Reading Nicholas' comment, I tend to agree. It is emotional and draining and I'm very glad that there have been so many positive steps forward in the past week. Passing the CHIPS, PACT and IRA has been huge! All of that makes me so happy. And the fact that Trump is squirming is great. Merrick Garland has come through and I couldn't be more pleased. Trump is fending off trouble from several different quarters and I have to think he'll have to pay the price one way or another. But, like Nicholas, I'm still afraid that somehow, he'll still wiggle out of all of it.
But more than anything, I feel that we're in the most dangerous time yet. Fortunately, I have no personal experience with domestic violence. But I know enough to know that when an abuser is cornered, when he (or she) is facing that reality of being left behind, or called to account for the abuse they've perpetrated, or slapped with a restraining order, is when they're the most dangerous. But it isn't Trump, or McCarthy or the rest of the cowardly GOP leadership that we need to fear, but all of their "base" throughout the country. They are hiding in plain sight, and I fear that they are capable of almost anything. I think Civil War is not the problem, but rogue 2nd Amendment Trumpers who will do something desperate in the face of what they see as the persecution of Dear Leader.
I am a positive looking person and I believe in the majority of good people in the US who WILL do the right thing; we will all pull together to save the country. But I do fear that there will be major damage and violence before it's all over. The healing from that will take a very long time.
Thanks, Denise. Your words resonate with many readers. Everything you say is true, but the good in America far outweighs the bad. We must maintain that perspective, even though it is difficult to to in the face of the media's incessant amplification of the bad news to the exclusion of the good.
I'm struck by the themes of discouragement here; I've been there, but the FBI action (not a "raid") and what is trickling out should give hope. HOWEVER, your fear of what the "base" may decide to unleash is pretty real, IMHO; they are capable of serious damage and death---and they are everywhere.........
I'm thinking they may be everywhere but talk is cheap - most will continue to talk but not commit to violence. Yes there is a danger - maybe it is great but violence will not win the day.
Some of the things you see on the pro-Trump forums are very concerning, but most of them are just a bunch of LARPers. But it only takes one person, as we saw in Ohio.
The most concerning and increasingly frightening are the proud boys, oath keepers, 3 per centers and additional armed paramilitary right wing groups - the likes of the charlottesville gangs. They're young, angry, hu gry for a dictator like leader and action. Unleashed, untethered by any "republicans," encouraged to stream out from under their rocks like scorpions by trump and encouraged to violence by him, and nihilistic chaos by bannonesque thinking - makes me stomach wrenchingly concerned. Scorpions do not only sting.
I think it's good to let thoughts like these out in the air so we can deal with our fears. This bunch really, really wants us all to be afraid of them and I refuse to give them that satisfaction. I've been thinking a lot about Liz Cheney and Adam K. They've had death threats. Cheney will likely lose reelection, and Adam K is not going to run again. But they stood up to the bullies nevertheless and they did it for the good of this country and for democracy. We can get through this if we can join forces and look past our differences. We have to focus on the common goal of preserving the rule of law and democracy.
Yes, talk is cheap. I wonder just how committed tfg’s base is to believing whatever he says just because he says it. It takes effort to commit violence, and you might not get away with it. (The guy with the nail gun didn’t.) Talkers maybe are just too lazy.
Perhaps the misguided guy with the nail gun (and sympathy goes to his family) will be a wake up to others who might be considering some ill-advised action. It is most important for us - the defenders of justice to continue to speak truth and we MUST show up on Election Day.
I agree that talk is cheap - now that the January 6th rioters are beginning to pay for their actions with jail time (and learning that Trump cannot "pardon") there will be a lot less violent action from that segment. It helps that we are providing jobs and income increases for the average American, too. Thanks Joe Biden!!
Well said Denise. I am like you and Nicholas tired, exhausted and ready to see Trump held accountable but it does seem that, at least, as Robert has stated in previous newsletters that there will be sporadic violence. I am eager to get to the “healing” part which I naively thought would begin with the start of the Biden administration. But as long as Trump is in our face there does not seem to be any easy peace.
We still have not healed from the Civil War. As Faulkner said, “The past is not dead. It’s not even past.” The battles would likely take a different form that soldiers on the battlefield, but who knows? I am endlessly amazed by the right wing radicals descent into depravity.
Ditto! Some are calling for Civil War. Just how do they propose to do that? So far, we see a series of assault weapon attacks on innocent and unarmed people by deranged or misguided solitary players. How do they propose to fight an armed US military?
Thank you for taking the time to write that. I agree and it helps to know that others think/feel the same (of course, I sure wish we weren’t feeling or thinking this, but here we are).
That makes so much sense and I know the fear you are talking about. I share that fear, especially about a cornered abuser, which Trump is. He has abused everybody he's ever been with and he has abused his base, only they don't realize it. Loving, following, and glorifying an abuser does not end well. It's not that they can't be taken down, it's how many others they will take down with them.
All good points, Denise! TFG will certainly continue to wriggle and he will become uglier (if that is possible) as he is further cornered. Civil war? Possible, but it won't be "neat" geographically as the last one was. It will be more like Vietnam...guerilla groups attacking when opportune!
I'm writing from Indiana where we've just lost the right to choose whether or not to have children. Our totally gerrymandered state legislature passed a nearly total ban on abortion. Please keep this issue of reproductive rights front and center in the midterms and stay focused on down ballot races. I highly recommend Jane Mayer's article in the New Yorker, "State Legislatures are Torching Democracy."
Let me finish that thought. Kansas, a state that twice voted overwhelming for Trump, just held a referendum on choice and CHOICE WON!. Turnout was huge because Kansans were passionate about women's freedom. We can defeat the Right on this issue, up and down the ballot. Keep hammering it and sensible gun reform. Don't let's make the midterms a referendum on Trump and an FBI raid. .
That is so important to remember. Focus on the policies, not the personalities. Trump is just a convenient smoke screen for the attempts to take away our rights.
Hi, Nancy. Jane's article is on my list to discuss (recommended by another reader, but events often overtake the best laid plans). I will circle back to it.
The revelation that one of the things they were looking for was information related to nuclear weapons makes it all fall into place. The multi-billion dollar deal with Jared K. and Saudi Arabia, why 45 even wanted to bring classified documents with him when he left the WH, …
But it is not people who like Robert's newsletter (us) who participate in sites that kowtow to the GOP mob. So if we aren't genuflecting with money or attention, we aren't affecting the GOP's bottom line. So WE don't affect his ratings. What we CAN affect, maybe, is media on the side of reality, with letters and phone calls calling for less attention to GOP deplorables (thank you, Hillary) and more attention to the rest of the political universe that is working so hard, against GOP obstruction, to improve American life.
Those are really good ideas and you're correct. Hillary nailed it with deplorable the term didn't just apply to poor people. Hillary also called it right when Bill was on trial. She is hardly one for conspiracy theories, but she did say she suspected a right-wing conspiracy at work at that time. And, given what's going on today, she was right. I've long thought that the reason the rightwing did so much Hillary bashing is that she is a very smart and potentially powerful woman. And she does her homework. They don't like that.
