A week like no other!
April 11, 2026
It was a week like no other—and we appear to be in for more of the same until the US, Israel, and Iran reach a lasting peace agreement. The commencement of peace talks is usually an occasion for hope. Unfortunately for us, it will be another occasion for Trump to vent his megalomania and insecurity as reality refuses to bend to his will. We have endured much; we will endure what comes.
But we must do more than endure. Our task is to help shape the future. Trump is weak, desperate, and vulnerable. MAGA influencers are turning on him, Democratic voters are energized, and the economy is his Achilles heel.
We have seized control of the narrative and are winning the hearts and minds of independent voters and those who “did not vote” in 2024 because they felt that their votes did not matter. They are beginning to see voting as the only way out of our perilous situation.
With nowhere to turn, Trump is repeating his tired playbook—threaten, bully, and bluff. But he has the might of the US military at his disposal and a Secretary of Defense who is cosplaying the “take-no-prisoners-tough-as-nails” commander in a melodramatic war movie. That is a volatile mixture.
On the eve of direct peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, Trump is threatening to “decimate” Iran if, in Trump’s opinion, Iran does not negotiate in good faith.
Trump said,
We have a reset going. We’re loading up the ships with the best ammunition, the best weapons ever made — even better than what we did previously and we blew them apart. We’re loading up the ships with the best weapons ever made, even at a higher level than we use to do a complete decimation. And if we don’t have a deal, we will be using them, and we will be using them very effectively. CBS News.
Trump also said that he would know “in about 24 hours” if the peace talks would succeed and that the Strait of Hormuz would “open fairly soon.” Reuters. Trump claims that other nations are coordinating with the US to help reopen the Strait.
As always, we have no reason to believe anything Trump says—a situation that increases the understandable anxiety that Trump’s warmongering inflicts on those hoping for peace, rationality in US foreign policy, and stability in world politics.
Trump’s run of unnatural good luck is coming to an end.
The “oil shock” caused by his illegal war on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has shown up in the US economy. See Axios, March inflation soars, confirming Iran war price shock.
MAGA influencers like Tucker Carlson, Alex Jones, Candace Owens, and Megyn Kelly are turning on Trump, who has, in turn, attacked his former supporters. See Rolling Stone, Trump Lashes Out at ‘NUT JOBS’ Tucker Carlson, Alex Jones, Megyn Kelly.
Compounding Trump’s troubles, Melania Trump held a still-unexplained press conference at the White House to deny that she had a personal relationship with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, that she visited his island, or flew on his jet. See NPR. Trump was apparently blindsided by Melania’s press conference, prompting many observers to suggest that something is brewing beneath the surface in Trumpworld that we do not yet understand.
On Friday, Pope Leo XIV issued another statement seemingly directed at Trump and Hegseth, condemning those who pray for divine intervention in war. See Politico. Pope Leo wrote,
God does not bless any conflict. Anyone who is a disciple of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs.
And, finally, reopening the Strait of Hormuz will not be easy because Iran has lost track of the mines it laid in the Strait. Apparently, the destruction of Iran’s mine-laying ships caused Iran to use make-shift boats and inexperienced crews who may not have recorded where the mines were deployed and may have deployed them improperly, causing them to drift. See NYTimes, Iran Unable to Find Mines It Planted in Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Says.
Concluding Thoughts
We have arrived in Columbia, Tennessee (known as "Mule Town” for its historic role as a mule trading market) and are already spending time with family. I think we will have front-row seats for the Mule Day Parade on Saturday. I may include a photo on Sunday!
Despite the dire news above, Trump wants a way out of his war in Iran. The uptick in inflation—largely due to increases in gas prices—will cause panic among Republicans ahead of the midterms. So, despite Trump’s reckless statements, we have reason to hope that the peace talks will result in a longer ceasefire, which will give professional negotiators the leeway they need to craft a comprehensive deal—one that re-creates the status quo before Trump’s illegal war on Iran.
Talk to you tomorrow!
Pro-democracy protest photos
[Send photos to rbhubbell@gmail.com]
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Lots of honks & waves, very few fingers for both messages. 4/9/26 Merritt Parkway Burr Street overpass, Fairfield, CT. “Ruled By Fools”
4/10/26 I84 Vale Street Overpass Bethel, CT. “Invoke the 25th”
Each Friday afternoon a couple of North Country Resilience Visibility volunteers are displaying signs in Littleton, NH. With all that keeps happening, there are many issues and events to highlight.
Our small village of Spring Green (which voted for Chris Taylor 458 - 111) had three one-hour shifts of folks out on the major highway reminding people to vote. Here's a photo of the 4 - 5 p.m. shift.
A beautiful day for a Visibility Brigade in Lawrenceville, NJ!
OVERPASS PHOTOS - Howard County, MD (I-95). Here we were today for our usual two hours... Every Friday afternoon we are ready for rush-hour traffic, in Howard County, Maryland, over busy I-95: solidarity, joy, and determination!
Silver Spring, MD
Overpass action 4/9/26, San Luis Obispo, CA
Key Biscayne, FL
3/28 St. Louis Park, MN. Senior on his way to sidewalk protest.
Lafayette, CO
Overpass over the 210 freeway in La Verne, CA We are there Tuesday and Thursday morning to catch all the commuters going into Los Angeles, CA
Retired seniors, Roanoke, Va
We had a little over 200 protesters for No Kings Day in Tiffin, Ohio, a town of about 18,000 in very rural Ohio.
This individual has since started his protest in response to the Iran War every Wednesday from 10 to 2 and invites others to join.
Our weekly visibility brigade in East Patchogue on Long Island NY continues to grow and so do the honks!
No Kings Monroe Township NJ
I want to say THANK YOU to all the people who come out and stand up for our communities, the Constitution and Rule of Law, and for not going back but making a future for our children and grandchildren.
I don't believe for a second that Trump was blindsided by Melania's press conference. I don't believe she does anything without his direction. Nor do I believe she could have written her statements herself.