Wednesday brought several positive developments for the resistance as the Trump administration continued to reel from public backlash over the paramilitary tactics of ICE.
While we should avoid the “tyranny of the anecdote,” a crowd attending a professional wrestling match in Las Vegas on Wednesday began chanting, “F*** ICE!” See WrestleZone Magazine, Anti ICE Chant Breaks Out During AEW Dynamite Match. (See embedded video.) When you have lost the pro-wrestling crowd, you are in trouble.
Indeed, that reaction explains why Trump will not attend the SuperBowl LX. See Zeteo, Trump Is Skipping the Super Bowl Amid Concerns He’d Be Booed. (“[S]everal aides and advisers to the president quietly determined that the chances were rather high of Trump getting booed “big league,” at the Super Bowl, in the words of one White House official.”)
Instead, NBC will air a taped interview with Trump in which he disparages Alex Pretti and Renee Good (“They were not angels”), but acknowledges that “a softer touch” might be preferable in Minneapolis. While that sounds promising, anything less aggressive than public executions of innocent Americans will constitute a “softer touch.”
Trump did acknowledge that the incidents “shouldn’t have happened,” but said that no one felt worse than the Border Patrol/ICE agents who killed Pretti and Good. See The Hill, Trump says Good, Pretti were ‘not angels’ but their actions didn’t justify fatal shootings.
If Trump believes that no one feels worse about the killings than ICE and Border Patrol agents, he should reach out to the families of Renee Good and Alex Pretti—something almost every other president would have done.
Border Czar Tom Homan simultaneously announced that ICE would withdraw 700 agents from Minneapolis, but conditioned the withdrawal on peaceful protesters not saying mean things about ICE. See MPR News, Tom Homan announces ICE agent drawdown of 700 in Minnesota. (“Tone down the rhetoric,” Homan also said, referring to protests against federal agents. “Stop violating the law and impeding and interfering with us, and the drawdown will be quicker.”)
The remaining ICE / Border Patrol force will still be three times larger than the entire Minneapolis Police Department.
Still, the reversal in tone and drawdown represent progress—all of which is due to the bravery of the people of Minnesota. They are staring down a highly militarized force that is inflicting violence on law-abiding residents of the state. The fact that the defenders of democracy will not “tone down the rhetoric” is the reason they are turning the tide.
More good news came from an expected action by the US Supreme Court, which denied a request to review a challenge to California’s mid-census redistricting. California’s newly drawn congressional districts will remain in place, likely giving Democrats a five-seat pickup in Congress. That potential gain may exceed Texas's effort to give Republicans a similar advantage. See The Guardian, California can use a new congressional map in November, supreme court rules.
Many people contributed to the California victory, but none more so than California Governor Gavin Newsom. He acted quickly at a time when partisan gerrymandering was viewed with suspicion, including by many Democrats. The proposed amendment to the California Constitution overcame initial public skepticism to pass by a strong majority.
In retrospect, Newsom’s aggressiveness was appropriate in light of Trump’s continued assault on the 2026 and 2028 elections.
In an Epstein-related story, the long-time chairman of the law firm Paul Weiss stepped down after his name surfaced repeatedly in the latest Epstein files. See Bloomberg Law, Paul Weiss Chief Karp Steps Down as Epstein Controversy Heats Up.
The Epstein connection between Brad Karp and Donald Trump may explain why Paul Weiss was one of the first law firms to capitulate to Trump. Or at least, that is what some people are speculating. See Daily Beast, Elite law firm boss who bent the knee to Trump sucked up to ‘amazing’ Epstein.
Apart from the “demotion” of Prince Andrew to “Andrew,” few of the high-profile men named in the Epstein files have suffered any reputational consequences. As Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche callously said, “Partying with Jeffrey Epstein was not a crime,” but many of those who “partied” with Epstein did so after he pleaded guilty to solicitation of prostitution with a minor—which meant that Epstein was a registered child sex offender at the time that people were “partying” with Epstein.
Democrats in Congress are not giving up on their effort to remove redactions of perpetrator names and obtain key documents, like FBI interviews of victims and witnesses.
Further Comments on Trump’s threat to “nationalize” federal elections.
In his interview with NBC, Trump reiterated his belief that Republicans should assert congressional control over state elections. And, as he did before the 2020 election (and the January 6 insurrection), he refused to say that he would abide by the electoral outcome—saying only that he would abide by an outcome he considered to be “fair.” See The Independent, Trump says he will only accept the midterm results if the elections are honest’ and again pushes to ‘nationalize’ voting.
