned for the next four days. We’ll note that House Republicans have repeatedly failed to deliver on their promises during the 119th Congress. The GOP-run House has been awash in chaos, with failed rules and floor votes becoming the norm.
Yes, my friends, it is that time again……..
Time To Get To Work Everyone!!!!!!!!!!
Winning The House and Senate In 2026
Hopium’s Winning The House Campaign - $991,100 raised, $1,000,000 goal - Donate | 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 courageous candidates win, the House will flip, even with Callais and their rancid mid-decade redistricting. So eyes on the prize here everyone!
Winning The House - The Second Wave Fund - $182,100 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | We’ve launched a second House fund, one targeting candidates who’ve recently emerged from primaries or running in new districts. Our initial crew is Rebecca Bennett (NJ-07), Bob Brooks (PA-07), Cait Conley (NY-17), 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 seven, and more as other worthy candidates emerge from their primaries. Our total above includes money we’ve raised for directly for each candidate. You can watch interviews with all of seven of these intrepid leaders here. We are off to a great start here everyone!
Winning The Senate - $503,100 raised, $1,000,000 goal - Donate | This new fund splits a single donation to our five candidates must likely to flip a Senate seat this November - Sherrod Brown (OH), Roy Cooper (NC), Mary Peltola (AK), James Talarico (TX), and Josh Turek (IA). Our working total Cincludes what we’ve raised for these five so far through direct donations to their campaigns. You can watch our interviews with each of these great candidates and/or contribute directly to any of them here.
Expanding The Map - Investing And Winning In Key Battleground And Expansion States
Winning Georgia (New) - $7,900 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | This new fund split a contribution three ways among Senator Jon Ossoff, gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms, and the Georgia Democratic Party | Watch my new interview with Georgia Dem Chair Charlie Bailey
Winning Iowa - $25,200 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Our Winning Iowa fund splits a contribution three ways - to Josh Turek for Senate, to our gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand, and to the Iowa Democratic Party | Watch my new interview with the great Chair of the Iowa Democratic Party Rita Hart
Winning Maine - $67,300 raised, $75,000 goal - Donate | Right now this fund is only supporting the Maine Democratic Party to help them get through this challenging process of selecting a new Senate nominee but will expand in coming days to include both our gubernatorial candidate, Hannah Pingree, and our eventual Senate nominee too. Thanks to all of you who have rallied for the Maine Dems in the past few days - it’s a big deal! | Watch our new interview with the inspiring Executive Director of the Maine Dems Devon Murphy-Anderson
Winning Ohio - $179,900 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Our new campaign splits contributions evenly among Sherrod Brown, the Acton-Pepper ticket, and the Ohio Democratic Party and its terrific Chair, Kathleen Clyde.
Hopium’s Audacious Expansion Fund - $633,100 raised, $1,000,000 goal - Donate | 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 | Contribute to all five state parties with one contribution split evenly among these five critical battlegrounds | Catch interviews with the five intrepid state chairs leading their troops into battle this year - will get you fired up!
Current 2026 Election Analysis
A Few More Things To Do
Let’s work to make sure everyone you know is Voting Early this year, and learn more about how our political battlefield is evolving this cycle; bring our Resolutions Project to your community; and fight for Hopium’s Agenda today and everyday!
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Keep working hard everyone. And remember - Hopium is hope with a plan. We don’t just hope tomorrow will be better than today. We do the work to make it so…..
RIP to the three US service members who recently died in Trump and Bibi's outrageous war. Prayers for their loved ones.
Today I sent out the second in my series of emails to family and friends with info about Simon's House candidates. As before, there's a photo, a brief bio, links to their website and Simon's interview. I also included Georgia Dem Chair Charlie Bailey's interview to highlight the importance of strong state Dem parties. This email included Rebecca Bennett, Jamie Ager and Sarah Trone Garriott. The emails are formatted well enough to present a clear and clean look - I want them to be easily scanned - a photo and 2-3 sentence bio, and a couple of links if people want to delve into detail.
Feedback has been positive, and a few friends have told me they're forwarding them to others.