Steve you are right. We have a criminal and treasonous administration, yet all the jawboning is irrelevant until the political will rises to stop it. Too many people are still in silent complicity.
“When people are universally ignorant, and debauched in their manners, they will sink under their own weight without the aid of foreign invaders.” - Samuel Adams
I completely agree with you. There are lots of cute catch phrases to describe the public’s waning support, but we should never forget that Trump is desperate to stay in power…at all costs. Trump will never relinquish it, because he risks both irrelevance and criminal exposure again. That is also why he wants to keep someone in power in New York who can pardon him. It is why he has amassed free legal services in the hundreds of millions of dollars. It is why he pardoned the Jan 6 convicted criminals to serve as his private militia, should the time come. It’s not hard to figure out. He needs power like a fish needs water. Nobody or nothing matters to Trump but Trump. Should we be fortunate enough to prevail in this fight for our democracy, we may perhaps have learned our lesson, at least in the short term. My worry is that we may not be able to do what is necessary to remove this corrupt administration from our midst before irreparable damage has been done to our country, its inhabitants, and our reputation around the world.
You wrote "My worry is that we may not be able to do what is necessary to remove this corrupt administration from our midst before irreparable damage has been done to our country, its inhabitants, and our reputation around the world."
It is mine worry, fear too, Ellen. Today is a beautiful Spring day - blue sky, sun out, minimal humidity. It's a day on which the weather couldn't be bad and yet an earthquake could happen which is like what I feel now. From Steve Brodner's substack of Sen. Chris Murphy I felt hopeful- tho' I think it was momentary. I'll keep trying and wonder who will help us get this to stop?
And the 40% who are still with Trump WILL VOTE TRUMP. The 55% of Voters who respond to polls will not all vote - especially if the other candidate is Woman. Too many did not like Trump, but would not vote for a Woman - any woman.
Thank you Steven. “to stem this rising tyranny” is the operative expression. And while at every turn we see cruelty and oppression, equally frightening is the widespread removal of undisputed safeguards. For a scofflaw, oversight is the enemy. The nation is now weakened to an alarming degree. We’re descending into shark-infested waters without a cage. Trump is taking revenge on the entire country for losing in 2020, and what more effective way to punish the nation than by inviting China and Russia to have their way with us? Xi and Putin are likewise vengeful, though with far greater experience in its practice. From within, we see a collapse of health and safety intelligence. We’ve devolved into an accident waiting to happen. In this context, polls are like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Reluctantly, I see that fighting fire with fire is the way forward: For the privately funded sum of one or two billion dollars, grant 10 to 20 House and Senate Republicans a hundred million dollars each to do with as they wish, given their agreement to stand up to Trump. The courts can only do so much. The legislative branch must be reawakened. This may seem a laughable remedy until you contemplate what’s happening in the absence of a functioning legislature.
Steven Beschloss wrote: "We really are trapped right now in the fuck around and find out stage of this disaster, courtesy of 77 million-plus Americans who voted for this nightmare." I would add that we are also trapped by those millions of Americans who did not vote, whether they did so out of apathy or because Harris did not pass some "purity" test for them. We are also trapped by those millions of Americans who voted for a third-party candidate who could not win.
And yet, 2020 and 2024 were historical high points for voter participation.
In 2012 and 2016 over 92M of the Voter Eligible Population did not vote.
In 2020, almost 81M. Yes, in 2024 almost 90M.
We need to look at reasons people don’t vote. A few years ago about 60% of both registered voters & not registered said no one ever asked them to register. Not a neighbor, friend, family member, political party or other organization.
Voter Eligible Population (VEP):
It includes both those who are registered to vote & those who are not but could legally register.
2020 — (Presidential election) 72.7% of VEP were registered. 68.8% of VEP voted.
2022 — (Mid-terms) ……………..69.1% of VEP were registered. 52% of VEP voted.
2024 — (Presidential election) 64.09 % of VEP voted. 59% of REGISTERED voters voted.
It is worth noting that in 2020 main-in voting was more widely available than 2024.
— As of September 2024, 186.5 million Americans were registered to vote. I can’t find an update for that to do the calculation for Registered Voters% of VEP. For instance it would not include states with same-day-registration.