It was first reported in the WaPo and the NYT picked it up so I would wager there’s something to it.And yes, follow the money, just as should have been done w/ DJT & Russia. There has been so much corruption we’re drowning in it and can’t grasp an instance before another is dumped on us.
Let’s call the cretin tRump. DJT conveys too much human respect to the despicable. It is true as others have said here it is the base and he demagogues waiting in the wings that are the real threat.
What has the Trump family and their circle already passed along to Putin and his circle? Will we start hearing about that? Following up could not be more urgent..
Also. How amazing the democrat congress has passed the most significant legislation in decades under Biden’s leadership!!! What a ying/Yang universe we live in. BUT why SO essential to keep a democrat trifecta in the midterms!! We have to almost think of the democrats as the “two” party system—progressives vs moderates. The Republicans are invested in a non existent reality, something even god forbid, Dick Cheney, and I agree with.
The Congress of the United States of America - it is not a “democrat congress” nor would it be a “republic congress,” even if that party controlled political power. It is currently led by civic-minded, patriotic Americans almost all of whom are exclusively members of the ‘Democratic Party.’ You might say, it is a democratic Congress that is restoring America’s vision of its own future to itself before it is too late.
When the heart button doesn’t turn red, refresh your page and it should then show it’s red. If not, just click on it again, and it should turn red. You may have to scroll to find it.
I've had this happen as well. Someone told me to exit the letter and come back and then it works. (mystery!) It does. Also, I've seen that even if it doesn't show up Red when I click it, when I come back in it's Red! (as long as I didn't click it enough times to end up not red!)
Please, going forward we must stop putting the fine point of progressive vs moderate. It is insane because the mere talk like this divides a party that has no need to be divided when you look at the issues and develop positions rather than label party members and leaders.
Labeling creates “others”, no matter who is creating the labels.
Personally, I prefer the range of perspectives that is the Democratic Party. Not perfect. Messy. Actually, messy and less than perfect is human. I’ve no interest in belonging to a group that has no room for complexity.
Nicely said Mary Lou. Like everyone else writing, your brain is working. Respect for complexity is a beautiful thing. I wish all Robert's readers could get together for coffee. What about that Robert? My wife and I would pay to travel to that from NJ.
In the first three years of the newsletter, my wife and I invited all readers to our home in Los Angeles for a holiday party. The newsletter was small enough that we had 200-300 people show up (some had to stand in the shallow end of the pool.) It was wonderful. We are hoping to arrange a reader party in December 2022 in Los Angeles--Covid permitting. Say tuned.
Yes! The internal dem divisiveness, lack of cohesion and effective, interesting messaging are terrible for dem functioning and credibility. The other side is altogether bad enough to provide enough political targets. Dems should forgo targeting dems.
I just saw a video clip from TYT (The Young Turks, a little too extreme left for me) complaining about IRA having no effect on gas prices, in a kind of mocking tone, that was picked up by Lauren Boebert and tweeted with "Even the Young Turks, the most braindead liberals with the ability to livestream, know that Biden’s victory lap on gas prices is absolute bullcrap." I think that a range of opinions in respectful conversation is good for growth. It's the snarky attacks that social media seems to inspire and encourage in lieu of such conversations that Dems need to recognize and give up. I read once that T***p gave us permission to be our worst selves. I don't think that was just republicans. Snarky feels good in the moment and needs to be outgrown if we truly want to engage in discourse that inspires change.
Agreed. Moreover, it often devolves into a back and forth, totally useless contest of who can out snarky the other - childish engagement of the emotional ego. A waste. Thank you.
Oh. My. God!!! This is so exhausting and frustrating and overwhelming. I feel as if the “trump” phenomenon is like a cancer that keeps traveling into all parts of the body politic. This is the time for mindfulness, a time to let go and let “whatever” works it’s way through the biosphere. A time to pray to whatever Divine Source guides us to help us all transcend this moment. Sorry to sound so woohoo but our normal either/or solutions are not going to help. Sometimes I hear myself praying, “oh god or whoever , please remember us—our love for each other. Our desire for connection and harmony. We have potential!”
Nancy, you have captured both sides of the equation- exhaustion and the need for mindfulness with the prayer that a higher power or better yet our own spiritual divine being shows us the way to “our desire for connection and harmony.”
Thank you for your words. I’d add that each of us can focus on what is working each and every day. On difficult days, I confirm that the sun came up in the East. Again! That’s worth appreciating.
Thank you Nancy for this reminder about the non-physical Source of love that humankind has been experiencing and expressing belief in as far back as we can know our history. It's only when such beliefs get caught up in religious structures (mostly patriarchal) that they become restrictive and therefore turn away many good, smart folks. But if we can attempt not to throw out the baby with the ("holy") bath water, we can draw upon this Source (which my spiritual community teaches is within each of us) in any situation. I LOVE your prayer! And "we have potential" because of that very Source!
There are differences. Others, I feel, have been just as dangerous to Democracy. They were a slicker, more subtle version. trump is no political ideologue, unless you view trump as his own political ideology. He is crass, lawless, akin to a mafioso. And a complete opportunist. What is in it for him?
I don't really care what his motivations are. He's just one con man. Of much greater concern is his followers, who, despite infinite contraindications, have chosen him as their idol. It is THEY who are incomprehensible to me, and, of course, much more dangerous.
We do have potential and there's a book by Ervin Laszlo and Frederick Tsao called Dawn of an Era of Well-Being which sounds pretty woohoo, but makes for interesting reading when events feel overwhelming.
My deep thanks to the thoughtful commenters this morning. I confess to an assortment of dizziness -- so much news, so much of it disturbing. Here, let us pause for a moment to reflect on the attack on Salman Rushdie, the author of so many enriching, expansive works, including the great novel of modernity, "Midnight's Children." Attacked at Chautauqua, that monument to 19th century American self-improvement! And yes, a great forward movement with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (could someone PLEASE use better nomenclature?). But of course what nags and occupies the forefront of the mind is the events at and around Mar-a-Lago. As a lawyer, I am simply left bewildered: did his lawyers not explain to the former guy what was at stake? Did the former guy lie to them about what he had? Above all, what was the former guy doing with that stuff? According to friends who served as foreign service officers, the things he took are incredibly sensitive -- did he not understand that? Did he not care? Did he intend to sell it or share it? That's what the Espionage Act charge implies. If that is so, why doesn't anyone use the word that applies here: treason. Just look at that word. On the heels of the reporting about the former guy's relations with the nation's military leaders, it doesn't seem nearly so out of place. But what does it mean to think/say/write: the former President of the United States may be a traitor. I can't believe I wrote that. But I did.
I have only intermittent internet access this morning, so to Nancy and many other readers, well said! It is a bewildering moment in many ways, but it is also what we have suspected for years. Trump's behavior with Putin is most easily explained if he is compromised or actively advancing the interests of Russia because of financial gain. It is difficult to come up with another explanation that covers his behavior so completely.
I think trying to find reasons for tfg's behavior may not be worth the effort. He is an irrational, greedy man obsessed with himself and his possessions. He will simply do anything to keep his stuff and save himself. I think for most people this is difficult for us to wrap our minds around. Happily, perhaps because most people don't think that way.
