*sigh* Trump has a LOOOOOONG and well-documented history of breaking contracts and failing to pay. His administration is full of criminals, adulterers, abusers, alcoholics, and drug addicts who largely have no relevant experience doing what they have been tasked to do. None of this should be surprising, but people like this poor farmer were sucked into a cult of grievance, and here we are.
This is exactly what Trump has been doing his whole life. Breaking contracts, not paying after the work has been finished. Not caring about others people at all.
I feel for this farmer. I feel for our whole country. We are in uncharted territory. We got exactly what the electorate voted for. A grifter in chief……not a surprise. Just a tragedy.
Co-signing this as a NYC resident. This should surprise no one. He’s left a deep wake of unpaid contracts in his path. Everyone here knows someone who he’s stiffed.
That’s seriously what confused me the most. How on earth did NYC natives vote for him knowing who he is? I mean, the people I personally know who voted for him I know at least half voted because they are racist. But New Yorkers by now should know he’s a robber baron. I have no clue why anyone would be surprised. But I do feel sad for those who voted thinking he’d help and now are feeling these effects. No one should be worried about feeding their families :/
This is infuriating. What’s interesting to me though is the phrase he used: “I got into bed with the government”. You can still hear the disdain for government that’s been instilled in him as a Trump supporter. But it wasn’t the (traditional) government that failed him or was a risk here, it was Trump himself. I think it’s a small, interesting example of the internal thought process that Trumps followers will probably use overtime to justify his actions.
Yep, I believe that is the point. Tear down government, so it doesn’t work. Then voters lose trust and are ok with dismantling everything. Sigh. I hate this timeline. Can we fast forward a few years?
I noticed that, too, and the inability to connect the dots. "I got in bed with the govt"--no. It's not the THE GOVT, it's THIS GOVT, *this* admin, that doesn't BELIEVE in the govt. It's not govt per se that's the issue here, it's fanatics now running the federal govt which they don't even believe in supporting! (silently screaming). He's not taking away the lesson here. Will people like this farmer *ever* learn the current lesson? Or just continue to blame the govt.....:(
I am genuinely curious if the rapid pace of changes by this administration will engage more voters in 2026 and 2028. There are many reasons for voters to disengage from the process and I do believe one of them is that the government tends to move slowly-- so regardless of the outcome voters often feel like even when their choice party has power, nothing gets done. When there is a perception that nothing gets done in government (last Congress was one of the least productive), it's easier to tell yourself the outcome doesn't matter and thus your vote doesn't matter.
I am disturbed by the direction of this administration, but I wonder if a faster paced government might actually engage more voters in the process and activate them to hold officials to account for their actions/inactions because a government that ACTS more quickly creates a greater perception that the results of elections really do matter.
Not me trying to find a silver lining in this chaos. 🤦♀️
I’m praying that those FL special elections wake people up to get out and vote to take back some of the check and balances we’re supposed to be famous for!
It's extremely discouraging...and scary. I am counting on enough Trump voters of 2024 to be able to connect the dots so we can hopefully save this Republic. If enough of them can't, we are screwed.
This befuddles me. He votes a certain way then is shocked by the outcome. It is horrible what’s happening to farmers, it’s also horrible what’s happening to government workers. Also affected are families with kids receiving special education services or have loved ones with rare disorders that research funding has been cancelled. These are real people across America whose lives have been devastated. Will America learn from this and realize who they vote for or whether they vote does matter? I feel like I’m watching a multi-car pileup with no end in site.
But when they voted for the Leopards Eating Peoples' Faces Party, they were sure that it wasn't THEIR faces that would be eaten. We're in the Find Out phase, and I simply don't have the energy to empathize with them. There are plenty of people who didn't vote to have other people's faces eaten, and yet here we are. This guy doesn't have any remorse. Doesn't mention how his decision affected anyone else. This is not the first government subsidy he's gotten (SNAP doesn't just help people eat... Where do they think the food cones from?!) so he's got cows to float his loan for now. I know that my attitude isn't going to help build a coalition across the aisle, but we're in a full on constitutional crisis. And it may become more than that in the not too distant future. It's not like no one informed people that this was the plan.
It’s almost like letting unqualified computer programmers dismantle federal agencies and make sweeping budget cuts without rationalization or attention to long term outcomes is not a good idea!
And he has nothing to lose. He doesn’t need their votes anymore, the next 4 years are going to continue to show people that they were manipulated so a billionaire could get richer.
They care. They care about money and re election and no one works those phones better than the Tech Bros assistants. They are using their money to influence the GOP.
Which is crazy to me! So IF he can’t run again (I hate even questioning this) but congress people plan to run for re-election, surely they realize that their blind loyalty isn’t going to help them win?!
Farming counties in the US voted for Trump at a rate of 77%. So…no sympathy here. Farmers can read. They can ask questions. They can source their news from non partisan and reliable sources. But they did not. They went with the man with the shake and bake tan and the shot up bloody ear who too many men in this country called “gangsta” for his tough talking manly man act. Natural consequences. Bring it.
I agree. It’s hard to have sympathy for their poor critical thinking skills and bad decisions. But, unfortunately, it’s not just the farmers who are impacted. This will literally impact EVERY single person in the US.
Yes. Buckle up. It’s the only way to fight the MAGA cancer. We all get hurt I’m afraid but I’ll weather the storm if I know that a better version of our much loved democracy is around the corner.
There’s a “don’t buy anything” day of protest being planned on 2/28. Buy nothing. The organizers say you can buy from small biz but I’m buying nothing. Don’t buy from target amazon or Walmart for sure. Keep your hard earned money to yourself that day. Consider it a tap on the shoulder to the oligarchs that reminds them “We’re still here and we have power too”.
As a small-business owner who did not vote for Trump, please consider buying from small business on 2/28. We are already significantly hurting as people start to realize the economy is not actually going to get better.
I agree with DeeDet. One day is a blip. We need to start thinking long term. Reduce spending overall. Continue to buy only the things you can't get anywhere else from the big guys. If you can't get something anywhere else, first question whether you need it, then ask what viable alternatives there are, and then ask whether a different seller with different policies might be able to provide a solution. Start sharing resources. Start buying together in bulk to reduce overall cost and shipping.
I saw some reports that spending has dropped this winter. I know I’ve stopped spending needlessly, it’s one tiny way to protest. I don’t think I am alone.
I’ll take a blip. Right now we’re waiting for better or perfect ways to respond and I think any action is better than waiting. One thing I’ve learned from Trump? Move fast. Move hard. But ffs take action.
I love the sentiment, but I’m skeptical that this will even do anything. The billionaire “bros” and the new administration will likely just laugh about it because they know we’ll all be back to spending the next day.
One day - if it makes a dent which it will if enough people do it - gets their attention. And it costs us nothing. I’m done waiting for the perfect protest or the perfect action or the perfect leader who can clap back and stop this dismal dismantling. Im done waiting for the “organizers” within the opposition party to organize. Yes yes. They’re suing and doing stuff “behind the scenes” but honestly? This is a high stakes food fight so start throwing. Anything. Anywhere. Anytime.
I live in a rural area and signed up for my local farm’s summer CSA, and am actively switching my grocery shopping to smaller local places for meat, eggs, etc. These farmers need support, and this is the best way I can find to do that. ❤️
Every little bit helps ! I grew up on a rural Missouri cattle farm. A lot of our neighbors have huge crop farms that will likely be impacted by the cuts and freezes.
Farmers truly are the backbone of our country. They love what they do and they work tirelessly to care for their crops and livestock. It really is sickening to see them get slapped in the face like this, with no regard to how it will impact America’s farmers and our food distribution systems.
After what happened to farmers in the first Trump Administration, I am bothered to read that 77% of farmers supported him the second time around. I’m VERY sorry to hear these people are suffering.
Yes I have found a local farm and farmers market that I try to buy from. Our area used to be rich in farms until they were bought out. There are a number of smaller ones trying to make a go of it again. They are so small still though that you can't really buy all of your food from them. Some of the local farms also took a hit due to bird flu. I'm hoping in the spring things look better for them.
Thanks for the reminder! Signed up for one that drops off near us today. I’d done it in the past and loved it but the farm had sold to another family and changed their CSA operation location. Not sure about other places but here in Oregon (Willamette Valley) CSAs can be hard to get into and they are EXPENSIVE. The closest CSA option near to me is $800 for a full share. What are CSA options near y’all like?
That's about how much it will be for my CSA. It's $32/week for a box that feeds 4 (and half that price for half the size). I'm in south-central PA. But, I spend at least that much at the store on produce, and I love the idea of super local/fresh stuff.
Mine also partners with other local farms to occasionally pop in surprises (honey, eggs, etc) and they send recipes weekly.
