When Trump said he hated Democrats yesterday, on the 4th of July, he planted the seeds of war. He knows this. He just was given the money to form the biggest SS army of thugs and felons by our Congress. He has built his concentration camps and will be instructing his SS to go after anyone who is Blue, progressive, left leaning or thinking and anyone who dissents against his tribe.
Trump wants to eliminate all opposition to his rule.
He will send these SS thugs out to drag everyone into the camps.
Time is running out.
Trump has made it clear who he’s after besides illegals. And his Supreme Court has given him the green light to go ahead.
We may not make it to any midterm elections at this rate. And even if this changes the landscape politically, why do you think Trump has formed his SS goons? Do you think he’s going to let anyone take office that he doesn’t bless or appoint?
He’s prepared to make sure that midterms go his way, while everyone else clings to the notion that rule of law and fair play will still be in place in 18 months time.
A delusion.
Democrats sit in a stupor, intellectuals are steeped in rhetoric and debate
Trump has backing from Putin and his oligarchs and now as he’s had 4 years to build his strategy, Dems were asleep or complicit and let their position slip away.
In effect, we are already at war.
But we as the Blue progressive faction have grown complacent and now need to hustle and organize.
We have essentially 18 months to disrupt and dismantle.
But we’re leaderless. And Trump knows it. And the longer no one or no group steps up to question or cause dissent, the more power Trump gains. He knows that too.
Trump has big money and big backers and big oligarchs that want to suck this country dry economically.
Trump is trying to devalue the dollar and his family is investing in crypto in the hopes of making that the new standard currency.
Some mega brains and tactical teams are needed here to cripple that.
Yea, it's like I've been saying. It requires a revolution - a displacement of a government that doesn't give a shit about the people. Massive protests: the kind that paralyzes business and government services. It's happened many times in history and unfortunately it now has to happen in the US. Eventually, more and more Americans will come to this conclusion. The alternative is a long life of oppression something most people can't imagine even it they've read about it.
"... 10 million ethical, rational, adult, free citizens must show up. Block the concentration camps. Block the dishonorable masked brown shirts."
Burke, That is a great idea; a potentially powerful use of civil disobedience. But who will step forward to organize this and other types of civil disobedience?
Why don’t you join forces with ‘ Union del Barrio’ out of Los Angeles….These people have cajones that are dodging ICE..Get in touch with the head of this game…He’s a leader ..Get people on board to lead a revolution….
I am not certain I agree with all their goals, but I remember the concept of "la Raza" from decades ago. I entirely agree with the concept:
- La Raza - Began to be widely used during the Chicano Movement, it was used to represent "the community" or "the people", and referred to the concept of "La Raza Cósmica" (the "cosmic race"), the coming together of indigenous, African, and European blood. The Chicano movement upheld this concept through the symbolism of a "three faced" icon. When used today in conversation, it usually refers to Mexicana/os and other latina/os. Furthermore, UdB uses the term politically, and it includes indigenous people, latina/os from Aztlán to Chile, and others who unite with the struggles of la raza.
Not frustrating, inacceptable. I don't know that Jeffries has it in him and I think it has to be a white man for the rest of America to listen, so who can tell Murphy to bear his fucking teeth? If not, then who? As well as the media and public, we gotta hound the electeds again to fuckin start busting some heads. They only thing they fuckin stand to lose is goddamn everything.
Answer: Not even thinkable and with a conscience never. That’s us alright, they are low we are high, those screwed the most will will come back and angry.
A shelf life of 249 years is pretty good for a country, but it is time to move on. We can divide up peacefully as Blue Nation and Red Nation.
The people in Alabama can happily elect Florida resident Tommy Tuberville as their next Governor, and the taxpayers of New Jersey will no longer have to subsidize the State of Alabama.
One of the issues I have is the war seems to be driven by MAGA and the red states. For example, a natural disaster in Texas or Tennessee gets treated as a natural disaster — at least by decent human beings. California has a natural disaster with fires and it is the fault of the people in California. This is horrid.
I don’t agree with cutting our losses. This is about truth, justice and freedom. Greed and self-interest in Washington combined with apathy among the citizens created this. Media took a wrong turn somewhere in the 80’s. I agree that journalism lost its integrity in the ratings war as well as creating the concept of access journalism in Washington. Reality TV was never real. The problem is too many people didn’t get the memo.
But half the people in this country no longer believe in those ideals. So, what- you want to fight a war to impose our values on them? We are already two countries. I wish there was a legal, non-violent way to make it official. I’m tired of supporting and making allowances for the ignorant, racists in the red states.
I do sometimes feel the divide is too deep. But the likelihood of a separation occurring is not likely. But I think pointing things out helps.
For instance, it was not a Senator in a blue or purple state that want to sneak an amendment into a budget bill to sell off millions of acres of land — our land — to his billionaire donors and buddies. This needs to be addressed by voters in Utah so the rest of us are not sold down the river if this is tried by him again.
I live in the 4th district in NW Iowa; one of the most maga districts in the country. I've lived here all my 71 years. I can't liquify and move and I won't. My grave site is purchased and is here at the church I grew up in. My children are here and my grandchildren too.
Red State republican governments have a history of overruling the results of progressive sensible plebiscites showing that they don't really represent their citizens any more than the federal congress does.