Actually, I'm glad you did and I'm happy to hear a lawyer say that. I've been thinking about it all along and it's one of the first terms that came to mind. I'm not a lawyer, but what I've been seeing for all these years appears to be treasonous. But to my mind tfg has always been and will continue to be a clear and present threat to all of us and to our country.
The problem with Republican overreacting is that they don’t, in recent memory, have experience doing the right thing. Wouldn’t it be nice if Liz Cheney and other colleagues could come to the head of the class?
They've lost experience with losing and governing constructively (thanks moscow mitch), with any modicum of truth telling, objective information, belief in inclusion, in evidence based reporting, and democracy.
Keep in mind, all ye of good faith who support democracy and sanity: We outnumber Republicans, by a lot. The largest group in the US is "did not vote", followed by Independents, then Democrats, then Republicans. Yes, things are tilted to favor Republicans, and they're overrepresented in the whole. BUT, if we concentrate our energies on getting people registered to vote, and getting turnout, we win. Sanity far outnumbers this crazy we see and hear every minute of every day. "Sanity" needs to turn out and vote in every election and every level of government. We all turn out, we win. We are the majority. There are some excellent groups out there doing really great work, and Robert mentions them periodically. Sign up for Jessica Craven's Chop Wood, Carry Water newsletter on Substack....she gives scripts etc, she illuminates other groups working for good, etc etc. She and Robert Hubbell are two of the people from whom I learn about well vetted groups doing the work to save our system of government and restore it to sanity. Have hope.....and keep in mind that we outnumber these people who would turn us into an autocracy. Spend some time registering voters and encouraging them to vote. Young people, especially.
Well said, Leigh--I am 87 yr.old and am actively involved in writing postcards and letters to folks in swing states to be sure and vote this November. I live in Utah, one of the reddest states in the U.S., and so ashamed of Mike Lee; Democrats decided not to put up an opposing candidate, but are throwing their support behind Independent McMullin, who has a good chance of beating Lee.
Thank you for that. I've been enjoying reading all the comments, but you just inspired me to go upstairs and write some more Register to Vote postcards with Seniors Taking Action. Cheers!
Let's avoid sounding like the people whom Trump has deluded into sounding like lynch mobs. There's no evidence that Trump took secrets to sell them to enemies of the US.
If *anyone* did that today it would be wrong to execute them, on moral grounds, because common sentiment on executions has changed, and on strategic grounds, because it would make a martyr of the traitor. In the case of Trump it would be more wrong yet: nothing could better transform the bizarre cult of this man into a full-fledged religion.
Whether hedged with an "if" or not, let's leave crazy-talk to the crazies; one side doing a Queen of Hearts imitation is already one too many.
You are right about this and after I indulge myself in thinking vengefully, it's good to be reminded that that really won't solve the problem, but like throwing kerosene on a fire, will only make it worse.
Part of Donald's inimitable charm is his love of vindictively rubbing his nasty projections in everyones' faces, while hiding behind lawyers and other bodyguards. It tends to raise a desire for restitution in kind, with finality.
It's not easy to remember the importance of higher principles. Fortunately for the rule of law and the principle of equal justice, Biden doesn't let himself get jerked around and is providing a useful adult model. I wish I had his emotional stability. I imagine we owe something to Jill Biden and the quality of their relationship, "...so unlike the home life of our (former drama) queen."
Although I am loathe to do so I am going to comment about the latest drama with Trump. I do recognize the serious nature of his legal troubles but I have to share the same sentiment as others. I am just so sick and tired of him grabbing headlines and capturing the worlds attention day in and day out. The Democrats have just an amazing string of legislative victories most notably the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act. The most serious step the country has ever taken towards addressing climate change. This should be huge news covered by every major media outlet and yet the headlines are splashed with Trump all day and every day. I look forward to the day when the news media is not consumed by this demonic man.
That curious fascination...Why? Basically, tfg is a boring, aging old celebrity bent on trying to prove he "still has it." Putin is very similar. It is both profoundly sad and terrifying.
We must be guided only by what the principles of our Republic tell us is right, as Garland has shown us. Fear must not interfere with reason and morality. There is no other way for us to win over this craziness. Second guessing crazy people will end badly.
So wish the Inflation Reduction Act was getting the media attention it deserves! It is a big deal and should strengthen the economy as well as saving the world. I'm sick of hearing ad nauseam about the search hour after hour. What happens when a malignant narcissist/narcissistic personality disorder person feels cornered? You get a Jim Jones offering everyone the KoolAid. Here's a great article about the end game of NPD of which DT could be the poster child. https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=40230
Fascinating, Cathy. I found the following especially chilling because T***p can still do significant damage: "The final stage of NPD is the part of a narcissist’s life when the world they have known in the past starts to spin out of their control. The loss of power and prowess over others is devastating to a megalomaniac narcissist. It damages and unhinges the narcissist psychologically and emotionally, leading to an intra-personal implosion followed by a violent explosive end for the narcissist and others around them. Like a star that goes supernova and creates a black hole in the fabric of the universe, narcissists implode emotionally and psychologically, and the damage done by them ripples through their entire social networks damaging more than just the narcissists."
Wow! That was a powerful article. I remember the Jim Jones episode vividly having lived in the Bay Area my entire life. I also studied Stalin and Hitler so this all rings bells. It is the implosion of tfg that is frightening. Equally sobering was the last part about what exactly you do with these people. There isn't a good solution. TFG has been this way his entire life and yet the RNC invited him in because he could "win." When NPD's "win" the rest of us lose every time.
Cathy, agree about Trump news sucking oxygen out of the Universe but also see a positive to all the blather about the search. Imagine how much more disinformation the Repubs would be throwing out about IRA if they were’t screaming about the “raid” .
I have a hard time believing this has lined up Republicans behind Trump. I just cannot fathom that thinking. Yet that is just what was said last night, 8/12, by Shields & Capehart on PBS Newshour! As you may know, the two are with NYT and WaPo, respectively. Have half the voters in this country gone insane? That’s what their commentary points to. Somebody throw me a life ring. I’m drowning in disbelief and horror. Additionally they both agreed that he could win the nomination! What? Then be sent to jail during campaign cycle and we break out in civil war! Worse, his Teflon will get him exonerated (my statement)! Excuse my so many exclamation points, but we have come to this according to these two respected (by me, anyway) journalists. The voters must get some education. Democracy survives only through an informed electorate. These numbskulls apparently have lost much gray matter.
Richard, you raise a very complicated point. People who continue to support Trump do so because they see in him an avatar who expresses their fear and anger over a world that is changing rapidly and (in many instances) threatening their sense of entitlement to a privileged place in society. They will follow Trump as long as he serves that function--even if he does shoot someone on Fifth Avenue. Their fear of change overwhelms their belief in democracy. Ultimately, Democrats have to address that fact to win them over. The Inflation Reduction Act is a good start!
I guess I intuited what you’re stating. But it doesn’t make it any easier to accept. I should not think this or that with nothing in between, but is is hard for me not to conclude that people are either good or evil and none in between.
