I used to think the greatest collection of clowns in one room was for the signing of the Tripartite Pact in 1940. Then I saw a picture of Trump’s Cabinet.
The most ridiculous moment in Steve's video today, was a Trump supporter carrying a sign that read, "Thank you Lord Jesus for President Trump," or words to to that effect. Are his followers unaware of his personal history and the outrages he committed during his first and second administrations? Do they know anything about the message and morality of true Christianity? Something is so wrong with all this worship of Trump. The Christians who worship this false idol must be awakened from their dangerous stupor.
But driving a strategic, coordinated message against Trump’s corruption is exactly what the opposition has not done. Instead, it has reacted to whatever is in the day’s news. By responding to daily fire drills and running in circles, it has failed to drive any message at all.
Also, it is not quite true that the public already knows Trump is corrupt and doesn’t care. Rather, because he seems so unfiltered, he benefits from a perception that he is authentic in a way that other politicians are not, and because he infuriates elites, he enjoys a reputation for being on the side of the common person. Breaking those perceptions can determine whether his approval rating is above 50 percent or below 40 percent, and politically speaking, that is all the difference in the world.
Do the Democrats need a positive message of their own? Sure, they should do that work. But right now, when they are out of power and Trump is the capo di tutti capi, the history of patrimonial rule suggests that their most effective approach will be hammering home the message that he is corrupt. One thing is certain: He will give them plenty to work with.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jonathan Rauch
Jonathan Rauch is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a senior fellow in the Governance Studies program at the Brookings Institution. His latest book, Cross Purposes: Christianity’s Broken Bargain with Democracy, will be published in January 2025.
The opposition seems anemic thus far. Better get some strong whole blooded Americans involved before we lose the country. Maybe like Chris Murphy, Beto, AOC, Jasmine, E. Warren, et al.,
I sure wish the Press would stop being so lazy with their word choices. Even the insightful Atlantic writers have fallen into the lazy word trap of "conservative". In this article, it's the "conservative Heritage Foundation". Project 2025 is the opposite of conservative! They claim that Article II gives the President full control of the Executive Branch. But that is RADICAL, not conservative.
Conservative means to retain or conserve the status quo. Granting dictatorial power over agencies that have served the nation well since the Depression is RADICAL. Not Conservative.
Russell Vought is a servant of the oligarchs. A sell out. A traitor to the philosophical foundations of the Fathers of our country. Project 2025 is the blueprint of Curtis Yarvin and VP Vance to destroy the democratic republic. And replace it with monarchy/CEO/dictator/Big Daddy totalitarian government. A Russian version of America. With them and their pals in charge.
Please, please journalists. Get your word usage right. These Project 2025 thugs aren't conservatives.
Thank you, Burke. I think misuse of the word conservative to describe the Trump/Maga/Qanon movement is a very important point to make. You are right. They are not conservatives. This is a corrupt and autocratic fascist movement trying to destroy everything good about America and should be described accurately by journalists.
That was a truly exceptional episode. I love the idea of the Democratic governors inviting European heads. I think you’ll have to be the way we move forward in the future.
I hope this message gets to Democratic governors. It is one of the best ideas to fight Trump and his evil plans I have yet heard. Let the American people hear directly from honorable men like Foreign Minister Sikorski; he is a truly great and admirable man. I think Americans would listen to him and be moved by his clear and honest message.
Seems lonely and desolate without our European ally’s. I’m second generation. My Grandparents were immigrants from Estonia and Germany. They came to the USA in the 20’s. I remember their stories from living through world war 1. I still have many relatives and cousins in Europe. Looking forward to we can work all together again.
I’m going on faith. None of the things Trump, Musk and/or MAGA are doing promotes life sustaining positive political outcomes. Many people are already protesting/voicing their concerns. We have to be diligent and patient at the same time. This MAGA equation just doesn’t work out from a logical perspective. It should start to falter and fail soon. For the people and all the people will prevail..
That piece was a very good combination of people and ideas that Americans should believe in and continue to practice as often and as hard as possible. We must not let the likes of a nasty, convicted felon (who happens to be president, at least for now) to humble us, insult us, denigrate ourselves, our country, and cheat his way to further riche, undeserved power, and almost obscene wealth.