No. I would much rather it be settled peacefully. Cutting our losses doesn’t solve the underlying problem of goverment corruption, self-dealing and deaf ears being turned towards the voters. And why should I be penalized for paying attention in American History class and living in a state that has been gerrymandered red by its corrupt politician. These MAGA morons think they are going to benefit by trickle down. What they don’t understand is the fact that parasites are never satisfied. They won’t be happy until it’s all gone.
I’m sure all the Jews in Europe would have rather been settled peacefully, too. Sometimes you have to move and be uncomfortable for awhile to be safe and peaceful.
WW2 happened because of similar events occurring in Germany that gave way to an out of control psychotic narcissist who thought he could annihilate undesirables out of existence. It happened because not enough spoke up or fought back. If we allow him to divide this country, it does not bode well for the rest of the world. He keeps some very sketchy company. It’s never a good idea to give in to a bully.
That's not true, and you objectively know it. Don't let the election stat get you down. That's over. Now, a significant portion of magats have extreme buyer's remorse as indicated by the topic-by-topic approval polls. Plus, thanks to the Zelensky Oval Office debacle, the entire globe now knows the real story and are allied to us, except Putin and our own technofascists. This isn't a popularity contest anymore, it's a pain game and we will win this.
I never gave them my faith in the first place. I'm completely confident in the concept and reality of the United States, despite the trash fire of the past six months.
And I reject the Idea that the selfish half of this country who want to thump us into submission should be just handed anything. If they don’t like it, they can go find their own island and start over.
I've stopped talking about "half the country" because (1) it's an election stat from (2) wherein only 65% of the eligible voters made it to the polls and (3) the idea of Trump having "half" of any support is over on DOGE, on Elon, on tariffs, on Ukraine, on Canada, on gold jets, on unintelligible crypto scams, on the corruption, on ICE, on health care, on billionaires, on kitchen table issues, on veterans, on law, on hate. We estimate that magats represent approximately 30% of the voting public, right? This group are those schoolyard losers that we learned to hate and ostracize in second grade! We've already beat them once in our lives, so we just gotta go do it to their adult selves, holding guns. We can do this.
He’s a good guy. He’s as frustrated as the rest of us. Not sure where you are but his NC and my OH are in dire straits with the MAGA republicans. They wouldn’t know a good thing if it hit ‘em in the nose.
I agree. Abraham Lincoln lived in an entirely different world and he held the nation together; today, that may be impossible.
But even in his day, it may have been better to recognize and accept the Confederacy as a separate nation. We'll never know, but slavery would have likely ended before the 20th century and African-Americans gaining their citizenship freely may not have been the object of hatred and discrimination they became. Perhaps the Confederacy would have peacefully joined the Union again.
We will never know. And obviously we are doomed for history to repeat. For me, it’s an issue that as human beings who are involuntarily thrust into this world, and are all going to involuntarily be sucked out of it, certain rights are “Unalienable - Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”. I think that’s worth fighting for.
When it comes to unfathomable quantities of money the equation, all equations re liberty, equity, justice, wages, health, social justice, etc, etc become skewed toward greed, racism and the terror it takes to ‘justify’ it.
Everything about Trump is projection and/or a strawman argument. Trump argues that Democrats hate America when, clearly, it is he himself who has nothing but contempt ant vitriol for the vast majority of Americans, including most of those who voted for him. As we progress through the next 16 months, defiance and resistance must be the mindset for at least 200 million of us. By November, 2026 enough people will have seen and/or felt the pain and suffering of Trumps hellscape regime that a midterm blowout win for the Dems, followed by an impeachment and conviction, is feasible. In the meantime, let's push back in every way possible. We, the patriots of our time, have a country to save.
"Peacefully" is preferrable, yet, does it matter? People need to have a very clear inner conversation about that. For me, who's kind of as GenX as we come, the answer is "no."
I am proud to stand among The Hated. While there may be no Red or Blue states, there are definitely those who abhor our current state while millions of others cheer insensitivity, an utter lack of compassion, an unrivaled selfishness, and an embrace of lies. It might be time to move on. I hope California and others are ready to fight this abomination of an administration that is now at war with us.
I love what you wrote there - a false binary and so forth - and that this is a media invention. First of all, if it is, it’s all of the media, not just on the right. And secondly, it also happens to be true. You as a former Republican know very well how state power operates. It’s one of the differences between the parties. And in the past ten years, you better believe it makes a difference whether you live in a blue state or a red state. Living in a red state can literally kill you. Also, note where Alligator Alcatraz is located.
the ongoing failure of imagination of what is planned there and with all of P 2025, the full scale cruel depravity in the wings, is no longer a viable option. auschwitz was billed as a work camp...
I'm fully aware of Project2025, the new legislation, and the intricacies of the Nazi regime starting in April 1889. Also, Auschwitz was a complex of three camps, one of which, yes, imprisoned Jewish people for slave labor to the nearby German factories. The point is that the term is disrespectful to Auschwitz, which stands alone as a nadir in human depravity. Just cuz something's catchy, doesn't make it good, i.e. "Make America Great Again." Now, if you want to say "Alligator Auschwitz as the Republicans call it," I've heard my maga neighbor use the term, so it's a true statement), then that's political hardball.
Excellent Steve, and so true. I read today that Canadian and European tourism is down over 38%. They even have travel advisories telling them that America is dangerous, and is experiencing political unrest; as though were Beirut in the mid 1980’s.