Believe what you see and hear. As long as Republican politicians believe trump’s base is along for the ride, they will continue with their blind support and deference to trump, even if it means attacking the Constitution and rule of law. I live in a small community dominated by wealthy and influential people. As one could guess, in a typical election cycle, the voter breakdown is about 80% Republican 20% Democratic. These are folks who are, in large part, very well educated, but at the end of the day vote in favor of paying as little tax as possible, and keeping the regulatory system out of their businesses. No amount of education will guarantee that greed will not win. No amount of church going will guarantee that an individual will live a Christ centered life. These people in my community are not uninformed.
Jeff, your observation about the affluent wanting nothing more than tax cuts is the other part of the equation--and the most shameful part. Many who support Trump for that reason are affluent only because we live in an ordered, peaceful society where criminals are punished and law-abiding citizens are protected. Their wealth will evaporate if we become a lawless society envisioned by many Trumps supporters.
Robert, your point is spot on and leads to a real head scratcher as to why corporate America is seemingly going along with the party of nonsense and chaos. I have always understood that Wall Street likes stability, something in short supply in the Republican Party
People are easily controlled and manipulated by money, power, celebrity, religion and propaganda. The repuglicans and trump use all of the above to dominate their party members to the point they cannot see or think for themselves.
Take what you read in the media with a large helping of salt. These are the same people who have been echoing Republican talking points all along without pointing out the lies.
We LOVE listening to you, Robert, reading your daily musings while we are eating our lunch.
Your voice is calm and, therefore, also calming and very pleasant.
When the text calls for sarcasm, your voice drips with it! This is part of what makes listening to your articles soooooo much better than just reading them!
I think that your training and experience in law endowed you with the ability to identify the real issue(s) and not be distracted by the b.s. surrounding it (them.)
Also, your ability to stay on track and not lose your focus on the goal(s) of your newsletter hit bullseye time and again.
You have become our North!!!!
When this maelstrom runs its course and we get back to, or better yet, carve out and create a new and improved political reality, I will recommend that you receive the Purple Heart or the Medal of Freedom, whichever is higher, for your contribution to the survival of the grand American spirit and American democracy!!!!
Thanks for the feedback Dita. I am still trying to hit the right notes on the recorded version. Some readers have said my pace is too slow -- reminder you can "speed" up the reading by 1.25, 1.5 etc by clicking on the button on the audio bar.
This week has been such a roller coaster, and very emotionally draining. I’m honestly just tired of Trump at this point, I honestly can’t take it anymore. It’s like nothing matters. I hate to be a downer, but I have a feeling he’ll somehow manage to get out of this too. He’s always been made of teflon and because of how things have gone in the past it’s extremely hard to get my hopes up. I really hope I am wrong, and we’ll have to wait and see, but considering how passionate his base is and how strong his grip on the GOP is, I find it hard to believe anything will change.
Nicholas, Trump is about to get his comeuppance along with all his cronies and I can’t wait! Plus, we’re finally taking a step toward reducing climate warming, taxing huge corporations that pay zero taxes and extending healthcare subsidies! Add to this zero inflation between June and July and things are finally going in the right direction! 👍
I certainly hope he will not get out of all the bad things he has done...NYC, Georgia, and now Mar a Lago. He must be punished in a major way...or else how does this country move forward?
Nicholas, if you weren’t already concerned it would not be a good idea to watch tonight’s PBS News Hour. What is intriguing to me is that Trump did not have his legal team object to release of DOJ warrant & inventory. Just another example of Trump’s observation, “I could shoot someone on Broadway and my people would still be supporting me.” (A rough paraphrasing.) As always, he does not do what is expected because he regularly demonstrates norms are not his thing. No doubt I watch too much news and like you I am fed up with the ongoing Trump saga. I hope the Biden administration is planning on how to deal with the growing malice and failure of Republicans to stand up and speak out. Instead they seem locked in to an ugly mentality. In the meantime we are must stay calm and push ahead to win in 2022. Let’s trust that a. The DOJ has and brings a solid case forward and b. That smarter people than me are paying attention and preparing for all eventualities.
Releasing the warrant is the old political gambit of getting ahead of bad news, and Trump is a master of that game. What has struck me is that the explanations have gone from "the FBI planted evidence" to "I declassified the top secret nuclear information and stored it at Mar-a-Lago because [insert long awkward silence here]." As I said, his explanations are becoming desperate, illogical, and ultimately disprovable. He is being cornered.
To give some context, Maggie Haberman reported that Trump was considering objecting to the release of the warrant, but his lawyers convinced him to release it. I don’t really know where we go from here. I don’t think anybody has really contemplated the gravity of a Trump indictment. Most likely it will be a long, bitter, and ugly process that could end up as a Pyrrhic victory. And the scars this era of politics has brought on us will not go away, it’ll take decades.
But he gets Secret Service protection for life, so he will never hear a jail door click behind him. Maybe house arrest, but after the civil suits against him from the DC Police he won't have a big house to be in :-)
Does a convicted former President get SS protection if in jail ? This will have to be litigated , as will everything, because everything associated w a case involving Trump’s conviction would be new. I assume if he flees to Russia he won’t get ss protection!
Reading Nicholas' comment, I tend to agree. It is emotional and draining and I'm very glad that there have been so many positive steps forward in the past week. Passing the CHIPS, PACT and IRA has been huge! All of that makes me so happy. And the fact that Trump is squirming is great. Merrick Garland has come through and I couldn't be more pleased. Trump is fending off trouble from several different quarters and I have to think he'll have to pay the price one way or another. But, like Nicholas, I'm still afraid that somehow, he'll still wiggle out of all of it.
But more than anything, I feel that we're in the most dangerous time yet. Fortunately, I have no personal experience with domestic violence. But I know enough to know that when an abuser is cornered, when he (or she) is facing that reality of being left behind, or called to account for the abuse they've perpetrated, or slapped with a restraining order, is when they're the most dangerous. But it isn't Trump, or McCarthy or the rest of the cowardly GOP leadership that we need to fear, but all of their "base" throughout the country. They are hiding in plain sight, and I fear that they are capable of almost anything. I think Civil War is not the problem, but rogue 2nd Amendment Trumpers who will do something desperate in the face of what they see as the persecution of Dear Leader.
I am a positive looking person and I believe in the majority of good people in the US who WILL do the right thing; we will all pull together to save the country. But I do fear that there will be major damage and violence before it's all over. The healing from that will take a very long time.
Thanks, Denise. Your words resonate with many readers. Everything you say is true, but the good in America far outweighs the bad. We must maintain that perspective, even though it is difficult to to in the face of the media's incessant amplification of the bad news to the exclusion of the good.
Maybe we need to write more about the good news. Your last couple of columns really helped!
Maybe dangerous but the hope is that the goodness of the average person will prevail.
Hope is an action verb, and WE are the actors!
Rose colored glasses vision and hope without some specific foundation will not guide us across this treacherous terrain.
Maybe you're right - my foundation is my many friends of ALL political persuasions.
I'm with you on that thought
He's rich, has powerful friends and fear he'll slither out of all this. I hope I'm wrong
Not as rich as he would lead us to believe, but he does have many deep-pocketed supporters. Eventually they do get to pay!!
