Reporting in: called my feds today regarding the Orwellian SAVE Act, tariffs, national security, and deportations without due process. Expect to spend several hours today textbanking opposition to the SAVE Act.
Yay. I’m on now. Sent a bunch to MS. So glad you mentioned this here. Haven’t been on with Fair Fight since October because Slack stopped accepting my browser and my computer was too old to upgrade it. Had to get a newer computer.
Democrats should make the tariff issue the #1 issue from now until 2026. 10% across the board and 100% plus on China are still basically Smoot-Hawley levels of tariffs. The damage has been done and will continue to get worse. But it will take some months for the full impact to be felt.
If Dems talk about this and blame Republicans every single day, they will be seen to be correct in the eyes of voters/everyone. Start now and make this issue #1. Everyone is hurt by tariffs and we are close to a full-blown financial crisis (read Paul Krugman today). Something is going to break in a big, bad way and if D's have been talking about it when it happens, we look like we know what we are doing (which we do).
Right on, Tim! And we should also never miss an opportunity, no matter how small*, to remind people that Trump is a Russian asset. The Big Truth works the same way the Big Lie does
* eg I just finished a piece of art for a client for an article about how Trump is turning us into a banana republic (with the opposite of 25% off on everything)--guess whose flag is flying atop the White House made of bananas? :)
But let my previous comment not obscure what I think is the deeper truth about what you're saying, Tim. Which is that we are all descendents of forward-thinking people, optimists who sought a better life. In a world where it's gotten harder and harder for people to know who and what to believe, who become the truth-tellers for a forward-thinking people? **People who accurately predict the future and are known for having done so.**
PS And if the demogogue tries to blame their predictions for his problems? The next Big Truth becomes that he's a whiner, not a winner, and nobody in this country is down with whining; the GOP and our sports obsession (guilty) have made sure of that.
Agree 100%. If you see my comment above I said something similar. Consistency!!! I am also concerned about bond market, but don't know enough to fully understand long term effects.
As someone who spent their career in finance, I can tell you that what the bond market did this week is not good. Normally, when the stock market goes down heavily, investors buy Treasuries because they are "safe". This week, when the market tanked, investors were selling Treasuries as well, because investors were losing confidence that the US was "safe".
There is more to come on this, including Republicans trying to pass a $4 trillion tax cut and the likelihood that China starts selling their holdings of US Treasuries as retaliation for the tariffs. As I mentioned to Janet below, the damage is already done and there is more coming, IMO.
Tim, you are so correct about making the tariffs the issue. First, it has penetrated throughout the population in a way few issues have. Everyone is talking about it. Second, as you said, this current level of tariff will cause great pain. But, finally, the reciprocal tariff ridiculousness that Trump just walked back, just about led us into a financial meltdown. The bond market was blinking red and that’s why he reversed course, not because of any art of the deal nonsense that he and his sycophants are spinning. Listen to the NY Times Daily for more details.
Exactly Janet. The bond market made him back down from truly ridiculous tariffs to just recession/depression level tariffs. Right now, the tariffs in place are nearly at Smoot-Hawley levels (Paul Krugman did a good job explaining this) and the levels on China are effectively an embargo. No direct trade will happen with China at these levels and everyone loses.
Further, no matter what the madman does from here, the damage is done. Manufacturing was already in recession, consumer spending is being severely curtailed now, which adds to the recession. And in 90 days, (or less) we will go through this all over again.
To your point about all of this breaking through, the FT had data yesterday showing that while the MAGA cult still has high approval, the rest of the voters for Trump have moved away significantly. Here is the link:
Because the full negative effects of this madness will take months to be realized, I think that Democrats have a real opportunity to make the point everyday that Trump and Republicans chose to do this and it's going to wreck our economy. When it all comes to fruition, Democrats will look like the only group that understood what was happening and had a plan to fix it.
Great post, Simon! I called Senators Alsobrooks and Van Hollen and Congressman Raskin. I spoke about the tariffs and Senator Kaine's resolution and about the continued destruction of Social Security.
Last night I was at my grandson's high school baseball game, admittedly in deep blue Montgomery County, Maryland, but the chatter among parents in the bleachers was all about how the uber wealthy don't have to depend on 401ks, so they don't care about market crashes. No one was defending Trump.
I'll be doing my postcards for the NJ governor's race this afternoon.
Yesteray I contributed to Go Fund Me for both Abrego Garcia's family and for his legal support. Is there something we all can do to support his return to the US and his family? (and then that of the others sent to El Salvador for due process). Where/ how do we apply pressure.
I’ve been thinking about this too. I believe we always need to keep his family’s feelings foremost, otherwise I’d say the Dems should start saying that unless the Republicans can produce him we must assume harm has come to him. I just don’t think that’s an acceptable tactic as it seems cruel to the family. But it is infuriating what has happened and I can’t imagine what he’s going through all because of Trump.