If nothing else, this presidency has been instructional on the true character of the nation. According to this poll, almost half of the population approves of the anti-immigration tactics that are executed in secret, flout constitutional rights and the rule of law, and have resulted in exiling children with cancer who are citizens, along with law-abiding adults who are complying with immigration regulations.
We have more of a problem than the titular head of the country. It’s hard to sustain hope when so many don’t value fellow human beings regardless their country of origin or skin color.
Not of specific tactics on immigration. That’s the reason this administration hides behind everyone being a criminal. That isn’t working either. It will only get worse as more US citizens (including children) are caught up in it.
No one really believes women & their children belong to Tren de Aragua gangs. These days targeting people for tattoos, sports & autism awareness insignias doesn’t make most adults feel safer.
“The case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia: 52 percent disapproval and 35 percent approval.”
The Hill published a poll that found 60% do not approve sending immigrants to El •Salvador “without letting them challenge the deportation in court“. 26% approved.
•51% “did not back “deporting international students who participated in pro-Palestinian campus protests”. 31% approved.
According to Data for Progress which did more recent polling —
• Voters Across Parties Say Legal Residents, Including Visa and Green Card Holders, Should Have Due Process
• A Majority of Voters Think the Government Should Have to Provide Evidence and a
So how do we, and our Democratic allies in Congress, persuade the American people who sat out the election —for whatever reasons — to become engaged and receptive to the urgency of this moment? For those in a position to do so, I’d suggest following the examples of Pete Buttigieg, who makes a point of “meeting people where they are” with his signature intelligence and respectful manner, and of Reverend William Barber, Senator Cory Booker, and Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who spent a full day on the steps of the Capitol yesterday talking with people. Not to them, not scolding, not deflecting, but being fully present.
Although 77 million voted for this Agent of Chaos ... approximately 90 million of registered voters DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER TO VOTE! Let's revisit the need for all voters to participate in 2026.
thanks Steven, for providing encouragement while still reminding us to stay focused on action! similarly, during this more hopeful moment, I hope we will all encourage our Congress members not just to call out the carnage, but also to begin offering the outlines of a PLAN that distinguishes how we will uplift the everyday American. e.g. a focus on breaking up the huge monopolies and encouraging small businesses to thrive, smaller farms....
We can disapprove until the cows come home. We can stand on street corners with signs, We can attend rallies, we can write letters, we can make phone calls. The courts can make rulings and issue stays but that won't rid us of the problem or prevent in happening over and over again. Congress must Impeach, CONVICT and REMOVE because the present 1787 Constitution does NOT give the POWER TO THE PEOPLE to do it and our RINO (Republicans In Name Only) and MAGA (Make Americans Gullible Again) members of Congress don't have the courage to do what is necessary to end this scourge. WE NEED TO MODERNIZE THE CONSTITUTION TO END THIS PLAGUE and prevent it happening again. Call your people in Congress and tell them to do what must be done or we will end their careers at the next election.
RINO's and MAGA's believe in Republican policies - the ones Trump has the guts to carry out. Republicans have always been against Social Security; Business Regulations that make food/water/air safe; Safety Net for the most vulnerable; Head Start/Public Education. Small government Republican policies means government should not have Departments that take care of the above and not spend the money to make America an educated and safe country. We cannot ask the Republican Congress to go against their beliefs. We can ask the voters to elect the people who will hold Trump accountable and elect a President who will help all Americans rather than the Wealthy few.
Yes, and get more people registered while they remember what they are upset about. Then remind them at election time. A survey a few yrs ago said 60% or more of registered and non registered voters have never been asked by anyone or any organization to register to vote. Nonvoters are also less interested in politics in general.
If the Democrats retake the House in 2026, they can begin the impeachment process. It would, at least, tie up Congress for the last 2 years of his presidency
Thankfully, it will not happen. Imagine what it would be like if this Congress and the states “modernized” the Constitution. SCOTUS would without a doubt be willing to consult on the best way for a Constitution to create a unitary executive / president.
I have no idea what you want changed, but for now we really need to work on feasible things to neuter the power of the Orange Menace. Yes, raising our voices matters. It encourages others to join in. It has slowed his roll as have the courts. If we don’t sit around saying “woe is me” Congress may decide to put a stick in the spokes.