I'm struck by the themes of discouragement here; I've been there, but the FBI action (not a "raid") and what is trickling out should give hope. HOWEVER, your fear of what the "base" may decide to unleash is pretty real, IMHO; they are capable of serious damage and death---and they are everywhere.........
I'm thinking they may be everywhere but talk is cheap - most will continue to talk but not commit to violence. Yes there is a danger - maybe it is great but violence will not win the day.
Well Raymond, we must embrace your outlook “violence will not win the day.” I’ll hold that thought for now.
Some of the things you see on the pro-Trump forums are very concerning, but most of them are just a bunch of LARPers. But it only takes one person, as we saw in Ohio.
The most concerning and increasingly frightening are the proud boys, oath keepers, 3 per centers and additional armed paramilitary right wing groups - the likes of the charlottesville gangs. They're young, angry, hu gry for a dictator like leader and action. Unleashed, untethered by any "republicans," encouraged to stream out from under their rocks like scorpions by trump and encouraged to violence by him, and nihilistic chaos by bannonesque thinking - makes me stomach wrenchingly concerned. Scorpions do not only sting.
I think it's good to let thoughts like these out in the air so we can deal with our fears. This bunch really, really wants us all to be afraid of them and I refuse to give them that satisfaction. I've been thinking a lot about Liz Cheney and Adam K. They've had death threats. Cheney will likely lose reelection, and Adam K is not going to run again. But they stood up to the bullies nevertheless and they did it for the good of this country and for democracy. We can get through this if we can join forces and look past our differences. We have to focus on the common goal of preserving the rule of law and democracy.
Yes, talk is cheap. I wonder just how committed tfg’s base is to believing whatever he says just because he says it. It takes effort to commit violence, and you might not get away with it. (The guy with the nail gun didn’t.) Talkers maybe are just too lazy.
Perhaps the misguided guy with the nail gun (and sympathy goes to his family) will be a wake up to others who might be considering some ill-advised action. It is most important for us - the defenders of justice to continue to speak truth and we MUST show up on Election Day.
Let's hope so.
I agree that talk is cheap - now that the January 6th rioters are beginning to pay for their actions with jail time (and learning that Trump cannot "pardon") there will be a lot less violent action from that segment. It helps that we are providing jobs and income increases for the average American, too. Thanks Joe Biden!!
And they look just like us unless they're 'in uniform'.
Sad but true. But so are happy and productive souls who don't feed on anger and hate.
Well said Denise. I am like you and Nicholas tired, exhausted and ready to see Trump held accountable but it does seem that, at least, as Robert has stated in previous newsletters that there will be sporadic violence. I am eager to get to the “healing” part which I naively thought would begin with the start of the Biden administration. But as long as Trump is in our face there does not seem to be any easy peace.
We still have not healed from the Civil War. As Faulkner said, “The past is not dead. It’s not even past.” The battles would likely take a different form that soldiers on the battlefield, but who knows? I am endlessly amazed by the right wing radicals descent into depravity.
Ditto! Some are calling for Civil War. Just how do they propose to do that? So far, we see a series of assault weapon attacks on innocent and unarmed people by deranged or misguided solitary players. How do they propose to fight an armed US military?
It is time to outlaw military style assault rifles and similar. Period
Thank you for taking the time to write that. I agree and it helps to know that others think/feel the same (of course, I sure wish we weren’t feeling or thinking this, but here we are).
That makes so much sense and I know the fear you are talking about. I share that fear, especially about a cornered abuser, which Trump is. He has abused everybody he's ever been with and he has abused his base, only they don't realize it. Loving, following, and glorifying an abuser does not end well. It's not that they can't be taken down, it's how many others they will take down with them.
All good points, Denise! TFG will certainly continue to wriggle and he will become uglier (if that is possible) as he is further cornered. Civil war? Possible, but it won't be "neat" geographically as the last one was. It will be more like Vietnam...guerilla groups attacking when opportune!
Let's work really, really hard to ensure that it doesn't come to that. It isn't a viable outcome. Violence just feeds on itself.
I'm writing from Indiana where we've just lost the right to choose whether or not to have children. Our totally gerrymandered state legislature passed a nearly total ban on abortion. Please keep this issue of reproductive rights front and center in the midterms and stay focused on down ballot races. I highly recommend Jane Mayer's article in the New Yorker, "State Legislatures are Torching Democracy."
Let me finish that thought. Kansas, a state that twice voted overwhelming for Trump, just held a referendum on choice and CHOICE WON!. Turnout was huge because Kansans were passionate about women's freedom. We can defeat the Right on this issue, up and down the ballot. Keep hammering it and sensible gun reform. Don't let's make the midterms a referendum on Trump and an FBI raid. .
That is so important to remember. Focus on the policies, not the personalities. Trump is just a convenient smoke screen for the attempts to take away our rights.
100% correct!
Hi, Nancy. Jane's article is on my list to discuss (recommended by another reader, but events often overtake the best laid plans). I will circle back to it.
The revelation that one of the things they were looking for was information related to nuclear weapons makes it all fall into place. The multi-billion dollar deal with Jared K. and Saudi Arabia, why 45 even wanted to bring classified documents with him when he left the WH, …
You'll never be too far wrong if you view all the actions of Trump and his family as motivated by either making money or boosting ratings.
Let's tank their ratings.
But it is not people who like Robert's newsletter (us) who participate in sites that kowtow to the GOP mob. So if we aren't genuflecting with money or attention, we aren't affecting the GOP's bottom line. So WE don't affect his ratings. What we CAN affect, maybe, is media on the side of reality, with letters and phone calls calling for less attention to GOP deplorables (thank you, Hillary) and more attention to the rest of the political universe that is working so hard, against GOP obstruction, to improve American life.
Those are really good ideas and you're correct. Hillary nailed it with deplorable the term didn't just apply to poor people. Hillary also called it right when Bill was on trial. She is hardly one for conspiracy theories, but she did say she suspected a right-wing conspiracy at work at that time. And, given what's going on today, she was right. I've long thought that the reason the rightwing did so much Hillary bashing is that she is a very smart and potentially powerful woman. And she does her homework. They don't like that.
It was first reported in the WaPo and the NYT picked it up so I would wager there’s something to it.And yes, follow the money, just as should have been done w/ DJT & Russia. There has been so much corruption we’re drowning in it and can’t grasp an instance before another is dumped on us.
Let’s call the cretin tRump. DJT conveys too much human respect to the despicable. It is true as others have said here it is the base and he demagogues waiting in the wings that are the real threat.
What has the Trump family and their circle already passed along to Putin and his circle? Will we start hearing about that? Following up could not be more urgent..
Sharon; Do we know for sure that the FBI was looking for nuclear info and the deal with Jared K. And Saudi Arabia?
We don't but it's a solid bet. With those people, always follow the money
Also. How amazing the democrat congress has passed the most significant legislation in decades under Biden’s leadership!!! What a ying/Yang universe we live in. BUT why SO essential to keep a democrat trifecta in the midterms!! We have to almost think of the democrats as the “two” party system—progressives vs moderates. The Republicans are invested in a non existent reality, something even god forbid, Dick Cheney, and I agree with.