Yet here we are; masked gunmen pulling people off the streets daily, and our military being deployed to cities in search of a problem.
Moreover, Border Patrol is stopping Americans and foreigners if they have t-shirts that support Obama or other democrats. These people are now politicizing entry into this country. Trump haters or supporters of democracy need not apply!
What they are doing is terrifying to me. I am Jewish, and my parents lost family in the Holocaust. Now there will no doubt be all sorts of attempted voter suppression. Congress is complicit, John Roberts does not speak out, it's lovely to have Biden and Obama condemn what Trump is doing but it doesn't help. We have to stop this. Where are our previous leaders?
'Chris Murphy' I implore American listen to truth to power' It wasn't Schumer, who voted for the bill, IT was John Thume and the House Speaker who acted with knees bent, so get your story straight. My friend Steve!
'' Every single Republican who voted for it needs to pay a price. Lives will be lost. Families will be financially wrecked, and it will be because of Republicans' cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. The horrors and damage will be on their hands.
One by one, Republicans have tried to gaslight the American people about what this bill does. Every Republican who voted to pass this bill abdicated their power. Donald Trump doesn’t even seem to understand what his own bill does besides giving his billionaire friends a tax cut. Republicans rammed through this moral abomination of a budget bill with a 50-50 vote and JD Vance breaking the tie. It’s the most monstrous piece of legislation I’ve ever seen Congress vote on.
Any one of the 50 Republicans who voted for it could have stopped this. Saved millions of parents from watching their child go hungry. Saved the lives destroyed when Medicaid disappears.
Within minutes of the bill passing, Lisa Murkowski told reporters, “My hope is that the House is going to look at this and recognize that we're not there yet.” All reporting indicates that she was the final holdout that Republicans had to flip to yes, and now, she is saying that she doesn’t want this version of the bill to become law.
That’s bullshit. Her vote could’ve stopped this. They will all live forever with the horror of this bill.
In Senate Republicans’ final speech about the bill, all they talked about was money for the border. The border is already militarized, and Trump has created an immigration police state."
Look at the facts, it's MAGA Republicans and their King Trump need to be stopped, focus yore efforts in a truthy manor, I pray that you do, Steve!
The people that I hold with equal respect, admiration and esteem can be counted with fewer than the five fingers on my right hand. Yet I am in this moment unable to recall who the other two or three might be.
Please allow me to help if I can. For me, in this moment conservative, liberal, republican, democrat hold little meaning. However, since you spoke to conservatives I shall narrow my comment in the form of a comparison thusly. To borrow from you if I may "Principled" and more I would add, describes Judge Luttig as you rightly pointed out. While in my view, and I'd argue I am far from alone on this, abdication of oath to The Constitution and duty to the country describes those conservatives remaining in Congress and the entire right leaning judiciary of the high court. It would be unfair of me to remark on others in different areas of government, or the electorate. Though I have cause to wonder. But the Congressional GOP, and for those who are uncertain that constitutes both chambers and the afore mentioned entire right leaning judiciary at the high court, have shown to be the unprincipled, unfit, corrupt lot that they are. So, in my less than stellar uninformed state, I'm left by his words and deeds with but one J. Michael Luttig, Patriot!
I'm all for crushing MAGA but I can't help recall you bringing Sarah Palin into the tent in 2008. Someday you need to atone for that publicly. Maddow tried to warn us that we were near falling off the cliff. Then, we did, Now we're in the canyon watching the cliff receed as time marches on and the fascists have the bit in their teeth. Indeed, elections have consequences. Every one wringing their hands also has those same hands out asking for cash.
the very first thing on your site is asking for an upgrade to founding membership. I do that with Sykes. I am bombarded with money hits but not a lot of useful vision beyond quoting the founding fathers. Palin was a terrible misjudgement in how it cheapened the qualifications for being second in line to the presidency. The party has been on a long road down since Lee Atwater and Newt Gingrich if you ignore Nixon's crew. I don't disagree with the material you are putting out here but the hand out is just another version of the Murkowsky material. There doesn't really seem to be anyone who wants to be accountable when the shit actually does hit the fan. Sending immigrants to Libya? To Sudan? No Due process at all? No crime actually?
I have little to really celebrate this independence weekend. It's more like I'm heartbroken.
Thank you, Steve: I just read, for the first time, your posts (linked here) about John McCain, his campaign and your involvement in it. 16 years is a lifetime of silence, discretion and humility. I was aware of his daughter’s public hatefulness…and then the family’s vindictive refusal to invite you & Nicole Wallace to the funeral. I watched MSNBC coverage of it, and saw Nicole tear up when saying quietly that you and she were excluded from invitation…indeed , so completely out of character from what I believed about the man or his wife.
Your very public mea culpas are transparent and heartfelt evidence that some of life’s lessons are hard-learned & high-priced. I’ve watched your many guest visits with Nicole on DEADLINE WHITEHOUSE, have followed & subscribed (paid) to the Warning, and now watching your collaboration with Rev. Barber in the Save America Movement. I have faith in you, Steve Schmidt, and your SOS calls!
How public perceptions and standards have changed. From the NYTimes article: Mr. McCain appeared motivated less by the usual ideas about good governance than by a more visceral disapproval of the gifts, meals and money that influence seekers shower on lawmakers, Mr. Feingold said. “It had to do with his sense of honor,” he said. “He saw this stuff as cheating.”
