Morning all. As Donald Trump plunges America deeper into crisis here is what he was thinking about and doing yesterday:
And then we got this important message from Dear Leader:
And then, incredibly, on the eve of SNAP benefits expiring for 42 millions Americans, and many tens of millions learning of huge health insurance premium increases, both due to his policies, Trump hosted a Great Gatsby/Roaring Twenties (!!!!!!!!) themed Halloween party at Mar-a-Lago:
Even the New York Times couldn’t look at away at this extraordinary modern day “let them eat cake” or as we call it here “more for me, less for all of you” display. Here’s an excerpt from their front page story as “As the Shutdown Pain Grows, Trump Attends To Other Matters.” It reads like something from The Onion:
American families are worried about losing food stamp benefits. Hundreds of thousands of federal government workers have no idea when they will next be paid. Several airports have been experiencing delays because of staffing shortages.
The pain of the government shutdown is growing more acute as it grinds toward the five-week mark, with Congress showing little movement toward a resolution. But President Trump has been attending to other matters.
Just hours after returning from a trip across Asia, Mr. Trump left Washington on Friday for a Halloween party and a fund-raiser at his Florida residence. When he weighed in briefly on the shutdown, it was to cast the potential loss of benefits that millions of Americans rely on for groceries as mostly a problem for Democratic voters. Rather than offer steps he might take to bring the crisis to a close, Mr. Trump called attention to the new details of his renovation of a White House bathroom.
“Highly polished, Statuary marble!” Mr. Trump declared on social media as he posted images of his new Lincoln bathroom, even as some households planned on handing out canned soup in lieu of candy.
The stark contrast crystallized how the president has appeared largely disconnected from the fiscal impasse that has gripped Washington and paralyzed much of the federal government.
Let us not forget that special jacket Melania Trump wore a few years ago as all of this is a reminder that they just don’t give a shit about the country or any of us:
We enter this final weekend of the 2025 election with sturdy leads in the key battlegrounds, robust GOTV operations kicking into high gear, meaningful cracks emerging in Trump’s Congressional support, the Epstein scandal deepening, Obama hitting the trail and Trump talking about the marble in his bathrooms, partying at Mar-a-Lago and absurdly pretending the crisis he has thrown the country into is somehow somebody else’s fault, and problem.
Let’s be very clear about one thing - Trump is off the trail this weekend for he is so unpopular that candidates DO NOT WANT HIM TO CAMPAIGN WITH THEM.
Please send photos of your campaign activity this weekend to community@Hopiumchronicles.com so we can share with others here in the coming days. Let’s leave it all out there on the playing field this weekend and good luck everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
David Pepper Previews The 2026 Election In All-Important Ohio - Prominent election commentator David Pepper dropped by yesterday to give us a preview of Ohio next year and what he believes could be the most competitive statewide ticket Democrats have fielded since 2006. A video recording and transcript of our discussion is above.
Here’s the latest public, independent poll from Ohio. Everything is within margin of error now:
Ramaswamy 50% Amy Acton 47%
Sherrod Brown 49% Husted 48%
In our discussion and in this new Substack post, David makes a strong case for the candidacy of Dr. Amy Action, who is running for Ohio governor along side Sherrod Brown. I look forward to getting to know her better. Here’s a link to her website, a new memo the campaign released about recent polling, and a photo from her site:
After Tuesday we will be turning our attention to the 2026 races and winning Ohio will one of our goals next year. It is part of our broader campaign to help Democrats win in red states and red places, something we need to do win back the majority in 2026 and expand the Electoral College map in future Presidential elections.
For more on Hopium’s approach to elections check out our big recommendations to the family coming out of the 2024 elections; learn about the the many important wins we had together last cycle; and dive into our newly launched Audacious Expansion Fund which is already working hard to expand the map for us next year. Our conversation with Anderson Clayton this week was also a great deep dive on strategic political investing, focusing on expansion and winning in hard places.
Now……
Let’s Get To Work Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Winning The Fall - Support Our November, 2025 Candidates and Yes On 50
Mikie Sherrill NJ Gov (2025) - $129k raised, $250,000 goal, - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my new interview with Rep. Sherrill
Abigail Spanberger VA Gov (2025) - $221k raised, $250,000 goal, - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my interview with Abigail Spanberger
Yes on 50 (CA) - $50,000 goal - Learn more, volunteer | Sign Up For CA Dem Party Daily Phonebanks | Watch my new interview with Gov. Gavin Newsom
Winning The Midterms - Support Our 2026 Candidates
Roy Cooper for NC Senate (2026) - $250,000 goal, $48k raised- Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my interviews with Gov. Cooper
Jon Ossoff GA Senate (2026) - $250,000 goal, $88k raised - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my inspiring new interview with Senator Ossoff
Hopium House 7 (2026) - $250,000 goal, $225k raised - Donate | Learn More, Volunteer | Watch My Interviews With Our Intrepid Incumbents
Expanding The Map - Support Our Audacious Expansion Fund (2026-2032)
Hopium’s Audacious Expansion Fund - $250,000 goal, $177,000 raised - Join our new campaign to invest in the Democratic Parties of Alaska, Florida, Iowa, Maine, and Texas and watch interviews with all 5 State Party Chairs | Donate to all five state parties | Many thanks to two generous Hopium community members who have audaciously donated $10,000 to each of our five state parties!
Our updated fundraising goals are now for the end of the year, December 31st, except for the 2025 races, which are now for Election Day, 2025.
For those who can please vote early, today, if possible. When you vote early your name comes off campaign GOTV rolls allowing our campaigns to move on to lower propensity voters, which increases D turnout and makes it more likely we win. Voting early = another way to help us win.
Defending America, Winning The Big Arguments With Trump - We have two recommended actions today:
1 - Call Your Senators and Member Of The House And Demand They Act Upon Our Four-Part Agenda - We need to be loud people, very, very loud and make the case for our our emerging four part agenda. Demand that your Senators and House Member work to:
Roll back Trump’s terrible, illegal tariffs that are re-igniting inflation, driving up prices, shifting the tax burden from the wealthy to working people, hurting small businesses and farmers, reviving tyrannical “taxation without representation,” and alienating governments and people throughout the world and fully fund SNAP FFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Defend our democracy, rule of law, and our liberties by blocking the expansion of ICE, restoring due process for immigrants across the country, vigorously defending the 1st Amendment, warring against his outrageous targeting of his domestic political opponents, and ending the use of the military on our streets and the unlawful occupation of our cities
Fight Trump’s war on science, higher education and our public health; reverse - not delay - the cuts to the ACA and Medicaid; support and co-sponsor Rep. Haley Stevens’ effort to Impeach and remove Robert Kennedy
Stand with Ukraine and our European allies, and far more forcefully challenge Trump’s traitorous efforts to sell out the US and the West to Russia and China
2 - Bring “Resolutions Of Condemnation” To Your Community - 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. Be sure to check out our new discussion with Deborah Potter and Rachel Poliner who have passed resolutions in New Mexico and Boston. They offer practical advice on how to get a resolution passed in your own community.
Remarkably, members of this community have passed or are advancing 85 (!!!!) resolution projects in 23 states + DC. Can we get to all 50 states by the end of the year?
Finally, please self-report your activities to our daily paid subscriber chat. These reports help inspire all of us to do more and fight harder! Please include reports of voting early and consider sending photos of your completed ballot or or your “I’ve voted” sticker to community@hopiumchronicles.com.
Keep working hard all, 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 - Simon