How anyone who voted for Trump is shocked by his actions is shocking to me. He was a crook long before he officially became a convicted felon. Remember him building ostentatious hotels and then not paying contractors? Remember him incurring millions and millions of debt and then filing bankruptcy multiple times? Remember him denying any knowledge of or affiliation with Project 2025? I sure do. He is a liar and a cheat, plain and simple. Just over half of those who voted fell for his lies hook, line and sinker. And now we're all suffering the consequences of their vote.
Honestly? I am a bit disappointed in the whole "well, you got what you voted for" rhetoric. Yes, he voted for Trump. Yes, the writing was on the wall. I am so incredibly upset and angry too. But just because he didn't immediately say "I made a mistake" on camera doesn't mean he doesn't realize the administration is the cause of his funding being frozen or just disappearing altogether. And the "FAFO" crowd is the same crowd screaming at Democrats to do something, btw.
This is a major opportunity for people to start LEARNING. How the government works, how federal and state and local decisions genuinely affect our daily lives. It's a major opportunity for people to get involved, break out of echo chambers - and for independent media, politicians, and us to start talking to people, not at them.
No one learns anything by hearing, well you made a mistake - lose your entire livelihood and not be able to support your family, moron. I hope instead of that attitude, Governerds share this story far and wide. Encourage people who have similar stories to tell them - on social media, on the local news, to every single person they know. That's how you create change. By having cancer researchers on the local news explaining how children will die by the loss of their research. By park rangers sharing their stories on instagram. By every day government workers telling their neighbors how this affects their life. This man, Trump voter that he is, is doing more to bring awareness to the problems the administration is creating than most Democrats are right now. (End rant).
I actually listened to a very lengthy conversation that Skyler had with Will Westmoreland. I found the conversation extremely civil and Skyler readily admitted that he didn’t actually read about either candidates platforms before voting. Additionally, when asked if there was anyone in his personal life (family/friends) who could have convinced him that Trumps policies would potentially be bad for him, he said no. He also shared that growing up in rural Missouri, he had been raised with the mentality that Democrats are basically liars and nothing they say is trustworthy.
This is the harsh reality: many people will not “see the light” until something bad happens to them personally. It is SO EASY to arm chair quarterback even when you read about other people’s sad stories online.
Democrats are far beyond the point of any damage control when it comes to messaging. An entire swath of the electorate has been attending the church of Fox News for decades. I don’t think there is much to be done other than allow people to personally feel the consequences.
And I don’t say those things about fox without personal experience. I watched how Fox News, bill o Reilly and Rush turned my father into someone without much empathy, and trusted them more than his own children.
This is the comment I’ve been looking for!! Thank you, Rachel. I too have been following Will’s communication with Skylar. His initial attempt to reach out to to him, the video in which he briefly explained Ronald Regan and the Fairness Doctrine,
was so gently and thoughtfully presented, that I can’t imagine too many walked away without really examining their core beliefs and how and where they were formed.
I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment here because as much as everyone wants to get tangled up in what is the right or wrong thing to say, the facts are that actions have consequences and we’re all along for the ride. The part that angered everyone the most was Skylar’s admission that he hadn’t done his homework and that he couldn’t have been convinced otherwise. Which, on its face, is basically a declaration that he didn’t care what the issues were and didn’t care if/how his vote affected anyone. In for a penny, in for a pound- so to speak.
That is the piece that sparks anger and I understand it. We’re all along for the ride of his admitted ignorance so I can see how someone can hear that flippant response and say, ‘Well, you broke it, you bought it.’ Right or wrong, I understand that frustration.
Thank you again for sharing about Will. I haven’t seen another comment here about that exchange and it’s important because it was so valuable.
Yes I found their exchange so so valuable, and Will’s previous video describing how essentially a lot of rural people have been fed this steady diet of vitriol politics has been a big piece of the equation. Not saying Skyler was included in that specifically, but that he grew up in a part of the country where it’s common.
What I further took away from it was that there was almost nothing that the dems could have done to attempt to dissuade a large segment of people from Trump.
And you’re right, we are all along for the ride at this point. I’m SO glad people like Skyler have the cajones to go online and admit that they misjudged the situation. There needs to be more though. A LOT more. I hate that people are suffering. It pains all of us.
What I do have some amount of hope for is that when things get worse, people will band together to take care of each other. And that each of us start putting our focus back on helping our neighbors.
Cojones, indeed!! Very well stated, friend. I’m hopeful as well and continue to remind myself that we must resist the urge to language ourselves into disempowerment. The narrative that unfolds in the recesses of our minds matters just as much as how we position ourselves in this world that we share with one another. United we stand, divided we fall. Onward!
This comment here is why, while I have sympathy for Skyler and others who will have to face the consequences of Trump's presidency, I also have hope for our future after all this pain. Things will go one of two ways, either people will continue to believe Trump and our government will continue to spiral into authoritarianism OR enough people will feel the sting of consequence that the tide will turn against him. I'm hopeful it's the latter and while I don't wish harm on anyone, I do hope the sting of reality will bend us back toward a more democratic government.
I tagged Builders in the exchange. Will Westmoreland is a national treasure and THIS IS THE WAY.
Unfortunately, the “FO” portion of the group project is going to be *painful* for a lot of us. I hope that when the hurt is starting to be felt there are more like Westmoreland available to meet folks where they are and educate without shame or blame.
Thanks for your reply! I haven't heard the conversation, and will definitely check it out :) Democrats are so incredibly frustrating when it comes to messaging, I agree. I truly hope that stories like this one are used to further change in people - the power of social media and the immediacy of the internet is that maybe we get to be the change without relying on the political messaging machine. We can use stories like this, even if the people in them don't necessarily understand the simple fact that they voted for their own harm. It can make them even more powerful. A lot of people may not listen or understand until it comes to their own doorstep, yes (and I think it is going to come to a lot of doorsteps). But some will. Honestly it's the only thing that gives me a bit of hope right now.
This was really interesting. I don't tiktok or youtube so I had never heard of this person! I have always found farming interesting, I always joke that is what I want to do when I grow up. I remember this series on farming on PBS we watched back in the late 80s or 90s (I was a REAL fun kid) and I still think about that family sometimes.
Two things can be true. I have empathy for the farmer and I have disappointment that he voted for an administration that showed they don't care about the american people and would see my daughters treated as sub-human. One does not go away because I feel the other, and I don't want it to. I can hold anger and empathy. People need to learn how to grow inward to hold conflicting feelings.
I absolutely agree :) This isn't to say at all that it isn't valid to be angry, upset, terrified, and whatever else anyone may be feeling. I will confront anyone who openly states anything against the basic human rights of any person. I was speaking more toward the constant commenting that there is no empathy for people who voted for the administration. It can feel like it's impossible to not know the logical consequences for people like us who pay attention - but I think there are a lot of people who unfortunately didn't know, and will have genuine regrets. And those are not the people to shame, because they will help make the change in the end :)
I totally understand! I suppose I don't view it as shaming when someone thinks "they're getting what they asked for". To me, it is a natural consequence. However, the way one deals with natural consequences, either with empathy or blame, is I think what you're talking about here!
Shaming them will only alienate them further. We need to show them empathy so they are more open to changing their minds. As mentioned above, the ‘told you so’ arguments are a hard sell and makes them more vulnerable to believe the propaganda when the blame is placed somewhere else.
I think it doesn't help to say "they got what they voted for" out loud. It doesn't build bridges - it just puts up walls. But I'm certainly allowed to FEEL that way, and feel the frustration and anger that comes when someone doesn't recognize the consequences of their own actions. I agree with Melanie that both feelings are true - I hope this man doesn't lose his farm, but I'm terribly frustrated with his inability to see the Trump admin for what it is and his continued refusal to acknowledge it head on.
Ultimately, if we want to repair the rift that politics has caused, we have to learn which feelings are helpful in building coalitions (empathy and hope) and which feelings are not (anger, fear, contempt).
This is when I think about inside and outside thoughts. We can feel certain things and share them with trusted friends and then when trying to work with others we lead with empathy. I'm not saying I'm perfect at this lol! Far from it. But it's something I try to remember. We all get frustrated by certain things and in some places it's ok to have contentious conversations. But when we move to working with others in our communities we have to leave those conversations in those other spaces.
How do you move forward and come to an understanding with someone who thought a felon and person who is responsible for the attempted insurrection against our country was worthy of the office of president? How do you meet in the middle with someone who ignored the decades of trump being a disreputable businessman. You can’t have morals, character or a belief in democracy and have voted for him. I’d love to be able to say these were uneducated people, but the truth is, they were people who ignored all the warnings and cast an uneducated vote anyway. I’m not sure I want them involved in any attempt to fix a government they’re responsible for helping to destroy.
