I watched Jack Smith. I watched the Democratic Congresspeople. I could not stomach listening to the lies and insults coming from the Republican ones. They were so disrespectful of the Capitol police who saved their miserable, petty, dishonest lives.
Michael Fanone accurately summed up the appropriate response to Republican 'performance' at this hearing.
I agree, Michael Fanone and several Dems were speaking for me as well. Jack Smith will not be silenced...and neither will we. Stay informed and be ready, our time to stand up and speak as a nation is coming sooner than we may realize.
Thank You Steven .. I kept thinking of the movie with Jimmy Stewart ..Mr. Smith Goes to Washington . Jack Smith was unflappable. He is an American hero. Thank You Jack Smith.
I truly wonder how these Republicans and rightwing talking heads can live with themselves.
Unfortunately the Supreme Court has been captured by extremists who will allow this DirtyOldMan to do anything he wants because it is all in furtherance of their decades long project to allow billionaires and elites to take our rights and enrich themselves. Everyone should read Lisa Graves' new book Without Precedent to understand the stunning extent of the corruption of John Roberts and the Supreme Court.
Every time I see Trump’s smiling ghoulish face on tv or in the paper, it makes me want to throw up. How could someone so rotten and perverted reach the pinnacle of power as he has ? He belongs in jail not creating mayhem in America and on the world stage, and the Republicans grilling Jack Smith yesterday are as corrupt as he is. What a disgrace. Thank goodness there are decent people in government like Ms. Jayapal and I pray that they will ultimately prevail and bring this nightmare to an end.
I like to let my imagination run at times like this. For example, I think, “What would happen if all but the 30% that supported Trump were to ask for asylum in other countries, and left the US to these people to cannibalize the remains? What would happen to the tax base? Where would congress be with no money to fund these people?” They think they can get along without our cooperation…they cannot. What if the 70% seceded from the union, à la Civil War? I mean, it’s only a crude exercise of imagination, but sometimes it saves me from feeling totally powerless.
Better yet, what if every citizen that is against Trump gathered in the streets and did not let up until he was removed from office? What if we made it clear to Congress and the Supreme Court that we are not going to tolerate this administration’s lies and lawlessness another minute?
That is what is required of us, because the very systems that are supposed to help us and protect us are strangling us. We are collapsing under the weight of the republican malfeasance in congress. That was on full display today when they mocked and lied about January 6 to Jack Smith’s face, and tried to discredit him the same way they tried to discredit Dr. Fauci.
I am tired of living in a country where lies prevail and the truth gets buried in the rot of corruption. The pile of dishonor grows exponentially and is so foul that our European allies can smell it from across the pond.
We, the People (at least those of us who have not been swallowed up by MAGA) are tired…so tired. It seems that now, not just women (as referred to by RBG), but all of us, want MAGA to take their feet off our necks, both literally and figuratively. The question remains, will they?
Thank you, Steven, for writing this very important analysis of Jack’s Smith’s testimony regarding Felon47’s culpability on January 6th. Listening to his words yesterday was like finally breathing in the “oxygen” of the role of the justice in our American Democracy! Senator Jayapal’s clarifying questions, and Jack Smith’s answers reveal what actions are still essential to save our country. We have to find a way to make this corrupt authoritarian accountable! I believe that a mass of citizens peacefully taking to the streets and demanding his removal is going to be the ONLY ACTION that will gain traction in changing the downward spiral we are currently experiencing.
What if more white USians realized that a significant portion of the U.S. population was in a similar, often worse situation for literally centuries, and that they managed to, through dogged effort and sacrifice, overcome -- at least to some extent? Backlash to their achievements has been fueling the Republican Party for decades. It led to a Supreme Court that has been working to dismantle those achievements and has made Trump I and the even worse Trump II possible. Short version: MAGA existed long before MAGA. Pass it on. If Jim Crow (etc.) could be defeated, so can MAGA. Pass that on too.
The honest truth is that Americans do not care that much about history. They shrug and say “what does it have to do with me?”. But all is not lost. According to The Economist which updated their weekly tracking yesterday, Donnie is underwater with every demographic they track - Age, gender, race & education. His approval is above water in half as many states as it was during the 2024 election.
At this point I believe our biggest problem is we have no clear plan to for pushing back. This is partly because the tactics from the WH keep moving & escalating but not everyone sees or feels it.
