People who rubbed literal sh!t on the walls of the Capitol, who used metal police barricades to break windows and beat police - DO NOT DESERVE ONE DAMN DIME in reparations. They do not deserve to be walking free. They should be locked under the jail.
I used to try to hold to the belief that we shouldn't ascribe malice if intent to what incompetence could explain. I'm not so sure we should assume incompetence anymore.
I get very frustrated living in NC but I can't even imagine how I'd cope if I lived in Missouri. Here we voted for the sane candidates for governor, attorney general and head of the public school system but also went for Trump, again. All I can say about it is, I'm glad I don't live in Mississippi or Alabama or Missouri. I feel for you out there.
I live in Missouri and it’s so discouraging. Does it do any good to use my voice to contact my senators with complaints? I feel like it won’t make an impact.
“This much is clear: a justice system in which the government ignores the rule of law when convenient, attempts to intimidate whistleblowers into silence, all while pretending as though criminals with the ‘correct’ political stances are instead victims, is not one that is fair, ethical, or just.”
This all came out in a “shadow hearing” held by Democratic Senators and House members. I watched the whole thing on the MeidasTouch YouTube channel. It was an excellent hearing where the vast majority of the time was given over to the witnesses, who were three Justice Dept lawyers and a lawyer who resigned from her firm after its partners caved to Trump’s extortion. Their testimony was enlightening and rather horrifying. We’re all frustrated by Dems in Congress and in general for their seeming impotence but I think holding these shadow hearings is a great idea. Certainly Republicans will not be shedding any light on what’s happening in government right now. I think Dems should hold more of these shadow hearings and maybe take a page out of UK politics and establish their own form of an actual “shadow cabinet.” This is the UK Parliament’s official definition of the term: “The Shadow Cabinet is the team of senior spokespeople chosen by the Leader of the Opposition to mirror the Cabinet in Government. Each member of the shadow cabinet is appointed to lead on a specific policy area for their party and to question and challenge their counterpart in the Cabinet. In this way the Official Opposition seeks to present itself as an alternative government-in-waiting.”
It would be great to see people like Bernie, AOC, Crow, Kinzinger, Buttigieg, Whitmer, Pritzker, McMorrow, Shapiro, etc., out there in a more organized way shining a light on what’s happening and offering a different path.
Yeah, I agree with you in some respect on the "sounds like the flip side of retribution" part. It makes me feel gross. That being said, I don't know what other choice we have. If they are the party of revenge and everyone else is the party of forgiveness, we can't expect the cycle to ever end. I think the only language they understand is reciprocal harm, ricocheting right back at them in a way that is explained: "This is your doing, please cut it out."
I am processing the idea, but my first question would be: what good is this to do as nothing can be ratified, and does this take away from their regular job? (Cuz sooo many dont show up much to do that either )
To be clear – I’m not disagreeing with you. I’m just wondering what the fruit of it would be .
I guess the main purposes would be knowledge and organization. Right now there are so many terrible things going on in all parts of the federal government that it is difficult for any one Democratic leader to shed light on it and/or offer alternative ways to accomplish something. I talk to people all the time who know like five terrible things that are happening but haven't even heard about five others. When I was at the protests last weekend, the most common theme I saw among all of the signs was something to the effect of "I am against way too much to put on this sign" or "Trump is destroying too many things to list on this sign." Part of the actual job of the people in the opposition party is to BE in opposition, i.e., speak publicly about the wrongs being committed, hold hearings and offer better or more efficient or less cruel ways to do things. I just think it would be helpful for voters if Dems divided the issues, along cabinet lines or some other way, so that each Dem leader was only responsible for a narrow area or set of issues that he or she could hammer and voters could see alternative people and alternative processes to what we have now. Dems have great people, both within and outside of Congress and government that could effectively communicate all of this. If Trump is going to defy the Supreme Court, the only real recourse we are left with are the voters. If Dems can regain a majority, at least in the House in the next midterms, further damage could be reduced, if not reversed, so that we can hold on long enough to make it to the next presidential election.
