From ICE agent crimes to climate change, Jan. 6 and hunger in America, the Trump regime is working to deny the public knowledge to confront its crimes and failures
Lately, I’ve seen more articles about people leaving the country, or wanting to leave and I’ll admit to having that thought, especially since my husband has dual citizenship. We have talked about it at length and, at this point, have come to the conclusion that if a mass exodus of all dems and independents occurred, hundreds of millions of people could leave. Yet, as a thought experiment, what purpose would be served by upending our lives and emptying out the country if everyone (hypothetically) left? Would it defang this government? Probably. But not only would it be an impossible task, it would empty out more than the population. We would all be leaving behind this amazing experiment; this bond to our ideals, forged by hands we never met and defended by same, to say nothing of the economy. Still, I don’t mind saying that it entertains me as a revenge fantasy.
But you are correct. Just as this regime cannot, in Orwellian fashion, delete the “inconvenient truths”, neither can we delete the years of bravery and struggle of worn-out souls. We cannot delete what time has wrought, just as they cannot. Truth is something with which they cannot survive, but for us, it is the very essence of our survival.
We have to guard it against every foe. This is the lesson of our time. This is the well-tread path of the past and the warning for the future. As this regime builds permanent fencing to keep it out, we must build bridges to expand its reach.
Thank you, Steven, for all that you do to help us all do this!
Yes, I and some friends discussed various countries we might consider. I contacted an attorney. But, this is my home. I need to stay and “fight” I can’t abandon the ideals and dreams we’ve held. It feels wrong to leave. 💙🇺🇸💙
I agree! It’s a very personal decision and I wouldn’t purport to make it for anyone else. There are some red lines that would make me at least reconsider such a move, but they would have to be dire. If this administration were to take away our vote, that might be such a moment. Our vote is our voice! But I do not believe we as Americans will allow that to happen. We cannot and we will not!
Excellent post. I too have been trying to get dual citizenship so I could spend more time out of the country. I don’t want to leave the United States, I just want to get a break from all the insanity.
I go to Europe for the 3 months allowed by the EU. I would love to extend that another 3 months.
You undoubtedly know then, that you can get a long-stay visa which allows you to stay indefinitely as long as you renew it. Sometimes a ‘head break’ is a good thing:).
This fantasy has come up before in my lifetime, notably during the Reagan administration. It is generally very privileged, mostly white USians who have this fantasy. What strikes me every time is how they're evidently fine with leaving everyone else here to suffer and rot. This didn't start in my lifetime, of course. Conditions in the U.S. South under Jim Crow weren't exactly a secret in the rest of the country, to take one glaring example.
This was one of my initial fears: the obliteration of history.
I never anticipated the overt elimination of tracking vital statistics, or dismantling weather tracking or hiding the locations of harmful chemicals industry locations.
I never anticipated the crusade of assaulting Truth to such an incredible extent it it would result in risking the health and safety of our people.
I never anticipated this level of cruelty from any leader and especially in the US.
Thank you. We need the information. Dark as it is.
They are not only covering their asses, they are waging war on Americans. The outrage, the onslaught of the constant distractions, the cowardice of the media and the collective holding of our breath, are not sustainable. Which is to say, human beings can only take so much stress; the smart response is to tune out the stressors. And that is what Americans have done, become numb to the daily assaults. While there are many of us fired up and ready to vote as if our democracy depended on it, the vast majority of voters will vote their pocketbooks, angry at the war, the gas and grocery prices, the disturbance of their once quiet lives. Either way, I'll take the hell no vote no matter the reason.
Unfortunately, there is a fair-sized percentage of our population who believes that the 2020 election was stolen, vaccines are dangerous, over-regulation of industries is harmful to the economy, Democrats will take everybody's guns, and climate change is a hoax.
These are the same people who are STILL angry, even though their party has taken over all three branches of the federal government, who had a higher percentage of COVID deaths, who live in communities with tainted air and water, who still have lots of weapons, and who state that they've never seen such devastation caused by increasingly intense storms, ever before.
The felon's followers are deeply entrenched and do not seem to be swayed, even when confronted with the harsh realities that contradict their beliefs. They're just like the felon. They believe what they want, regardless, and all of their problems are someone else's fault.