When you read Steve’s writing you will understand that it wasn’t him who chose her.
I understand looking at the past for possible reasons and ways to improve the current situation. Like with many consequential events in history, there are many factors that influence changes in culture. I even disagreed with Steve when he was writing about Biden’s choices. It’s valuable to look back, but even one event didn’t cause 9/11. In this time of uncertainty and fear, I would encourage us all to give each other some grace and work together to beat this dictator imbecile.
I think straying from the intentions of the founders really began a long time ago as in close to fifty years. The essence of what just occurred is that the core of the party doesn't like minorities or women. They put up with them when they thought they had to. They don't like paying for their issues and they won't do it , given the opportunity. They are now OK with paying it forward but that may be because they plan to disregard their constitution.
I get it that things change but these guys don't think democracy is a good idea and they want it gone. As autocrats, they'll deal with their little people when the time comes. They find them useful idiots currently. They hold them in contempt.
Steve, yes with this money he will have a Gestapo/Stasi of his own. Soon even in my area we will probably see ICE come in droves rooting out the immigrants/migrants, we may even have one of those detention centers soon.
There is a statement Trump made during a presser at the Alligator Alcatraz and he said it again in his speech at Iowa. “We need some of the immigrats/migrants to stay to work on the farms, some of these people have been on those farms for years. The immigrant can be allowed to stay and will be the farmer’s responsibility!” NO PERSON IS ANOTHER PERSONS RESPONSIBILITY, he is suggesting something like indentured servitude for the immigrants that are allowed to stay and work on the farms and in hospitality.
While Trump is rounding up the 20 million immigrants, we need to be asking the question who is next? Will it be the homeless, the mentally ill, the drug addicted? Kennedy has talked about wellness farms for the drug addicted and the mentally ill. Will the next round up be them? They are easy to dehumanize and we would witness the MAGA applauded (they did when he said he could clear up the streets fast). We have got to understand that the madness does not stop when one group is thought to be taken care of, there will always be another. The Nero administration along with his henchmen does not keep going unless they have a foil to blame for their failures. Right now it is the immigrants.
Steve thanks as always for your thought provoking analysis of what has happened and what it to come. A couple thoughts: I think we must continue to call these ICE facilities concentration camps, we need for that name to seep deep into the public space so there is no space for both siderism by the MSM. Specifically the one in FL should be Alligator Auschwitz. One other thought I have not seen elsewhere but seems obvious to me and that is that ICE with its massive new army will be at all the important polling places for black and brown people as another way to depress voting.
Steve is right. They plan to use immigrants as slave or cheap labor. Trump is a white supremacist who wants to put people of color back into subservient roles.
Have we hit bottom? We will wallow in this morass for 15 months before we can vote to change course. What thawed out from a hard winter at Valley Forge turned out to be men of forged, hardened steel filled with resolve. A forge pounds steel blocks to create hardened steel, and Valley Forge begat the legendary Bethlehem Forge. It was one bad winter. We are there again. We know what to do. Wear them down. Wear them out. Vote’m Out! Block the concentration camps. Those that now revel in their revenge will be gifted with single payer healthcare and the end of medical debt. I will add college education for their children to boot. That will be only part of our retribution. https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/concentration-camping?r=3m1bs
This can change any time some of the Republican Senators and Representatives change their votes. Perhaps when they return from recess and hearing from their constituents.
When Trump said he hated Democrats yesterday, on the 4th of July, he planted the seeds of war. He knows this. He just was given the money to form the biggest SS army of thugs and felons by our Congress. He has built his concentration camps and will be instructing his SS to go after anyone who is Blue, progressive, left leaning or thinking and anyone who dissents against his tribe.
Trump wants to eliminate all opposition to his rule.
He will send these SS thugs out to drag everyone into the camps.
Time is running out.
Trump has made it clear who he’s after besides illegals. And his Supreme Court has given him the green light to go ahead.
We may not make it to any midterm elections at this rate. And even if this changes the landscape politically, why do you think Trump has formed his SS goons? Do you think he’s going to let anyone take office that he doesn’t bless or appoint?
He’s prepared to make sure that midterms go his way, while everyone else clings to the notion that rule of law and fair play will still be in place in 18 months time.
A delusion.
Democrats sit in a stupor, intellectuals are steeped in rhetoric and debate
and everyone else is in denial or disbelief
Steve is screaming time is running out.
And he’s absolutely right.
A lot of us think a general organized strike is needed.
Rosa Parks.
All of it. Now.
It takes big money to organize and big strategists to layout a plan to undermine this government.
The Blues need billionaires to support any initiatives.
Billionaires don't coup. We need the military and insiders.
Not really true.
Trump has backing from Putin and his oligarchs and now as he’s had 4 years to build his strategy, Dems were asleep or complicit and let their position slip away.
In effect, we are already at war.
But we as the Blue progressive faction have grown complacent and now need to hustle and organize.
We have essentially 18 months to disrupt and dismantle.
But we’re leaderless. And Trump knows it. And the longer no one or no group steps up to question or cause dissent, the more power Trump gains. He knows that too.
Trump has big money and big backers and big oligarchs that want to suck this country dry economically.
Trump is trying to devalue the dollar and his family is investing in crypto in the hopes of making that the new standard currency.
Some mega brains and tactical teams are needed here to cripple that.
