Racist SCOTUS majority sinks to new low; Trump appoints political hack as nation’s chief intelligence officer.

June 3, 2026

I am writing early Tuesday evening before most primary results have been announced. But there are three major stories to be addressed.

First, to no one’s surprise, the Roberts Court overruled a three-judge panel’s finding of legislative discriminatory intent and gave Alabama the green light to implement a last-minute racially gerrymandered map that eliminated one of two majority Black districts in Alabama. See The Hill, Supreme Court clears way for Alabama Republicans to use congressional map for midterms.

In an unsigned “shadow docket” order, the reactionary majority said that Alabama was“likely to succeed on the merits” when the Supreme Court considers the entire record—a remarkable statement given that a three-judge panel made extensive factual findings that the Alabama legislature was motivated by racial discrimination in violation of the US Constitution and the Voting Rights Act.

The decision plumbed new depths of racist depravity by John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett, and Brett Kavanaugh. They are racists acting to advance the white supremacist goals of the Confederacy. It is not any more complicated than that. We should not pretend otherwise to avoid hurt feelings or to perpetuate disingenuous notions of propriety that serve only to protect genteel racists.

The decision was especially cynical because this Supreme Court previously ruled three years ago that the Alabama legislature acted with discriminatory intent to deny Black voters representation guaranteed by the Voting Rights Act. Three years later, the reactionary majority ignored its prior finding of discriminatory intent and the subsequent finding of the three-judge panel that the new map was motivated by racial animus.

But it gets worse. The pillar of the reactionary majority’s ruling was that the three-judge panel refused to grant the legislature a “presumption of good faith” in drafting its maps. But the Alabama legislature twice refused to comply with federal court orders to draw a second majority-Black district. Having twice flouted federal court orders to end discrimination, the Supreme Court finds that the Alabama legislature will likely prevail because the three-judge panel did not extend a presumption of good faith to the legislature!

Of course, we should not look for logic or consistency in the reactionary majority’s opinion. They chose a side—white supremacy—and did what was needed for white supremacy to prevail.

Those are blunt words chosen deliberately—because they frame the challenge we will face when we win a trifecta in 2028. Will we have the honesty and courage to acknowledge that reforming the Supreme Court is not enough? If we are to reclaim the full citizenship of Black Americans (after Callais) and women (after Dobbs), reforming the Court is not enough.

We must strip the Court to the barest constitutional minimum and rebuild it anew. It must be substantially larger (e.g., the size of the 9^th Circuit at 27 judges), the justices’ terms must be limited by age and length of service; the justices must be subject to mandatory ethics and disqualification rules enforced by someone other than the justices; the Court’s ability to use an opaque “shadow docket” with no appellate record must be eliminated; the justices cannot accept gifts, gratuities, book contracts, bribes, subsidies, or vacations masquerading as speaking appearances; and the use of the law clerk program as a breeding ground for political extremists must come to an end.

There are many more good ideas. We must focus on those ideas that can be implemented immediately with a majority vote in Congress—expansion of the Court, term limits based on age, mandatory ethics and disqualification codes enforced by someone other than the justices.

I understand that many readers will be anxious and outraged by the Supreme Court’s elimination of yet another Black majority district in the South. If there is any consolation, it is that the efforts of Democrats to push back against Republican mid-census redistricting have limited the damage.

As Stephen Wolf (@stephenwolf.bsky.social) noted, of the 16 seats that Republicans affected by mid-census gerrymandering, the median “shift” in the political lean in those districts was from R+3.1 to R+4.9—for a median shift of 1.8 percentage points.

While that additional advantage is unfair, Democrats can overcome an additional Republican 1.8-percentage-point cushion in a wave election. Indeed, at the moment, the Democratic lead in the “generic” congressional ballot is D+7. FiftyPlusOne - Generic Ballot Polls and Average for 2026.

In short, the Supreme Court’s decision was despicable, but we can overcome the damage by showing up in record numbers. That’s the plan. Let’s stick to it.

