Trump Is A Failed President. It's Time To Start Talking About What Comes Next

Hopium paid subscribers gather tonight at 6pm ET; our Vote Yes phonebanks start tomorrow; and I will be speaking in Bethesda, MD in person tomorrow night at 7pm

Morning all. Trump’s desperate lying and misrepresentation about what has happened in the Middle East, and what the “deal” is has already begun. Manic social media posts are flying, chaos and confusion have already started overtaking any sense of calm and relief. For he is still there, still unhinged, untethered, and everyone knows that as long as he is still there there can be no calm, no peace, for America or the world.

We will get more clarity on where we are in the coming days but the bottom line is that this was an historic failure and miscalculation by Trump and his team, perhaps the greatest mistake an American leader has ever made; and we come out of this moment humiliated and far weaker and Iran battered but far stronger.

As for Trump leaving the Presidency, or us finding some form of national unity government to start forcing a better path we’ve been in that place here at Hopium for many, many months. We can’t go on as before. Something dramatic must change. Trump has not just been unprecedentedly corrupt, broken dozens of laws, abandoned legally binding treaties with our closest allies, and has now committed dozens of war crimes; he is very old for this demanding job, in ill-health, and often doesn’t make any sense when he speaks and posts; but, most importantly, he and his ridiculous regime are leading America to global and domestic ruin.

For so, so many reasons this man should no longer be leading this once great nation.

And that is what we must focus on, in my view, in the days ahead - we must establish the clear material harm he is doing to the country - a weaker economy, rising prices, a deeply damaged health care system, struggling farmers and small businesses, the reckless attack on science and research and our public health, the savage assault on our civil rights and civil liberties, the torching of our alliances and the global system that has made us the most powerful nation in history, the slowing of the energy transition, and now a deep undermining of the perception of American strength, something that has helped create a period of unprecedented peace and prosperity for human kind.

He has profoundly failed us, repeatedly, across so many fronts. It would be reckless, dangerous even, to allow him to continue to lead as he has without monumental challenge.

We must use all our energy now to keep weakening his capacity to do harm to the country, and the world, keep taking back power, and learn from our recent success in fighting Trump on DHS/ICE - we must now fight him across all fronts, more often, more forcefully, and help forge a better path for the nation right now, today, not in January. For we remain in an extraordinary global crisis, and there simply is no reason to believe his vainglorious, idiotic, and addled man can lead us out of it successfully - for the crisis is him and his Presidency. Which is why as I’ve been writing here for some weeks it’s time now for Democrats to lay out their agenda for how we are going to put things right, and make demands for what we need - removal of Hegseth, Miller, Vought for example - in order to enter into good faith legislating and governance with the regime and Congressional Republicans going forward given the horrors they’ve unleashed on America and the world.

As we’ve been discussing here I think Thune, and to some degree Mike Johnson, are aware of the gravity of the problem they now face. They defied Trump on DHS/ICE and SAVE; Thune launched a massive $342 million Hail Mary to save their Senate majority; Democrats had more huge, terrifying overperformances in Georgia and Wisconsin last night and even Republican polling is now showing just how much their battlefield has eroded for them in recent weeks.

Here’s what Republican staff are waking up to Washington this morning:

Tomorrow, the White House and Republicans are likely to wake up to a soaring PCE inflation report:

And on Friday they will wake up to a CPI report that is likely to show one of the largest inflation spikes in American history:

Over the next few days Republicans are going to keep getting evidence of the extent of the damage Trump has caused; of the danger he represents to America, the world, and their own political prospects. They will try to once again put lipstick on this terrible Trumpian pig, but they know something new and different is required now. The current path is unsustainable for America, and for the Republican Party. We must use all of our might to force them into this new place, whatever that new place is and begin the hard work of picking up the pieces after these disastrous fifteen months……

Found this oldie but goodie from last November:

Is It Time For Trump To Go?

There are two opportunities for us to get together and talk about what comes next over the next two days:

• Tonight, 6pm ET - Our weekly Hopium paid subscriber gathering (note new time just for this week). Register here.