This whistleblower story is exactly the kind of case study that demonstrates why we need structural reforms rather than just policy reversals. I've been drafting a Substack piece about an idea I'm calling "Project 2029" that specifically addresses this problem - documenting the abuses happening now to create a blueprint for reforms that go beyond merely undoing damage.
The case of Liz Oyer perfectly illustrates our broken incentive structure. When whistleblowers are intimidated with armed marshals for doing the right thing, or when DOJ employees are fired for refusing to bend rules for presidential friends, just rehiring those people later isn't enough. What's needed are reforms with teeth that make such intimidation tactics counterproductive from the Republicans' own self-interested perspective. Imagine legislation that not only triggers criminal investigations of officials who authorize intimidation against whistleblowers but also imposes personal financial penalties of $1 million per incident, paid directly by the individual, not by taxpayers. Let's add mandatory 5-year minimum sentences for officials who weaponize federal agencies against whistleblowers. Think about how Trump officials would react if they knew their own personal freedom and finances would be on the line when the pendulum swings back – not just their job. These officials care about their own skin first and foremost, so let's create consequences that strike at what they actually value: their wealth, freedom, and future career prospects.
Similarly, when someone like Hager gets pardoned and then demands restitution money back, the appropriate response isn't just to deny the request, but to pass legislation establishing that anyone convicted of crimes against democratic institutions who later accepts a pardon must pay triple the original restitution amount into a fund supporting civic education. And we should create a national registry of pardoned insurrectionists that employers can access during background checks. Let's make it clear that a pardon might erase legal consequences, but it shouldn't erase accountability or provide a financial windfall. The point is to create consequences so severe that the original norm violation results in the instigators being demonstrably worse off than if they'd never tried their stunt in the first place.
I think this approach offers something beyond moral satisfaction - it provides a practical deterrent. If Trump officials knew that their current actions to politicize the DOJ would result not just in those decisions being reversed, but in new legislation that permanently restricts executive authority in those areas, they might think twice. And even if they don't, the reforms would help prevent similar abuses in the future.
Listen to Oyer when she says: "It should alarm all Americans that the leadership of the Department of Justice appears to value political loyalty above the fair and responsible administration of justice." Rather than just lamenting this problem, we need to develop specific reforms with real power behind them - like establishing a fully independent DOJ oversight board with members appointed for staggered 10-year terms who can only be removed by supermajority votes in both houses of Congress. Or legislation that automatically triggers special counsel investigations when DOJ officials attempt to intervene in cases involving presidential allies. The goal isn't just to fix the problem - it's to make the perpetrators wish they'd never tried to corrupt the system in the first place.
I'd love to hear what others think of this strategy. Do you believe creating these kinds of structural disincentives would actually work to constrain bad behavior? Or would it just accelerate partisan cycles? I'm publishing more details on Project 2029 tomorrow, and I'm eager for feedback on whether this approach makes sense as both a deterrent and as an organizing principle for those working to protect our democracy. I’m willing to admit I can sometimes be a little bit idealistic in my thinking, but I always feel like I have to try to something.
Also, if anyone is interested in brainstorming this and other bold ways to combat and prevent this corruption, and making nonpartisan reform ideas more achievable by breaking them down and distributing the work among several volunteers, shoot me a message. Fighting gerrymandering, instituting ranked choice voting, all of that kind of good stuff. I’ve got a tiny little community of people I’ve recruited not only from some fellow Preamble readers but elsewhere, and we are just getting started. Join us! No experience necessary, just passion for democracy.
I just want to take this opportunity to encourage everyone who wants to fight the corruption in government to join Timothy's group. Subscribe to his Substack. And, if you are so inclined...I would advise that you become a "paid" subscriber.