“Five former defense secretaries on Thursday denounced President Donald Trump’s firing last week of the Joint Chiefs chairman and several other senior military officials, urging Congress to hold hearings and declaring they have concluded the officers were ‘fired for purely partisan reasons.’
The extraordinary public appeal was signed by Lloyd Austin, Jim Mattis, Chuck Hagel, Leon Panetta and William Perry — who served in Republican and Democratic administrations dating back to the 1990s — after Trump’s Friday night firings caused an uproar on Capitol Hill and among many military veterans.
‘We are deeply alarmed by President Trump’s recent dismissals of several senior U.S. military leaders,’ the letter opens. ‘We write to urge the U.S. Congress to hold Mr. Trump to account for these reckless actions and to exercise fully its Constitutional oversight responsibilities.’”
Citizens of the United States must feel a growing sense of unease, of embarrassment, and danger as ever more signs of corruption and incompetence, like the one described above, reach greater percentages of the population. It is time to take whatever actions are necessary to let Republican members of Congress know that if they don’t take action to end the outrages of the Trump administration, they will be removed, as will Trump and his band of sycophants, by the people of the United States of America.
I used to think the greatest collection of clowns in one room was for the signing of the Tripartite Pact in 1940. Then I saw a picture of Trump’s Cabinet.
https://www.worldwar2facts.org/tripartite-pact.html
The most ridiculous moment in Steve's video today, was a Trump supporter carrying a sign that read, "Thank you Lord Jesus for President Trump," or words to to that effect. Are his followers unaware of his personal history and the outrages he committed during his first and second administrations? Do they know anything about the message and morality of true Christianity? Something is so wrong with all this worship of Trump. The Christians who worship this false idol must be awakened from their dangerous stupor.
But driving a strategic, coordinated message against Trump’s corruption is exactly what the opposition has not done. Instead, it has reacted to whatever is in the day’s news. By responding to daily fire drills and running in circles, it has failed to drive any message at all.
Also, it is not quite true that the public already knows Trump is corrupt and doesn’t care. Rather, because he seems so unfiltered, he benefits from a perception that he is authentic in a way that other politicians are not, and because he infuriates elites, he enjoys a reputation for being on the side of the common person. Breaking those perceptions can determine whether his approval rating is above 50 percent or below 40 percent, and politically speaking, that is all the difference in the world.
Do the Democrats need a positive message of their own? Sure, they should do that work. But right now, when they are out of power and Trump is the capo di tutti capi, the history of patrimonial rule suggests that their most effective approach will be hammering home the message that he is corrupt. One thing is certain: He will give them plenty to work with.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jonathan Rauch
Jonathan Rauch is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a senior fellow in the Governance Studies program at the Brookings Institution. His latest book, Cross Purposes: Christianity’s Broken Bargain with Democracy, will be published in January 2025.
The opposition seems anemic thus far. Better get some strong whole blooded Americans involved before we lose the country. Maybe like Chris Murphy, Beto, AOC, Jasmine, E. Warren, et al.,
I sure wish the Press would stop being so lazy with their word choices. Even the insightful Atlantic writers have fallen into the lazy word trap of "conservative". In this article, it's the "conservative Heritage Foundation". Project 2025 is the opposite of conservative! They claim that Article II gives the President full control of the Executive Branch. But that is RADICAL, not conservative.
Conservative means to retain or conserve the status quo. Granting dictatorial power over agencies that have served the nation well since the Depression is RADICAL. Not Conservative.
Russell Vought is a servant of the oligarchs. A sell out. A traitor to the philosophical foundations of the Fathers of our country. Project 2025 is the blueprint of Curtis Yarvin and VP Vance to destroy the democratic republic. And replace it with monarchy/CEO/dictator/Big Daddy totalitarian government. A Russian version of America. With them and their pals in charge.