You're certainly allowed to feel this way, and no one is saying you personally have to build coalitions or interact in any way you don't wish to. Hold boundaries, and do what feels right for you in your personal life!
But we don't get systemic change in our country by not including some of the people who voted for Trump. I know good people who voted for him. I know good people who just didn't vote. I also know people who I choose not to interact with, at all, who voted for him. I hold hard boundaries for anyone who doesn't believe in basic rights for all humans.
Change is hard, and frequently feels unfair. The people who show up and do the work are also the people who get death threats, who are perpetually exhausted and rarely thanked. It's not fun. It's frequently not profitable. And it means understanding that as much as we wish that every single voter in this country was an educated voter, that's not the case. All I am doing in my post is advocating for sharing people's stories - every single person who is affected by the administration, Trump voter or not. Because I think that's how you bring awareness, and get people to stand up. Because I think believing that nothing works = nothing works. Because I think when you start believing that all humans who voted one way are evil, evil wins.
This. Right now, we are sorely lacking in this arena of thought and communication. All around the proverbial elephant, we are too busy telling others what they aren’t seeing instead of explaining what we see after hearing what they are seeing. Walls in the form of words which shoot “ignorant, stupid, obtuse, etc” effectively shut people down. No one will listen to possible reason once attacked. Human nature is hard to get around when not addressed with finesse and forethought.
I would love to see messaging surrounding this. See them bring real people impacted to be interviewed and showing us the negatives of these decisions. I think there are some people trying but they aren't necessarily the voices with enough clout or followers to be picked up by a larger audience.
This!! So much this. Such a simple concept (and easy right now!) for anyone looking to run for office or reelection is find people affected by the administration and share their stories. It's so effective and helps people get out of their partisan thinking.
Great idea, Amber. Also, I think these stories also highlight a nuance in rhetoric vs reality. I've seen a few stories about impacted farmers like this one using the funds to install solar panels, for example, and other environmental/conservation type of projects. Those farmers who are Trump voters likely know Trump doesn't believe in climate change and will roll back climate action, and yet some of the same farmers seem to understand the value of renewables or environmentally friendly practices and labd restoration for their own farms. This is an opportunity to connect the dots and bridge the divide.
I agree about the "well you got what's coming to you" attitudes! That does not create momentum toward positive change, it further entrenches the "us vs. them" attitude that is so pervasive. I would hope, as Governerds, we could show there is a different, better way. I believe that we can be frustrated and upset about how people voted and the consequences of that, and that we should hold our leaders accountable for their actions, but that we can also still treat others with respect.
I agree with so much of what you said. I think journalists should be interviewing and reporting the stories of the people that the administration is harming every day. I also am so glad to have found Sharon for a refresher on how government works. That said-this man needs to understand how the government works too. He needs to understand that it was Trump who reneged, not some deep state person.
I am saddened by this thought that I have-but I do think we need to suffer through the find out phase. We can only do so much by contacting our reps and helping our neighbors and voting in the midterms and trying to fill in the gaps wherever we can-but maybe this phase of consequences will remind us that it doesn’t have to be this way? Maybe the consequences combined with the learning will do the trick? I can only hope so.
I agree with you too! I think the find out phase is inevitable, and it frankly just sucks that people (including people who did their research and voted in their own interests) have to go through it as well.
This particular person may not get the logical 1+1 =2 math that the administration he voted for literally took away the money he was counting on. But I think his story is useful either way, and should be used to push for change. The main hope that I cling to in all of this is that the consequences plus learning does do the trick. Honestly, it's all I have at the moment :)
I agree . In the beginning, I felt the same, “well you got what you voted for’ anger. I think it’s OK to be able to vent, but at some point we have to realize that pointing fingers at our neighbors just makes us the neighbor that points fingers. It doesn’t help anyone. We are all in this together, and the best way that I can see to change. The tide is to reach across the aisle and meet people where they are. Shouting at them from the sidelines isn’t going to accomplish anything except making them tone deaf
I’m with you on this! It took me a bit, and there have been several things that have helped me get there, with one of them being discussions with others in this comments section.
*Random, but for the people I engage with regularly in this section, I changed my screen name from “Jessica” to “Jessica C” because I saw another “Jessica” in the comments today (welcome!).
Well said, E.M. Although we have different ideologies, I love your approach and framing of the comments you post. When I read them, it leaves me thinking on the subject rather than triggering an emotional response.
Hi Amy, I always look for your responses to see a different view, I would like to know your view with regards to this post overall, what am I not seeing from your point of view, you give balance.
Hi Julie. I don’t feel well enough informed on this topic yet to comment. I don’t share the “you got what you voted for” hate. My initial reaction is that everything coming out of the Trump administration is seen as bad by liberal outlets including The Preamble. That raises a flag for me.
I am still doing research though to understand more and different perspectives.
If this were a typical conservative/republican president, opposed to an extremist, I'd agree it raises a flag. However, when dealing with an extremist, I understand why liberal outlets including The Preamble are reporting the reality of his anti-democratic agenda. You may agree with something he's doing, but that doesn't mean it follows our sacred democratic process. So I expect Sharon to share her expertise on the subject regardless of if it matches your desired worldview.
What expertise? My understanding is Sharon researches these topics, albeit heavily, and writes the articles, as anyone here is capable of doing. Her articles are often framed using an emotional appeal. You're intended to feel a certain way before you even get into the meat and potatoes of the text. And yes, this framing nearly always leans in one direction.
Katie, could you explain where the emotional appeal is in the title or subtitle of the article is or where you felt the emotional appeal? I didn’t feel any certain way before reading the entirety of the article based on its title/subtitle. I felt a certain way based on many other things but not the title/subtitle.
“The government promised to pay (fact) —-then it didn’t. (Fact)
Farmers are facing financial ruin (fact) after a funding freezing (fact).
My second question/observation is if you feel an emotional response based on facts that might not align with your worldview or choices you’ve made (I have no idea if that’s true) then that’s less about the factual information presented and more about how you’re interpreting it within your own worldview. Which to be clear every single one of us does, not saying this is unique to you as an individual.
Amy this is what I was writing to you about last week. Your defensiveness seems unwarranted to me. The only condescending comment came from a commenter mocking Sharon’s “expertise” and her time at being a “public school teacher”. If you don’t find Sharon to be an “expert” and don’t like her “biases” I wonder why you’re here. I also cannot even find a bias in this article? She’s telling us a factual story. Her IG stories are linking what can happen if a nation has food scarcity. Is that the bias you see? I don’t mean to be rude, I just don’t see how Melanie was being condescending.
You mistake factual reporting for liberal reporting. But it’s not surprising that you think a forum like The Preamble, devoted to the principles of democracy, to historical fact and to good governance, must be some sort of “liberal outlet” since most of its recent content seems to provoke outrage and dismay over the current administration’s actions. In my opinion, it’s much less an indication of Sharon’s alleged liberal bias and much more of an indication of how this administration is completely trashing democracy, facts and good governance.
I’m not sure why it is difficult to accept the Preamble as a biased source of information. Doesn’t mean that it doesn’t contain factual information. The administration is not trashing democracy and the sky is not falling, as this publication would lead you to believe.
This administration is literally trashing democracy by bullying our democratic allies, doing the bidding of Russia and China, praising anti-democratic organizations and authoritarians, letting an unelected, unvetted billionaire subject to no conflict of interest or disclosure laws rampage through the government, bypassing the legislative branch and threatening to defy the judicial branch, ordering a halt to America’s pro-democracy efforts around the world, completely flouting rules and regulations against profiting from the office of the Presidency, purging Inspectors General, watchdogs, ethics personnel and all others deemed insufficiently loyal, calling for the shutdown of media outlets deemed insufficiently favorable to the regime and irreparably weakening the rule of law by mass-pardoning violent criminals and mass-firing prosecutors for doing their jobs. Sharon would have to flat out lie in this forum to make all of this look less like the democracy dumpster conflagration it actually is. But your allegations of bias are predictable since you spent so much time and energy trying to convince us none of this would happen. It has nothing to do with how the facts are being communicated and everything to do with the horrendous nature of the facts themselves.
Well stated. I don’t know what social media platforms you’re active on but I’m on IG and Threads and I have to say, there are numerous stories, posted daily, by those affected by these policies and changes. Park Rangers, Federal Employees, Parents of Children with Disabilities etc..
I wish I could say that those firsthand experiences are opening eyes and prompting introspection but I don’t think that’s the case. Sadly, people don’t actually believe what they are seeing and hearing. Some proclaim it to be “fake news”, others will flood the comments with “cry harder” or whatever other nonsense they can muster.
Rachel Wood commented above about Will Westmoreland’s response to Skylar. I think it’s worth noting that his response did open the door to Skylar being willing to hear his perspective on the situation, but the interesting thing is, to my point, not many people even know that exchange transpired. It was shared far and wide and yet, few have even made mention of it here.