Trump appoints political hack to most important intelligence position in the administration.

After the terrorist attacks on 9/11, Congress and the “9/11 Commission” concluded that lack of coordination among US intelligence agencies missed some of the clues that might have prevented the tragedy. As a result, Congress created the position of Director of National Intelligence, whose primary functions are to serve as the head of the 18-agency Intelligence Community, coordinate and integrate the intelligence gathered, and serve as the President’s principal intelligence advisor.

The clear intent of Congress was to create a position that would rise above inter-agency rivalries within the intelligence community and deliver objective, non-political intelligence assessments to the President. See generally, Congressional Research Service, Intelligence Reform After Five Years: The Role of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI).

Trump broke with the model of the independent Director of National Intelligence (DNI) by appointing Tulsi Gabbard, who was unqualified in terms of experience and temperament. She proved her unfitness by supervising Trump’s effort to impugn the results of the 2020 election. She famously oversaw the FBI’s raid to seize ballots in Fulton County, Georgia. Far from serving as a neutral advisor to the president, Gabbard became part of Trump’s revenge tour.

Finding someone less qualified than Tulsi Gabbard was a difficult task, but Trump exceeded everyone’s low expectations by appointing political hack and hatchet man Bill Pulte.

Pulte has no experience in intelligence. He is a money manager who spent the last sixteen months abusing his position as head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, where he mined confidential mortgage information to help Trump attack his political enemies. See The Hill, GAO confirms investigation into FHFA Director Bill Pulte. (“Pulte has abused his position by scouring databases at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — two government-sponsored enterprises — for the private mortgage records of several prominent Democrats. He then used those records to concoct fanciful allegations of mortgage fraud.”)

The nomination of Pulte has been met with a sharp, collective intake of breath in both parties. His primary qualification is unquestioning loyalty to Trump. See WSJ, Why the President Tapped ‘Little Trump’ as His Intelligence Chief. (Gift article, accessible to all.)

Per the WSJ,

Pulte has no known national security experience, but he has something Trump values above all else: loyalty. In conversations with the president, Pulte made the case that he would be an unyielding advocate for the president’s foreign policy agenda and he signaled support for the war in Iran, according to people familiar with the matter.

Pulte is a danger to all Americans. It would be better to have the DNI role filled by a doorstop than by Pulte. A doorstop would do nothing, but Pulte will use the full force of the intelligence community to attack Trump’s political enemies and support his delusional war of choice in Iran. Pulte will further undermine the credibility and professionalism of the intelligence community—vital to US national security.

Worse, Pulte is currently under investigation by the GAO for possible unlawful or criminal conduct involving the misuse of confidential information collected by a federal agency that was then used to target Trump’s political agencies. Having the nation’s top intelligence officer under investigation for possible criminal conduct is ludicrous. See CNN, Government Accountability Office launches probe into Bill Pulte over mortgage-fraud referrals.

According to the WSJ article above, Republican leaders believe Pulte is unqualified. As an acting DNI, Pulte can serve for 250 days without Senate confirmation. Senate Republicans can force Trump to remove Pulte by simply refusing to vote for any of Trump's legislation or nominees until he removes Pulte and replaces him with a doorstop, or with someone or something with better qualifications.

CBS fires Scott Pelley for exhibiting backbone

Bari Weiss is acting as David Ellison’s surrogate in reshaping CBS into a network made in Trump’s image. Over the last several months, Weiss has decimated leadership at CBS 60 Minutes. Last week, Weiss fired the latest round of 60 Minutes leadership and correspondents. She then hired Nick Bilton, a former New York Times tech columnist and Vanity Fair writer with no broadcast TV experience, to serve as Executive Producer of 60 Minutes.

On Monday, Pelley grilled Bilton at his introductory staff meeting about the firings. According to audio of the meeting obtained by Status and confirmed by NBC News, Pelley said Weiss, who was not present, “is murdering 60 Minutes. She does not love this place. She was brought in to kill it, and she’s been doing exactly that.”