I knew that this group existed, but I'm very dismayed about how large it appears to be. It's not likely to change after the felon is gone, either. It'll just find another demagogue to follow over its cliff of grievances.
We activists in my red, rural area are working hard to overcome the divisions by bringing people together over common, non-political concerns like data centers and threats to our local, rural hospitals. We're holding forums to make residents aware of these subjects, something our representatives refuse to do.
If we don't hang together, we will certainly hang separately, to paraphrase a famous Franklin. I hope we collectively will come to our senses before it's too late.
• Democrats’ trust in the government has never been lower: Just 9% now say they trust the federal government just about always or most of the time.
• 26% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say they trust the federal government – on par with GOP views during the first Trump administration.
I dare say after the Iran War, higher inflation with rising grocery & gasoline prices distrust over broken promises is rising also.
There is no alternative facts. Truth is truth. Somewhere in statistics is a true account of each delete. We must stand and fight for our life, our family, our country.
Yes. As 'inconvenient' as it is, we have to acknowledge the facts, all of which point in the direction of a mounting and even critical crisis affecting not only democracy, per se, but our health and wellbeing on many fronts. (Just wait until the combination of climate change and deporting the majority of our agricultural workers sends the price of food skyrocketing this fall!) All this can't be overstated. Keep it up.
We are beginning to live in an environment that has been identified by the military acronym from WWII as FUBAR. "Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition." It generally describes a situation, plan, or piece of equipment that is broken, chaotic, or completely ruined. I personally lived through this in Vietnam. Just understand that things are not currently headed in the right direction. Don’t pin all your hopes on the November outcome. Trump is not the issue, he is a symptom, and he still enjoys 30% support from our fellow citizens. Just prepare yourself for conditions to continue to deteriorate. Resistance has not started yet, maybe it will begin, maybe not. No one knows the outcome, just stay circumspect.
"Stay Strong" are the two most important words you wrote in your piece this a.m.. One thing that I hang on is that historians, journalists and other professionals are keeping a record . No matter how much he thinks he is going to erase history and reports he doesn't like he can't . No matter what percentage of the population still believes him, the truth cannot be erased and as you say the things he erases are happening in real time for all the people to see. Staying Strong is right ..They will not get away with this . At some point he will pay. We are not Russia our history is as a republic. Neighbor taking care of neighbor ..hiding them from ICE ..staying strong in america
1) this regime seems to want us all dead, with maximum suffering along the way. (Which makes one wonder, if the population is drastically reduced, who will do the grunt work for Thiel & Co’s elites?)
2) the whole deleting of data calls to mind the roadrunner cartoon where the coyote’s shack is on railroad tracks. He sees a train coming, so he pulls down the window shade.
If the federal govt declines now to investigate, then the state and local police can, plus then it would be authentic and trusted. Let the state police arrest the ICE murderers.
Controlling information is an old trick. Redefining words which includes terms for how data is compiled is old too. Changing website content & appointees to change decisions ex: RFK, Jr and CDC. But the cake is already baked. Plus, much of what they wish to ‘change’ is archived outside government. Reporters denied access to the Pentagon and briefings are reporting from other sources. Same for the news on this change in investigations.
Those old tricks work better when the public likes what you are doing & not after losing their trust. The public hasn’t trusted these ‘investigations’ before this & they won’t going forward. October-November of 2025, PEW polled American trust in government. Here are a couple of its findings:
• Democrats’ trust in the government has never been lower: Just 9% now say they trust the federal government just about always or most of the time.
• Today 26% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say they trust the federal government – on par with GOP views during the first Trump administration.
It would be most helpful to see a master list of all the data sources and published information that have been either eliminated or secreted by the Trump administration. Make it printable. Show it to any Trump supporter and ask “Is this what you want? If it’s not, what are you going to do about it?”
I hope to hell that every “quitter” that leaves this country is MADE to stay gone! If you aren’t willing to stay and fight for America who NEEDS you!!!
I have an Instagram account but rarely use it -- isn't it possible to post a link to this column there? Posting the whole text of the article might run into copyright problems.