Well said!…:)
What do you call an organization based on a lack of empathy and moral compass and a surfeit of greed and avarice….The Republicans Congress.
Resist forcefully and legally.
Yea, it's like I've been saying. It requires a revolution - a displacement of a government that doesn't give a shit about the people. Massive protests: the kind that paralyzes business and government services. It's happened many times in history and unfortunately it now has to happen in the US. Eventually, more and more Americans will come to this conclusion. The alternative is a long life of oppression something most people can't imagine even it they've read about it.
I'm in.
All in ….There is no other way out of this
"... 10 million ethical, rational, adult, free citizens must show up. Block the concentration camps. Block the dishonorable masked brown shirts."
Burke, That is a great idea; a potentially powerful use of civil disobedience. But who will step forward to organize this and other types of civil disobedience?
Yes. WHO WILL STEP FORWARD?
Why don’t you join forces with ‘ Union del Barrio’ out of Los Angeles….These people have cajones that are dodging ICE..Get in touch with the head of this game…He’s a leader ..Get people on board to lead a revolution….
I am not certain I agree with all their goals, but I remember the concept of "la Raza" from decades ago. I entirely agree with the concept:
- La Raza - Began to be widely used during the Chicano Movement, it was used to represent "the community" or "the people", and referred to the concept of "La Raza Cósmica" (the "cosmic race"), the coming together of indigenous, African, and European blood. The Chicano movement upheld this concept through the symbolism of a "three faced" icon. When used today in conversation, it usually refers to Mexicana/os and other latina/os. Furthermore, UdB uses the term politically, and it includes indigenous people, latina/os from Aztlán to Chile, and others who unite with the struggles of la raza.
https://uniondelbarrio.org/main/4-2/about-udb/
You don’t have to agree with all their goals but I love these guys…We can’t stand still any longer …
I long ago stopped donating to the DNC. I contribute to individual Democrats with progressive agendas, not those under the sway of corporate America.
Who of the three organizations do you feel is the most powerful and most likely to pull this together?
I know you didn't ask me, but IMO all three ought to work in tandem, determining targets, strategies, and dates.
Agree. Maybe they are. It would make so much sense.
Thank you.
Not frustrating, inacceptable. I don't know that Jeffries has it in him and I think it has to be a white man for the rest of America to listen, so who can tell Murphy to bear his fucking teeth? If not, then who? As well as the media and public, we gotta hound the electeds again to fuckin start busting some heads. They only thing they fuckin stand to lose is goddamn everything.
The saying is this: every country has a mafia.. in russia the mafia has a country..
Answer: Not even thinkable and with a conscience never. That’s us alright, they are low we are high, those screwed the most will will come back and angry.
"those screwed the most will will come back and angry."
And they won't come back empty handed and unarmed.
Steve, you are a GREAT American and a fantastic writer. This is beautiful.
A shelf life of 249 years is pretty good for a country, but it is time to move on. We can divide up peacefully as Blue Nation and Red Nation.
The people in Alabama can happily elect Florida resident Tommy Tuberville as their next Governor, and the taxpayers of New Jersey will no longer have to subsidize the State of Alabama.
A win-win.
One of the issues I have is the war seems to be driven by MAGA and the red states. For example, a natural disaster in Texas or Tennessee gets treated as a natural disaster — at least by decent human beings. California has a natural disaster with fires and it is the fault of the people in California. This is horrid.
I don’t agree with cutting our losses. This is about truth, justice and freedom. Greed and self-interest in Washington combined with apathy among the citizens created this. Media took a wrong turn somewhere in the 80’s. I agree that journalism lost its integrity in the ratings war as well as creating the concept of access journalism in Washington. Reality TV was never real. The problem is too many people didn’t get the memo.
But half the people in this country no longer believe in those ideals. So, what- you want to fight a war to impose our values on them? We are already two countries. I wish there was a legal, non-violent way to make it official. I’m tired of supporting and making allowances for the ignorant, racists in the red states.
I do sometimes feel the divide is too deep. But the likelihood of a separation occurring is not likely. But I think pointing things out helps.
For instance, it was not a Senator in a blue or purple state that want to sneak an amendment into a budget bill to sell off millions of acres of land — our land — to his billionaire donors and buddies. This needs to be addressed by voters in Utah so the rest of us are not sold down the river if this is tried by him again.
What about us purple states.
Move??
Unfortunately not many choices if any.
I live in the 4th district in NW Iowa; one of the most maga districts in the country. I've lived here all my 71 years. I can't liquify and move and I won't. My grave site is purchased and is here at the church I grew up in. My children are here and my grandchildren too.
There is no choice.
Where?
If you can and have the means a blue state.
That is a problem, but plebiscites could solve it. Borders could be adjusted to facilitate moving from a red to a blue state or vice-versa.
Red State republican governments have a history of overruling the results of progressive sensible plebiscites showing that they don't really represent their citizens any more than the federal congress does.
Violence may be inevitable.
Violence may be inevitable.
I’d move.
No. I would much rather it be settled peacefully. Cutting our losses doesn’t solve the underlying problem of goverment corruption, self-dealing and deaf ears being turned towards the voters. And why should I be penalized for paying attention in American History class and living in a state that has been gerrymandered red by its corrupt politician. These MAGA morons think they are going to benefit by trickle down. What they don’t understand is the fact that parasites are never satisfied. They won’t be happy until it’s all gone.