Todd! Thank you for the kind words. But also, I'm not looking to make a single dollar out of this, let's not make this into a business idea or a career. I'm just trying to get the ball rolling for people to talk to each other and then I'm getting back to devoting more of my time on petting dogs and eating pizza while doing my boring day job.
Great ideas, but how does this actually happen when the Trump administration now has all the power? Congress does nothing and the Courts get ignored. I write my representatives all the time but it seems fruitless. I’ll vote against them but they feel secure in their positions. I do appreciate your great ideas and your hope that it can get accomplished. I guess I need to keep thinking TSATM.
We win by offering an alternative vision for America that brings over people in the middle (I don’t think we’ll change the minds or hearts of hardcore MAGA). Then we win more seats in 2026 which means Congress will have enough people there to do their damn job and hold the President accountable and in check. I’m nervous like you about whether we can survive until then, so we keep showing up even in small ways. Each act of resistance matters. Even posting Sharon’s info on your own accounts may be enough to move the needle for someone. There are a lot of moms for change state accounts which were started around the issue of school shootings, but many of them post about local elections/issues. Follow them. Help spread the word about the things they share.
Hi Jennifer, thanks for this. You're right that they currently hold the power, which is why I think this works on two levels.
First, it would create a deterrent effect right now - publicly declaring "if you do X, we will implement Y when power shifts, and Y will be much worse for you personally than if you'd never done X." Even authoritarians calculate risk and reward.
Second, it's building a compelling alternative vision for voters. Part of why 2024 went sideways was Dems basically running on "more of the same" after an unpopular president, rather than a bold plan to address corruption. Imagine instead having a clear platform: "Here's exactly how we'll fix what's broken AND ensure it can't happen again." The pendulum always swings eventually, hopefully much sooner than later, but we'll see. When it does, we need to be ready with specific reforms, not just vague promises to "restore norms."
While those ideas are interesting, you’d need a majority in both the house and senate as well as a president of the same political party who won’t veto that legislation. You already have Trump saying he’s not leaving the presidency and instead will run for a third term despite it being illegal.
Thank you Ashley! Yes I know I meant to address that in a paragraph somewhere but lost track of it. Of course this is all written under the assumption that not only will the Republican party demonstrate their utter incompetence (already came true many times over!) but that also the public will be informed and engaged enough to recognize it and vote them out of power in both the presidency and congress... That's the tough part, and there's absolutely no guarantee in this media ecosystem that it'll happen. BUT I'm hoping to do my part in getting that message out there in the most effective way possible.
Ashley, I'm re-reading my comment, and seeing a couple of places I could improve: I realize now that the phrases "Yes I know" and "Of course" that I used sound like I'm saying that what you said was obvious. I didn't mean that at all, in case it was interpreted that way. I really appreciate your comment, if that wasn't clear. 😌
The only thing more horrific than the loss of the rule of law is the number of people championing it. The horror that pro-authoritarian and pro-oligarchy propaganda has worked so effectively to sew such distrust in our systems that Trump’s supporters want to abandon of the rule of law. Without it we have nothing. Do we need reform - YES! But reform can and MUST uphold the rule of law. Policy doesn’t matter at all without the rule of law. I don’t care if you like his stance on x or y. Those policies lack the foundation of the rule of law and so they are meaningless. Trump voters you spoke to us here a couple weeks ago. May I speak to you? It’s never too late to change your mind. You don’t have to become a democrat to stand up against Trump. You just have to see that he is an enemy to our constitution and nothing is worth the loss of that. He should not have an ounce of your support.
"You don’t have to become a democrat to stand up against Trump. You just have to see that he is an enemy to our constitution and nothing is worth the loss of that. He should not have an ounce of your support."
This administration is masterful at using the traditionally “left” or “progressive” vocabulary to warp the words and basically render it meaningless. I am chilled by their ability to use “reparations”, because it undercuts the actual and very real meaning behind reparations for enslavement, forced removal, genocide of African Americans and Native Americans. It completely cheapens and bastardizes these very real and horrible experiences by classifying Jan 6 protestors as also “deserving” of reparations. We need to do better and remember the real meanings of these words.