One thing we really need to do is use the issues grinding on people to increase voter registration & participation.
I don't find the disapproval numbers heartening at all. To believe that so many Americans are so stupid, (okay, so uneducated) so mean, so heartless, so blind (they have eyes but they can't see)....is terribly frightening. If "sh** for brains" approval ratings were only 5%, that number alone would still be enough for us to worry about.
The fascists who constitute this regime - these religious fundamentalists, these oligarchs, these mentally unsound malevolents - do not care about polls. They are looking to destroy everything we hold dear about this country and to turn it into some sort of feudal state. Face it, in that they are largely succeeding and they have only been in power for about 100 days. I hope to God I'm wrong, but I seriously doubt that the midterm elections are going to be held. Why on earth would the fascists cede power when they hold all the reins of government in their clammy hands? Trump will "postpone" the midterms under some pretext or other, perhaps through a manufactured "emergency." For those who think our laws will hold, please consider that Trump has already made a mockery of the law by dispensing with habeas corpus, the very foundation of jurisprudence.
If this regime is to be stopped, it has to happen through mass civil disobedience and general strikes. We, the People, have to render the country ungovernable in order to bring the regime down. None of this will be easy, but that's what it will take.
What we desperately need, however, is a united opposition, both, to spearhead the resistance and to be in place to pick up the pieces once the regime crumbles.
As you say, Steven, these times are anything but normal. We cannot expect to resolve our situation through measures that provide the false comfort of normalcy.
Steve you are right. We have a criminal and treasonous administration, yet all the jawboning is irrelevant until the political will rises to stop it. Too many people are still in silent complicity.
“When people are universally ignorant, and debauched in their manners, they will sink under their own weight without the aid of foreign invaders.” - Samuel Adams
Back in the street on May first I go. I hope I do so with hundreds of other people in my town and thousands of others across the country!
I completely agree with you. There are lots of cute catch phrases to describe the public’s waning support, but we should never forget that Trump is desperate to stay in power…at all costs. Trump will never relinquish it, because he risks both irrelevance and criminal exposure again. That is also why he wants to keep someone in power in New York who can pardon him. It is why he has amassed free legal services in the hundreds of millions of dollars. It is why he pardoned the Jan 6 convicted criminals to serve as his private militia, should the time come. It’s not hard to figure out. He needs power like a fish needs water. Nobody or nothing matters to Trump but Trump. Should we be fortunate enough to prevail in this fight for our democracy, we may perhaps have learned our lesson, at least in the short term. My worry is that we may not be able to do what is necessary to remove this corrupt administration from our midst before irreparable damage has been done to our country, its inhabitants, and our reputation around the world.
You wrote "My worry is that we may not be able to do what is necessary to remove this corrupt administration from our midst before irreparable damage has been done to our country, its inhabitants, and our reputation around the world."
It is mine worry, fear too, Ellen. Today is a beautiful Spring day - blue sky, sun out, minimal humidity. It's a day on which the weather couldn't be bad and yet an earthquake could happen which is like what I feel now. From Steve Brodner's substack of Sen. Chris Murphy I felt hopeful- tho' I think it was momentary. I'll keep trying and wonder who will help us get this to stop?
Well said!
Steve, don't forget the millions of people did not bother to vote at all. They are largely responsible for Trump again defiling the Oval Office
And the 40% who are still with Trump WILL VOTE TRUMP. The 55% of Voters who respond to polls will not all vote - especially if the other candidate is Woman. Too many did not like Trump, but would not vote for a Woman - any woman.
Thank you Steven. “to stem this rising tyranny” is the operative expression. And while at every turn we see cruelty and oppression, equally frightening is the widespread removal of undisputed safeguards. For a scofflaw, oversight is the enemy. The nation is now weakened to an alarming degree. We’re descending into shark-infested waters without a cage. Trump is taking revenge on the entire country for losing in 2020, and what more effective way to punish the nation than by inviting China and Russia to have their way with us? Xi and Putin are likewise vengeful, though with far greater experience in its practice. From within, we see a collapse of health and safety intelligence. We’ve devolved into an accident waiting to happen. In this context, polls are like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Reluctantly, I see that fighting fire with fire is the way forward: For the privately funded sum of one or two billion dollars, grant 10 to 20 House and Senate Republicans a hundred million dollars each to do with as they wish, given their agreement to stand up to Trump. The courts can only do so much. The legislative branch must be reawakened. This may seem a laughable remedy until you contemplate what’s happening in the absence of a functioning legislature.