Bryn--the message you propose seems like it would be so effective (and families often want to proof of life even more than anyone else) that I wonder if Dems could push it in coordination and communication with his family (eg so the family knows we aren't really saying we think he's dead)
Does anyone know which groups here are standing up to this?? I would like to amplify. I only found the Go Fund Me's ........ How can pressure be brought on the government to act? Are there Congresspeople speaking up about this?
Hi Laura-- Well, unless something has changed in the last few hours (always a possibility), the good news is that the Supreme Court has apparently unanimously ordered Trump to get him back, but of course even if that happens, there are apparently 90 other people he sent down there with no criminal record who are now apparently serving life sentences :/
Yes - and I see the recent court decisions as pointing toward return as well of all these people, to then be subjected to due process as required by the US Constitution.
And in terms of the process of putting these non-criminals on that list, we now have this, spoken of in detail by Tim Miller on the Bulwark today.
Thanks much for sharing that, Laura. Something else that more of the media needs to be doing is calling BS on Trump's claims that there's nothing they can do about this. All of these people are in El Salvador because of a contract set up between our countries by Trump, not in response to an extradition order by the Salvadorans per a standard extradition treaty. The media needs to be saying *that* over and over, followed by: (1) What, the guy who has been breaking contracts right and left his entire life (including dozens as president, both terms) and he can't break this one? BS. (2) This guy just tanked the world economy out of confidence that he could get more than a hundred countries to bend the knee, and El Salvador wasn't one of them? BS (3) This guy has repeatedly said he's going to invade Canada, Greenland, and Panama, but he can't touch El Salvador? BS (4) Innocent people are being tortured for the rest of their lives for two reasons, and two reasons only, both completely reprehensible (i) Trump’s lifelong inability and determination never to admit any kind of mistake on his part, ever--which is about as bad a character flaw as you can have (ii) the president of El Salvador is a fellow member of Autocrats, Inc.
Outside of putting tremendous pressure on our elected officials, citizens have to be careful about not being perceived as meddling in foreign affairs. That's how a lot of these students are being rounded up. That's the premise -- that they represent a danger to the foreign policy of the US.
I have wondered if there's away to contact activists in Costa Rica and Mexico, and have them intercede with their governments to help. Still waiting for the court cases to take their course here.
Justice Sotomayor's dissent in an recent opinion revealed a very scary loophole. The Trump regime could EASILY abduct and transport a valid US citizen. They are known to make royal screwups. What then? -- is still an open question. Our sleeping giant still slumbers for the most part.
Molly, here is what scares me the most: That EVERY outrage committed by the Trump regime runs the risk of being absorbed, processed and normalized.
I NEVER use the word "deportation" to describe abducting someone denied due process, not convicted of any serious offence, and transported to a prison in another country. ANYONE who uses that word is actively taking part -- however unwittingly -- in the normalization process.
"Hey, deporting people not here legally doesn't seem that bad." And that's how it festers and grows.
They are not mass deportations; they are mass human rights violations.
It's suddenly hitting me how incredibly powerful the press is in terms of how things are framed. I agree with your last sentence. This is why I check this News Substack before even looking at others.
We need clear reporting that reframes this correctly as you are saying. Human Rights, the 5th amendment, due process, habeas corpus, whom it all covers (everyone, our standards of how humans are treated).
Some Headlines I would Like to See that to me are more accurate and highlight what the Key issue is
Human Rights Under the US Constitution Violated by Deportation and Rendition Tactics. Court Clarifies Due Process for All.
Court Uninanimously 9-0 Upholds the US Constitution Due Process Requirements: Orders Facilitation of Return of Legal Immigrant Wrongly seized and Jailed in El Salvador -
Court Rules Due Process under US Constitution Required for all proceedings including all immigrant proceedings. Prisoner flights to El Salvador without Due Process completely illegal.
The placement of news items and the distortions of headline frames are, as you are saying, fueling the inhumanity.
Thank you. I really appreciated the points you made.
When I talk with fellow Americans I suspect might be conservative -- before approaching this topic -- I'll muse about the days of the "old West." Westerns were really massive growing up in the 50s and 60s. They portrayed a "simpler" America with a clear sense of right and wrong, at least in our imaginations. (Ronald Reagan wed himself into our consciousness as a story-teller and yarn-spinner on "Death Valley Days" -- a very popular TV show of the time.)
"What did they do to horse-thieves back in those days?" followed by:
"What do you think they would have done to someone who came in an poured poison into the public well?" You see, this is how I consider the people in the media who spin and lie. They are poisoning the civic well and poisoning minds. (Granted, there is no "easy" remedy.)
Great news late yesterday about the Supreme Court deciding unanimously that Abrego Garcia MUST be brought back. (The government was specially prohibited from sending him to El Salvador in the first place -- even as a standard deportation. Noem and the others have repeatedly lied about and defamed this man.)
Simon, could you speak more about the Congressional/DNC war room, people’s cabinet, and (I think) press briefings you mentioned? How can we learn more and follow these activities? Thanks.