I’m sure all the Jews in Europe would have rather been settled peacefully, too. Sometimes you have to move and be uncomfortable for awhile to be safe and peaceful.
WW2 happened because of similar events occurring in Germany that gave way to an out of control psychotic narcissist who thought he could annihilate undesirables out of existence. It happened because not enough spoke up or fought back. If we allow him to divide this country, it does not bode well for the rest of the world. He keeps some very sketchy company. It’s never a good idea to give in to a bully.
Those are comments need seven or eight clarifications. Something I'd see on FB, not Substack.
That's not true, and you objectively know it. Don't let the election stat get you down. That's over. Now, a significant portion of magats have extreme buyer's remorse as indicated by the topic-by-topic approval polls. Plus, thanks to the Zelensky Oval Office debacle, the entire globe now knows the real story and are allied to us, except Putin and our own technofascists. This isn't a popularity contest anymore, it's a pain game and we will win this.
I hope you are right. I will be THRILLED to be proven wrong. Unlike you, I have completely lost faith in half the country.
I never gave them my faith in the first place. I'm completely confident in the concept and reality of the United States, despite the trash fire of the past six months.
Help me prove you wrong.
What Mike said. The concept is that all people are created equal with certain unalienable Rights endowed by their Creator; the reality is maga.
What do you mean by the "concept and reality of the United States"? Those seem contradictory.
As they said; “the south shall rise again” and we let them, we even send them money.. here is calif we send about 80 billion
And I reject the Idea that the selfish half of this country who want to thump us into submission should be just handed anything. If they don’t like it, they can go find their own island and start over.
I've stopped talking about "half the country" because (1) it's an election stat from (2) wherein only 65% of the eligible voters made it to the polls and (3) the idea of Trump having "half" of any support is over on DOGE, on Elon, on tariffs, on Ukraine, on Canada, on gold jets, on unintelligible crypto scams, on the corruption, on ICE, on health care, on billionaires, on kitchen table issues, on veterans, on law, on hate. We estimate that magats represent approximately 30% of the voting public, right? This group are those schoolyard losers that we learned to hate and ostracize in second grade! We've already beat them once in our lives, so we just gotta go do it to their adult selves, holding guns. We can do this.
He’s a good guy. He’s as frustrated as the rest of us. Not sure where you are but his NC and my OH are in dire straits with the MAGA republicans. They wouldn’t know a good thing if it hit ‘em in the nose.
I agree. Abraham Lincoln lived in an entirely different world and he held the nation together; today, that may be impossible.
But even in his day, it may have been better to recognize and accept the Confederacy as a separate nation. We'll never know, but slavery would have likely ended before the 20th century and African-Americans gaining their citizenship freely may not have been the object of hatred and discrimination they became. Perhaps the Confederacy would have peacefully joined the Union again.
We will never know. And obviously we are doomed for history to repeat. For me, it’s an issue that as human beings who are involuntarily thrust into this world, and are all going to involuntarily be sucked out of it, certain rights are “Unalienable - Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”. I think that’s worth fighting for.
I'm with you. 100%.
When it comes to unfathomable quantities of money the equation, all equations re liberty, equity, justice, wages, health, social justice, etc, etc become skewed toward greed, racism and the terror it takes to ‘justify’ it.
This is a horrible idea and I'm disappointed I wasted my Steve Schmidt-time reading this comment.
Sometimes maybe I shouldn’t say how I really feel. I apologize if I offended you.
Nonononono!!! I was trying to respond to John D.!! I'm sorry this landed on your thread! You and I are simpatico. :)
Everything about Trump is projection and/or a strawman argument. Trump argues that Democrats hate America when, clearly, it is he himself who has nothing but contempt ant vitriol for the vast majority of Americans, including most of those who voted for him. As we progress through the next 16 months, defiance and resistance must be the mindset for at least 200 million of us. By November, 2026 enough people will have seen and/or felt the pain and suffering of Trumps hellscape regime that a midterm blowout win for the Dems, followed by an impeachment and conviction, is feasible. In the meantime, let's push back in every way possible. We, the patriots of our time, have a country to save.
This is my desperate dream and may be our only way to end Trump's reign peacefully.
"Peacefully" is preferrable, yet, does it matter? People need to have a very clear inner conversation about that. For me, who's kind of as GenX as we come, the answer is "no."
I am proud to stand among The Hated. While there may be no Red or Blue states, there are definitely those who abhor our current state while millions of others cheer insensitivity, an utter lack of compassion, an unrivaled selfishness, and an embrace of lies. It might be time to move on. I hope California and others are ready to fight this abomination of an administration that is now at war with us.
I love what you wrote there - a false binary and so forth - and that this is a media invention. First of all, if it is, it’s all of the media, not just on the right. And secondly, it also happens to be true. You as a former Republican know very well how state power operates. It’s one of the differences between the parties. And in the past ten years, you better believe it makes a difference whether you live in a blue state or a red state. Living in a red state can literally kill you. Also, note where Alligator Alcatraz is located.
Alligator Auschwitz?
I liked the term, too, at first, but it demeans the reality.
the ongoing failure of imagination of what is planned there and with all of P 2025, the full scale cruel depravity in the wings, is no longer a viable option. auschwitz was billed as a work camp...