I addressed this topic at length in yesterday’s newsletter because of the significant media attention given to Trump’s threat to nationalize federal elections. As I said yesterday, I was sorely disappointed in the media’s breathless repetition of Trump’s threats without acknowledging the power of the people to resist those threats in court, in Congress, and in the streets.
On Wednesday, the media again amplified Trump’s statements without acknowledging that we have the ability to push back against any unlawful effort to disregard electoral outcomes. Still, the entire topic has unsettled many readers. For example, one reader wrote:
Like so many others, I read your newsletter every day. Like many other days, this morning was depressing.
Full of valuable information, but depressing. How Trump and his minions are destroying our democracy, and the Dems seem helpless to stop it.
But by the end, I’m encouraged by your newsletter, and the photos from around the country of people, like me, who are demonstrating and objecting to this horrible administration and the thieves in it.
Thank you. You give me hope.
Many readers expressed similar sentiments, but some were less hopeful and more fearful. In particular, many readers expressed worry that Trump would force Republicans to abolish the filibuster to pass the SAVE Act before the midterms.
Given the renewed press attention on Trump’s statements in the NBC interview about the need to nationalize federal elections, I thought I should try again to calm fears and put things into perspective (again).
As to Trump’s threat to “nationalize” federal elections, that is a remote possibility that would be declared unconstitutional if applied selectively to certain regions. Senate Majority Leader Thune has said that the idea of nationalizing elections is a bad one and that he won’t abolish the filibuster to support voter suppression legislation. So, Trump’s idea seems like it is a non-starter.
But the media coverage of Trump’s statements in the NBC interview was non-stop “the sky is falling” doomsaying. To be clear, I agree that Trump is a threat to democracy and will try to interfere with the outcome of the 2026 and 2028 elections, if he can.
But the coverage on Wednesday focused only on what Trump said. Nothing about lawsuits to stop him. Nothing about the filibuster. Nothing about the political opposition, even among Republicans. Nothing about the difficulty of nationalizing voting operations in 50,000 voting locations. And nothing about the people rising in defense of democracy. See, e.g., Minneapolis.
Raising the alarm is appropriate. But only raising the alarm without talking about what we can do in response is irresponsible. Telling half the story to frighten people is despicable. Trump says all sorts of crazy things. Sadly, we need to take his crazy statement seriously, to a point. He does not have superpowers. He cannot say, “Let it be so,” and things will magically fall into line as he dictates.
Reporting that says, “Trump said XYZ, and that’s really bad,” is insulting. It assumes that the American people have no agency in their democracy. It assumes that Trump will end democracy, and we will say, “I really hate it when a president ends democracy, but what can we do?”
It takes work to tell the rest of the story. It takes effort to say, “Okay, et’s think this through: How can Trump nationalize elections? What obstacles does he face? What defensive actions can litigants, states, and citizens take to stop him?”
Asking those questions doesn’t fit into an incestuous news environment in which former political insiders are interviewing current political consultants who have a monetary incentive to frighten people—because it gets them invited back.
The worst part of the breathless reporting about Trump’s statements is the complete disregard for the heroic and successful defense of democracy by grassroots activists and everyday Americans who give a damn. They are entirely absent from the conversation about Trump’s delusional fantasies.
Before Trump ends state control over elections, before he seizes any ballots, before he declares any results void because they are “rigged,” he will have to contend with the American people. And he is afraid of us. The pathetic man won’t go to the Super Bowl because he knows he will be booed. He is trying to rig the 2026 elections in advance because he knows his party will suffer humiliating losses that will expose him to impeachment.
Trump’s bloviating threats and fever dreams are signs of fear and desperation, not iron-fisted control over the American people. So, to every reporter, news channel, and media outlet who spent the day repeating Trump’s howling against the wind, shame on you for not telling the whole story: The American people are resisting Trump—and they are winning. They will rise to meet every challenge he poses. Do not ignore us; do not dismiss us. We are writing the future of our nation in the streets.
While we should take Trump seriously, we should not cower before him. We should continue on our path of resistance with confidence, knowing that we have stared him down and won. And when we do get the chance to vote, we win by such overwhelming margins that the outcomes are incontestable.
The path forward won’t be easy and will get worse before it gets better. But any rational person observing our situation from the outside would conclude that the people will prevail.
This all stops when enough of us say, “No.”
A few weeks back, I titled a newsletter, “This all stops when enough of us say, “No.” That newsletter title began to appear on protest signs and freeway overpass banners. I even saw a handmade placard with that saying in a photo of Alex Pretti’s streetside memorial in Minneapolis.