Lately, I’ve seen more articles about people leaving the country, or wanting to leave and I’ll admit to having that thought, especially since my husband has dual citizenship. We have talked about it at length and, at this point, have come to the conclusion that if a mass exodus of all dems and independents occurred, hundreds of millions of people could leave. Yet, as a thought experiment, what purpose would be served by upending our lives and emptying out the country if everyone (hypothetically) left? Would it defang this government? Probably. But not only would it be an impossible task, it would empty out more than the population. We would all be leaving behind this amazing experiment; this bond to our ideals, forged by hands we never met and defended by same, to say nothing of the economy. Still, I don’t mind saying that it entertains me as a revenge fantasy.
But you are correct. Just as this regime cannot, in Orwellian fashion, delete the “inconvenient truths”, neither can we delete the years of bravery and struggle of worn-out souls. We cannot delete what time has wrought, just as they cannot. Truth is something with which they cannot survive, but for us, it is the very essence of our survival.
We have to guard it against every foe. This is the lesson of our time. This is the well-tread path of the past and the warning for the future. As this regime builds permanent fencing to keep it out, we must build bridges to expand its reach.
Thank you, Steven, for all that you do to help us all do this!
Yes, I and some friends discussed various countries we might consider. I contacted an attorney. But, this is my home. I need to stay and “fight” I can’t abandon the ideals and dreams we’ve held. It feels wrong to leave. 💙🇺🇸💙
I agree! It’s a very personal decision and I wouldn’t purport to make it for anyone else. There are some red lines that would make me at least reconsider such a move, but they would have to be dire. If this administration were to take away our vote, that might be such a moment. Our vote is our voice! But I do not believe we as Americans will allow that to happen. We cannot and we will not!
Excellent post. I too have been trying to get dual citizenship so I could spend more time out of the country. I don’t want to leave the United States, I just want to get a break from all the insanity.
I go to Europe for the 3 months allowed by the EU. I would love to extend that another 3 months.
You undoubtedly know then, that you can get a long-stay visa which allows you to stay indefinitely as long as you renew it. Sometimes a ‘head break’ is a good thing:).
I did not know this. Thank you for the information. Do I apply to the country I am going to for the long stay visa?
This is true for France. Each country has its own rules for applying,
This fantasy has come up before in my lifetime, notably during the Reagan administration. It is generally very privileged, mostly white USians who have this fantasy. What strikes me every time is how they're evidently fine with leaving everyone else here to suffer and rot. This didn't start in my lifetime, of course. Conditions in the U.S. South under Jim Crow weren't exactly a secret in the rest of the country, to take one glaring example.
105 days
This was one of my initial fears: the obliteration of history.
I never anticipated the overt elimination of tracking vital statistics, or dismantling weather tracking or hiding the locations of harmful chemicals industry locations.
I never anticipated the crusade of assaulting Truth to such an incredible extent it it would result in risking the health and safety of our people.
I never anticipated this level of cruelty from any leader and especially in the US.
Thank you. We need the information. Dark as it is.
Resolve to vote
💙🇺🇸💙
They are not only covering their asses, they are waging war on Americans. The outrage, the onslaught of the constant distractions, the cowardice of the media and the collective holding of our breath, are not sustainable. Which is to say, human beings can only take so much stress; the smart response is to tune out the stressors. And that is what Americans have done, become numb to the daily assaults. While there are many of us fired up and ready to vote as if our democracy depended on it, the vast majority of voters will vote their pocketbooks, angry at the war, the gas and grocery prices, the disturbance of their once quiet lives. Either way, I'll take the hell no vote no matter the reason.
Unfortunately, there is a fair-sized percentage of our population who believes that the 2020 election was stolen, vaccines are dangerous, over-regulation of industries is harmful to the economy, Democrats will take everybody's guns, and climate change is a hoax.
These are the same people who are STILL angry, even though their party has taken over all three branches of the federal government, who had a higher percentage of COVID deaths, who live in communities with tainted air and water, who still have lots of weapons, and who state that they've never seen such devastation caused by increasingly intense storms, ever before.
The felon's followers are deeply entrenched and do not seem to be swayed, even when confronted with the harsh realities that contradict their beliefs. They're just like the felon. They believe what they want, regardless, and all of their problems are someone else's fault.
I knew that this group existed, but I'm very dismayed about how large it appears to be. It's not likely to change after the felon is gone, either. It'll just find another demagogue to follow over its cliff of grievances.