All of this to say, people are sharing. They are trying. I assure you. But some have been conditioned to jump immediately to “this is left-leaning”, “this isn’t a bipartisan opinion”, “this is a residual policy from the Obama or Biden administration” and on and on and on. It’s exhausting.
I totally understand that (especially on Instagram) some of the stories being shared get terrible interactions - disbelief, blame on the individual, etc. And it is exhausting!! It's so incredibly frustrating that you can present facts with a human face to some people and they are met with derision and cruelty.
I agree that a lot of people just won't understand, or will willfully look in the other direction until it lands in their own home, and maybe even then. That's always the case, historically speaking, after all.
I love that people are sharing, and trying, and fighting. It's exhausting to continue. But I have to hope that as more and more of these stories come out, and more and more of them are amplified - on social, yes, but also by local news and hopefully by local politicians and state politicians, some people will start to listen. Some communities will start to come together. We're in early days yet - the administration has only been in control for a short time. A lot of the "find out" period is to come. A lot more stories will be shared.
The goal is never to get everyone. The goal is to get the people who watch the video and don't leave a comment, but remember it. The goal is to start the messaging and sharing now, so that when the stories pile up, enough people start to speak out. I honestly don't know if it will work. But it seems like such a massive mistake not to keep trying :)
P.S. Try Bluesky! It can be an overwhelming site but it has a lot of people doing good work :)
That is a nice idea, but if you look at any of the comments on these stories it's so disheartening. The ranger story that has been shared far and wide has so many comments rationalizing - he's a temp worker, it's a seasonal job, etc. When your "beliefs" are part of your identity, it's very hard to convince people otherwise.
Absolutely true! My original comment was not about the people who are on board with everything this administration does - and certainly not about the people who feel it is ok to leave hate speech on anyone's content, or make them feel less than for being a seasonal worker or any other reason. The comment was about people who are struggling with the reality of what is happening, and who would want to be a part of positive change. People are going to feel the effects of this administration sooner or later, and I think it just is a good idea to start using that for good :)
I disagree. If you voted for trump in this last election, with everything he has done( felon, adjudicated rapist, person responsible for the attempted insurrection against our country), you have no morals or character. You can’t expect a person like that to all of a sudden see the light. They will find a way to blame it on anyone but the person actually responsible, and the cycle will continue.
Article ends with "trust in government programs has been shaken". That shaken trust needs to shift to those who were elected. They're the ones reneging. Not the programs themselves. Elections truly have consequences!
I also noticed that. Not once did he express remorse for having supported Trump. His words were remorseful about signing a contract with ‘the government’. I don’t think these realizations are going to be directed at the real culprit. And the people in power will find some way to blame someone else.
This is what I am most concerned about. Their shaken confidence needs to be directed to the current administration, but they are wily propagandists, and are already prepared for how to spin this. We are living in Orwell’s Animal Farm.
Thank you for this article and highlighting the critical role farmers play in our nation. I hope farmers receive their payments. Their livestock and livelihoods hang in the balance.
We run a pastured poultry operation & sell to local restaurants and farmers markets. Farming is quite literally the hardest job I’ve ever had. Neither of us grew up on a farm or inherited land, so we had to start from scratch. Our goal is to feed people high quality chicken that is raised on pasture.
We used a loan for first-time farmers through the FSA/USDA to begin our operation, and we both kept working our full time off farm jobs for the first 5 years of production to make ends meet. We prioritize the welfare of our flock. Animals need care around the clock, regardless of the weather— extreme heat, snow, ice, rain, brutal winds. It’s a 24/7/365 job. The IRA (signed by Biden) was such a gift to small farmers like us. We vote blue for many reasons (climate change, public health infrastructure/addressing bird flu, equitable public education, repro rights, etc). What makes me sad is that I know that the majority of farmers vote for individuals who don’t have their best interests at heart. When Trump enacts tariffs, it’s the farmers who feel the burden. When climate change is denied or ignored, farmers suffer the consequences. And when farmers suffer, the community, the economy, & the American people suffer. This is just my take— I’m still “new” to the farming world. It’s hard work, but people need to eat 😉
Loved seeing comments of folks signing up for CSAs and going to farmers markets 🫶🏻 Thank y’all for supporting local whenever you can! Farmers are the backbone of America.
Do you think he even realizes that he voted for the government "he got in bed with"? You are all right - it's incredibly frustrating that you vote for a person, get angry at the consequences and then ultimately blame the "government" body - not the person YOU voted for.
I thought this same thing! Instead of looking at the change in administration that changed his circumstances, he is effectively claiming Biden hoodwinked him. No sir, that contract would have been good under a Harris presidency. It’s this administration that backed out, not “the government.”
I really struggle here. I do not want to see small family farms across the US go out of business. I don’t want to see anyone in this position, especially when it wasn’t necessary. They could have honored what was already done without this chaos. The fact that they said one thing and did another adds a layer of distrust. I hope the funding to farmers is restored. While I’m also sad for the people who will still lose livelihoods due to the cuts and freezes.
oh are we not mentioning how JD Vance is a major investor in Acre Trader, an app that lets foreign nationals residing in the US purchase farmland that's for sale? ok
Yep! I was just having a conversation with my husband yesterday about how cutting farm subsidies will simply result in further consolidation of farmland into large conglomerates, many of which are foreign owned. We might become "energy independent" (we're already producing more than we use), but if our food supply is owned by large corporations and foreign investors, then we might as well hand over the whole country. If you think eggs are expensive now....
Ding ding! Thanks Rachel. When something doesn't make sense like hurting the farmers that overwhelmingly voted for Trump, I follow the money for part of the answer and hadn't thought about this connection. Now it makes sense. Similar to the offer to federal employees, i wonder when farmers will get offers to buy out their farms.
Check out the farm crisis of the 1980's. There was intent by some people that created policy that caused the farm crisis to consolidate family farms into corporations. There's money to follow there. The difference here is that the crisis will be fully intentional and the farmers that have the most to lose voted for it. And it wasn't a secret.
This was the first place my mind went as well. When family farms can't pay their bills and get foreclosed, who is going to swoop in and purchase them for a song? Big corporate agriculture.
Anyway, off to search for local CSA deliveries because that's a great idea. (Although my one and only experience with a CSA in the past resulted in the summer of 50 million radishes and I don't LIKE radishes.)
Oh, Governerds - true Governerds, hasn't Sharon taught us well enough to be about the solution? Please, let's stop with the blaming and emotional rhetoric and get to work. I will contact my legislators about this particular problem today. We must stop the vitriol and the I-told-you-so's and start being productive. I've worked with many legislators and their staff. If you send vitriol, blaming, and shaming, they will likely hit delete before hearing your point (if you have one). What gets their attention is respectful, well-intended, logical letters and messages. Governerds aim to make a difference, educate, and build bridges - not just bathe in "being right." If we all bring awareness to specific issues, there is still hope.
Easy to say, but I've written many respectful letters to my congressman. Including within the past week (no response from his office). And I've been rewarded with being addressed incorrectly, responses that thank me for agreeing with him (when I don't), off topic responses, and fake "bounce back" emails. Not everyone has responsive representatives. And some of them, like mine, are intentionally disrespectful of their constituents. I'm my district, which has a lot of farmers, they will continue to vote for him, even if he does nothing for them...or worse. His seat is safe because too many people vote for party over principle.
I understand how frustrating it can be. It doesn’t always work, but there is a much better chance to heal what ails this nation if we lead out with respectful, bold calls for change.
*sigh* Trump has a LOOOOOONG and well-documented history of breaking contracts and failing to pay. His administration is full of criminals, adulterers, abusers, alcoholics, and drug addicts who largely have no relevant experience doing what they have been tasked to do. None of this should be surprising, but people like this poor farmer were sucked into a cult of grievance, and here we are.
As always, excellent reporting.
That is what I was going to say.
This is exactly what Trump has been doing his whole life. Breaking contracts, not paying after the work has been finished. Not caring about others people at all.
I feel for this farmer. I feel for our whole country. We are in uncharted territory. We got exactly what the electorate voted for. A grifter in chief……not a surprise. Just a tragedy.
Co-signing this as a NYC resident. This should surprise no one. He’s left a deep wake of unpaid contracts in his path. Everyone here knows someone who he’s stiffed.
That’s seriously what confused me the most. How on earth did NYC natives vote for him knowing who he is? I mean, the people I personally know who voted for him I know at least half voted because they are racist. But New Yorkers by now should know he’s a robber baron. I have no clue why anyone would be surprised. But I do feel sad for those who voted thinking he’d help and now are feeling these effects. No one should be worried about feeding their families :/
This is infuriating. What’s interesting to me though is the phrase he used: “I got into bed with the government”. You can still hear the disdain for government that’s been instilled in him as a Trump supporter. But it wasn’t the (traditional) government that failed him or was a risk here, it was Trump himself. I think it’s a small, interesting example of the internal thought process that Trumps followers will probably use overtime to justify his actions.