Reader Linda Javadi sent me one-hundred 4x4 stickers with that saying, suitable for adding to protest signs, jackets, posters, clipboards, etc. I will distribute the free supply gifted by Linda at street protests and bridge brigades. If you want to order your own, they are available for $2.50 from Linda’s website, here: BlueCoyoteArtStudio.com
The sticker is Linda’s idea, and I have no connection to or financial interest in the sale of the stickers—other than as a rallying cry to motivate people to show up in the defense of democracy! Thank you, Linda!
Interview with Sister District—now known as “States Win.”
My interview with the Executive Director of Sister District, which is now known as “States Win” is set forth below.
I have been trying to include a weekly Sunday morning interview with a grassroots organization or progressive candidate worthy of your support. Events have prevented me from publishing on the last three Sundays, so I am once again publishing a “Sunday morning interview” on Thursday.
In today’s interview, I speak with Sarah Curmi, who is the executive director of States Win, formerly known as Sister District. States Win focuses on flipping state legislatures. Their motto is “The fight for our future isn’t in Congress — it’s in state legislatures!”
If the work of States Win resonates with your personal focus for reclaiming democracy at the state level, you can donate here, States Win / Today’s Edition Reader, which will help keep track of the collective efforts of the community of newsletter readers.
Concluding Thoughts
It is tough to maintain perspective when the media is hell-bent on telling us that things are horrible. But we must maintain perspective, starting with the fact that the media’s primary job is to keep us coming back for more. Fear is a great motivator. Don’t be the media’s victim. Be your own actor with agency. The fate of our nation will be determined in the streets and town squares of America, not in studios and newsrooms. Don’t let anyone concvince you otherwise!
Pro-demoracy protest photos!
Sedona, Arizona
The photos are in front of the Classic Center in Athens, Georgia, where ICE had a recruiting table at a UGA job fair. Groan! We obviously were protesting against it.
Chebeague Island ME
NICE Agent shirts are now available at Home | NICE Agents
Burlington MA
In front of ICE building, Burlington MA
Hingham MA
Hi Robert,
Here is a list of what the 10 items that Schumer and Jeffries are supposedly demanding:
1. Targeted Enforcement - DHS officers cannot enter private property without a judicial warrant. End indiscriminate arrests and improve warrant procedures and standards. Require verification that a person is not a U.S. citizen before holding them in immigration detention.
2. No Masks - Prohibit ICE and immigration enforcement agents from wearing face coverings.
3. Require ID - Require DHS officers conducting immigration enforcement to display their agency, unique ID number and last name. Require them to verbalize their ID number and last name if asked.
4. Protect Sensitive Locations - Prohibit funds from being used to conduct enforcement near sensitive locations, including medical facilities, schools, child-care facilities, churches, polling places, courts, etc.
5. Stop Racial Profiling - Prohibit DHS officers from conducting stops, questioning and searches based on an individual's presence at certain locations, their job, their spoken language and accent or their race and ethnicity.
6. Uphold Use of Force Standards - Place into law a reasonable use of force policy, expand training and require certification of officers. In the case of an incident, the officer must be removed from the field until an investigation is conducted.
7. Ensure State and Local Coordination and Oversight - Preserve the ability of State and local jurisdictions to investigate and prosecute potential crimes and use of excessive force incidents. Require that evidence is preserved and shared with jurisdictions. Require the consent of States and localities to conduct large-scale operations outside of targeted immigration enforcement.
8. Build Safeguards into the System - Make clear that all buildings where people are detained must abide by the same basic detention standards that require immediate access to a person's attorney to prevent citizen arrests or detention. Allow states to sue DHS for violations of all requirements. Prohibit limitations on Member visits to ICE facilities regardless of how those facilities are funded.
9. Body Cameras for Accountability, Not Tracking - Require use of body-worn cameras when interacting with the public and mandate requirements for the storage and access of footage. Prohibit tracking, creating or maintaining databases of individuals participating in First Amendment activities.
10. No Paramilitary Police - Regulate and standardize the type of uniforms and equipment DHS officers carry during enforcement operations to bring them in line with civil enforcement.
Problem is that they are already caving on the masks (demand 2):
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/democrats-ice-masks-dhs-shutdown_n_69839db8e4b053ac3e17298d
My source for the list is Schumer on Threads:
https://www.threads.com/@senschumer/post/DUXHpqTDWFL
Public sentiment - “In this age, in this country, public sentiment is everything. With it, nothing can fail; against it, nothing can succeed. Whoever molds public sentiment goes deeper than he who enacts statutes, or pronounces judicial decisions.”-
Abraham Lincoln