That's the conventional wisdom, that "Americans do not care that much about history," but is it accurate? Many Americans seem to be fond of a mythologized version of history, and neo-Confederates have hung on to the "Lost Cause" for generation after generation. Notice how often Confederate battle flags and "Don't Tread on Me" flags show up at right-wing demonstrations -- spectacularly so on 1/6/21.
Yes, right along side the Qanon flags & t-shirts. They were not actually motivated by “history”. They pluck symbols of rebellion and excuses from history. The neo-confederates are disappearing. I think it is safe to say what has emerged is nativism & white ‘Christian’ nationalism. But whatever it is, they do not represent most Americans.
"Nativism" has been around since before the Civil War. Originally it was directed at anyone who wasn't English or Scotch-Irish, i.e., Protestant. Take a look at the anti-Irish posters from that era: the images often have exaggerated African-like features. Consider the possibility that the "nationalism" part of "White Christian nationalism" has appeared because until the mid-1960s the white Christian Protestants *assumed* that the nation was theirs, despite the freedom of religion part of the 1st Amendment.
I'm just old enough (b. 1951) to remember the huge freakout when John F. Kennedy, a Catholic, ran for president -- and was elected. Plenty of USians were sure that the pope would be in charge at the White House.
In recent decades it's become apparent that many Republicans are only pro-democracy as long as they win "free and fair" elections. When they don't, e.g., when the electorate becomes less reliably white and Republican, the gerrymandering and voter suppression get under way. There may be fewer USians identifying as "neo-Confederate" these days, but keep in mind that racist, anti-democratic beliefs were popular before there was a Confederate States of America, and they'll continue to thrive whether they claim the label "neo-Confederate" or not.
I didn’t say nativism was new. The resurgence is global. As for the rest, we’re in the same age group. None of this is new news to me or others who have Catholic branches in their family trees. Catholic immigrants did not necessarily get along among themselves. Same for Hispanic / Latinos. Divisions are motivated by cultural and economic fears raised by each new wave of immigrants just as we see in the general population. DHS may be more successful in uniting most of the US population — by creating a greater fear of a police state.
Thank you, Mr. Beschloss. Jack Smith is a breath of fresh air to balance against an administration whose mottoes are “flood the zone” with bull puckey and there are “alternative facts” to the truth. We cannot look to ANY member of djt’s cabal of evil to invoke the 25th Amendment. To be a part of this administration you must be amoral and avaricious. But even worse than djt’s cabal of amoral lickspittles and oligarchs are the members of the Eunuch Caucus who have willingly abdicated their constitutional responsibilities and SCOTUS who displayed a truly serious lapse of common sense in elevating an amoral felon above the law of the land.
I have often wondered where is our Mr. Smith today? Now we know, he is right there in D.C.. We watched the entire airing. Guy fr Ohio who started continues to have no respect for law.. Then comes Jayapal - WOW! and TY!
Wouldnt 'our' Mr. Smith be an excellent choice for SCOTUS.
Have said B4, we must vote in numbers too large to question outcome. Remember, current VP is no Mr. Pence.
Unquestionably the most damning evidence of T…p’s culpability in this mess. Yet there are still people, even what should be responsible and honest legislators, who perpetuate the lies and thus are culpable themselves. There’s not a shadow of a doubt. Smith built his case on solid evidence. If T…p still thinks he was robbed of the Presidency in 2000, let him prove it in court. Oh, wait, he and his toadies already tried that and were laughed out of court in the vast majority of lawsuits initiated by Giuliani, his idiot savant.
No matter how hard Trump and MAGA and the influencers try to rewrite history, there still remains a record. When they have all crawled away from office/their jobs, accountability will be Item 1 on the national agenda. Think about it: there is soooo much fodder against the quisling Republicans to be used in November. The lies. The corruption. The betrayals. They stuck it to low and middle income Americans so that the oligarchs could get their tax cuts. They endorsed ICE in the streets. They said nothing about Venezuela, Renee Good, Davos. Their talking points attacks on Jack Smith won't erase the never-to-be-forgotten images of the January 6 attacks. I know we'll take the House; I just hope there is so much disgust--amplified by the Dems (I pray to god they have the stones to use it), that we might get the Senate back. Right now, our standing in the world is at an all-time low. Trump's numbers are in the tank. Big money is leery of his next Big Move (to avoid disclosures in the Epstein Files). Europe/Canada can pull the plug at any time by selling their T-bills. We have Nazis in the streets. The legacy media is bought and sold, afraid to tell any truths. We should rest up, get ready for a national strike like they are doing in Minnesota. Throw a little sand into the machine. It's the least that we can do to save the country.