I called the two TX senators to vote against the tariffs. I called the Republican Tony Gonzales and urged him to vote no on the budget bill which has serious cuts to Medicaid.
In lieu of Chip Roy holding a town hall, there will be a Peoples Town Hall in Fredericksburg, TX with Joaquin Castro and state reps attending. Also attending is the newly elected TX Democratic State Chair Kendall Scudder, a young progressive.
Are you going? If so, Barbara, approach Joaquin before or after - and let him know Gary Scharrer (rhymes with car.. bar.. tar …shar) urged you to give him a pat on the back. We go back 23 years. He called last week.. he is mulling a statewide race next year and we chat regularly about that.
Is anyone tracking which members of congress and Trump allies bought stocks right before the announcement yesterday that sent stocks shooting up for a bit?
Oooh, that is a great question. Ditto those who sold or shorted them just before the full extent of Liberation Day became clear (though of course there's more plausibility available there).
Something else that would be interesting and politically useful to know: how many Republicans electeds sold stock after Trump made his Liberation Day announcement, what they sold, and how much? This would tell the public how much cognitive dissonance there is between their money and their mouths, ie what they REALLY think about the tariffs. Did any of them buy? That could be revealing too. After all, if they believed in what Trump was selling, what a great opportunity to pick up what would be stocks on the cheap.
More generally, wouldn't it be fun to tie all these inside traders to the policies of their parties from now on, and watch what was a risk-free opportunity to enrich themselves turn into an anchor on their fortunes when they vote for or support bad bills or BS announcements?
Yet another point: Trump’s so-called "trade imbalance" with various and sundry countries does not take into account services sold/provided by US companies.
With mild amusement, I was considering the possibility of the European Union imposing retaliatory tariffs on the likes of Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Apple.
EU does not have their own Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple but China does. Why? China banned these US companies and allowed China versions to flourish. Tencent, BYD, Baidu, Alibaba, Huawei and many others. While I don't think China did the right thing on this score, EU has to look at what is happening and think about not relying on USA.
The big difference is that Europe is an open society, whereas China has the "Great Firewall" on its Internet, whereby the rest of world is either cut off or heavily censored. So this is not at all comparable.
Likewise when it comes to trade and the consumer market.
I'd add that my sense is that US multinationals are not seen as American to the same extent that Chinese companies are seen as Chinese--ie they aren't seen as loyal to our country (we can thank our oil companies for leading the way on this /s), more like states unto themselves, particularly companies like those mentioned, which are basically pipes filled with local content wherever they are. Whereas Chinese companies are rightfully seen as completely beholden and obedient to the Chinese government--I'd bet most people in the world even think they were created and are still owned by the CCP, even in cases where local content rules (eg TikTok) or that are largely out of sight, out of mind (eg Huawei).
I agree that China and Europe are not comparable. I still think there is a lesson to learn from success of BYD, Huawei, Tencent. I've been following them for a long time, in some cases in direct competition and they are excellent. A completely different example is US light truck industry such as Ford F150 and Chevy Silverado. Why are these made in North America? Why final assembly mostly in USA? Consumers would be better off with much better and cheaper trucks made by China or other lower labor cost places. Targeted tariffs, industrial policy, tailored regional design (US trucks would knock down buildings on narrow streets in Europe and Japan). I applaud this policy but it is a policy and not "free markets". Cards on table, I just want to defeat MAGA and Canada, Mexico, UK, EU working to gain independence from MAGA USA at this time would help.
You're right David. The good news is that both the EU and the UK have woken up to the reality of over dependence on the USA. They are adapting quickly (by European standards).
As Simon keeps reminding us, there is so much coming at us from so many directions. Can’t chase the news. The Letter to America is a winning idea. Connect dots for people. But pick 10 priorities (or so). Connect the most important dots .. grab attention and help folks connect the implications and consequences.
(There might be 25 or 50 points; but best to focus attention on the Top Ten) Short and simple makes it easier to keep people focused.
Totally agree. The Big Lie only works because there are just a handful of them repeated ad nauseum. If there are so many that people have to remember them, by definition you've failed.
For this reason, I think, ideally you pick Big Truths you can associate with as much as possible, the way Trump did when he blamed all of our problems on foreigners (countries, immigrants) which allowed him to keep his solutions (tariffs, deportations) simple (and get away with a lot of lies because he was talking about entities and people the average citizen knows next to nothing about.*)
The one caveat I think needs to be kept in mind is that new (digital) media allows you to sell *more* truths (or ideas) and more *complex* ones (advantage: Democrats, if we take it), and it's becoming increasingly clear that digital users *expect* this--it adds a lot to the communication's perceived authenticity.
* A good example of what happens when that's not the case is the Hispanic focus group Simon told us about that, after 40 minutes of immigrant-bashing Trump did in the first debate to keep his message simple enough for him to be able to sustain it, unanimously declared Biden the winner because "all Trump did was lie."
