Morning all. The proud, plucky patriots of the Hopium community got together last night for our weekly gathering. It was a lively affair, and you can find a video recording and transcript above.
In the discussion I laid out my four main takeaways from the past week:
1 - Our movement has become much stronger in recent months, and 2026 is shaping up to be a year of opportunity for us. In their powerful addresses Gov. Spanberger and Senator Padilla offered Democrats a strong rhetorical path forward. Democrats can and should be both warriors for the middle class and determined American patriots fighting tirelessly for our freedoms and our democracy. It’s not a choice or a pivot. It’s both, and.
2 - Trump should have course corrected on tariffs and immigration/ICE. He didn’t - and 2026 Republicans are in trouble. In my view he didn’t course correct for he can’t. The tariffs - which help pay for his huge tax cuts (self-enrichment) and the ICE expansion - and turning ICE into a domestic terror force is what he cares about. They are who he is, and he cannot run from them. But both policies have failed and become incredibly unpopular, and he, in his fanaticism, his greed, his need to be cruel and to rule he cannot let go.
3 - The Epstein scandal has become an existential threat to his Presidency. Elites are falling all over the world. Why not Trump? He was closer to Epstein than just about any one. And now we know that in 2019 a woman came forward and did interviews with the FBI where he tells the story of how Trump raped and beat her when she was 13. She did four interviews with the FBI, and today 53 pages of those interviews have gone missing. These missing are in essence a confirmation of his guilt, and the gravity of his crimes.
4 - As he is flailing, failing, and has refused to course correct, we have to assume that he is going to get wilder, more desperate, more dangerous, more willing to do whatever it takes - whatever it takes - to keep the Republicans in power. We must prepare.
In my weekly talk I go deeper into these four areas, as I do in new discussions with Katie Phang, Greg Sargent (new this morning), and Mike Nellis.
I also go deeper into these four areas in these pre-SOTU essays:
The State Of The Union Is That We’ve All Had Enough Of Trump’s Bullshit
Has Mass Deportation Become A Domestic Vietnam For Trump, Vance, and Miller?
To confirm how weak Trump is today, and why he should have changed course, and not doubled down on a failed and unpopular agenda, let’s look at some fresh polling data…..
Incredible that Trump choose to double down on the tariffs. It’s reckless politically and economically. He has now put the whole Republican Party, everyone on record for raising prices, slowing growth, hurting small businesses, harming farmers and the farm economy. From Navigator:
Stunning levels of disapproval on the most important issue to voters and one that was essential to both of his election wins:
A new CBS News poll confirms how badly he is losing the big arguments:
Gov. Spanberger was so smart to drive home that it is Trump’s tariffs that are causing prices to rise. It’s not just that prices are rising. Trump is causing prices to rise, on purpose, by design. And people know:
In the CBS News poll only 9% of voters think Trump should be setting tariff rates on his own. 9%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And now, today, fully 10% of the electorate, and 20% of his 2024 vote, regret voting for him. He has fallen very far, very fast. The country has rejected him and his agenda, and Republicans are in trouble in 2026:
From CBS. He’s melting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Trump had a big opportunity this week to reset, reboot, and course correct. Foolishly, arrogantly, he didn’t do it. It means we are far more likely to have the election we all want to have, everyone. So, 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 (2026) - $263,200 raised, $400,000 goal (new stretch goal) - Donate to all twelve of our endorsed House challengers with one click | Learn More | Enjoy our new conversations with Christina Bohannan (IA-01), Mayor Paige Cognetti (PA-08), Jo Mendoza (AZ-06), and Janelle Stelson (PA-10) and learn more about the eight candidates we just added to our campaign here.
We will be meeting the rest of our newly expanded slate of intrepid House candidates in the coming weeks. It’s a great crew!
This fundraising total includes funds already raised with our friends at FridayAction for a joint event we’re doing in late March.
Hopium’s Audacious Expansion Fund - $382,100 raised, $500,000 goal (new stretch goal) - Join our new campaign to expand our map by investing in the Democratic Parties of Alaska, Florida, Iowa, Maine, and Texas. Many thanks to two generous Hopium community members who have audaciously donated $10,000 to each of our five state parties.
Mary Peltola For Alaska Senate - $39,200 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Volunteer and learn more. Amazing start everyone!
Winning Ohio - $63,400 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! | Watch my conversation with David Pepper, who does a great overview of the opportunities we have in Ohio this year. Note a generous donor has sent $21,000 worth of Hopium-infused contributions directly to the candidates which are not included in our on-line goal tracker.
Roy Cooper for NC Senate (2026) - $80,100 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Enjoy my conversation with Gov. Cooper
Jon Ossoff GA Senate (2026) - $133,300 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Enjoy my inspiring conversation with Senator Ossoff
Keep working hard everyone. The momentum is with us, and we need to keep fighting as hard as we can - Simon