Pelley also said that Weiss has “no qualifications for her job“ and Bilton has “slender qualifications“ for his. Staff applauded Pelley on his way out.

Bilton fired Pelley on Tuesday in a letter that spoke mainly to Bilton’s hurt feelings. Pelley issued a blistering response that accused Bari Weiss and others of serious ethical violations.

Pelley wrote, in part,

Last month, 60 Minutes lost its DNA when our entire senior leadership and two of our best on-air correspondents were cruelly fired without cause. Good people were silenced because they stood up for our audience. They stood for fairness against the forces of political bias; they stood for professionalism against chaos.

For my part, new management has instructed me to inject falsehoods and bias into a politically sensitive story. I’ve been told to include assertions that are unverified. To date, in every case, I have managed to ignore these instructions or refuse them. Recently, politicians have been invited to choose correspondents for interviews on the broadcast. Giving politicians control over 60 Minutes interviews is not how this is done. Finally, incompetence and unprofessionalism in the new management have wreaked havoc. In a case involving one of my stories, the entire program came within 19 minutes of not getting on the air at all.

See full statement at Deadline, Scott Pelley Reacts To ‘60 Minutes’ Firing: “Waste Is Heartbreaking”.

The jewel in the crown of CBS has been taken over by Trump minions intent on protecting the benefactor. If Pelley’s charges are true, and we have no reason to doubt them, nothing CBS News reports can be trusted. Sadly, that puts CBS in the company of several other leading media companies that have been taken over by Trump-friendly billionaires.

Hopefully, Scott Pelley will find a new platform that allows him to continue speaking the truth. The era of “Walter-Cronkite-trusted-news-services” is over. We must become active, discerning consumers of the news.

Let’s hope that Bari Weiss’s flameout at CBS is spectacular and soon. Perhaps a phoenix can rise from the ashes of a once great news organization if it becomes an unprofitable albatross that no longer amuses the Ellisons or Trump and is sold to the highest bidder.

“Lightworkers” documentary is available to grassroots groups for viewing parties.

As I mentioned a few months back, I received a call out of the blue from a filmmaker/producer, Bobby Roth, asking if he could interview me for a documentary about grassroots resistance. (A reader of the newsletter recommended that Bobby interview me.) Bobby showed up at my house, interviewed me for 30 minutes using his iPhone and a portable microphone. It was a fun, interesting experience, and Bobby is an enthusiastic, thoughtful person.

The resulting documentary, Lightworkers, is a tour de force about the resistance movement over the last 75 years. (The trailer is here: Lightworkers Trailer). I was blown away and, frankly, a bit sheepish about being included in such a serious work that features dozens of important, accomplished, and historic figures in the Civil Rights, women’s, LGBTQ, and gun safety movements, along with prominent members of Congress and the arts and entertainment.

Bobby Roth, the producer, is making the documentary available to grassroots groups who can use the movie to strengthen community, raise awareness about the sponsoring grassroots organization, or to serve as a fundraiser. Bobby recently sent the following letter asking for support in distributing the documentary to grassroots organizations:

People are awakening from their slumber and are passionate about fighting back against the pernicious MAGA administration.

We have decided on a grassroots-driven campaign because time is of the essence and, of course, we have no machine… no big studio spending large sums of money on marketing and advertising.

Anyone who wants to can host their own screening. Over forty activists from small towns have already stepped up and offered to host a screening. Robert Hubbell put it in his newsletter, and the next day we had 14,000 views of our trailer, with great numbers asking how they can see the full movie.

I’m asking if you might watch the movie and endorse it via your social media platforms. I think your friends and followers will appreciate the film. They can view the trailer and be directed to our website via social media at lightworkersdoc.com.

Bobby Roth has appeared at several of the screenings to host a Q&A and is willing to do so at future screenings. I would also be willing to appear at screenings hosted by newsletter readers (remotely or in person, depending on location), to add a few words of encouragement to those attending the screening.