Thanks Steven: It appeared to me the republicans only wanted to smear the reputation of Jack Smith and the democrats questioned him more on the Jan 6 2021 insurrection . Jim Jordan is a man I can't stand so I will leave those thoughts alone. I was impressed with Mr. Smiths slow precise cool answers to a lot of abusive questions and not responding to unfounded accusations Oh and by the way , The Michael Fanone response to one of the gestapo goons of Trumps really impressed me . The thank you from Jamie Raskin was great. It livened up the hearing and I can hardly wait for the hearing regarding the documents. It all seemed to be a diversion from the Epstein matter.
Trump's genius is that he knows how and does control the tempo, the narrative. We're always trying to catch up, or left in the dust sputtering. We need leaders with strategic and tactical training who know how to get to the high ground, to dictate the terms of engagement. Until Schumer and Jeffries and their teams are kicked out of leadership, those new leaders can't fight on our behalf. Vote vets where ever a righteous candidate is running. They know how to fight. (And no, I'm not a vet but I sure as hell respect them, deeply.)
Have to laugh at the dolt who cried Gotcha! because JS could not identify anyone who didn’t speak up because of the intimidation. Right! Just like the public speaker who asks “Anybody who can’t hear me raise your hand.” To go full Monty Python: “You’re all different.” “I’m not.”
Jack Smith spoke with sober dignity and truth. That is clear to anyone who listened. But(and I always go back to this)....are enough of my fellow Americans listening? Do they even care? I remain unconvinced.
I noticed a lot of smirking from Jordan when Raskin brought up having Jack Smith return after the 2nd report is released. (He was forbidden by DOJ to discuss that case.) Suspicion runs high that the date of this hearing was chosen deliberately to keep the Mar a Lago / unlawful document retention case off the table.
I watched Jack Smith. I watched the Democratic Congresspeople. I could not stomach listening to the lies and insults coming from the Republican ones. They were so disrespectful of the Capitol police who saved their miserable, petty, dishonest lives.
Michael Fanone accurately summed up the appropriate response to Republican 'performance' at this hearing.
I agree, Michael Fanone and several Dems were speaking for me as well. Jack Smith will not be silenced...and neither will we. Stay informed and be ready, our time to stand up and speak as a nation is coming sooner than we may realize.
Thank You Steven .. I kept thinking of the movie with Jimmy Stewart ..Mr. Smith Goes to Washington . Jack Smith was unflappable. He is an American hero. Thank You Jack Smith.
I truly wonder how these Republicans and rightwing talking heads can live with themselves.
lost in america
“Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience.” - Howard Zinn
Unfortunately the Supreme Court has been captured by extremists who will allow this DirtyOldMan to do anything he wants because it is all in furtherance of their decades long project to allow billionaires and elites to take our rights and enrich themselves. Everyone should read Lisa Graves' new book Without Precedent to understand the stunning extent of the corruption of John Roberts and the Supreme Court.
Every time I see Trump’s smiling ghoulish face on tv or in the paper, it makes me want to throw up. How could someone so rotten and perverted reach the pinnacle of power as he has ? He belongs in jail not creating mayhem in America and on the world stage, and the Republicans grilling Jack Smith yesterday are as corrupt as he is. What a disgrace. Thank goodness there are decent people in government like Ms. Jayapal and I pray that they will ultimately prevail and bring this nightmare to an end.
Rep Jayapal was, by far, the most successful at questioning Jack Smith. Clear, concise, meaningful questions.
I like to let my imagination run at times like this. For example, I think, “What would happen if all but the 30% that supported Trump were to ask for asylum in other countries, and left the US to these people to cannibalize the remains? What would happen to the tax base? Where would congress be with no money to fund these people?” They think they can get along without our cooperation…they cannot. What if the 70% seceded from the union, à la Civil War? I mean, it’s only a crude exercise of imagination, but sometimes it saves me from feeling totally powerless.
Better yet, what if every citizen that is against Trump gathered in the streets and did not let up until he was removed from office? What if we made it clear to Congress and the Supreme Court that we are not going to tolerate this administration’s lies and lawlessness another minute?