“Mr. Trump has been fluent in the ways of doublespeak for decades. Tony Schwartz, the ghostwriter of Mr. Trump’s first book, “The Art of the Deal,” which was published in 1987, concocted the phrase “truthful hyperbole” to describe his subject’s speaking style. As the book states, in Mr. Trump’s voice: “I play to people’s fantasies. … It’s an innocent form of exaggeration — and it’s a very effective form of promotion.” (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/11/us/politics/trump-wordplay.html)
Reparations.
Weaponization.
Indoctrination.
Oligarchy.
Pay attention to the words they use because it threatens to cheapen so many very important concepts.
One strong woman! If others would stand up to the bully perhaps perhaps America can start to recover from the shame we are experiencing. Thanks Sharon for so clearly articulating truth.
Thank you, Sharon, for consistently providing balanced insights into news events, especially those I may not be aware of otherwise. However, it is difficult to "heart/like" these daily (well written, well informed) newsletters because each brings another dose of heartbreak.
I expect crickets, but if not I am sure it would be something about Portland being destroyed by protestors in 2020. It always goes back to that. As if anyone is saying those who were prosecuted for their involvement in that should get reparations, or shouldn't be held accountable.
We have blown past potential fascism straight into actual fascism. I am no longer convinced that we have good odds of a free and fair election at midterms, let alone the next presidential election. My husband cautioned me today that he is worried that activism on my part could lead to detention and torture in a foreign country. While I'm not convinced that's likely, I'll be damned if I'm going to capitulate based on that possibility, even if it becomes more likely (I'm an upper middle class white native born American - I'll use that privilege to its max in in this situation). Because capitulation leads to the end.
Who are these armed law enforcement officers going along with this?! Shouldn’t they know better morally and refuse to be armed while delivering a letter?
You have primaries and a big general election for governor and the legislature coming up later this year. You could get involved and make sure to support the candidates that want to stand up for the rule of law, i.e., not Trump supporters.
“...they should get a pot of money, like the asbestos money that we got for victims of asbestos" -The *top* prosecutor for the Trump administration.
I'm at a loss for words. Can we please have competent people in leadership positions? This ENTIRE adminsitration is full of idiots.
People who rubbed literal sh!t on the walls of the Capitol, who used metal police barricades to break windows and beat police - DO NOT DESERVE ONE DAMN DIME in reparations. They do not deserve to be walking free. They should be locked under the jail.
agreed.
All of this is just.... I truly do not have the words to adequately describe.
EVERYONE JOIN THE PROTESTS THIS SATURDAY! I will be there.
I used to try to hold to the belief that we shouldn't ascribe malice if intent to what incompetence could explain. I'm not so sure we should assume incompetence anymore.
I agree. It's not incompetence anymore. It's all blatant disregard for the rule of law.
And the worst idiots (like Ed Martin) are from MO.
I get very frustrated living in NC but I can't even imagine how I'd cope if I lived in Missouri. Here we voted for the sane candidates for governor, attorney general and head of the public school system but also went for Trump, again. All I can say about it is, I'm glad I don't live in Mississippi or Alabama or Missouri. I feel for you out there.
Thank you! We are grateful for sane voters that vote for sane candidates. Of course, we do not have one single sane state-wide office holder in MO.
BUT! We just rejected 2 white Christian nationalist MAGAs for the Lee’s Summit school board, so they no longer have a majority. Celebrate wins!
I have family with a school aged daughter in Lee's Summit, and I am happy to hear this at least. :(
Susan, unfortunately this is an every year event. I hope you can help protect 2seats, and flip 1 next year.
In Missouri. Sigh. It’s always breaking my heart. There are pockets of us who believe and act differently but it’s 💔🤬
I live in Missouri and it’s so discouraging. Does it do any good to use my voice to contact my senators with complaints? I feel like it won’t make an impact.