Yep, I believe that is the point. Tear down government, so it doesn’t work. Then voters lose trust and are ok with dismantling everything. Sigh. I hate this timeline. Can we fast forward a few years?
I was going to say this as well. I believe this is all by design.
I noticed that, too, and the inability to connect the dots. "I got in bed with the govt"--no. It's not the THE GOVT, it's THIS GOVT, *this* admin, that doesn't BELIEVE in the govt. It's not govt per se that's the issue here, it's fanatics now running the federal govt which they don't even believe in supporting! (silently screaming). He's not taking away the lesson here. Will people like this farmer *ever* learn the current lesson? Or just continue to blame the govt.....:(
I am genuinely curious if the rapid pace of changes by this administration will engage more voters in 2026 and 2028. There are many reasons for voters to disengage from the process and I do believe one of them is that the government tends to move slowly-- so regardless of the outcome voters often feel like even when their choice party has power, nothing gets done. When there is a perception that nothing gets done in government (last Congress was one of the least productive), it's easier to tell yourself the outcome doesn't matter and thus your vote doesn't matter.
I am disturbed by the direction of this administration, but I wonder if a faster paced government might actually engage more voters in the process and activate them to hold officials to account for their actions/inactions because a government that ACTS more quickly creates a greater perception that the results of elections really do matter.
Not me trying to find a silver lining in this chaos. 🤦♀️
I’m praying that those FL special elections wake people up to get out and vote to take back some of the check and balances we’re supposed to be famous for!
I've been wondering the exact same thing, and fervently hoping/praying for that reaction as well.
It's extremely discouraging...and scary. I am counting on enough Trump voters of 2024 to be able to connect the dots so we can hopefully save this Republic. If enough of them can't, we are screwed.
Good point!
This befuddles me. He votes a certain way then is shocked by the outcome. It is horrible what’s happening to farmers, it’s also horrible what’s happening to government workers. Also affected are families with kids receiving special education services or have loved ones with rare disorders that research funding has been cancelled. These are real people across America whose lives have been devastated. Will America learn from this and realize who they vote for or whether they vote does matter? I feel like I’m watching a multi-car pileup with no end in site.
But when they voted for the Leopards Eating Peoples' Faces Party, they were sure that it wasn't THEIR faces that would be eaten. We're in the Find Out phase, and I simply don't have the energy to empathize with them. There are plenty of people who didn't vote to have other people's faces eaten, and yet here we are. This guy doesn't have any remorse. Doesn't mention how his decision affected anyone else. This is not the first government subsidy he's gotten (SNAP doesn't just help people eat... Where do they think the food cones from?!) so he's got cows to float his loan for now. I know that my attitude isn't going to help build a coalition across the aisle, but we're in a full on constitutional crisis. And it may become more than that in the not too distant future. It's not like no one informed people that this was the plan.
👏👏👏 thank you Rachel. It is not asking too much for people to think about their fellow citizen, to think critically before they vote.
It’s almost like letting unqualified computer programmers dismantle federal agencies and make sweeping budget cuts without rationalization or attention to long term outcomes is not a good idea!
Bottom line. Trump. Does. Not. Care.
And he has nothing to lose. He doesn’t need their votes anymore, the next 4 years are going to continue to show people that they were manipulated so a billionaire could get richer.
Makes me so sad
The Republican elected members of the House and Senate also do not care.
They care. They care about money and re election and no one works those phones better than the Tech Bros assistants. They are using their money to influence the GOP.
Which is crazy to me! So IF he can’t run again (I hate even questioning this) but congress people plan to run for re-election, surely they realize that their blind loyalty isn’t going to help them win?!
I mean, maybe it will? 🤦🏻♀️
Farming counties in the US voted for Trump at a rate of 77%. So…no sympathy here. Farmers can read. They can ask questions. They can source their news from non partisan and reliable sources. But they did not. They went with the man with the shake and bake tan and the shot up bloody ear who too many men in this country called “gangsta” for his tough talking manly man act. Natural consequences. Bring it.
I agree. It’s hard to have sympathy for their poor critical thinking skills and bad decisions. But, unfortunately, it’s not just the farmers who are impacted. This will literally impact EVERY single person in the US.
Yes. Buckle up. It’s the only way to fight the MAGA cancer. We all get hurt I’m afraid but I’ll weather the storm if I know that a better version of our much loved democracy is around the corner.
There’s a “don’t buy anything” day of protest being planned on 2/28. Buy nothing. The organizers say you can buy from small biz but I’m buying nothing. Don’t buy from target amazon or Walmart for sure. Keep your hard earned money to yourself that day. Consider it a tap on the shoulder to the oligarchs that reminds them “We’re still here and we have power too”.
As a small-business owner who did not vote for Trump, please consider buying from small business on 2/28. We are already significantly hurting as people start to realize the economy is not actually going to get better.
I agree with DeeDet. One day is a blip. We need to start thinking long term. Reduce spending overall. Continue to buy only the things you can't get anywhere else from the big guys. If you can't get something anywhere else, first question whether you need it, then ask what viable alternatives there are, and then ask whether a different seller with different policies might be able to provide a solution. Start sharing resources. Start buying together in bulk to reduce overall cost and shipping.
I saw some reports that spending has dropped this winter. I know I’ve stopped spending needlessly, it’s one tiny way to protest. I don’t think I am alone.
I’ll take a blip. Right now we’re waiting for better or perfect ways to respond and I think any action is better than waiting. One thing I’ve learned from Trump? Move fast. Move hard. But ffs take action.
100% agree. Our money has power.
I love the sentiment, but I’m skeptical that this will even do anything. The billionaire “bros” and the new administration will likely just laugh about it because they know we’ll all be back to spending the next day.
One day - if it makes a dent which it will if enough people do it - gets their attention. And it costs us nothing. I’m done waiting for the perfect protest or the perfect action or the perfect leader who can clap back and stop this dismal dismantling. Im done waiting for the “organizers” within the opposition party to organize. Yes yes. They’re suing and doing stuff “behind the scenes” but honestly? This is a high stakes food fight so start throwing. Anything. Anywhere. Anytime.
I plan on ‘buy nothing’ as much as possible!! Our money has power.
This is the truth.
I live in a rural area and signed up for my local farm’s summer CSA, and am actively switching my grocery shopping to smaller local places for meat, eggs, etc. These farmers need support, and this is the best way I can find to do that. ❤️
Every little bit helps ! I grew up on a rural Missouri cattle farm. A lot of our neighbors have huge crop farms that will likely be impacted by the cuts and freezes.
Farmers truly are the backbone of our country. They love what they do and they work tirelessly to care for their crops and livestock. It really is sickening to see them get slapped in the face like this, with no regard to how it will impact America’s farmers and our food distribution systems.
After what happened to farmers in the first Trump Administration, I am bothered to read that 77% of farmers supported him the second time around. I’m VERY sorry to hear these people are suffering.
Unless you voted for trump, and then they deserve everything coming their way.
Yes I have found a local farm and farmers market that I try to buy from. Our area used to be rich in farms until they were bought out. There are a number of smaller ones trying to make a go of it again. They are so small still though that you can't really buy all of your food from them. Some of the local farms also took a hit due to bird flu. I'm hoping in the spring things look better for them.
Even in big cities! I live in Chicago and love shopping at our local meat market for as many groceries as I can!
I love supporting local farmers. I have been getting meat and veggies from them for a decade.
Thanks for the reminder! Signed up for one that drops off near us today. I’d done it in the past and loved it but the farm had sold to another family and changed their CSA operation location. Not sure about other places but here in Oregon (Willamette Valley) CSAs can be hard to get into and they are EXPENSIVE. The closest CSA option near to me is $800 for a full share. What are CSA options near y’all like?
That's about how much it will be for my CSA. It's $32/week for a box that feeds 4 (and half that price for half the size). I'm in south-central PA. But, I spend at least that much at the store on produce, and I love the idea of super local/fresh stuff.
Mine also partners with other local farms to occasionally pop in surprises (honey, eggs, etc) and they send recipes weekly.
I like this idea-I will look into it in my area. Thanks!
How anyone who voted for Trump is shocked by his actions is shocking to me. He was a crook long before he officially became a convicted felon. Remember him building ostentatious hotels and then not paying contractors? Remember him incurring millions and millions of debt and then filing bankruptcy multiple times? Remember him denying any knowledge of or affiliation with Project 2025? I sure do. He is a liar and a cheat, plain and simple. Just over half of those who voted fell for his lies hook, line and sinker. And now we're all suffering the consequences of their vote.