That is what is required of us, because the very systems that are supposed to help us and protect us are strangling us. We are collapsing under the weight of the republican malfeasance in congress. That was on full display today when they mocked and lied about January 6 to Jack Smith’s face, and tried to discredit him the same way they tried to discredit Dr. Fauci.
I am tired of living in a country where lies prevail and the truth gets buried in the rot of corruption. The pile of dishonor grows exponentially and is so foul that our European allies can smell it from across the pond.
We, the People (at least those of us who have not been swallowed up by MAGA) are tired…so tired. It seems that now, not just women (as referred to by RBG), but all of us, want MAGA to take their feet off our necks, both literally and figuratively. The question remains, will they?
Thank you, Steven, for writing this very important analysis of Jack’s Smith’s testimony regarding Felon47’s culpability on January 6th. Listening to his words yesterday was like finally breathing in the “oxygen” of the role of the justice in our American Democracy! Senator Jayapal’s clarifying questions, and Jack Smith’s answers reveal what actions are still essential to save our country. We have to find a way to make this corrupt authoritarian accountable! I believe that a mass of citizens peacefully taking to the streets and demanding his removal is going to be the ONLY ACTION that will gain traction in changing the downward spiral we are currently experiencing.
What if more white USians realized that a significant portion of the U.S. population was in a similar, often worse situation for literally centuries, and that they managed to, through dogged effort and sacrifice, overcome -- at least to some extent? Backlash to their achievements has been fueling the Republican Party for decades. It led to a Supreme Court that has been working to dismantle those achievements and has made Trump I and the even worse Trump II possible. Short version: MAGA existed long before MAGA. Pass it on. If Jim Crow (etc.) could be defeated, so can MAGA. Pass that on too.
The honest truth is that Americans do not care that much about history. They shrug and say “what does it have to do with me?”. But all is not lost. According to The Economist which updated their weekly tracking yesterday, Donnie is underwater with every demographic they track - Age, gender, race & education. His approval is above water in half as many states as it was during the 2024 election.
At this point I believe our biggest problem is we have no clear plan to for pushing back. This is partly because the tactics from the WH keep moving & escalating but not everyone sees or feels it.
That's the conventional wisdom, that "Americans do not care that much about history," but is it accurate? Many Americans seem to be fond of a mythologized version of history, and neo-Confederates have hung on to the "Lost Cause" for generation after generation. Notice how often Confederate battle flags and "Don't Tread on Me" flags show up at right-wing demonstrations -- spectacularly so on 1/6/21.
Yes, right along side the Qanon flags & t-shirts. They were not actually motivated by “history”. They pluck symbols of rebellion and excuses from history. The neo-confederates are disappearing. I think it is safe to say what has emerged is nativism & white ‘Christian’ nationalism. But whatever it is, they do not represent most Americans.
https://www.splcenter.org/resources/reports/decline-neo-confederates/
"Nativism" has been around since before the Civil War. Originally it was directed at anyone who wasn't English or Scotch-Irish, i.e., Protestant. Take a look at the anti-Irish posters from that era: the images often have exaggerated African-like features. Consider the possibility that the "nationalism" part of "White Christian nationalism" has appeared because until the mid-1960s the white Christian Protestants *assumed* that the nation was theirs, despite the freedom of religion part of the 1st Amendment.
I'm just old enough (b. 1951) to remember the huge freakout when John F. Kennedy, a Catholic, ran for president -- and was elected. Plenty of USians were sure that the pope would be in charge at the White House.
In recent decades it's become apparent that many Republicans are only pro-democracy as long as they win "free and fair" elections. When they don't, e.g., when the electorate becomes less reliably white and Republican, the gerrymandering and voter suppression get under way. There may be fewer USians identifying as "neo-Confederate" these days, but keep in mind that racist, anti-democratic beliefs were popular before there was a Confederate States of America, and they'll continue to thrive whether they claim the label "neo-Confederate" or not.
I didn’t say nativism was new. The resurgence is global. As for the rest, we’re in the same age group. None of this is new news to me or others who have Catholic branches in their family trees. Catholic immigrants did not necessarily get along among themselves. Same for Hispanic / Latinos. Divisions are motivated by cultural and economic fears raised by each new wave of immigrants just as we see in the general population. DHS may be more successful in uniting most of the US population — by creating a greater fear of a police state.