Indeed. I’m not savvy enough to discuss digital messaging strategies. Most of us here realize that Trump gives us daily outrages. They add up. And last week’s outrage gets diluted by new ones today and tomorrow.
So best to run with a Top Ten list - and connect the damn dots for folks who do not absorb and process like we do.
I covered George W Bush’s 1994 campaign against incumbent Gov Ann Richards. He couldn’t match her oratory skills and folksy charisma. But he focused on 4 issues and never wandered. People knew exactly what he stood for when they voted. And Bush was disciplined enough not to get distracted. It didn’t matter what reporters asked him, he simply pivoted to one of his four issues to keep driving his points.
Dems must unite behind Some priority/outrage issues and be unrelenting in connecting the damn dots.
I totally agree on the Top 10 approach. Gary, and am hoping to use Reddit (which lets you up-vote and down-vote items on a list), to let we, the people, help determine top 10s in two areas that most frequently overwhelm us with volume: Trump's lies and DOGE's atrocities. Of course, you're rightly talking about *one* top 10 across *everything,* and/but by the time the Trump lies list and the DOGE atrocities list mature, they (and others) should have enough contributors to merge and narrow them down to 10 total via head to head competitions in a bracket format (Trump Madness, we could call it) :)
And then add a second element, connecting that madness to you personally.
Gotta somehow help
folks understand how that Trump madness affects them.
Because it does. And the right phrase or words would amplify the fact that the “narcissist sociopath” crazy guy is harming us individually and society/democracy collectively
I love the notion of characterizing these unconstitional tariffs as taxation without representation. Taxes are tariffs. We are represented in government by our house district representative. That is why congress is given power of taxation and tariffs by the constitution, even if congress foolishly gave some emergency powers to President. Every question to Trump should be demanding that he explain just what the emergency is. Tariff policy would be so much better with debate, analysis (CBO score), representation and voting. In 1776 we rebelled against a mad king and here we are again. The country is being destroyed by a mad king. Taxation without representation.
Yes. Most Americans haven't read past the opening few lines of the Declaration of Independence, but they sure know "no taxation without representation." And that leads nicely into the fact that we (supposedly - we are paying their salaries) DO have representation, but since Trump is doing everything by executive order, and they are afraid to buck him, they are not ACTUALLY representing us by debating and voting.
We need to make *all* Republican politicians fully own Trump’s deranged actions and policies. By their spineless appeasement to whatever the Mad King demands, their senators and representatives are fully responsible for the damage and demolition that is being done.
Democrats do themselves a strategic disservice by talking only or mostly about Trump. All of them own this! And we need to make that abundantly clear in these months before the Midterm Election and various special elections.
Indeed they do! JD Vance is Peter Thiel’s apprentice, and Thiel is as pro-Fascist as it gets. He has both feet firmly planted in the Dark Enlightenment, the ideology espoused by Curtis Yarvin. Really, really dangerous stuff.
Reporting in: I forwarded HCR YouTube Politics from April 8, 2025 to many friends to explain about the Insurrection Act. Very helpful! I urged everyone to take two actions, tell Banks and Young and Carson to pass the resolution reinstating Congress’s power to control tariffs & build security against Russia. For Rep Carson, I added bring back Kilmar Abrego Garcia now. HCR pointed out how dangerous it is when a legal resident is denied due process and rendered in a foreign prison. Denial of due process is a bedrock of democracy. I also asked when they having town halls over spring recess.
There is a phone-banking event today to call people about Social Security. I'm already signed up for one this afternoon. Here is the link in case you're interested: https://www.mobilize.us/allianceforretiredamericans/event/773079/. It's called "Stop the Steal! Save Social Security Virtual Phone Bank" and is held every other Thursday through May 22. Spread this to others you know and let's save Social Security!
The Oligarchy is loving the orange man’s insider trading with no laws.
And so is MAGA, because they aspire to be rich and free from consequences like trump is.
Reporting in: called my feds today regarding the Orwellian SAVE Act, tariffs, national security, and deportations without due process. Expect to spend several hours today textbanking opposition to the SAVE Act.
How do you join the textbank?
Texting with Fair Fight Action. You must have been trained already.
Thanks
Yay. I’m on now. Sent a bunch to MS. So glad you mentioned this here. Haven’t been on with Fair Fight since October because Slack stopped accepting my browser and my computer was too old to upgrade it. Had to get a newer computer.
Wonderful!
Democrats should make the tariff issue the #1 issue from now until 2026. 10% across the board and 100% plus on China are still basically Smoot-Hawley levels of tariffs. The damage has been done and will continue to get worse. But it will take some months for the full impact to be felt.
If Dems talk about this and blame Republicans every single day, they will be seen to be correct in the eyes of voters/everyone. Start now and make this issue #1. Everyone is hurt by tariffs and we are close to a full-blown financial crisis (read Paul Krugman today). Something is going to break in a big, bad way and if D's have been talking about it when it happens, we look like we know what we are doing (which we do).