Honestly? I am a bit disappointed in the whole "well, you got what you voted for" rhetoric. Yes, he voted for Trump. Yes, the writing was on the wall. I am so incredibly upset and angry too. But just because he didn't immediately say "I made a mistake" on camera doesn't mean he doesn't realize the administration is the cause of his funding being frozen or just disappearing altogether. And the "FAFO" crowd is the same crowd screaming at Democrats to do something, btw.
This is a major opportunity for people to start LEARNING. How the government works, how federal and state and local decisions genuinely affect our daily lives. It's a major opportunity for people to get involved, break out of echo chambers - and for independent media, politicians, and us to start talking to people, not at them.
No one learns anything by hearing, well you made a mistake - lose your entire livelihood and not be able to support your family, moron. I hope instead of that attitude, Governerds share this story far and wide. Encourage people who have similar stories to tell them - on social media, on the local news, to every single person they know. That's how you create change. By having cancer researchers on the local news explaining how children will die by the loss of their research. By park rangers sharing their stories on instagram. By every day government workers telling their neighbors how this affects their life. This man, Trump voter that he is, is doing more to bring awareness to the problems the administration is creating than most Democrats are right now. (End rant).
I actually listened to a very lengthy conversation that Skyler had with Will Westmoreland. I found the conversation extremely civil and Skyler readily admitted that he didn’t actually read about either candidates platforms before voting. Additionally, when asked if there was anyone in his personal life (family/friends) who could have convinced him that Trumps policies would potentially be bad for him, he said no. He also shared that growing up in rural Missouri, he had been raised with the mentality that Democrats are basically liars and nothing they say is trustworthy.
This is the harsh reality: many people will not “see the light” until something bad happens to them personally. It is SO EASY to arm chair quarterback even when you read about other people’s sad stories online.
Democrats are far beyond the point of any damage control when it comes to messaging. An entire swath of the electorate has been attending the church of Fox News for decades. I don’t think there is much to be done other than allow people to personally feel the consequences.
And I don’t say those things about fox without personal experience. I watched how Fox News, bill o Reilly and Rush turned my father into someone without much empathy, and trusted them more than his own children.
This is the comment I’ve been looking for!! Thank you, Rachel. I too have been following Will’s communication with Skylar. His initial attempt to reach out to to him, the video in which he briefly explained Ronald Regan and the Fairness Doctrine,
was so gently and thoughtfully presented, that I can’t imagine too many walked away without really examining their core beliefs and how and where they were formed.
I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment here because as much as everyone wants to get tangled up in what is the right or wrong thing to say, the facts are that actions have consequences and we’re all along for the ride. The part that angered everyone the most was Skylar’s admission that he hadn’t done his homework and that he couldn’t have been convinced otherwise. Which, on its face, is basically a declaration that he didn’t care what the issues were and didn’t care if/how his vote affected anyone. In for a penny, in for a pound- so to speak.
That is the piece that sparks anger and I understand it. We’re all along for the ride of his admitted ignorance so I can see how someone can hear that flippant response and say, ‘Well, you broke it, you bought it.’ Right or wrong, I understand that frustration.
Thank you again for sharing about Will. I haven’t seen another comment here about that exchange and it’s important because it was so valuable.
Yes I found their exchange so so valuable, and Will’s previous video describing how essentially a lot of rural people have been fed this steady diet of vitriol politics has been a big piece of the equation. Not saying Skyler was included in that specifically, but that he grew up in a part of the country where it’s common.
What I further took away from it was that there was almost nothing that the dems could have done to attempt to dissuade a large segment of people from Trump.
And you’re right, we are all along for the ride at this point. I’m SO glad people like Skyler have the cajones to go online and admit that they misjudged the situation. There needs to be more though. A LOT more. I hate that people are suffering. It pains all of us.
What I do have some amount of hope for is that when things get worse, people will band together to take care of each other. And that each of us start putting our focus back on helping our neighbors.
Cojones, indeed!! Very well stated, friend. I’m hopeful as well and continue to remind myself that we must resist the urge to language ourselves into disempowerment. The narrative that unfolds in the recesses of our minds matters just as much as how we position ourselves in this world that we share with one another. United we stand, divided we fall. Onward!
Ok… I am definitely feeling late to the game here. Where do I find these will and Skyler conversations.!??
Hi Jo,
Rachel posted the link a couple of replies down, so if mine doesn’t work, hers definitely will 😉
https://youtu.be/uLgJLGCa-vo?si=71jm8GtjoJ-lZGto
Thanks so much
This comment here is why, while I have sympathy for Skyler and others who will have to face the consequences of Trump's presidency, I also have hope for our future after all this pain. Things will go one of two ways, either people will continue to believe Trump and our government will continue to spiral into authoritarianism OR enough people will feel the sting of consequence that the tide will turn against him. I'm hopeful it's the latter and while I don't wish harm on anyone, I do hope the sting of reality will bend us back toward a more democratic government.
I tagged Builders in the exchange. Will Westmoreland is a national treasure and THIS IS THE WAY.
Unfortunately, the “FO” portion of the group project is going to be *painful* for a lot of us. I hope that when the hurt is starting to be felt there are more like Westmoreland available to meet folks where they are and educate without shame or blame.
Thanks for your reply! I haven't heard the conversation, and will definitely check it out :) Democrats are so incredibly frustrating when it comes to messaging, I agree. I truly hope that stories like this one are used to further change in people - the power of social media and the immediacy of the internet is that maybe we get to be the change without relying on the political messaging machine. We can use stories like this, even if the people in them don't necessarily understand the simple fact that they voted for their own harm. It can make them even more powerful. A lot of people may not listen or understand until it comes to their own doorstep, yes (and I think it is going to come to a lot of doorsteps). But some will. Honestly it's the only thing that gives me a bit of hope right now.
I’m with you there. Here’s the link to the convo in case you have time to listen to it - his conversation with Skyler is the 2nd hour.
https://youtu.be/uLgJLGCa-vo?si=MvakDo8YyR6CpDKS
This was really interesting. I don't tiktok or youtube so I had never heard of this person! I have always found farming interesting, I always joke that is what I want to do when I grow up. I remember this series on farming on PBS we watched back in the late 80s or 90s (I was a REAL fun kid) and I still think about that family sometimes.
Thank you!!
Two things can be true. I have empathy for the farmer and I have disappointment that he voted for an administration that showed they don't care about the american people and would see my daughters treated as sub-human. One does not go away because I feel the other, and I don't want it to. I can hold anger and empathy. People need to learn how to grow inward to hold conflicting feelings.
I absolutely agree :) This isn't to say at all that it isn't valid to be angry, upset, terrified, and whatever else anyone may be feeling. I will confront anyone who openly states anything against the basic human rights of any person. I was speaking more toward the constant commenting that there is no empathy for people who voted for the administration. It can feel like it's impossible to not know the logical consequences for people like us who pay attention - but I think there are a lot of people who unfortunately didn't know, and will have genuine regrets. And those are not the people to shame, because they will help make the change in the end :)
I totally understand! I suppose I don't view it as shaming when someone thinks "they're getting what they asked for". To me, it is a natural consequence. However, the way one deals with natural consequences, either with empathy or blame, is I think what you're talking about here!
Shaming them will only alienate them further. We need to show them empathy so they are more open to changing their minds. As mentioned above, the ‘told you so’ arguments are a hard sell and makes them more vulnerable to believe the propaganda when the blame is placed somewhere else.
I think it doesn't help to say "they got what they voted for" out loud. It doesn't build bridges - it just puts up walls. But I'm certainly allowed to FEEL that way, and feel the frustration and anger that comes when someone doesn't recognize the consequences of their own actions. I agree with Melanie that both feelings are true - I hope this man doesn't lose his farm, but I'm terribly frustrated with his inability to see the Trump admin for what it is and his continued refusal to acknowledge it head on.
Ultimately, if we want to repair the rift that politics has caused, we have to learn which feelings are helpful in building coalitions (empathy and hope) and which feelings are not (anger, fear, contempt).
This is when I think about inside and outside thoughts. We can feel certain things and share them with trusted friends and then when trying to work with others we lead with empathy. I'm not saying I'm perfect at this lol! Far from it. But it's something I try to remember. We all get frustrated by certain things and in some places it's ok to have contentious conversations. But when we move to working with others in our communities we have to leave those conversations in those other spaces.
How do you move forward and come to an understanding with someone who thought a felon and person who is responsible for the attempted insurrection against our country was worthy of the office of president? How do you meet in the middle with someone who ignored the decades of trump being a disreputable businessman. You can’t have morals, character or a belief in democracy and have voted for him. I’d love to be able to say these were uneducated people, but the truth is, they were people who ignored all the warnings and cast an uneducated vote anyway. I’m not sure I want them involved in any attempt to fix a government they’re responsible for helping to destroy.
