“Country First” must be lived in actions, not spoken words

This is a disappointing Friday for millions of Americans who remain shocked by the rejection of character, decency and honesty by the majority of our fellow citizens.

Let me be clear about something. Donald Trump’s election was historic. He built a multi-racial rainbow coalition of malice, grievance and resentment that has taken power with explicit promises to seek revenge and deport upwards of 15,000,000 human beings from the United States. Trump is the first convicted felon and adjudicated rapist to reach the White House preaching a gospel of racial animus, societal division and retribution against political opponents in American history. His mandate is clear and he will execute the main details of Project 2025’s blueprint with ruthless efficiency as his administration gets under way with no practical checks and balances on it. Donald Trump will break a lot of glass and light many fires over the next two years that will start because Trump wasn’t stopped when he could have been.

I feel like I should be clear about something because I value this community we have built at The Warning very much, but not as much as I value telling the truth to it. Part of the reason Donald Trump is president of the United States again is because of the fecklessness of his opposition and the corruption that comes from political power.

The most disgusting routine in American life is the routine that follows a school shooting or other massacre when some odious politician like the re-elected Ted Cruz comes forward and declares solemnly that now is not the time to talk about the intersection of weapons of war and evil people, but rather “thoughts and prayers.”

I will resist the bullying and conventions that hold it unnecessary to talk about the causes of a shattering defeat and repudiation that could be seen gathering years ago when Joe Biden refused to honor his commitment to the American people about serving one term.

Here is what I wrote in 2022 when the fork in the road was approaching:

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It was not to be, and that is not the fault of Kamala Harris.

Joe Biden was an unpopular president who wanted more time at age 82 when he was rapidly declining and unable to communicate clearly, coherently and effectively. No matter what, at every instance the elected leadership of the Democratic Party circled the wagons, deceived themselves, deceived the voters, and supported the most titanic act of egotism and selfishness in American history.

The story of 2024 is less about the SS Biden smashing into the iceberg, but the intentional aiming for it. Everything blew apart 100 days out. The price of ego has been very high for the United States. I have said often that the most delicate flower in the world is the male ego, and the most delicate petals of all belong to the Trump bloom. Though that is still true, it is important to realize that the Biden bloom was also quite fragile and its indulgence was a tragedy committed in the name of power. Shameful doesn’t begin to describe it, and history will treat the cover-up of Joe Biden’s medical decline with brutality. His enablers deserve every ounce of scorn and contempt directed their way. They have inflicted a terrible consequence on America borne from their arrogance, lack of judgement and supreme selfishness that in the end turned out to be, well, very Trumpian.

Joe Biden obliterated his legacy, harmed the country and re-elected Trump with a small cadre of enablers. What they did was despicable, and they will receive no sugar here.

Chuck Schumer is another disaster who aided the Trump cause mightily with his cynicism and political incompetence. Here he is at the Al Smith dinner with the dime-store Mussolini undermining confidence in the vice president’s core message:

Who can forget that moment when he responded to the indictment of Senator Menendez of New Jersey with this MAGA-like devotion and cynicism?

Bob Menendez has been a dedicated public servant and is always fighting hard for the people of New Jersey.

Or when he inspired America at the DNC, stating that the Democrats will maintain the Senate?

The main point here is enough is enough.

The Democratic Party will be fine, but its leaders have been rebuked and discredited. Yet, from the ashes of defeat a new generation of political leaders will emerge. They will capture the American imagination with a message that combines aspiration, inspiration and a blueprint for better that confronts MAGA. They will convince enough of our fellow citizens to follow a new path — a better path. 

The very first thing that I hope to see break in the days ahead is the mob mentality that lashes out every time power is confronted within the Democratic hierarchy. Make no mistake, the magnitude of the political failure at hand is literally indescribable. Understanding how and why will be elemental with regard to understanding how to combat what lies ahead and prevail again in the next two elections.

“Country First” must be lived in actions, not spoken words, and a lot of people in the immediate vicinity of Joe Biden didn’t put the country first. They put Joe Biden first, and now we have Trump. It was deeply wrong, supremely selfish, and soon it will be seen as seeding catastrophe. There will never be a day when I don’t resent it, or where I am intimidated into refusing to talk truthfully about it.

Nor will I be intimidated about speaking out against Donald Trump and what comes next.

Join me. Join this community where we will tell the truth. First, to each other, and then to the country. Dissent is welcome here, but so is reality. I urge all of you to reject the partisanship that holds that the red chair is blue.

There are stormy days ahead, but also there is joy in the fight.

First though, we must reckon with the crash site. We must understand the engineering flaws, the disconnect and out-of-touch political mandarins who have doomed us to Trump with their failure.

Before fixing America, the Democratic Party must fix itself. Trump must have an effective opposition. Today, he faces none.

The good news is that the sun is going to come up tomorrow, and every day after. I see the way through the disaster ahead. It starts with having the wisdom at the start of the next journey to survey the land, and understand what must be left behind. Suffice it to say, it would be best for the United States and freedom-loving people all over the world if the load was lightened.

Let me end the week with a statement of gratitude for Kamala Harris, and also for my friend David Plouffe, who disrupted his life to help fight back against an awful cause. Same goes for Stephanie Cutter. They have my deepest admiration and respect, and yes, they started off in a deep deep hole. In his since deleted X post, Plouffe stated the following:

We dug out of a deep hole but not enough. A devastating loss. Thanks for being in the arena, all of you.

The quote below comes from Teddy Roosevelt. It has been earned by all of those who gave of themselves in a good fight that fell short. Thank you to all who were part of the Kamala effort.

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