Kim and Danielle, yes! It’s cumulative. Every bit of pushback helps.
We reclaimed our school board, and we’re re-taking our House, next.
I’m in NC and 😤 but that’s true too. It’s very authoritarian here.
Authoritarian in Florida too. Recently, I have noticed a little pushback to DeSantis from Republicans.
They are not idiots- they are evil in person.
Yes, their ways only seem idiotic to us, because they’re, “not like us.”
🔥 Well said.
“This much is clear: a justice system in which the government ignores the rule of law when convenient, attempts to intimidate whistleblowers into silence, all while pretending as though criminals with the ‘correct’ political stances are instead victims, is not one that is fair, ethical, or just.”
This all came out in a “shadow hearing” held by Democratic Senators and House members. I watched the whole thing on the MeidasTouch YouTube channel. It was an excellent hearing where the vast majority of the time was given over to the witnesses, who were three Justice Dept lawyers and a lawyer who resigned from her firm after its partners caved to Trump’s extortion. Their testimony was enlightening and rather horrifying. We’re all frustrated by Dems in Congress and in general for their seeming impotence but I think holding these shadow hearings is a great idea. Certainly Republicans will not be shedding any light on what’s happening in government right now. I think Dems should hold more of these shadow hearings and maybe take a page out of UK politics and establish their own form of an actual “shadow cabinet.” This is the UK Parliament’s official definition of the term: “The Shadow Cabinet is the team of senior spokespeople chosen by the Leader of the Opposition to mirror the Cabinet in Government. Each member of the shadow cabinet is appointed to lead on a specific policy area for their party and to question and challenge their counterpart in the Cabinet. In this way the Official Opposition seeks to present itself as an alternative government-in-waiting.”
It would be great to see people like Bernie, AOC, Crow, Kinzinger, Buttigieg, Whitmer, Pritzker, McMorrow, Shapiro, etc., out there in a more organized way shining a light on what’s happening and offering a different path.
I live in PA and am so shaken up by what happened to Gov Shapiro and his family yesterday.
I’m so sorry. It’s terrifying.
Same here.
I guess I need to go researching because I don’t know anything about this.
This should have been shouted from all media outlets.
Oh my god, yes to all of this. Thanks Kate!!!
Timothy Patrick, Kate Stone, and all of the wonderful comments: we are living in a post-ethical administration.
Yes, Project 2029 is needed with specific reforms, just like other reforms were implemented after other historic financial, etc. crises.
However, some of the penalties you suggest just sound like the flip side of whistleblower intimidation/retribution.
I agree, the key words are accountability and consequences. Thank you all for thinking of solutions and not just survival.
Yeah, I agree with you in some respect on the "sounds like the flip side of retribution" part. It makes me feel gross. That being said, I don't know what other choice we have. If they are the party of revenge and everyone else is the party of forgiveness, we can't expect the cycle to ever end. I think the only language they understand is reciprocal harm, ricocheting right back at them in a way that is explained: "This is your doing, please cut it out."
Bernie and AOC spoke in Utah yesterday
Yeah, in front of 24,000 or so people I read. That’s pretty great.
This is excellent….
I like this idea a lot!
I am processing the idea, but my first question would be: what good is this to do as nothing can be ratified, and does this take away from their regular job? (Cuz sooo many dont show up much to do that either )
To be clear – I’m not disagreeing with you. I’m just wondering what the fruit of it would be .