Steven Beschloss wrote: "We really are trapped right now in the fuck around and find out stage of this disaster, courtesy of 77 million-plus Americans who voted for this nightmare." I would add that we are also trapped by those millions of Americans who did not vote, whether they did so out of apathy or because Harris did not pass some "purity" test for them. We are also trapped by those millions of Americans who voted for a third-party candidate who could not win.
And 80+ million Americans sat out last November. That was the most important poll of all.
And, in the process, they assisted the elevation of a man committed to exploiting the ruins of public liberty.
And yet, 2020 and 2024 were historical high points for voter participation.
In 2012 and 2016 over 92M of the Voter Eligible Population did not vote.
In 2020, almost 81M. Yes, in 2024 almost 90M.
We need to look at reasons people don’t vote. A few years ago about 60% of both registered voters & not registered said no one ever asked them to register. Not a neighbor, friend, family member, political party or other organization.
Voter Eligible Population (VEP):
It includes both those who are registered to vote & those who are not but could legally register.
2020 — (Presidential election) 72.7% of VEP were registered. 68.8% of VEP voted.
2022 — (Mid-terms) ……………..69.1% of VEP were registered. 52% of VEP voted.
2024 — (Presidential election) 64.09 % of VEP voted. 59% of REGISTERED voters voted.
It is worth noting that in 2020 main-in voting was more widely available than 2024.
— As of September 2024, 186.5 million Americans were registered to vote. I can’t find an update for that to do the calculation for Registered Voters% of VEP. For instance it would not include states with same-day-registration.
If nothing else, this presidency has been instructional on the true character of the nation. According to this poll, almost half of the population approves of the anti-immigration tactics that are executed in secret, flout constitutional rights and the rule of law, and have resulted in exiling children with cancer who are citizens, along with law-abiding adults who are complying with immigration regulations.
We have more of a problem than the titular head of the country. It’s hard to sustain hope when so many don’t value fellow human beings regardless their country of origin or skin color.
Not of specific tactics on immigration. That’s the reason this administration hides behind everyone being a criminal. That isn’t working either. It will only get worse as more US citizens (including children) are caught up in it.
No one really believes women & their children belong to Tren de Aragua gangs. These days targeting people for tattoos, sports & autism awareness insignias doesn’t make most adults feel safer.
“The case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia: 52 percent disapproval and 35 percent approval.”
The Hill published a poll that found 60% do not approve sending immigrants to El •Salvador “without letting them challenge the deportation in court“. 26% approved.
•51% “did not back “deporting international students who participated in pro-Palestinian campus protests”. 31% approved.
According to Data for Progress which did more recent polling —
• Voters Across Parties Say Legal Residents, Including Visa and Green Card Holders, Should Have Due Process
• A Majority of Voters Think the Government Should Have to Provide Evidence and a
Hearing Before Deporting Undocumented Immigrants
https://www.dataforprogress.org/blog/2025/4/15/voters-think-legal-residents-and-undocumented-immigrants-should-have-due-process
So how do we, and our Democratic allies in Congress, persuade the American people who sat out the election —for whatever reasons — to become engaged and receptive to the urgency of this moment? For those in a position to do so, I’d suggest following the examples of Pete Buttigieg, who makes a point of “meeting people where they are” with his signature intelligence and respectful manner, and of Reverend William Barber, Senator Cory Booker, and Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who spent a full day on the steps of the Capitol yesterday talking with people. Not to them, not scolding, not deflecting, but being fully present.
Although 77 million voted for this Agent of Chaos ... approximately 90 million of registered voters DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER TO VOTE! Let's revisit the need for all voters to participate in 2026.
thanks Steven, for providing encouragement while still reminding us to stay focused on action! similarly, during this more hopeful moment, I hope we will all encourage our Congress members not just to call out the carnage, but also to begin offering the outlines of a PLAN that distinguishes how we will uplift the everyday American. e.g. a focus on breaking up the huge monopolies and encouraging small businesses to thrive, smaller farms....
thanks again
A plan is vital!