Opportunities for Reader Engagement

Walk the Walk USA —June Recommendations with corrected link to register!

Walk the Walk USA returns this Sunday, June 7th with a deep dive into their latest evidence-backed recommendations for maximizing political impact this cycle, including an inside look at how Pennsylvania fits into the national strategy for democracy preservation. If you want to know where limited political dollars can move the needle most in 2026—and why PA may be the key piece that rounds out the national map—don’t miss this one.

Sunday, June 7, 4:30pm PT / 7:30pm ET: Reserve your spot.

10 Years of Nasty Women - TONIGHT IN NYC (June 3rd)

If you are in or near NYC, help celebrate Downtown Nasty Women: 10 years of resistance. Featuring The Underbites, a catchy, punk rock band that shares our pro-democracy values (2 of the band members are Downtown Nasty Husbands). Join the party! Hear the song “The Governess” -- an ode to MI Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Wed. June 3, 6-10pm @ Main Drag Music, 50 South 1st St., Brooklyn, NYC.

6:00 p.m. Doors open

7:00 p.m. Call You Out

8:00 p.m. The Underbites

Ticket sales are a donation to the Downtown Nasty Women Giving Circle, a founding giving circle with The States Project, which is investing in Michigan and Wisconsin state legislatures to create and protect pro-democracy majorities. Subscribe to the Downtown Nasty Women Weekly here.

Buy Tickets here or at the venue: 10 Years of Nasty Women Tickets

Concluding Thoughts

Election results are coming in more slowly than expected for Tuesday’s primaries, so I will write about them tomorrow. There are encouraging signs, and disaster was averted in California. Either Xavier Becerra or Tom Steyer will finish in the top two, thereby qualifying for the general election. California will have a Democratic governor in place for the 2028 presidential election.

The Supreme Court decision was a blow, but also a moment of moral clarity. They have dropped all pretense of complying with the rule of law; they are playing hardball, for keeps. We must do the same as we restore the Constitution and honor the rule of law. But let’s stop pretending that the Court is salvageable or that MAGA cultists will change their minds if only we will listen to their imagined grievances.

Millions of Americans are suffering and have real grievances that must be addressed by a government that is interested in their welfare rather than merely perpetuating the power of the ruling elite.

We are on the cusp of a historic wave election. It will not appear unbidden. We must will it into existence through hard work, fearless determination, and stubborn refusal to surrender to anxieties or exhaustion.

Victory is within the margin of effort. And we can control the amount of effort poured into the 2026 and 2028 elections by tens of millions of dedicated Americans who are already on the front lines. Keep up the good work, and keep the faith! We will win. It is just a matter of time.

Pro-democracy protest photos

[Send photos to rbhubbell@gmail.com. Include city and state.]

These 3 photos are from our new Signs of Action demonstrations every other week in Petaluma, CA. Very positive responses, and we give out fliers listing various actions folks can take to support our democracy 

=================================

=================================

Key Biscayne, FL, Most honks/minute in the past 7 months

=================================

The Raleigh Bridge Brigade on a windy day in Raleigh, NC

=================================

Rise and Resist New York, NY Fox truth Tuesdays

=================================

Indivisible Northampton’s Veterans Action Team standout at the VA hospital in Leeds, MA on June 1, 2026. These standouts are every Monday for well over a year.

=================================

Portland OR, morning commute.

=================================

Pasadena, CA June 2, 2026

=================================

Yesterday, a couple of us here in Anchorage, Alaska chalked messages outside of the office buildings of Lisa, Dan, and Nick. Ahem. Apparently, Nick’s office had our messages scrubbed away. So a couple of gals returned this morning to chalk more messages across the street.

=================================

Dump Trump weekly demonstration. Oakland, CA. May 30.

=================================

Here are pictures of the Allentown PA Visibility Brigade on Monday, 6/1. 

=================================

Visibility Brigade of Paramus 

June 1st 2026

=================================