I guess the main purposes would be knowledge and organization. Right now there are so many terrible things going on in all parts of the federal government that it is difficult for any one Democratic leader to shed light on it and/or offer alternative ways to accomplish something. I talk to people all the time who know like five terrible things that are happening but haven't even heard about five others. When I was at the protests last weekend, the most common theme I saw among all of the signs was something to the effect of "I am against way too much to put on this sign" or "Trump is destroying too many things to list on this sign." Part of the actual job of the people in the opposition party is to BE in opposition, i.e., speak publicly about the wrongs being committed, hold hearings and offer better or more efficient or less cruel ways to do things. I just think it would be helpful for voters if Dems divided the issues, along cabinet lines or some other way, so that each Dem leader was only responsible for a narrow area or set of issues that he or she could hammer and voters could see alternative people and alternative processes to what we have now. Dems have great people, both within and outside of Congress and government that could effectively communicate all of this. If Trump is going to defy the Supreme Court, the only real recourse we are left with are the voters. If Dems can regain a majority, at least in the House in the next midterms, further damage could be reduced, if not reversed, so that we can hold on long enough to make it to the next presidential election.
This whistleblower story is exactly the kind of case study that demonstrates why we need structural reforms rather than just policy reversals. I've been drafting a Substack piece about an idea I'm calling "Project 2029" that specifically addresses this problem - documenting the abuses happening now to create a blueprint for reforms that go beyond merely undoing damage.
The case of Liz Oyer perfectly illustrates our broken incentive structure. When whistleblowers are intimidated with armed marshals for doing the right thing, or when DOJ employees are fired for refusing to bend rules for presidential friends, just rehiring those people later isn't enough. What's needed are reforms with teeth that make such intimidation tactics counterproductive from the Republicans' own self-interested perspective. Imagine legislation that not only triggers criminal investigations of officials who authorize intimidation against whistleblowers but also imposes personal financial penalties of $1 million per incident, paid directly by the individual, not by taxpayers. Let's add mandatory 5-year minimum sentences for officials who weaponize federal agencies against whistleblowers. Think about how Trump officials would react if they knew their own personal freedom and finances would be on the line when the pendulum swings back – not just their job. These officials care about their own skin first and foremost, so let's create consequences that strike at what they actually value: their wealth, freedom, and future career prospects.
Similarly, when someone like Hager gets pardoned and then demands restitution money back, the appropriate response isn't just to deny the request, but to pass legislation establishing that anyone convicted of crimes against democratic institutions who later accepts a pardon must pay triple the original restitution amount into a fund supporting civic education. And we should create a national registry of pardoned insurrectionists that employers can access during background checks. Let's make it clear that a pardon might erase legal consequences, but it shouldn't erase accountability or provide a financial windfall. The point is to create consequences so severe that the original norm violation results in the instigators being demonstrably worse off than if they'd never tried their stunt in the first place.
I think this approach offers something beyond moral satisfaction - it provides a practical deterrent. If Trump officials knew that their current actions to politicize the DOJ would result not just in those decisions being reversed, but in new legislation that permanently restricts executive authority in those areas, they might think twice. And even if they don't, the reforms would help prevent similar abuses in the future.
Listen to Oyer when she says: "It should alarm all Americans that the leadership of the Department of Justice appears to value political loyalty above the fair and responsible administration of justice." Rather than just lamenting this problem, we need to develop specific reforms with real power behind them - like establishing a fully independent DOJ oversight board with members appointed for staggered 10-year terms who can only be removed by supermajority votes in both houses of Congress. Or legislation that automatically triggers special counsel investigations when DOJ officials attempt to intervene in cases involving presidential allies. The goal isn't just to fix the problem - it's to make the perpetrators wish they'd never tried to corrupt the system in the first place.
I'd love to hear what others think of this strategy. Do you believe creating these kinds of structural disincentives would actually work to constrain bad behavior? Or would it just accelerate partisan cycles? I'm publishing more details on Project 2029 tomorrow, and I'm eager for feedback on whether this approach makes sense as both a deterrent and as an organizing principle for those working to protect our democracy. I’m willing to admit I can sometimes be a little bit idealistic in my thinking, but I always feel like I have to try to something.
