Morning all. All week we’ve been talking about how Trump’s repeated failures to get his approval rating up, his STRENGTH restored and his political project back on track would likely lead to him to create more “spectaculars” - dramatic events that would make him feel powerful and cause others and reality itself to bend the knee.
His previous spectaculars had all failed to do the trick - his ICE escalation, his sad birthday parade, his bombing of Iran and the passage of the big ugly. This week was supposed to be a victory lap for him after his bill was signed last Saturday night, but it’s turned out to be another ugly week for him - the Texas tragedy and DHS/FEMA flailing, Epstein debacle, ongoing Russia fiasco, turmoil and DOJ malfeasance in the Abrego Garcia case, a new nationwide injunction on birthright citizenship effort, his tariff deadline arrives and he has to come to the American people humiliated with no deals in 90 days, and polls showing him losing not gaining ground.
So, what’s a weak, failing, big blubbery babyman to do?
Throw insane and dangerous tariffs at all those mean countries who refused to bend the knee.
With the announcement of 30% tariffs on Mexico and Europe this morning, we have officially entered the most dangerous period in Trump’s second term. These tariffs, if implemented will dramatically raise prices here on everything; essentially burn down the global economic system that has made America the wealthiest country in history; alienate our close allies and make us a pariah nation today and potentially for generations to come. These tariffs are arbitrary and capricious attacks on these countries and everyone who lives there, and will be viewed that way by the leaders and citizens of these nations. It is akin to an act of war. Yes, again, the Trump agenda is one of unrelenting sabotage, rapacious plunder and rancid betrayal.
Just so we understand how batshit crazy this all is 1) Trump has no legal or Constitutional authority to levy these tariffs 2) Judges have declared the tariffs illegitimate in two ongoing court cases 3) they are wildly unpopular with the American people and the central driver of his declining poll numbers 4) he even sent a tariff letter to Myanmar, a country we do not have diplomatic relations with, and their outlaw regime publicly thanked Trump for the recognition of their government.
As I’ve been saying all week Trump is weak not strong, failing not succeeding, losing not winning, a villain not a hero. And I mean look at how worried the White House is about his strongman image. They posted this on Thursday:
On Monday we are all going to need to come out of the box strong and call our Senators and House Members to get them to prioritize the rolling back of these tariffs and his overall tariff authority. We are in dangerous territory now as a nation, and we need to come fighting on Monday. This shit is not OK and we need to say so, loudly.
My Conversation With David Leopold - After the signing of the big ugly last Saturday I decided to make this week a week of talking about what comes next. So we heard from (links to all are here):
Charles Gaba on how the damage to our health care system is starting now, not in 2027
Tara McGowan on the growing power and effectiveness of pro-democracy media
CO AG Phil Weiser on the successes of the 23 Dem AGs and what they are planning for next
My comprehensive talk with the New Republic’s Greg Sargent on what comes next and my weekly post and video on how we should next these few months as ones of incredible opportunity to tell our story
And throwing in my terrific discussion with Senator Elissa Slotkin on her “Economic War Plan”
This morning I’m excited to share my new conversation with respected immigration legal expert David Leopold. A recording and transcript are above. In this highly informative discussion we review the current legal landscape, where we’ve had some important wins of late, and explore ideas for how we are going to be able to contain ICE in the months ahead. As he says in the very beginning of our interview we have to understand what Trump is doing fundamentally as a “war on due process.”
On Thursday we got a nationwide injunction against Trump’s birthright citizenship executive order. Last night, after David and I spoke, a Federal Judge in California issued an encouraging ruling that would reign in ICE (NYT gift link):
A federal judge in California blocked the Trump administration on Friday from making indiscriminate immigration arrests in the Los Angeles area and from denying detainees the right to consult with a lawyer.
The two temporary restraining orders issued by the judge represented a sharp rebuke of tactics that federal agents have employed in and around Los Angeles during waves of immigration raids that began last month.
In the orders, the judge, Maame E. Frimpong of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, directed agents to stop racial profiling in the course of seeking out immigrants and mandated that the federal government, which has deployed hundreds of agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other agencies in Los Angeles County, ensure detainees have access to legal counsel.
“What the federal government would have this Court believe — in the face of a mountain of evidence presented in this case — is that none of this is actually happening,” the judge wrote of the tactics barred in her order.
She said that “roving patrols” without reasonable suspicion violated the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution and that denying access to lawyers violated the Fifth Amendment.
The ruling, which remains in place for up to 10 days, came in response to a lawsuit filed last week by immigrant advocacy groups, led by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and the nonprofit Public Counsel. A fuller hearing is expected in the coming weeks as the groups seek a more durable order, known as a preliminary injunction.
We also got a major new poll from Gallup yesterday that showed the country rejecting Trump’s inhumane immigration escalation.
If you are looking for a deep dive on Trump’s war on immigrants and our rights this interview with David is a terrific one. For more on Trump’s dramatic escalation check out my recent interviews with Senator Chris Van Hollen, Joe Garcia, and Leon Krauze.
Final Note - Tariffs, ICE May Be Trump’s 2 Vietnams - While the Texas tragedy is feeling more and more like Trump’s Katrina, I keep thinking that his tariffs and immigration escalation may become his two Vietnams - deeply unpopular battles he cannot win, and ones for reasons of POWER and STRENGTH he cannot abandon. Look at where Trump stands with the public on tariffs and rising prices. Nothing he is doing is more unpopular.