Right on, Tim! And we should also never miss an opportunity, no matter how small*, to remind people that Trump is a Russian asset. The Big Truth works the same way the Big Lie does
* eg I just finished a piece of art for a client for an article about how Trump is turning us into a banana republic (with the opposite of 25% off on everything)--guess whose flag is flying atop the White House made of bananas? :)
Ha. Love it. And yes, we should not miss an opportunity to show that we know what we are doing.
But let my previous comment not obscure what I think is the deeper truth about what you're saying, Tim. Which is that we are all descendents of forward-thinking people, optimists who sought a better life. In a world where it's gotten harder and harder for people to know who and what to believe, who become the truth-tellers for a forward-thinking people? **People who accurately predict the future and are known for having done so.**
PS And if the demogogue tries to blame their predictions for his problems? The next Big Truth becomes that he's a whiner, not a winner, and nobody in this country is down with whining; the GOP and our sports obsession (guilty) have made sure of that.
This is really spot on! We already know the outcome here, so we can be the truth-tellers as you describe.
Agree 100%. If you see my comment above I said something similar. Consistency!!! I am also concerned about bond market, but don't know enough to fully understand long term effects.
As someone who spent their career in finance, I can tell you that what the bond market did this week is not good. Normally, when the stock market goes down heavily, investors buy Treasuries because they are "safe". This week, when the market tanked, investors were selling Treasuries as well, because investors were losing confidence that the US was "safe".
There is more to come on this, including Republicans trying to pass a $4 trillion tax cut and the likelihood that China starts selling their holdings of US Treasuries as retaliation for the tariffs. As I mentioned to Janet below, the damage is already done and there is more coming, IMO.
Tim, you are so correct about making the tariffs the issue. First, it has penetrated throughout the population in a way few issues have. Everyone is talking about it. Second, as you said, this current level of tariff will cause great pain. But, finally, the reciprocal tariff ridiculousness that Trump just walked back, just about led us into a financial meltdown. The bond market was blinking red and that’s why he reversed course, not because of any art of the deal nonsense that he and his sycophants are spinning. Listen to the NY Times Daily for more details.
Exactly Janet. The bond market made him back down from truly ridiculous tariffs to just recession/depression level tariffs. Right now, the tariffs in place are nearly at Smoot-Hawley levels (Paul Krugman did a good job explaining this) and the levels on China are effectively an embargo. No direct trade will happen with China at these levels and everyone loses.
Further, no matter what the madman does from here, the damage is done. Manufacturing was already in recession, consumer spending is being severely curtailed now, which adds to the recession. And in 90 days, (or less) we will go through this all over again.
To your point about all of this breaking through, the FT had data yesterday showing that while the MAGA cult still has high approval, the rest of the voters for Trump have moved away significantly. Here is the link:
https://www.ft.com/content/26d15d7e-dd36-4ca1-b974-da8a57bce290
Because the full negative effects of this madness will take months to be realized, I think that Democrats have a real opportunity to make the point everyday that Trump and Republicans chose to do this and it's going to wreck our economy. When it all comes to fruition, Democrats will look like the only group that understood what was happening and had a plan to fix it.
More cracks, coming from inside the house! Have a little schadenfreude with your breakfast and put it on Kash Patel's and Dan Bongino's tab :D
https://open.substack.com/pub/thebulwark/p/dan-bongino-fbi-deputy-director-kash-patel-wants-you-to-know-hes-working-really-hard?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=7y800
Great post, Simon! I called Senators Alsobrooks and Van Hollen and Congressman Raskin. I spoke about the tariffs and Senator Kaine's resolution and about the continued destruction of Social Security.
Last night I was at my grandson's high school baseball game, admittedly in deep blue Montgomery County, Maryland, but the chatter among parents in the bleachers was all about how the uber wealthy don't have to depend on 401ks, so they don't care about market crashes. No one was defending Trump.
I'll be doing my postcards for the NJ governor's race this afternoon.
The stock market woke up:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/live/stock-market-today-dow-sp-500-nasdaq-slide-as-tariff-pause-euphoria-gets-a-reality-check-133050672.html
Yesteray I contributed to Go Fund Me for both Abrego Garcia's family and for his legal support. Is there something we all can do to support his return to the US and his family? (and then that of the others sent to El Salvador for due process). Where/ how do we apply pressure.
I’ve been thinking about this too. I believe we always need to keep his family’s feelings foremost, otherwise I’d say the Dems should start saying that unless the Republicans can produce him we must assume harm has come to him. I just don’t think that’s an acceptable tactic as it seems cruel to the family. But it is infuriating what has happened and I can’t imagine what he’s going through all because of Trump.
Not to mention the 200-some other Venezuelan immigrants who are already there. :(
Bryn--the message you propose seems like it would be so effective (and families often want to proof of life even more than anyone else) that I wonder if Dems could push it in coordination and communication with his family (eg so the family knows we aren't really saying we think he's dead)
Does anyone know which groups here are standing up to this?? I would like to amplify. I only found the Go Fund Me's ........ How can pressure be brought on the government to act? Are there Congresspeople speaking up about this?