I'm fully aware of Project2025, the new legislation, and the intricacies of the Nazi regime starting in April 1889. Also, Auschwitz was a complex of three camps, one of which, yes, imprisoned Jewish people for slave labor to the nearby German factories. The point is that the term is disrespectful to Auschwitz, which stands alone as a nadir in human depravity. Just cuz something's catchy, doesn't make it good, i.e. "Make America Great Again." Now, if you want to say "Alligator Auschwitz as the Republicans call it," I've heard my maga neighbor use the term, so it's a true statement), then that's political hardball.
Excellent Steve, and so true. I read today that Canadian and European tourism is down over 38%. They even have travel advisories telling them that America is dangerous, and is experiencing political unrest; as though were Beirut in the mid 1980’s.
Yet here we are; masked gunmen pulling people off the streets daily, and our military being deployed to cities in search of a problem.
Moreover, Border Patrol is stopping Americans and foreigners if they have t-shirts that support Obama or other democrats. These people are now politicizing entry into this country. Trump haters or supporters of democracy need not apply!
Only on Trump’s fascist America!…:)
What they are doing is terrifying to me. I am Jewish, and my parents lost family in the Holocaust. Now there will no doubt be all sorts of attempted voter suppression. Congress is complicit, John Roberts does not speak out, it's lovely to have Biden and Obama condemn what Trump is doing but it doesn't help. We have to stop this. Where are our previous leaders?
'Chris Murphy' I implore American listen to truth to power' It wasn't Schumer, who voted for the bill, IT was John Thume and the House Speaker who acted with knees bent, so get your story straight. My friend Steve!
'' Every single Republican who voted for it needs to pay a price. Lives will be lost. Families will be financially wrecked, and it will be because of Republicans' cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. The horrors and damage will be on their hands.
One by one, Republicans have tried to gaslight the American people about what this bill does. Every Republican who voted to pass this bill abdicated their power. Donald Trump doesn’t even seem to understand what his own bill does besides giving his billionaire friends a tax cut. Republicans rammed through this moral abomination of a budget bill with a 50-50 vote and JD Vance breaking the tie. It’s the most monstrous piece of legislation I’ve ever seen Congress vote on.
Any one of the 50 Republicans who voted for it could have stopped this. Saved millions of parents from watching their child go hungry. Saved the lives destroyed when Medicaid disappears.
Within minutes of the bill passing, Lisa Murkowski told reporters, “My hope is that the House is going to look at this and recognize that we're not there yet.” All reporting indicates that she was the final holdout that Republicans had to flip to yes, and now, she is saying that she doesn’t want this version of the bill to become law.
That’s bullshit. Her vote could’ve stopped this. They will all live forever with the horror of this bill.
In Senate Republicans’ final speech about the bill, all they talked about was money for the border. The border is already militarized, and Trump has created an immigration police state."
Look at the facts, it's MAGA Republicans and their King Trump need to be stopped, focus yore efforts in a truthy manor, I pray that you do, Steve!
Elliot, I love what you wrote and am in total agreement. Thank you.
I feel deeply grateful to you, Steve. Thank you this beautiful piece of writing today.
“A fish rots from the head, cut off the head, the body withers and dies.”
~Unknown
More eloquently, speaking to the urgency of the moment:
“There has to be a clarion call from someone or someones to stop the dissension of this country before it’s too late”
~Judge J. Michael Luttig
There can be no waiting, there must be actions taken now.
Judge Luttig is a truly great man; one of the few principled conservatives left in our beleaguered country.
The people that I hold with equal respect, admiration and esteem can be counted with fewer than the five fingers on my right hand. Yet I am in this moment unable to recall who the other two or three might be.
I understand why you feel that way, though I do not agree.
Please allow me to help if I can. For me, in this moment conservative, liberal, republican, democrat hold little meaning. However, since you spoke to conservatives I shall narrow my comment in the form of a comparison thusly. To borrow from you if I may "Principled" and more I would add, describes Judge Luttig as you rightly pointed out. While in my view, and I'd argue I am far from alone on this, abdication of oath to The Constitution and duty to the country describes those conservatives remaining in Congress and the entire right leaning judiciary of the high court. It would be unfair of me to remark on others in different areas of government, or the electorate. Though I have cause to wonder. But the Congressional GOP, and for those who are uncertain that constitutes both chambers and the afore mentioned entire right leaning judiciary at the high court, have shown to be the unprincipled, unfit, corrupt lot that they are. So, in my less than stellar uninformed state, I'm left by his words and deeds with but one J. Michael Luttig, Patriot!
I'm all for crushing MAGA but I can't help recall you bringing Sarah Palin into the tent in 2008. Someday you need to atone for that publicly. Maddow tried to warn us that we were near falling off the cliff. Then, we did, Now we're in the canyon watching the cliff receed as time marches on and the fascists have the bit in their teeth. Indeed, elections have consequences. Every one wringing their hands also has those same hands out asking for cash.
Peter,
I would encourage you to read this: https://steveschmidt.substack.com/p/no-books-no-money-just-the-truth
Steve
the very first thing on your site is asking for an upgrade to founding membership. I do that with Sykes. I am bombarded with money hits but not a lot of useful vision beyond quoting the founding fathers. Palin was a terrible misjudgement in how it cheapened the qualifications for being second in line to the presidency. The party has been on a long road down since Lee Atwater and Newt Gingrich if you ignore Nixon's crew. I don't disagree with the material you are putting out here but the hand out is just another version of the Murkowsky material. There doesn't really seem to be anyone who wants to be accountable when the shit actually does hit the fan. Sending immigrants to Libya? To Sudan? No Due process at all? No crime actually?