We can disapprove until the cows come home. We can stand on street corners with signs, We can attend rallies, we can write letters, we can make phone calls. The courts can make rulings and issue stays but that won't rid us of the problem or prevent in happening over and over again. Congress must Impeach, CONVICT and REMOVE because the present 1787 Constitution does NOT give the POWER TO THE PEOPLE to do it and our RINO (Republicans In Name Only) and MAGA (Make Americans Gullible Again) members of Congress don't have the courage to do what is necessary to end this scourge. WE NEED TO MODERNIZE THE CONSTITUTION TO END THIS PLAGUE and prevent it happening again. Call your people in Congress and tell them to do what must be done or we will end their careers at the next election.
RINO's and MAGA's believe in Republican policies - the ones Trump has the guts to carry out. Republicans have always been against Social Security; Business Regulations that make food/water/air safe; Safety Net for the most vulnerable; Head Start/Public Education. Small government Republican policies means government should not have Departments that take care of the above and not spend the money to make America an educated and safe country. We cannot ask the Republican Congress to go against their beliefs. We can ask the voters to elect the people who will hold Trump accountable and elect a President who will help all Americans rather than the Wealthy few.
Yes!
Yes, and get more people registered while they remember what they are upset about. Then remind them at election time. A survey a few yrs ago said 60% or more of registered and non registered voters have never been asked by anyone or any organization to register to vote. Nonvoters are also less interested in politics in general.
If the Democrats retake the House in 2026, they can begin the impeachment process. It would, at least, tie up Congress for the last 2 years of his presidency
Thankfully, it will not happen. Imagine what it would be like if this Congress and the states “modernized” the Constitution. SCOTUS would without a doubt be willing to consult on the best way for a Constitution to create a unitary executive / president.
I have no idea what you want changed, but for now we really need to work on feasible things to neuter the power of the Orange Menace. Yes, raising our voices matters. It encourages others to join in. It has slowed his roll as have the courts. If we don’t sit around saying “woe is me” Congress may decide to put a stick in the spokes.
One thing we really need to do is use the issues grinding on people to increase voter registration & participation.
https://www.ncsl.org/about-state-legislatures/amending-the-us-constitution#:~:text=Congress%20must%20call%20a%20convention,%2C%2038%20of%2050%20states).
Maybe pain in the wallet and empty store shelves will ultimately convince them!😏
I don't find the disapproval numbers heartening at all. To believe that so many Americans are so stupid, (okay, so uneducated) so mean, so heartless, so blind (they have eyes but they can't see)....is terribly frightening. If "sh** for brains" approval ratings were only 5%, that number alone would still be enough for us to worry about.
The fascists who constitute this regime - these religious fundamentalists, these oligarchs, these mentally unsound malevolents - do not care about polls. They are looking to destroy everything we hold dear about this country and to turn it into some sort of feudal state. Face it, in that they are largely succeeding and they have only been in power for about 100 days. I hope to God I'm wrong, but I seriously doubt that the midterm elections are going to be held. Why on earth would the fascists cede power when they hold all the reins of government in their clammy hands? Trump will "postpone" the midterms under some pretext or other, perhaps through a manufactured "emergency." For those who think our laws will hold, please consider that Trump has already made a mockery of the law by dispensing with habeas corpus, the very foundation of jurisprudence.
If this regime is to be stopped, it has to happen through mass civil disobedience and general strikes. We, the People, have to render the country ungovernable in order to bring the regime down. None of this will be easy, but that's what it will take.
What we desperately need, however, is a united opposition, both, to spearhead the resistance and to be in place to pick up the pieces once the regime crumbles.
As you say, Steven, these times are anything but normal. We cannot expect to resolve our situation through measures that provide the false comfort of normalcy.
Perhaps we could entice Mr Trump to leave his troubles behind for a lovely dacha in Sochi nearby his hero. A song to see you off Dear Leader:
https://youtu.be/nS5_EQgbuLc?si=kuKuKtziUEx2Pe5C
No he now thinks of himself as the president of the US and leader of the world.