The Congress of the United States of America - it is not a “democrat congress” nor would it be a “republic congress,” even if that party controlled political power. It is currently led by civic-minded, patriotic Americans almost all of whom are exclusively members of the ‘Democratic Party.’ You might say, it is a democratic Congress that is restoring America’s vision of its own future to itself before it is too late.
Thank you very much, Leslie. (I couldn't get the "like" button to work.)
When the heart button doesn’t turn red, refresh your page and it should then show it’s red. If not, just click on it again, and it should turn red. You may have to scroll to find it.
I've had this happen as well. Someone told me to exit the letter and come back and then it works. (mystery!) It does. Also, I've seen that even if it doesn't show up Red when I click it, when I come back in it's Red! (as long as I didn't click it enough times to end up not red!)
Oops, just saw that Mim Eisenberg already told you!
Yes. Thank you.
Thank you, Leslie, for this correction. I always cringe when I hear the expression “Democrat Congress”.
Please, going forward we must stop putting the fine point of progressive vs moderate. It is insane because the mere talk like this divides a party that has no need to be divided when you look at the issues and develop positions rather than label party members and leaders.
Labeling creates “others”, no matter who is creating the labels.
Personally, I prefer the range of perspectives that is the Democratic Party. Not perfect. Messy. Actually, messy and less than perfect is human. I’ve no interest in belonging to a group that has no room for complexity.
Nicely said Mary Lou. Like everyone else writing, your brain is working. Respect for complexity is a beautiful thing. I wish all Robert's readers could get together for coffee. What about that Robert? My wife and I would pay to travel to that from NJ.
In the first three years of the newsletter, my wife and I invited all readers to our home in Los Angeles for a holiday party. The newsletter was small enough that we had 200-300 people show up (some had to stand in the shallow end of the pool.) It was wonderful. We are hoping to arrange a reader party in December 2022 in Los Angeles--Covid permitting. Say tuned.
You two are really amazingly generous and kind people!
Tony, I’ve often told my husband that I’d love to talk and party with Robert and family!
Yes! The internal dem divisiveness, lack of cohesion and effective, interesting messaging are terrible for dem functioning and credibility. The other side is altogether bad enough to provide enough political targets. Dems should forgo targeting dems.
I just saw a video clip from TYT (The Young Turks, a little too extreme left for me) complaining about IRA having no effect on gas prices, in a kind of mocking tone, that was picked up by Lauren Boebert and tweeted with "Even the Young Turks, the most braindead liberals with the ability to livestream, know that Biden’s victory lap on gas prices is absolute bullcrap." I think that a range of opinions in respectful conversation is good for growth. It's the snarky attacks that social media seems to inspire and encourage in lieu of such conversations that Dems need to recognize and give up. I read once that T***p gave us permission to be our worst selves. I don't think that was just republicans. Snarky feels good in the moment and needs to be outgrown if we truly want to engage in discourse that inspires change.
Agreed. Moreover, it often devolves into a back and forth, totally useless contest of who can out snarky the other - childish engagement of the emotional ego. A waste. Thank you.
Yes, thank you for the expansion - that is absolutely what happens once someone engages. Let's work on alternatives!
It is kind of curious to find yourself in agreement with Dick Cheney, isn't it?
Oh. My. God!!! This is so exhausting and frustrating and overwhelming. I feel as if the “trump” phenomenon is like a cancer that keeps traveling into all parts of the body politic. This is the time for mindfulness, a time to let go and let “whatever” works it’s way through the biosphere. A time to pray to whatever Divine Source guides us to help us all transcend this moment. Sorry to sound so woohoo but our normal either/or solutions are not going to help. Sometimes I hear myself praying, “oh god or whoever , please remember us—our love for each other. Our desire for connection and harmony. We have potential!”
Nancy, you have captured both sides of the equation- exhaustion and the need for mindfulness with the prayer that a higher power or better yet our own spiritual divine being shows us the way to “our desire for connection and harmony.”
Thank you.
Thank you for your words. I’d add that each of us can focus on what is working each and every day. On difficult days, I confirm that the sun came up in the East. Again! That’s worth appreciating.
Thank you Nancy for this reminder about the non-physical Source of love that humankind has been experiencing and expressing belief in as far back as we can know our history. It's only when such beliefs get caught up in religious structures (mostly patriarchal) that they become restrictive and therefore turn away many good, smart folks. But if we can attempt not to throw out the baby with the ("holy") bath water, we can draw upon this Source (which my spiritual community teaches is within each of us) in any situation. I LOVE your prayer! And "we have potential" because of that very Source!
Nancy: touching, brilliant. Earlier I suggested we all meet for coffee. What do people think?
Maybe, people who live close to each other could meet for coffee???
The cancer began to grow decades before trump. His is just the latest iteration.
True, but he's also one of the most malignant ones.
There are differences. Others, I feel, have been just as dangerous to Democracy. They were a slicker, more subtle version. trump is no political ideologue, unless you view trump as his own political ideology. He is crass, lawless, akin to a mafioso. And a complete opportunist. What is in it for him?
I don't really care what his motivations are. He's just one con man. Of much greater concern is his followers, who, despite infinite contraindications, have chosen him as their idol. It is THEY who are incomprehensible to me, and, of course, much more dangerous.
We do have potential and there's a book by Ervin Laszlo and Frederick Tsao called Dawn of an Era of Well-Being which sounds pretty woohoo, but makes for interesting reading when events feel overwhelming.
You have spoken my thoughts clearly. Thank you!
My deep thanks to the thoughtful commenters this morning. I confess to an assortment of dizziness -- so much news, so much of it disturbing. Here, let us pause for a moment to reflect on the attack on Salman Rushdie, the author of so many enriching, expansive works, including the great novel of modernity, "Midnight's Children." Attacked at Chautauqua, that monument to 19th century American self-improvement! And yes, a great forward movement with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (could someone PLEASE use better nomenclature?). But of course what nags and occupies the forefront of the mind is the events at and around Mar-a-Lago. As a lawyer, I am simply left bewildered: did his lawyers not explain to the former guy what was at stake? Did the former guy lie to them about what he had? Above all, what was the former guy doing with that stuff? According to friends who served as foreign service officers, the things he took are incredibly sensitive -- did he not understand that? Did he not care? Did he intend to sell it or share it? That's what the Espionage Act charge implies. If that is so, why doesn't anyone use the word that applies here: treason. Just look at that word. On the heels of the reporting about the former guy's relations with the nation's military leaders, it doesn't seem nearly so out of place. But what does it mean to think/say/write: the former President of the United States may be a traitor. I can't believe I wrote that. But I did.
I have only intermittent internet access this morning, so to Nancy and many other readers, well said! It is a bewildering moment in many ways, but it is also what we have suspected for years. Trump's behavior with Putin is most easily explained if he is compromised or actively advancing the interests of Russia because of financial gain. It is difficult to come up with another explanation that covers his behavior so completely.
I think trying to find reasons for tfg's behavior may not be worth the effort. He is an irrational, greedy man obsessed with himself and his possessions. He will simply do anything to keep his stuff and save himself. I think for most people this is difficult for us to wrap our minds around. Happily, perhaps because most people don't think that way.