I have little to really celebrate this independence weekend. It's more like I'm heartbroken.
Thank you, Steve: I just read, for the first time, your posts (linked here) about John McCain, his campaign and your involvement in it. 16 years is a lifetime of silence, discretion and humility. I was aware of his daughter’s public hatefulness…and then the family’s vindictive refusal to invite you & Nicole Wallace to the funeral. I watched MSNBC coverage of it, and saw Nicole tear up when saying quietly that you and she were excluded from invitation…indeed , so completely out of character from what I believed about the man or his wife.
Your very public mea culpas are transparent and heartfelt evidence that some of life’s lessons are hard-learned & high-priced. I’ve watched your many guest visits with Nicole on DEADLINE WHITEHOUSE, have followed & subscribed (paid) to the Warning, and now watching your collaboration with Rev. Barber in the Save America Movement. I have faith in you, Steve Schmidt, and your SOS calls!
Thank you for providing that link. You might consider leaving pinned somehow to avoid these expressions of concern.
How public perceptions and standards have changed. From the NYTimes article: Mr. McCain appeared motivated less by the usual ideas about good governance than by a more visceral disapproval of the gifts, meals and money that influence seekers shower on lawmakers, Mr. Feingold said. “It had to do with his sense of honor,” he said. “He saw this stuff as cheating.”
When you read Steve’s writing you will understand that it wasn’t him who chose her.
I understand looking at the past for possible reasons and ways to improve the current situation. Like with many consequential events in history, there are many factors that influence changes in culture. I even disagreed with Steve when he was writing about Biden’s choices. It’s valuable to look back, but even one event didn’t cause 9/11. In this time of uncertainty and fear, I would encourage us all to give each other some grace and work together to beat this dictator imbecile.
I will understand that in the same way I absorb Lia Murkowski's explanation of her involvement in this bill. Sometimes, you need to simply fess up.
Steve also needs to explain his support for and work to secure the confirmation of the monstrous Samuel Alito.
Anthony,
Here you go -- two pieces:
https://steveschmidt.substack.com/p/im-ashamed-of-my-association-with?utm_source=publication-search
https://steveschmidt.substack.com/p/flags-of-alito?utm_source=publication-search
Steve
I think straying from the intentions of the founders really began a long time ago as in close to fifty years. The essence of what just occurred is that the core of the party doesn't like minorities or women. They put up with them when they thought they had to. They don't like paying for their issues and they won't do it , given the opportunity. They are now OK with paying it forward but that may be because they plan to disregard their constitution.
I get it that things change but these guys don't think democracy is a good idea and they want it gone. As autocrats, they'll deal with their little people when the time comes. They find them useful idiots currently. They hold them in contempt.
Steve, yes with this money he will have a Gestapo/Stasi of his own. Soon even in my area we will probably see ICE come in droves rooting out the immigrants/migrants, we may even have one of those detention centers soon.
There is a statement Trump made during a presser at the Alligator Alcatraz and he said it again in his speech at Iowa. “We need some of the immigrats/migrants to stay to work on the farms, some of these people have been on those farms for years. The immigrant can be allowed to stay and will be the farmer’s responsibility!” NO PERSON IS ANOTHER PERSONS RESPONSIBILITY, he is suggesting something like indentured servitude for the immigrants that are allowed to stay and work on the farms and in hospitality.
While Trump is rounding up the 20 million immigrants, we need to be asking the question who is next? Will it be the homeless, the mentally ill, the drug addicted? Kennedy has talked about wellness farms for the drug addicted and the mentally ill. Will the next round up be them? They are easy to dehumanize and we would witness the MAGA applauded (they did when he said he could clear up the streets fast). We have got to understand that the madness does not stop when one group is thought to be taken care of, there will always be another. The Nero administration along with his henchmen does not keep going unless they have a foil to blame for their failures. Right now it is the immigrants.
Steve thanks as always for your thought provoking analysis of what has happened and what it to come. A couple thoughts: I think we must continue to call these ICE facilities concentration camps, we need for that name to seep deep into the public space so there is no space for both siderism by the MSM. Specifically the one in FL should be Alligator Auschwitz. One other thought I have not seen elsewhere but seems obvious to me and that is that ICE with its massive new army will be at all the important polling places for black and brown people as another way to depress voting.
Why in the world would they plan all these detention centers if they are supposedly deporting these people? It makes no sense at all.
Steve is right. They plan to use immigrants as slave or cheap labor. Trump is a white supremacist who wants to put people of color back into subservient roles.
Have we hit bottom? We will wallow in this morass for 15 months before we can vote to change course. What thawed out from a hard winter at Valley Forge turned out to be men of forged, hardened steel filled with resolve. A forge pounds steel blocks to create hardened steel, and Valley Forge begat the legendary Bethlehem Forge. It was one bad winter. We are there again. We know what to do. Wear them down. Wear them out. Vote’m Out! Block the concentration camps. Those that now revel in their revenge will be gifted with single payer healthcare and the end of medical debt. I will add college education for their children to boot. That will be only part of our retribution. https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/concentration-camping?r=3m1bs
This can change any time some of the Republican Senators and Representatives change their votes. Perhaps when they return from recess and hearing from their constituents.