Also, if anyone is interested in brainstorming this and other bold ways to combat and prevent this corruption, and making nonpartisan reform ideas more achievable by breaking them down and distributing the work among several volunteers, shoot me a message. Fighting gerrymandering, instituting ranked choice voting, all of that kind of good stuff. I’ve got a tiny little community of people I’ve recruited not only from some fellow Preamble readers but elsewhere, and we are just getting started. Join us! No experience necessary, just passion for democracy.
I just want to take this opportunity to encourage everyone who wants to fight the corruption in government to join Timothy's group. Subscribe to his Substack. And, if you are so inclined...I would advise that you become a "paid" subscriber.
Todd! Thank you for the kind words. But also, I'm not looking to make a single dollar out of this, let's not make this into a business idea or a career. I'm just trying to get the ball rolling for people to talk to each other and then I'm getting back to devoting more of my time on petting dogs and eating pizza while doing my boring day job.
Great ideas, but how does this actually happen when the Trump administration now has all the power? Congress does nothing and the Courts get ignored. I write my representatives all the time but it seems fruitless. I’ll vote against them but they feel secure in their positions. I do appreciate your great ideas and your hope that it can get accomplished. I guess I need to keep thinking TSATM.
We win by offering an alternative vision for America that brings over people in the middle (I don’t think we’ll change the minds or hearts of hardcore MAGA). Then we win more seats in 2026 which means Congress will have enough people there to do their damn job and hold the President accountable and in check. I’m nervous like you about whether we can survive until then, so we keep showing up even in small ways. Each act of resistance matters. Even posting Sharon’s info on your own accounts may be enough to move the needle for someone. There are a lot of moms for change state accounts which were started around the issue of school shootings, but many of them post about local elections/issues. Follow them. Help spread the word about the things they share.
Hi Jennifer, thanks for this. You're right that they currently hold the power, which is why I think this works on two levels.
First, it would create a deterrent effect right now - publicly declaring "if you do X, we will implement Y when power shifts, and Y will be much worse for you personally than if you'd never done X." Even authoritarians calculate risk and reward.
Second, it's building a compelling alternative vision for voters. Part of why 2024 went sideways was Dems basically running on "more of the same" after an unpopular president, rather than a bold plan to address corruption. Imagine instead having a clear platform: "Here's exactly how we'll fix what's broken AND ensure it can't happen again." The pendulum always swings eventually, hopefully much sooner than later, but we'll see. When it does, we need to be ready with specific reforms, not just vague promises to "restore norms."
While those ideas are interesting, you’d need a majority in both the house and senate as well as a president of the same political party who won’t veto that legislation. You already have Trump saying he’s not leaving the presidency and instead will run for a third term despite it being illegal.
Thank you Ashley! Yes I know I meant to address that in a paragraph somewhere but lost track of it. Of course this is all written under the assumption that not only will the Republican party demonstrate their utter incompetence (already came true many times over!) but that also the public will be informed and engaged enough to recognize it and vote them out of power in both the presidency and congress... That's the tough part, and there's absolutely no guarantee in this media ecosystem that it'll happen. BUT I'm hoping to do my part in getting that message out there in the most effective way possible.
Ashley, I'm re-reading my comment, and seeing a couple of places I could improve: I realize now that the phrases "Yes I know" and "Of course" that I used sound like I'm saying that what you said was obvious. I didn't mean that at all, in case it was interpreted that way. I really appreciate your comment, if that wasn't clear. 😌
That’s okay! You post thoughtful responses.
I would like to join any group you put together, Timothy!
Thankyou for your response. I am definitely interested in joining your group. Please tell me more.
Love this ideas and hope you some legislators take note of these positive proposals.
The only thing more horrific than the loss of the rule of law is the number of people championing it. The horror that pro-authoritarian and pro-oligarchy propaganda has worked so effectively to sew such distrust in our systems that Trump’s supporters want to abandon of the rule of law. Without it we have nothing. Do we need reform - YES! But reform can and MUST uphold the rule of law. Policy doesn’t matter at all without the rule of law. I don’t care if you like his stance on x or y. Those policies lack the foundation of the rule of law and so they are meaningless. Trump voters you spoke to us here a couple weeks ago. May I speak to you? It’s never too late to change your mind. You don’t have to become a democrat to stand up against Trump. You just have to see that he is an enemy to our constitution and nothing is worth the loss of that. He should not have an ounce of your support.