Thank you, Mr. Beschloss. Jack Smith is a breath of fresh air to balance against an administration whose mottoes are “flood the zone” with bull puckey and there are “alternative facts” to the truth. We cannot look to ANY member of djt’s cabal of evil to invoke the 25th Amendment. To be a part of this administration you must be amoral and avaricious. But even worse than djt’s cabal of amoral lickspittles and oligarchs are the members of the Eunuch Caucus who have willingly abdicated their constitutional responsibilities and SCOTUS who displayed a truly serious lapse of common sense in elevating an amoral felon above the law of the land.
I have often wondered where is our Mr. Smith today? Now we know, he is right there in D.C.. We watched the entire airing. Guy fr Ohio who started continues to have no respect for law.. Then comes Jayapal - WOW! and TY!
Wouldnt 'our' Mr. Smith be an excellent choice for SCOTUS.
Have said B4, we must vote in numbers too large to question outcome. Remember, current VP is no Mr. Pence.
Unquestionably the most damning evidence of T…p’s culpability in this mess. Yet there are still people, even what should be responsible and honest legislators, who perpetuate the lies and thus are culpable themselves. There’s not a shadow of a doubt. Smith built his case on solid evidence. If T…p still thinks he was robbed of the Presidency in 2000, let him prove it in court. Oh, wait, he and his toadies already tried that and were laughed out of court in the vast majority of lawsuits initiated by Giuliani, his idiot savant.
No matter how hard Trump and MAGA and the influencers try to rewrite history, there still remains a record. When they have all crawled away from office/their jobs, accountability will be Item 1 on the national agenda. Think about it: there is soooo much fodder against the quisling Republicans to be used in November. The lies. The corruption. The betrayals. They stuck it to low and middle income Americans so that the oligarchs could get their tax cuts. They endorsed ICE in the streets. They said nothing about Venezuela, Renee Good, Davos. Their talking points attacks on Jack Smith won't erase the never-to-be-forgotten images of the January 6 attacks. I know we'll take the House; I just hope there is so much disgust--amplified by the Dems (I pray to god they have the stones to use it), that we might get the Senate back. Right now, our standing in the world is at an all-time low. Trump's numbers are in the tank. Big money is leery of his next Big Move (to avoid disclosures in the Epstein Files). Europe/Canada can pull the plug at any time by selling their T-bills. We have Nazis in the streets. The legacy media is bought and sold, afraid to tell any truths. We should rest up, get ready for a national strike like they are doing in Minnesota. Throw a little sand into the machine. It's the least that we can do to save the country.
Thanks Steven: It appeared to me the republicans only wanted to smear the reputation of Jack Smith and the democrats questioned him more on the Jan 6 2021 insurrection . Jim Jordan is a man I can't stand so I will leave those thoughts alone. I was impressed with Mr. Smiths slow precise cool answers to a lot of abusive questions and not responding to unfounded accusations Oh and by the way , The Michael Fanone response to one of the gestapo goons of Trumps really impressed me . The thank you from Jamie Raskin was great. It livened up the hearing and I can hardly wait for the hearing regarding the documents. It all seemed to be a diversion from the Epstein matter.
Trump's genius is that he knows how and does control the tempo, the narrative. We're always trying to catch up, or left in the dust sputtering. We need leaders with strategic and tactical training who know how to get to the high ground, to dictate the terms of engagement. Until Schumer and Jeffries and their teams are kicked out of leadership, those new leaders can't fight on our behalf. Vote vets where ever a righteous candidate is running. They know how to fight. (And no, I'm not a vet but I sure as hell respect them, deeply.)
Have to laugh at the dolt who cried Gotcha! because JS could not identify anyone who didn’t speak up because of the intimidation. Right! Just like the public speaker who asks “Anybody who can’t hear me raise your hand.” To go full Monty Python: “You’re all different.” “I’m not.”
Jack Smith spoke with sober dignity and truth. That is clear to anyone who listened. But(and I always go back to this)....are enough of my fellow Americans listening? Do they even care? I remain unconvinced.
I noticed a lot of smirking from Jordan when Raskin brought up having Jack Smith return after the 2nd report is released. (He was forbidden by DOJ to discuss that case.) Suspicion runs high that the date of this hearing was chosen deliberately to keep the Mar a Lago / unlawful document retention case off the table.