• Thursday, 7pm in Bethesda, MD - I am excited to be joining our good friends at the Women’s Democratic Club of Montgomery County tomorrow night at 7pm. You can register here. Bring friends and colleagues, spread this through your networks. Going to be a lot of fun, and I am excited to be able to see members of this remarkable community in person!

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

We are joining forces with our friends at Network NOVA to do two nights of phonebanking to drive our vote in the Vote Yes campaign in Virginia:

• Thursday, April 9, 530-8pm - Register here.

• Thursday, April 16, 530-8pm - Register here.

I will be kicking off both events and hanging around for a while to greet folks and thank everyone. Training will be provided for those who need it.

This statewide ballot initiative takes place on Tue, April 21st - so need the Hopium community to rally now, as you always do! Sign up for a shift today, bring friends, promote this through your networks. Let’s close strong in Virginia and bring this baby home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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

Hopium’s Winning The House Campaign (2026) - $550,000 raised, $500,000 - Donate to all twelve of our endorsed House challengers with one click | Enjoy our new conversations with Jamie Ager (NC-11), Christina Bohannan (IA-01), Mayor Paige Cognetti (PA-08), Sean McCann (MI-04), Jo Mendoza (AZ-06), and Janelle Stelson (PA-10) | Learn about the eight candidates we just added to our campaign here.

Huge shout-out to the team at FridayAction. Our event a week ago Wednesday with them has now raised $96,000 for our House candidates - amazing, amazing stuff! That total is included in our new amazing total, as is the money given to each individual House candidate in recent weeks.

James Talarico For Texas - $55,300 raised, $250,000 - Donate | Volunteer and Learn More | Enjoy my inspiring interview with Rep. Talarico as he fights to turn Texas blue

Mary Peltola For Alaska Senate - $80,200 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Volunteer and Learn More | Enjoy my uplifting conversation with Mary Peltola as she fights to turn Alaska blue

Winning Ohio - $115,800 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! This total includes $21,00 sent by a Hopium community member directly to each of our three Buckeye State partners!

Roy Cooper for NC Senate (2026) - $101,500 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Enjoy my conversation with Gov. Cooper as he fights to turn North Carolina blue

Jon Ossoff GA Senate (2026) - $164,300 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Enjoy my inspiring conversation with Senator Ossoff

Hopium’s Audacious Expansion Fund - $508,100 raised, $500,000 goal (new stretch goal) - Join our campaign to expand our map by investing in the Democratic Parties of Alaska, Florida, Iowa, Maine, and Texas, and catch interviews with 5 intrepid state party chairs leading us into battle this year.

Many thanks to two generous Hopium community members who have audaciously donated $20,000 to each of our five state parties over the past two years.

Advocate For The Hopium Agenda/Pass Resolutions Of Condemnation In Your Community

There are a few more ways to go to work in the coming days - call your leaders and advocate for elements of our working, ever evolving Hopium Agenda; bring resolutions that condemn our Mad King and lets facts be spoken to a candid world to your state or local government.

Here’s our working Hopium Post-Iran Disaster Agenda:

• Work To End This New Gulf War, And Trump’s Global Imperial Ambitions

• Make Clear We Support Ukraine and Europe, Not Russia

• Roll Back The New, Illegal Tariffs

• Rescind The Trump Tax Cuts, Claw Back The Extra ICE Funding

• Make The US A Clean Energy Superpower, Fight For True Energy Independence, And Lower Energy Prices For The American People

• Keep Fighting To Rein In ICE, End Mass Deportation

• End the War on Science, Health and Public Health

• Make Clear To American Farmers That We Want To End The War, Repeal The Tariffs, Find Legal Pathways For Farm Workers, And Make Health Care And Energy More Affordable

This week our calls should clearly focus on reining in the illegal war in the Middle East and ICE here at home, and rescinding the tariffs that are doing so much damage to our economy.

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

I am in New Orleans for some meetings and took this photo as I began writing this morning - a beautiful sunrise over the mighty Mississippi. Let it be the image we take with us today……..

Keep working hard all. We have a country to save and an election to win, together - Simon