Actually, I'm glad you did and I'm happy to hear a lawyer say that. I've been thinking about it all along and it's one of the first terms that came to mind. I'm not a lawyer, but what I've been seeing for all these years appears to be treasonous. But to my mind tfg has always been and will continue to be a clear and present threat to all of us and to our country.
Merrick Garland finally came through - his move was brilliant.
The republicans are sure overreacting to this Mar a Lago search.
The problem with Republican overreacting is that they don’t, in recent memory, have experience doing the right thing. Wouldn’t it be nice if Liz Cheney and other colleagues could come to the head of the class?
They've lost experience with losing and governing constructively (thanks moscow mitch), with any modicum of truth telling, objective information, belief in inclusion, in evidence based reporting, and democracy.
Sadly for them, they've booted Liz Cheney out of the club and she's not looking back.
Keep in mind, all ye of good faith who support democracy and sanity: We outnumber Republicans, by a lot. The largest group in the US is "did not vote", followed by Independents, then Democrats, then Republicans. Yes, things are tilted to favor Republicans, and they're overrepresented in the whole. BUT, if we concentrate our energies on getting people registered to vote, and getting turnout, we win. Sanity far outnumbers this crazy we see and hear every minute of every day. "Sanity" needs to turn out and vote in every election and every level of government. We all turn out, we win. We are the majority. There are some excellent groups out there doing really great work, and Robert mentions them periodically. Sign up for Jessica Craven's Chop Wood, Carry Water newsletter on Substack....she gives scripts etc, she illuminates other groups working for good, etc etc. She and Robert Hubbell are two of the people from whom I learn about well vetted groups doing the work to save our system of government and restore it to sanity. Have hope.....and keep in mind that we outnumber these people who would turn us into an autocracy. Spend some time registering voters and encouraging them to vote. Young people, especially.
Well said, Leigh--I am 87 yr.old and am actively involved in writing postcards and letters to folks in swing states to be sure and vote this November. I live in Utah, one of the reddest states in the U.S., and so ashamed of Mike Lee; Democrats decided not to put up an opposing candidate, but are throwing their support behind Independent McMullin, who has a good chance of beating Lee.
Thank you for that. I've been enjoying reading all the comments, but you just inspired me to go upstairs and write some more Register to Vote postcards with Seniors Taking Action. Cheers!
If Trump intended to sell nuclear secrets to his friend Putin and/or to the Saudis, he should be executed.
Let's avoid sounding like the people whom Trump has deluded into sounding like lynch mobs. There's no evidence that Trump took secrets to sell them to enemies of the US.
If *anyone* did that today it would be wrong to execute them, on moral grounds, because common sentiment on executions has changed, and on strategic grounds, because it would make a martyr of the traitor. In the case of Trump it would be more wrong yet: nothing could better transform the bizarre cult of this man into a full-fledged religion.
Whether hedged with an "if" or not, let's leave crazy-talk to the crazies; one side doing a Queen of Hearts imitation is already one too many.
You are right about this and after I indulge myself in thinking vengefully, it's good to be reminded that that really won't solve the problem, but like throwing kerosene on a fire, will only make it worse.
Your forgetting his loving pen pal in North Korea, although there wouldn't be the big bucks there and Trump Hotel Pyongyang would be hard to fill.
Or maybe he already has?
Definitely!
I've thought that for some time, and I think of myself as a fairly gentle person.
Part of Donald's inimitable charm is his love of vindictively rubbing his nasty projections in everyones' faces, while hiding behind lawyers and other bodyguards. It tends to raise a desire for restitution in kind, with finality.
It's not easy to remember the importance of higher principles. Fortunately for the rule of law and the principle of equal justice, Biden doesn't let himself get jerked around and is providing a useful adult model. I wish I had his emotional stability. I imagine we owe something to Jill Biden and the quality of their relationship, "...so unlike the home life of our (former drama) queen."
Although I am loathe to do so I am going to comment about the latest drama with Trump. I do recognize the serious nature of his legal troubles but I have to share the same sentiment as others. I am just so sick and tired of him grabbing headlines and capturing the worlds attention day in and day out. The Democrats have just an amazing string of legislative victories most notably the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act. The most serious step the country has ever taken towards addressing climate change. This should be huge news covered by every major media outlet and yet the headlines are splashed with Trump all day and every day. I look forward to the day when the news media is not consumed by this demonic man.
That curious fascination...Why? Basically, tfg is a boring, aging old celebrity bent on trying to prove he "still has it." Putin is very similar. It is both profoundly sad and terrifying.
We must be guided only by what the principles of our Republic tell us is right, as Garland has shown us. Fear must not interfere with reason and morality. There is no other way for us to win over this craziness. Second guessing crazy people will end badly.
Excellent- “Second guessing crazy people will end badly.” Just downright profound.
So wish the Inflation Reduction Act was getting the media attention it deserves! It is a big deal and should strengthen the economy as well as saving the world. I'm sick of hearing ad nauseam about the search hour after hour. What happens when a malignant narcissist/narcissistic personality disorder person feels cornered? You get a Jim Jones offering everyone the KoolAid. Here's a great article about the end game of NPD of which DT could be the poster child. https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=40230
Fascinating, Cathy. I found the following especially chilling because T***p can still do significant damage: "The final stage of NPD is the part of a narcissist’s life when the world they have known in the past starts to spin out of their control. The loss of power and prowess over others is devastating to a megalomaniac narcissist. It damages and unhinges the narcissist psychologically and emotionally, leading to an intra-personal implosion followed by a violent explosive end for the narcissist and others around them. Like a star that goes supernova and creates a black hole in the fabric of the universe, narcissists implode emotionally and psychologically, and the damage done by them ripples through their entire social networks damaging more than just the narcissists."
Wow! That was a powerful article. I remember the Jim Jones episode vividly having lived in the Bay Area my entire life. I also studied Stalin and Hitler so this all rings bells. It is the implosion of tfg that is frightening. Equally sobering was the last part about what exactly you do with these people. There isn't a good solution. TFG has been this way his entire life and yet the RNC invited him in because he could "win." When NPD's "win" the rest of us lose every time.
Cathy, agree about Trump news sucking oxygen out of the Universe but also see a positive to all the blather about the search. Imagine how much more disinformation the Repubs would be throwing out about IRA if they were’t screaming about the “raid” .
Thanks for that.
I have a hard time believing this has lined up Republicans behind Trump. I just cannot fathom that thinking. Yet that is just what was said last night, 8/12, by Shields & Capehart on PBS Newshour! As you may know, the two are with NYT and WaPo, respectively. Have half the voters in this country gone insane? That’s what their commentary points to. Somebody throw me a life ring. I’m drowning in disbelief and horror. Additionally they both agreed that he could win the nomination! What? Then be sent to jail during campaign cycle and we break out in civil war! Worse, his Teflon will get him exonerated (my statement)! Excuse my so many exclamation points, but we have come to this according to these two respected (by me, anyway) journalists. The voters must get some education. Democracy survives only through an informed electorate. These numbskulls apparently have lost much gray matter.