You're certainly allowed to feel this way, and no one is saying you personally have to build coalitions or interact in any way you don't wish to. Hold boundaries, and do what feels right for you in your personal life!
But we don't get systemic change in our country by not including some of the people who voted for Trump. I know good people who voted for him. I know good people who just didn't vote. I also know people who I choose not to interact with, at all, who voted for him. I hold hard boundaries for anyone who doesn't believe in basic rights for all humans.
Change is hard, and frequently feels unfair. The people who show up and do the work are also the people who get death threats, who are perpetually exhausted and rarely thanked. It's not fun. It's frequently not profitable. And it means understanding that as much as we wish that every single voter in this country was an educated voter, that's not the case. All I am doing in my post is advocating for sharing people's stories - every single person who is affected by the administration, Trump voter or not. Because I think that's how you bring awareness, and get people to stand up. Because I think believing that nothing works = nothing works. Because I think when you start believing that all humans who voted one way are evil, evil wins.
Thank you, it's Monday and there isn't enough coffee today to form the thoughts I wanted to. But this is where my brain was going (or trying to).
This. Right now, we are sorely lacking in this arena of thought and communication. All around the proverbial elephant, we are too busy telling others what they aren’t seeing instead of explaining what we see after hearing what they are seeing. Walls in the form of words which shoot “ignorant, stupid, obtuse, etc” effectively shut people down. No one will listen to possible reason once attacked. Human nature is hard to get around when not addressed with finesse and forethought.
I would love to see messaging surrounding this. See them bring real people impacted to be interviewed and showing us the negatives of these decisions. I think there are some people trying but they aren't necessarily the voices with enough clout or followers to be picked up by a larger audience.
This!! So much this. Such a simple concept (and easy right now!) for anyone looking to run for office or reelection is find people affected by the administration and share their stories. It's so effective and helps people get out of their partisan thinking.
Great idea, Amber. Also, I think these stories also highlight a nuance in rhetoric vs reality. I've seen a few stories about impacted farmers like this one using the funds to install solar panels, for example, and other environmental/conservation type of projects. Those farmers who are Trump voters likely know Trump doesn't believe in climate change and will roll back climate action, and yet some of the same farmers seem to understand the value of renewables or environmentally friendly practices and labd restoration for their own farms. This is an opportunity to connect the dots and bridge the divide.
*land
I agree about the "well you got what's coming to you" attitudes! That does not create momentum toward positive change, it further entrenches the "us vs. them" attitude that is so pervasive. I would hope, as Governerds, we could show there is a different, better way. I believe that we can be frustrated and upset about how people voted and the consequences of that, and that we should hold our leaders accountable for their actions, but that we can also still treat others with respect.
I agree with so much of what you said. I think journalists should be interviewing and reporting the stories of the people that the administration is harming every day. I also am so glad to have found Sharon for a refresher on how government works. That said-this man needs to understand how the government works too. He needs to understand that it was Trump who reneged, not some deep state person.
I am saddened by this thought that I have-but I do think we need to suffer through the find out phase. We can only do so much by contacting our reps and helping our neighbors and voting in the midterms and trying to fill in the gaps wherever we can-but maybe this phase of consequences will remind us that it doesn’t have to be this way? Maybe the consequences combined with the learning will do the trick? I can only hope so.
I agree with you too! I think the find out phase is inevitable, and it frankly just sucks that people (including people who did their research and voted in their own interests) have to go through it as well.
This particular person may not get the logical 1+1 =2 math that the administration he voted for literally took away the money he was counting on. But I think his story is useful either way, and should be used to push for change. The main hope that I cling to in all of this is that the consequences plus learning does do the trick. Honestly, it's all I have at the moment :)
I agree . In the beginning, I felt the same, “well you got what you voted for’ anger. I think it’s OK to be able to vent, but at some point we have to realize that pointing fingers at our neighbors just makes us the neighbor that points fingers. It doesn’t help anyone. We are all in this together, and the best way that I can see to change. The tide is to reach across the aisle and meet people where they are. Shouting at them from the sidelines isn’t going to accomplish anything except making them tone deaf
I’m with you on this! It took me a bit, and there have been several things that have helped me get there, with one of them being discussions with others in this comments section.
*Random, but for the people I engage with regularly in this section, I changed my screen name from “Jessica” to “Jessica C” because I saw another “Jessica” in the comments today (welcome!).
Well said, E.M. Although we have different ideologies, I love your approach and framing of the comments you post. When I read them, it leaves me thinking on the subject rather than triggering an emotional response.
Hi Amy, I always look for your responses to see a different view, I would like to know your view with regards to this post overall, what am I not seeing from your point of view, you give balance.
Hi Julie. I don’t feel well enough informed on this topic yet to comment. I don’t share the “you got what you voted for” hate. My initial reaction is that everything coming out of the Trump administration is seen as bad by liberal outlets including The Preamble. That raises a flag for me.
I am still doing research though to understand more and different perspectives.
If this were a typical conservative/republican president, opposed to an extremist, I'd agree it raises a flag. However, when dealing with an extremist, I understand why liberal outlets including The Preamble are reporting the reality of his anti-democratic agenda. You may agree with something he's doing, but that doesn't mean it follows our sacred democratic process. So I expect Sharon to share her expertise on the subject regardless of if it matches your desired worldview.
What expertise? My understanding is Sharon researches these topics, albeit heavily, and writes the articles, as anyone here is capable of doing. Her articles are often framed using an emotional appeal. You're intended to feel a certain way before you even get into the meat and potatoes of the text. And yes, this framing nearly always leans in one direction.
Katie, could you explain where the emotional appeal is in the title or subtitle of the article is or where you felt the emotional appeal? I didn’t feel any certain way before reading the entirety of the article based on its title/subtitle. I felt a certain way based on many other things but not the title/subtitle.
“The government promised to pay (fact) —-then it didn’t. (Fact)
Farmers are facing financial ruin (fact) after a funding freezing (fact).
My second question/observation is if you feel an emotional response based on facts that might not align with your worldview or choices you’ve made (I have no idea if that’s true) then that’s less about the factual information presented and more about how you’re interpreting it within your own worldview. Which to be clear every single one of us does, not saying this is unique to you as an individual.
And it is getting progressively more so. To me it’s teetering on fearmongering.
Check out her background
Why do you have to be so condescending in your comments? Is it helpful?
Amy this is what I was writing to you about last week. Your defensiveness seems unwarranted to me. The only condescending comment came from a commenter mocking Sharon’s “expertise” and her time at being a “public school teacher”. If you don’t find Sharon to be an “expert” and don’t like her “biases” I wonder why you’re here. I also cannot even find a bias in this article? She’s telling us a factual story. Her IG stories are linking what can happen if a nation has food scarcity. Is that the bias you see? I don’t mean to be rude, I just don’t see how Melanie was being condescending.
Condescending? I've noticed a theme in your comments that you tone police quite a bit. There was no malice in my comment. Just a truthful observation.
You mistake factual reporting for liberal reporting. But it’s not surprising that you think a forum like The Preamble, devoted to the principles of democracy, to historical fact and to good governance, must be some sort of “liberal outlet” since most of its recent content seems to provoke outrage and dismay over the current administration’s actions. In my opinion, it’s much less an indication of Sharon’s alleged liberal bias and much more of an indication of how this administration is completely trashing democracy, facts and good governance.
I’m not sure why it is difficult to accept the Preamble as a biased source of information. Doesn’t mean that it doesn’t contain factual information. The administration is not trashing democracy and the sky is not falling, as this publication would lead you to believe.
This administration is literally trashing democracy by bullying our democratic allies, doing the bidding of Russia and China, praising anti-democratic organizations and authoritarians, letting an unelected, unvetted billionaire subject to no conflict of interest or disclosure laws rampage through the government, bypassing the legislative branch and threatening to defy the judicial branch, ordering a halt to America’s pro-democracy efforts around the world, completely flouting rules and regulations against profiting from the office of the Presidency, purging Inspectors General, watchdogs, ethics personnel and all others deemed insufficiently loyal, calling for the shutdown of media outlets deemed insufficiently favorable to the regime and irreparably weakening the rule of law by mass-pardoning violent criminals and mass-firing prosecutors for doing their jobs. Sharon would have to flat out lie in this forum to make all of this look less like the democracy dumpster conflagration it actually is. But your allegations of bias are predictable since you spent so much time and energy trying to convince us none of this would happen. It has nothing to do with how the facts are being communicated and everything to do with the horrendous nature of the facts themselves.
Thank you!! :)
Hi E.M.!