Hi Laura-- Well, unless something has changed in the last few hours (always a possibility), the good news is that the Supreme Court has apparently unanimously ordered Trump to get him back, but of course even if that happens, there are apparently 90 other people he sent down there with no criminal record who are now apparently serving life sentences :/
Yes - and I see the recent court decisions as pointing toward return as well of all these people, to then be subjected to due process as required by the US Constitution.
And in terms of the process of putting these non-criminals on that list, we now have this, spoken of in detail by Tim Miller on the Bulwark today.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2025/04/10/fired-milwaukee-police-officer-report-gay-stylist-salvadoran-prison/83005721007/
Speaking up to Congress and spreading the word to pressure.
Thanks much for sharing that, Laura. Something else that more of the media needs to be doing is calling BS on Trump's claims that there's nothing they can do about this. All of these people are in El Salvador because of a contract set up between our countries by Trump, not in response to an extradition order by the Salvadorans per a standard extradition treaty. The media needs to be saying *that* over and over, followed by: (1) What, the guy who has been breaking contracts right and left his entire life (including dozens as president, both terms) and he can't break this one? BS. (2) This guy just tanked the world economy out of confidence that he could get more than a hundred countries to bend the knee, and El Salvador wasn't one of them? BS (3) This guy has repeatedly said he's going to invade Canada, Greenland, and Panama, but he can't touch El Salvador? BS (4) Innocent people are being tortured for the rest of their lives for two reasons, and two reasons only, both completely reprehensible (i) Trump’s lifelong inability and determination never to admit any kind of mistake on his part, ever--which is about as bad a character flaw as you can have (ii) the president of El Salvador is a fellow member of Autocrats, Inc.
Such a worthy cause. (Thank you.)
Outside of putting tremendous pressure on our elected officials, citizens have to be careful about not being perceived as meddling in foreign affairs. That's how a lot of these students are being rounded up. That's the premise -- that they represent a danger to the foreign policy of the US.
I have wondered if there's away to contact activists in Costa Rica and Mexico, and have them intercede with their governments to help. Still waiting for the court cases to take their course here.
Justice Sotomayor's dissent in an recent opinion revealed a very scary loophole. The Trump regime could EASILY abduct and transport a valid US citizen. They are known to make royal screwups. What then? -- is still an open question. Our sleeping giant still slumbers for the most part.
It is very scary.
Molly, here is what scares me the most: That EVERY outrage committed by the Trump regime runs the risk of being absorbed, processed and normalized.
I NEVER use the word "deportation" to describe abducting someone denied due process, not convicted of any serious offence, and transported to a prison in another country. ANYONE who uses that word is actively taking part -- however unwittingly -- in the normalization process.
"Hey, deporting people not here legally doesn't seem that bad." And that's how it festers and grows.
They are not mass deportations; they are mass human rights violations.
It's suddenly hitting me how incredibly powerful the press is in terms of how things are framed. I agree with your last sentence. This is why I check this News Substack before even looking at others.
We need clear reporting that reframes this correctly as you are saying. Human Rights, the 5th amendment, due process, habeas corpus, whom it all covers (everyone, our standards of how humans are treated).
Some Headlines I would Like to See that to me are more accurate and highlight what the Key issue is
Human Rights Under the US Constitution Violated by Deportation and Rendition Tactics. Court Clarifies Due Process for All.
Court Uninanimously 9-0 Upholds the US Constitution Due Process Requirements: Orders Facilitation of Return of Legal Immigrant Wrongly seized and Jailed in El Salvador -
Court Rules Due Process under US Constitution Required for all proceedings including all immigrant proceedings. Prisoner flights to El Salvador without Due Process completely illegal.
The placement of news items and the distortions of headline frames are, as you are saying, fueling the inhumanity.
Thank you. I really appreciated the points you made.
When I talk with fellow Americans I suspect might be conservative -- before approaching this topic -- I'll muse about the days of the "old West." Westerns were really massive growing up in the 50s and 60s. They portrayed a "simpler" America with a clear sense of right and wrong, at least in our imaginations. (Ronald Reagan wed himself into our consciousness as a story-teller and yarn-spinner on "Death Valley Days" -- a very popular TV show of the time.)
"What did they do to horse-thieves back in those days?" followed by:
"What do you think they would have done to someone who came in an poured poison into the public well?" You see, this is how I consider the people in the media who spin and lie. They are poisoning the civic well and poisoning minds. (Granted, there is no "easy" remedy.)
I a will go google Abrego Garcia for the go fund me. I have been trying not shop or spend money so I try to contribute to these causes. Thank-you
Great news late yesterday about the Supreme Court deciding unanimously that Abrego Garcia MUST be brought back. (The government was specially prohibited from sending him to El Salvador in the first place -- even as a standard deportation. Noem and the others have repeatedly lied about and defamed this man.)