Please, please journalists. Get your word usage right. These Project 2025 thugs aren't conservatives.
https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2025/02/trump-tests-the-courts/681861/?utm_campaign=atlantic-daily-newsletter&utm_content=20250227&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=The+Atlantic+Daily
Thank you, Burke. I think misuse of the word conservative to describe the Trump/Maga/Qanon movement is a very important point to make. You are right. They are not conservatives. This is a corrupt and autocratic fascist movement trying to destroy everything good about America and should be described accurately by journalists.
Economic Blackout "No Shopping Day" Feb 28th
Protest Agsinst Trump/Musk policies by not shopping at pro-Trump companies.
Plrase RT.
The campaign urges consumers to spend no money for 24 hours to remind corporations of their economic power.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/no-amazon-no-walmart-no-fast-food-whats-behind-the-feb-28-economic-blackout-200849532.html
That was a truly exceptional episode. I love the idea of the Democratic governors inviting European heads. I think you’ll have to be the way we move forward in the future.
I hope this message gets to Democratic governors. It is one of the best ideas to fight Trump and his evil plans I have yet heard. Let the American people hear directly from honorable men like Foreign Minister Sikorski; he is a truly great and admirable man. I think Americans would listen to him and be moved by his clear and honest message.
“To whom much is given,” we are required to oppose this lawlessness!!
Seems lonely and desolate without our European ally’s. I’m second generation. My Grandparents were immigrants from Estonia and Germany. They came to the USA in the 20’s. I remember their stories from living through world war 1. I still have many relatives and cousins in Europe. Looking forward to we can work all together again.
I’m going on faith. None of the things Trump, Musk and/or MAGA are doing promotes life sustaining positive political outcomes. Many people are already protesting/voicing their concerns. We have to be diligent and patient at the same time. This MAGA equation just doesn’t work out from a logical perspective. It should start to falter and fail soon. For the people and all the people will prevail..
When your going through hell keep going ~Winston Churchill~
Kennedy, Churchill!! ...Not bad yourself Mr Schmidt with a bit of inspirational floorishing wordsmithery. Thx you everytime Steve.
That piece was a very good combination of people and ideas that Americans should believe in and continue to practice as often and as hard as possible. We must not let the likes of a nasty, convicted felon (who happens to be president, at least for now) to humble us, insult us, denigrate ourselves, our country, and cheat his way to further riche, undeserved power, and almost obscene wealth.
We must Never give up! Fight For DEMOCRACY!! RESIST/REMOVE/EXPOSE LIAR, Convict, TRAITOR, MORON Corrupt MAGA Trump!!
This is right track to take because only truth and respect for others will win this new struggle.
I hope there's a judge out there who will finally have the balls to have muskrat removed and banned from government....
“Five former defense secretaries on Thursday denounced President Donald Trump’s firing last week of the Joint Chiefs chairman and several other senior military officials, urging Congress to hold hearings and declaring they have concluded the officers were ‘fired for purely partisan reasons.’
The extraordinary public appeal was signed by Lloyd Austin, Jim Mattis, Chuck Hagel, Leon Panetta and William Perry — who served in Republican and Democratic administrations dating back to the 1990s — after Trump’s Friday night firings caused an uproar on Capitol Hill and among many military veterans.
‘We are deeply alarmed by President Trump’s recent dismissals of several senior U.S. military leaders,’ the letter opens. ‘We write to urge the U.S. Congress to hold Mr. Trump to account for these reckless actions and to exercise fully its Constitutional oversight responsibilities.’”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/02/27/mattis-defense-secretaries-trump-pentagon-firings/?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=wp_news_alert_revere&location=alert
Citizens of the United States must feel a growing sense of unease, of embarrassment, and danger as ever more signs of corruption and incompetence, like the one described above, reach greater percentages of the population. It is time to take whatever actions are necessary to let Republican members of Congress know that if they don’t take action to end the outrages of the Trump administration, they will be removed, as will Trump and his band of sycophants, by the people of the United States of America.
boycott Air B&B
Looks like the founder, Joe Gebbia, has joined his pal Elon in destruction.... I guess he needs the gravy train too
OMG! If only all Americans could see, hear and comprehend this. The weaving of history with the video and audio is so powerful. Thank you.
I am about to bust out with rage. Need a way to channel it. The maga gang of bandits must be defeated ! Trump must go!