We activists in my red, rural area are working hard to overcome the divisions by bringing people together over common, non-political concerns like data centers and threats to our local, rural hospitals. We're holding forums to make residents aware of these subjects, something our representatives refuse to do.
If we don't hang together, we will certainly hang separately, to paraphrase a famous Franklin. I hope we collectively will come to our senses before it's too late.
Pew found in a poll last October-November:
• Democrats’ trust in the government has never been lower: Just 9% now say they trust the federal government just about always or most of the time.
• 26% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say they trust the federal government – on par with GOP views during the first Trump administration.
I dare say after the Iran War, higher inflation with rising grocery & gasoline prices distrust over broken promises is rising also.
There is no alternative facts. Truth is truth. Somewhere in statistics is a true account of each delete. We must stand and fight for our life, our family, our country.
Yes. As 'inconvenient' as it is, we have to acknowledge the facts, all of which point in the direction of a mounting and even critical crisis affecting not only democracy, per se, but our health and wellbeing on many fronts. (Just wait until the combination of climate change and deporting the majority of our agricultural workers sends the price of food skyrocketing this fall!) All this can't be overstated. Keep it up.
Add the rise in oil prices, scarcity of fertilizer & certain other minerals due to the Hormuz Strait closure(s).
We are beginning to live in an environment that has been identified by the military acronym from WWII as FUBAR. "Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition." It generally describes a situation, plan, or piece of equipment that is broken, chaotic, or completely ruined. I personally lived through this in Vietnam. Just understand that things are not currently headed in the right direction. Don’t pin all your hopes on the November outcome. Trump is not the issue, he is a symptom, and he still enjoys 30% support from our fellow citizens. Just prepare yourself for conditions to continue to deteriorate. Resistance has not started yet, maybe it will begin, maybe not. No one knows the outcome, just stay circumspect.
"Facts matter, even if you don't like them" - Noam Chomsky. Aldous Huxley said in 1927 that facts don't cease to exist if they are ignored.
"Stay Strong" are the two most important words you wrote in your piece this a.m.. One thing that I hang on is that historians, journalists and other professionals are keeping a record . No matter how much he thinks he is going to erase history and reports he doesn't like he can't . No matter what percentage of the population still believes him, the truth cannot be erased and as you say the things he erases are happening in real time for all the people to see. Staying Strong is right ..They will not get away with this . At some point he will pay. We are not Russia our history is as a republic. Neighbor taking care of neighbor ..hiding them from ICE ..staying strong in america
1) this regime seems to want us all dead, with maximum suffering along the way. (Which makes one wonder, if the population is drastically reduced, who will do the grunt work for Thiel & Co’s elites?)
2) the whole deleting of data calls to mind the roadrunner cartoon where the coyote’s shack is on railroad tracks. He sees a train coming, so he pulls down the window shade.
If the federal govt declines now to investigate, then the state and local police can, plus then it would be authentic and trusted. Let the state police arrest the ICE murderers.
Controlling information is an old trick. Redefining words which includes terms for how data is compiled is old too. Changing website content & appointees to change decisions ex: RFK, Jr and CDC. But the cake is already baked. Plus, much of what they wish to ‘change’ is archived outside government. Reporters denied access to the Pentagon and briefings are reporting from other sources. Same for the news on this change in investigations.
Those old tricks work better when the public likes what you are doing & not after losing their trust. The public hasn’t trusted these ‘investigations’ before this & they won’t going forward. October-November of 2025, PEW polled American trust in government. Here are a couple of its findings:
• Democrats’ trust in the government has never been lower: Just 9% now say they trust the federal government just about always or most of the time.
• Today 26% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say they trust the federal government – on par with GOP views during the first Trump administration.
It would be most helpful to see a master list of all the data sources and published information that have been either eliminated or secreted by the Trump administration. Make it printable. Show it to any Trump supporter and ask “Is this what you want? If it’s not, what are you going to do about it?”
I hope to hell that every “quitter” that leaves this country is MADE to stay gone! If you aren’t willing to stay and fight for America who NEEDS you!!!
I want to share your Substack on Instagram. I don’t use X,FB, or other social media sites.
How can I post this article on Instagram?
I have an Instagram account but rarely use it -- isn't it possible to post a link to this column there? Posting the whole text of the article might run into copyright problems.