Simon, could you speak more about the Congressional/DNC war room, people’s cabinet, and (I think) press briefings you mentioned? How can we learn more and follow these activities? Thanks.
I called the two TX senators to vote against the tariffs. I called the Republican Tony Gonzales and urged him to vote no on the budget bill which has serious cuts to Medicaid.
In lieu of Chip Roy holding a town hall, there will be a Peoples Town Hall in Fredericksburg, TX with Joaquin Castro and state reps attending. Also attending is the newly elected TX Democratic State Chair Kendall Scudder, a young progressive.
Are you going? If so, Barbara, approach Joaquin before or after - and let him know Gary Scharrer (rhymes with car.. bar.. tar …shar) urged you to give him a pat on the back. We go back 23 years. He called last week.. he is mulling a statewide race next year and we chat regularly about that.
Is anyone tracking which members of congress and Trump allies bought stocks right before the announcement yesterday that sent stocks shooting up for a bit?
Disclosure is May 15th.
Oooh, that is a great question. Ditto those who sold or shorted them just before the full extent of Liberation Day became clear (though of course there's more plausibility available there).
Something else that would be interesting and politically useful to know: how many Republicans electeds sold stock after Trump made his Liberation Day announcement, what they sold, and how much? This would tell the public how much cognitive dissonance there is between their money and their mouths, ie what they REALLY think about the tariffs. Did any of them buy? That could be revealing too. After all, if they believed in what Trump was selling, what a great opportunity to pick up what would be stocks on the cheap.
More generally, wouldn't it be fun to tie all these inside traders to the policies of their parties from now on, and watch what was a risk-free opportunity to enrich themselves turn into an anchor on their fortunes when they vote for or support bad bills or BS announcements?
https://open.substack.com/pub/schiffnotes/p/im-investigating-trump?r=rey4i&utm_medium=ios Senator Schiff is opening an investigation,
Yet another point: Trump’s so-called "trade imbalance" with various and sundry countries does not take into account services sold/provided by US companies.
With mild amusement, I was considering the possibility of the European Union imposing retaliatory tariffs on the likes of Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Apple.
EU does not have their own Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple but China does. Why? China banned these US companies and allowed China versions to flourish. Tencent, BYD, Baidu, Alibaba, Huawei and many others. While I don't think China did the right thing on this score, EU has to look at what is happening and think about not relying on USA.
The big difference is that Europe is an open society, whereas China has the "Great Firewall" on its Internet, whereby the rest of world is either cut off or heavily censored. So this is not at all comparable.
Likewise when it comes to trade and the consumer market.
I'd add that my sense is that US multinationals are not seen as American to the same extent that Chinese companies are seen as Chinese--ie they aren't seen as loyal to our country (we can thank our oil companies for leading the way on this /s), more like states unto themselves, particularly companies like those mentioned, which are basically pipes filled with local content wherever they are. Whereas Chinese companies are rightfully seen as completely beholden and obedient to the Chinese government--I'd bet most people in the world even think they were created and are still owned by the CCP, even in cases where local content rules (eg TikTok) or that are largely out of sight, out of mind (eg Huawei).
I agree that China and Europe are not comparable. I still think there is a lesson to learn from success of BYD, Huawei, Tencent. I've been following them for a long time, in some cases in direct competition and they are excellent. A completely different example is US light truck industry such as Ford F150 and Chevy Silverado. Why are these made in North America? Why final assembly mostly in USA? Consumers would be better off with much better and cheaper trucks made by China or other lower labor cost places. Targeted tariffs, industrial policy, tailored regional design (US trucks would knock down buildings on narrow streets in Europe and Japan). I applaud this policy but it is a policy and not "free markets". Cards on table, I just want to defeat MAGA and Canada, Mexico, UK, EU working to gain independence from MAGA USA at this time would help.
You're right David. The good news is that both the EU and the UK have woken up to the reality of over dependence on the USA. They are adapting quickly (by European standards).
All good observations and points.
As Simon keeps reminding us, there is so much coming at us from so many directions. Can’t chase the news. The Letter to America is a winning idea. Connect dots for people. But pick 10 priorities (or so). Connect the most important dots .. grab attention and help folks connect the implications and consequences.
(There might be 25 or 50 points; but best to focus attention on the Top Ten) Short and simple makes it easier to keep people focused.
Totally agree. The Big Lie only works because there are just a handful of them repeated ad nauseum. If there are so many that people have to remember them, by definition you've failed.
For this reason, I think, ideally you pick Big Truths you can associate with as much as possible, the way Trump did when he blamed all of our problems on foreigners (countries, immigrants) which allowed him to keep his solutions (tariffs, deportations) simple (and get away with a lot of lies because he was talking about entities and people the average citizen knows next to nothing about.*)
The one caveat I think needs to be kept in mind is that new (digital) media allows you to sell *more* truths (or ideas) and more *complex* ones (advantage: Democrats, if we take it), and it's becoming increasingly clear that digital users *expect* this--it adds a lot to the communication's perceived authenticity.