Richard, you raise a very complicated point. People who continue to support Trump do so because they see in him an avatar who expresses their fear and anger over a world that is changing rapidly and (in many instances) threatening their sense of entitlement to a privileged place in society. They will follow Trump as long as he serves that function--even if he does shoot someone on Fifth Avenue. Their fear of change overwhelms their belief in democracy. Ultimately, Democrats have to address that fact to win them over. The Inflation Reduction Act is a good start!
I guess I intuited what you’re stating. But it doesn’t make it any easier to accept. I should not think this or that with nothing in between, but is is hard for me not to conclude that people are either good or evil and none in between.
Believe what you see and hear. As long as Republican politicians believe trump’s base is along for the ride, they will continue with their blind support and deference to trump, even if it means attacking the Constitution and rule of law. I live in a small community dominated by wealthy and influential people. As one could guess, in a typical election cycle, the voter breakdown is about 80% Republican 20% Democratic. These are folks who are, in large part, very well educated, but at the end of the day vote in favor of paying as little tax as possible, and keeping the regulatory system out of their businesses. No amount of education will guarantee that greed will not win. No amount of church going will guarantee that an individual will live a Christ centered life. These people in my community are not uninformed.
Jeff, your observation about the affluent wanting nothing more than tax cuts is the other part of the equation--and the most shameful part. Many who support Trump for that reason are affluent only because we live in an ordered, peaceful society where criminals are punished and law-abiding citizens are protected. Their wealth will evaporate if we become a lawless society envisioned by many Trumps supporters.
Robert, your point is spot on and leads to a real head scratcher as to why corporate America is seemingly going along with the party of nonsense and chaos. I have always understood that Wall Street likes stability, something in short supply in the Republican Party
I think they will just continue to be the rich American aristocracy and stay in control like stye have since our founding.
Thanks for your thoughts.
People are easily controlled and manipulated by money, power, celebrity, religion and propaganda. The repuglicans and trump use all of the above to dominate their party members to the point they cannot see or think for themselves.
Take what you read in the media with a large helping of salt. These are the same people who have been echoing Republican talking points all along without pointing out the lies.
A poll released Wednesday does show a slight rallying around the effect for Trump among the GOP base. However a lot can change.
That base may feel differently about treason. Or not. The rest of us cannot let them run the country.
Before leaving the White House, Trump declassified the FBI-planted evidence.
Lol
Yes; that illustrates the illogic and desperation of Trump's explanations. He is runnning out of excuses.
LOL!
We LOVE listening to you, Robert, reading your daily musings while we are eating our lunch.
Your voice is calm and, therefore, also calming and very pleasant.
When the text calls for sarcasm, your voice drips with it! This is part of what makes listening to your articles soooooo much better than just reading them!
I think that your training and experience in law endowed you with the ability to identify the real issue(s) and not be distracted by the b.s. surrounding it (them.)
Also, your ability to stay on track and not lose your focus on the goal(s) of your newsletter hit bullseye time and again.
You have become our North!!!!
When this maelstrom runs its course and we get back to, or better yet, carve out and create a new and improved political reality, I will recommend that you receive the Purple Heart or the Medal of Freedom, whichever is higher, for your contribution to the survival of the grand American spirit and American democracy!!!!
Dita Teitelbaum
Thanks for the feedback Dita. I am still trying to hit the right notes on the recorded version. Some readers have said my pace is too slow -- reminder you can "speed" up the reading by 1.25, 1.5 etc by clicking on the button on the audio bar.
This week has been such a roller coaster, and very emotionally draining. I’m honestly just tired of Trump at this point, I honestly can’t take it anymore. It’s like nothing matters. I hate to be a downer, but I have a feeling he’ll somehow manage to get out of this too. He’s always been made of teflon and because of how things have gone in the past it’s extremely hard to get my hopes up. I really hope I am wrong, and we’ll have to wait and see, but considering how passionate his base is and how strong his grip on the GOP is, I find it hard to believe anything will change.
Nicholas, Trump is about to get his comeuppance along with all his cronies and I can’t wait! Plus, we’re finally taking a step toward reducing climate warming, taxing huge corporations that pay zero taxes and extending healthcare subsidies! Add to this zero inflation between June and July and things are finally going in the right direction! 👍
Right, Andrew. With out the MAL noise, we'd see clearly the Biden/Congress achievements for what they really are: stunning.
Like button not working, but "like"
I guess my pessimistic side comes from the fact that Trump survived Jan 6. Though who knows what will happen going forward.
I certainly hope he will not get out of all the bad things he has done...NYC, Georgia, and now Mar a Lago. He must be punished in a major way...or else how does this country move forward?
Nicholas, if you weren’t already concerned it would not be a good idea to watch tonight’s PBS News Hour. What is intriguing to me is that Trump did not have his legal team object to release of DOJ warrant & inventory. Just another example of Trump’s observation, “I could shoot someone on Broadway and my people would still be supporting me.” (A rough paraphrasing.) As always, he does not do what is expected because he regularly demonstrates norms are not his thing. No doubt I watch too much news and like you I am fed up with the ongoing Trump saga. I hope the Biden administration is planning on how to deal with the growing malice and failure of Republicans to stand up and speak out. Instead they seem locked in to an ugly mentality. In the meantime we are must stay calm and push ahead to win in 2022. Let’s trust that a. The DOJ has and brings a solid case forward and b. That smarter people than me are paying attention and preparing for all eventualities.
https://pbs.org/show/newshour?source=social.
Releasing the warrant is the old political gambit of getting ahead of bad news, and Trump is a master of that game. What has struck me is that the explanations have gone from "the FBI planted evidence" to "I declassified the top secret nuclear information and stored it at Mar-a-Lago because [insert long awkward silence here]." As I said, his explanations are becoming desperate, illogical, and ultimately disprovable. He is being cornered.
To give some context, Maggie Haberman reported that Trump was considering objecting to the release of the warrant, but his lawyers convinced him to release it. I don’t really know where we go from here. I don’t think anybody has really contemplated the gravity of a Trump indictment. Most likely it will be a long, bitter, and ugly process that could end up as a Pyrrhic victory. And the scars this era of politics has brought on us will not go away, it’ll take decades.
I predict Trump will flee the country just before he is indicted . Most likely, he will be off to Moscow or Saudi Arabia.
I wouldn’t mind him fleeing, but if he flees, I want him to be deprived access to any means of communication, including social media!
That is what I think he will do. 10+ years in jail - he will not hang around for that. Can they take his passport away if he is indicted?
It is not in his DNA as I understand him. He’ll fight and make everyone else miserable.
Yes, if he is determined to be a “flight risk,” and he obviously is. Who can know anything in the future in these times ?!
But he gets Secret Service protection for life, so he will never hear a jail door click behind him. Maybe house arrest, but after the civil suits against him from the DC Police he won't have a big house to be in :-)
I didn't know that. It doesn't seem fair!
Does a convicted former President get SS protection if in jail ? This will have to be litigated , as will everything, because everything associated w a case involving Trump’s conviction would be new. I assume if he flees to Russia he won’t get ss protection!
No way! He’ll stand with his supporters in the middle of the street first.
From your mouth...but that leaves millions of his voting and armed lemmings.
Agreed.