Here’s Annie Lowery in The Atlantic this week:
Businesses thus far have sheltered American consumers from tariffs by eating some of the cost themselves and relying on stockpiled goods. As a result, inflation has remained subdued and economic growth strong enough through the first half of the year. But firms can keep only so much stock in warehouses. Analysts at BNP Paribas, a banking group, estimate that inventories will “clear” by the end of the summer, and prices will rise in turn. Right now, American consumers are facing an 18 percent effective tariff rate, the highest since 1934, the Yale Budget Lab estimates. Households will pay an average of $2,400 more for goods this calendar year, thanks to Trump’s policies.
As I’ve written to you these last few days (here, here) Trump is making enormous mistakes and it is a time for us to go on offense and get very, very loud this summer……
Now, Let’s Get To Work
Support Hopium’s Priority Candidates - Friends, you all rallied these last few days. We hit our $25,000 June 30th goal for our newly endorsed candidates Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Senator Jon Ossoff - thank you! Our revised fundraising goals are for Labor Day, remarkably, only two months away, with the November elections now only four months away. Early voting in Virginia starts September 19th. We can do this people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mikie Sherrill NJ Gov (2025) - $200,000 goal, $35k raised - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch Our Interview
Abigail Spanberger VA Gov (2025) - $250,000 goal, $152k raised - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch Our Interview
Jon Ossoff GA Senate (2026) - $200,000 goal, $34k raised - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer
Hopium House 7 (2026) - $250,000 goal, $160k raised - Donate | Learn More, Volunteer, Watch Our Interviews
We also have ongoing campaigns to support the new DNC, Anderson Clayton and the North Carolina Democratic Party and to thank Senator Cory Booker for his spirited leadership in a time of enormous challenge. Lots of choices - do something to support these great candidates and parties today!
As I mentioned I’m in the process of reworking our collective activities, and today have a new number 1….
1 - Call your Senators and Reps To Demand They Stop Trump’s Terrible Tariffs and Pass The Bi-Partisans Russia Sanctions Bill - I will be fleshing this out in coming days but Congress simply must take back its tariff authority that Trump has illegally and unconstitutional seized and dangerously abused; and pass the bipartisan bill (with 82 Senate cosponsors) that would increase sanctions on Russia.
2 - Get The Military Off Our Streets, Fight Trump’s Inhumane Immigration Escalation - Contact your Rep and Senators to demand they fight Trump’s illegal use of the National Guard and Marines in California. Encourage Democrats at all levels of government to a stand with Governor Newsom and the California - for Trump is not just attacking California, he is attacking the rights and freedoms of all of us. See my recent interviews with Joe Garcia, Leon Krauze and Senator Chris Van Hollen for more.
In the coming days I want to work with all of you to do something more explicit about demanding the end of masked, plain clothes “police” snatching people here in America without warrants.
3 - Join Our Resolutions Project - Inspired by the tactics of our Founders, learn about how Hopium members are advancing “resolutions of condemnation” in their communities across the country and consider bringing this initiative to your state, country or city/town. Our resolutions passed in two New Mexico counties two weeks ago, and we now have 44 resolutions moving in 14 states. Amazing stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4 -Volunteer To Help Your State and/or Local Democratic Parties Stand Up Voter Registration Efforts And Support “Organizing Summer” - In the presentation he made to our community recently Tom Bonier made a persuasive case that Democrats must once again make partisan voter registration a national priority. State and local Democratic Parties are in the planning stages to take this on. Members of our community should consider contacting their state and local parties and offer to help stand up these vital efforts in the coming months.
For more on the need to make partisan voter registration great again see my recent interview with Jane Kleeb, Nebraska Democratic Party Chair, DNC Vice Chair and President of the Association of Democratic State Committees.
Last Monday the DNC, the DSCC, the DCCC, the DGA and the ASDC announced a major new “Organizing Summer” project. Learn more about it here. I hope to have someone join us in the coming days to help us understand how we can support this exciting new initiative. Organizing to win these 29 Republican held House districts will be one of most important collective priorities for the next 16 months:
5 - Stand Up For Science - Sign on to the critically important Bethesda Declaration and watch my interview with Stand Up For Science’s Executive Director Colette Delawalla. Signing on to the Declaration is one concrete way you can take action today. Another is to back over 700 employees of the EPA who have taken a courageous stand challenging EPA Administration Lee Zeldin this week. You can learn more and sign your name in support of this remarkable effort here.
6 - Grow Hopium - We’ve set a goal of trying to grow the Hopium community from the 152,000 we are now to 175,000 by Labor Day. Do what you can to encourage your friends, family and colleagues to become a summer subscriber to Hopium, free or paid. If each current paid subscriber brings in just one new subscriber this summer we will hit our goal.
To encourage the growth of our community annual paid subscriptions are 10% off through Labor Day. Use that link to buy gift or group subscriptions, and join our new referral rewards program too.
Please self-report your activities to our daily paid subscriber chat. These reports help inspire all of us to do more and fight harder! Been impressive to see how many of you remain involved in local, in person protests of all kinds in your communities. Keep it up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Keep working hard all. Proud to be in this fight with all of you, and a fight it surely is - Simon
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