"You don’t have to become a democrat to stand up against Trump. You just have to see that he is an enemy to our constitution and nothing is worth the loss of that. He should not have an ounce of your support."
💯💯💯
This administration is masterful at using the traditionally “left” or “progressive” vocabulary to warp the words and basically render it meaningless. I am chilled by their ability to use “reparations”, because it undercuts the actual and very real meaning behind reparations for enslavement, forced removal, genocide of African Americans and Native Americans. It completely cheapens and bastardizes these very real and horrible experiences by classifying Jan 6 protestors as also “deserving” of reparations. We need to do better and remember the real meanings of these words.
“Mr. Trump has been fluent in the ways of doublespeak for decades. Tony Schwartz, the ghostwriter of Mr. Trump’s first book, “The Art of the Deal,” which was published in 1987, concocted the phrase “truthful hyperbole” to describe his subject’s speaking style. As the book states, in Mr. Trump’s voice: “I play to people’s fantasies. … It’s an innocent form of exaggeration — and it’s a very effective form of promotion.” (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/11/us/politics/trump-wordplay.html)
Reparations.
Weaponization.
Indoctrination.
Oligarchy.
Pay attention to the words they use because it threatens to cheapen so many very important concepts.
Yes! This particular practice makes me so ill.
If we didn’t already know, Sharon just warned us: they are coming for everyone that does the right thing.
Also true, they are coming for everyone.
So please don’t think the leopards won’t eat your face.
One strong woman! If others would stand up to the bully perhaps perhaps America can start to recover from the shame we are experiencing. Thanks Sharon for so clearly articulating truth.
Actually, in this one hearing alone there were three courageous women and one brave dude who testified!
Thank you, Sharon, for consistently providing balanced insights into news events, especially those I may not be aware of otherwise. However, it is difficult to "heart/like" these daily (well written, well informed) newsletters because each brings another dose of heartbreak.
This is horrifying and while I had heard about the firings, I didn't know about the hearing. Or maybe I did, but there is just SO MUCH every day.
And really, reparations for J6ers? I don't know that we can fit any more clowns into this clown car that is our government.
I just keep repeating each day, just do the next needed thing.
Thanks Sharon. This should scare us all. I would love to hear a Pro-Trump’s opinion on this! Without using the phrase “what about”
I expect crickets, but if not I am sure it would be something about Portland being destroyed by protestors in 2020. It always goes back to that. As if anyone is saying those who were prosecuted for their involvement in that should get reparations, or shouldn't be held accountable.
We have blown past potential fascism straight into actual fascism. I am no longer convinced that we have good odds of a free and fair election at midterms, let alone the next presidential election. My husband cautioned me today that he is worried that activism on my part could lead to detention and torture in a foreign country. While I'm not convinced that's likely, I'll be damned if I'm going to capitulate based on that possibility, even if it becomes more likely (I'm an upper middle class white native born American - I'll use that privilege to its max in in this situation). Because capitulation leads to the end.
I feel this entire comment in my bones. I agree!
Thanks for this, Sharon. I wish I could say any of this surprised me. Wannabe dictator uses DOJ for his own whims. Color me shocked.
Who are these armed law enforcement officers going along with this?! Shouldn’t they know better morally and refuse to be armed while delivering a letter?
Trump is the anti-christ.
I truly don't see how we get through this to the other side.
What I really want to know is what can my husband and I as a citizens do about this? We live in Virginia. What can we do?
You have primaries and a big general election for governor and the legislature coming up later this year. You could get involved and make sure to support the candidates that want to stand up for the rule of law, i.e., not Trump supporters.