* A good example of what happens when that's not the case is the Hispanic focus group Simon told us about that, after 40 minutes of immigrant-bashing Trump did in the first debate to keep his message simple enough for him to be able to sustain it, unanimously declared Biden the winner because "all Trump did was lie."
Indeed. I’m not savvy enough to discuss digital messaging strategies. Most of us here realize that Trump gives us daily outrages. They add up. And last week’s outrage gets diluted by new ones today and tomorrow.
So best to run with a Top Ten list - and connect the damn dots for folks who do not absorb and process like we do.
I covered George W Bush’s 1994 campaign against incumbent Gov Ann Richards. He couldn’t match her oratory skills and folksy charisma. But he focused on 4 issues and never wandered. People knew exactly what he stood for when they voted. And Bush was disciplined enough not to get distracted. It didn’t matter what reporters asked him, he simply pivoted to one of his four issues to keep driving his points.
Dems must unite behind Some priority/outrage issues and be unrelenting in connecting the damn dots.
I totally agree on the Top 10 approach. Gary, and am hoping to use Reddit (which lets you up-vote and down-vote items on a list), to let we, the people, help determine top 10s in two areas that most frequently overwhelm us with volume: Trump's lies and DOGE's atrocities. Of course, you're rightly talking about *one* top 10 across *everything,* and/but by the time the Trump lies list and the DOGE atrocities list mature, they (and others) should have enough contributors to merge and narrow them down to 10 total via head to head competitions in a bracket format (Trump Madness, we could call it) :)
I like the “Trump Madness”
And then add a second element, connecting that madness to you personally.
Gotta somehow help
folks understand how that Trump madness affects them.
Because it does. And the right phrase or words would amplify the fact that the “narcissist sociopath” crazy guy is harming us individually and society/democracy collectively
People can rarely absorb and retain more than 4 key points--so keep it to 3-4 of the biggest ones.
I love the notion of characterizing these unconstitional tariffs as taxation without representation. Taxes are tariffs. We are represented in government by our house district representative. That is why congress is given power of taxation and tariffs by the constitution, even if congress foolishly gave some emergency powers to President. Every question to Trump should be demanding that he explain just what the emergency is. Tariff policy would be so much better with debate, analysis (CBO score), representation and voting. In 1776 we rebelled against a mad king and here we are again. The country is being destroyed by a mad king. Taxation without representation.
Even BEFORE the tariffs we were being taxed without being represented!
Yes. Most Americans haven't read past the opening few lines of the Declaration of Independence, but they sure know "no taxation without representation." And that leads nicely into the fact that we (supposedly - we are paying their salaries) DO have representation, but since Trump is doing everything by executive order, and they are afraid to buck him, they are not ACTUALLY representing us by debating and voting.
MAKE ALL REPUBLICANS OWN THIS – NOT JUST TRUMP
We need to make *all* Republican politicians fully own Trump’s deranged actions and policies. By their spineless appeasement to whatever the Mad King demands, their senators and representatives are fully responsible for the damage and demolition that is being done.
Democrats do themselves a strategic disservice by talking only or mostly about Trump. All of them own this! And we need to make that abundantly clear in these months before the Midterm Election and various special elections.
Yes, REPUBLICAN destruction of our economy, REPUBLICAN destruction of government services and benefits, REPUBLICAN betrayal of our Constitution.
Yes!!! Trump wouldn't have been able to be as destructive without the help of all his Republican enablers.
For sure. Let’s say somehow Trump we’re no longer president. Next in line is JD and after that is Mike Johnson. The insanity and corruption run deep.
Indeed they do! JD Vance is Peter Thiel’s apprentice, and Thiel is as pro-Fascist as it gets. He has both feet firmly planted in the Dark Enlightenment, the ideology espoused by Curtis Yarvin. Really, really dangerous stuff.
I read some of the stuff by Yarvin… Fascist indeed!
Reporting in: I forwarded HCR YouTube Politics from April 8, 2025 to many friends to explain about the Insurrection Act. Very helpful! I urged everyone to take two actions, tell Banks and Young and Carson to pass the resolution reinstating Congress’s power to control tariffs & build security against Russia. For Rep Carson, I added bring back Kilmar Abrego Garcia now. HCR pointed out how dangerous it is when a legal resident is denied due process and rendered in a foreign prison. Denial of due process is a bedrock of democracy. I also asked when they having town halls over spring recess.
Remember, you can find volunteer opportunities at https://www.mobilize.us
There is a phone-banking event today to call people about Social Security. I'm already signed up for one this afternoon. Here is the link in case you're interested: https://www.mobilize.us/allianceforretiredamericans/event/773079/. It's called "Stop the Steal! Save Social Security Virtual Phone Bank" and is held every other Thursday through May 22. Spread this to others you know and let's save Social Security!