Well stated. I don’t know what social media platforms you’re active on but I’m on IG and Threads and I have to say, there are numerous stories, posted daily, by those affected by these policies and changes. Park Rangers, Federal Employees, Parents of Children with Disabilities etc..
I wish I could say that those firsthand experiences are opening eyes and prompting introspection but I don’t think that’s the case. Sadly, people don’t actually believe what they are seeing and hearing. Some proclaim it to be “fake news”, others will flood the comments with “cry harder” or whatever other nonsense they can muster.
Rachel Wood commented above about Will Westmoreland’s response to Skylar. I think it’s worth noting that his response did open the door to Skylar being willing to hear his perspective on the situation, but the interesting thing is, to my point, not many people even know that exchange transpired. It was shared far and wide and yet, few have even made mention of it here.
All of this to say, people are sharing. They are trying. I assure you. But some have been conditioned to jump immediately to “this is left-leaning”, “this isn’t a bipartisan opinion”, “this is a residual policy from the Obama or Biden administration” and on and on and on. It’s exhausting.
Hey Nicole!
I'm on Instagram, Bluesky, and here :)
I totally understand that (especially on Instagram) some of the stories being shared get terrible interactions - disbelief, blame on the individual, etc. And it is exhausting!! It's so incredibly frustrating that you can present facts with a human face to some people and they are met with derision and cruelty.
I agree that a lot of people just won't understand, or will willfully look in the other direction until it lands in their own home, and maybe even then. That's always the case, historically speaking, after all.
I love that people are sharing, and trying, and fighting. It's exhausting to continue. But I have to hope that as more and more of these stories come out, and more and more of them are amplified - on social, yes, but also by local news and hopefully by local politicians and state politicians, some people will start to listen. Some communities will start to come together. We're in early days yet - the administration has only been in control for a short time. A lot of the "find out" period is to come. A lot more stories will be shared.
The goal is never to get everyone. The goal is to get the people who watch the video and don't leave a comment, but remember it. The goal is to start the messaging and sharing now, so that when the stories pile up, enough people start to speak out. I honestly don't know if it will work. But it seems like such a massive mistake not to keep trying :)
P.S. Try Bluesky! It can be an overwhelming site but it has a lot of people doing good work :)
That is a nice idea, but if you look at any of the comments on these stories it's so disheartening. The ranger story that has been shared far and wide has so many comments rationalizing - he's a temp worker, it's a seasonal job, etc. When your "beliefs" are part of your identity, it's very hard to convince people otherwise.
Absolutely true! My original comment was not about the people who are on board with everything this administration does - and certainly not about the people who feel it is ok to leave hate speech on anyone's content, or make them feel less than for being a seasonal worker or any other reason. The comment was about people who are struggling with the reality of what is happening, and who would want to be a part of positive change. People are going to feel the effects of this administration sooner or later, and I think it just is a good idea to start using that for good :)
I disagree. If you voted for trump in this last election, with everything he has done( felon, adjudicated rapist, person responsible for the attempted insurrection against our country), you have no morals or character. You can’t expect a person like that to all of a sudden see the light. They will find a way to blame it on anyone but the person actually responsible, and the cycle will continue.
The people who will learn from his story are those who already know the lesson.
Article ends with "trust in government programs has been shaken". That shaken trust needs to shift to those who were elected. They're the ones reneging. Not the programs themselves. Elections truly have consequences!
I also noticed that. Not once did he express remorse for having supported Trump. His words were remorseful about signing a contract with ‘the government’. I don’t think these realizations are going to be directed at the real culprit. And the people in power will find some way to blame someone else.
Great point.
This is what I am most concerned about. Their shaken confidence needs to be directed to the current administration, but they are wily propagandists, and are already prepared for how to spin this. We are living in Orwell’s Animal Farm.
Thank you for this article and highlighting the critical role farmers play in our nation. I hope farmers receive their payments. Their livestock and livelihoods hang in the balance.
We run a pastured poultry operation & sell to local restaurants and farmers markets. Farming is quite literally the hardest job I’ve ever had. Neither of us grew up on a farm or inherited land, so we had to start from scratch. Our goal is to feed people high quality chicken that is raised on pasture.
We used a loan for first-time farmers through the FSA/USDA to begin our operation, and we both kept working our full time off farm jobs for the first 5 years of production to make ends meet. We prioritize the welfare of our flock. Animals need care around the clock, regardless of the weather— extreme heat, snow, ice, rain, brutal winds. It’s a 24/7/365 job. The IRA (signed by Biden) was such a gift to small farmers like us. We vote blue for many reasons (climate change, public health infrastructure/addressing bird flu, equitable public education, repro rights, etc). What makes me sad is that I know that the majority of farmers vote for individuals who don’t have their best interests at heart. When Trump enacts tariffs, it’s the farmers who feel the burden. When climate change is denied or ignored, farmers suffer the consequences. And when farmers suffer, the community, the economy, & the American people suffer. This is just my take— I’m still “new” to the farming world. It’s hard work, but people need to eat 😉
Loved seeing comments of folks signing up for CSAs and going to farmers markets 🫶🏻 Thank y’all for supporting local whenever you can! Farmers are the backbone of America.
Thank you for sharing, Sara. ❤️
Do you think he even realizes that he voted for the government "he got in bed with"? You are all right - it's incredibly frustrating that you vote for a person, get angry at the consequences and then ultimately blame the "government" body - not the person YOU voted for.
I thought this same thing! Instead of looking at the change in administration that changed his circumstances, he is effectively claiming Biden hoodwinked him. No sir, that contract would have been good under a Harris presidency. It’s this administration that backed out, not “the government.”
Chaos, cruelty and disregard for the law. America is getting exactly what it voted for. There will be many more stories like these to come.
Unfortunately the 48 percent of us who didn’t vote for him have to suffer the same consequences of the people that did.
I really struggle here. I do not want to see small family farms across the US go out of business. I don’t want to see anyone in this position, especially when it wasn’t necessary. They could have honored what was already done without this chaos. The fact that they said one thing and did another adds a layer of distrust. I hope the funding to farmers is restored. While I’m also sad for the people who will still lose livelihoods due to the cuts and freezes.
oh are we not mentioning how JD Vance is a major investor in Acre Trader, an app that lets foreign nationals residing in the US purchase farmland that's for sale? ok
Yep! I was just having a conversation with my husband yesterday about how cutting farm subsidies will simply result in further consolidation of farmland into large conglomerates, many of which are foreign owned. We might become "energy independent" (we're already producing more than we use), but if our food supply is owned by large corporations and foreign investors, then we might as well hand over the whole country. If you think eggs are expensive now....
Ding ding! Thanks Rachel. When something doesn't make sense like hurting the farmers that overwhelmingly voted for Trump, I follow the money for part of the answer and hadn't thought about this connection. Now it makes sense. Similar to the offer to federal employees, i wonder when farmers will get offers to buy out their farms.
Check out the farm crisis of the 1980's. There was intent by some people that created policy that caused the farm crisis to consolidate family farms into corporations. There's money to follow there. The difference here is that the crisis will be fully intentional and the farmers that have the most to lose voted for it. And it wasn't a secret.
This was the first place my mind went as well. When family farms can't pay their bills and get foreclosed, who is going to swoop in and purchase them for a song? Big corporate agriculture.
Anyway, off to search for local CSA deliveries because that's a great idea. (Although my one and only experience with a CSA in the past resulted in the summer of 50 million radishes and I don't LIKE radishes.)
That’s the design… corporatize *everything* - including ag.
It’s a sad reality that folks didn’t actually read Project 2025. Because this is all in the playbook that was widely available before the election.
40 acres and a mule
Oh, Governerds - true Governerds, hasn't Sharon taught us well enough to be about the solution? Please, let's stop with the blaming and emotional rhetoric and get to work. I will contact my legislators about this particular problem today. We must stop the vitriol and the I-told-you-so's and start being productive. I've worked with many legislators and their staff. If you send vitriol, blaming, and shaming, they will likely hit delete before hearing your point (if you have one). What gets their attention is respectful, well-intended, logical letters and messages. Governerds aim to make a difference, educate, and build bridges - not just bathe in "being right." If we all bring awareness to specific issues, there is still hope.
Easy to say, but I've written many respectful letters to my congressman. Including within the past week (no response from his office). And I've been rewarded with being addressed incorrectly, responses that thank me for agreeing with him (when I don't), off topic responses, and fake "bounce back" emails. Not everyone has responsive representatives. And some of them, like mine, are intentionally disrespectful of their constituents. I'm my district, which has a lot of farmers, they will continue to vote for him, even if he does nothing for them...or worse. His seat is safe because too many people vote for party over principle.
I understand how frustrating it can be. It doesn’t always work, but there is a much better chance to heal what ails this nation if we lead out with respectful, bold calls for change.