The relentless pace of events continues. In just this past week: 1) Trump commented on the murders of Rob and Michele Singer Reiner, 2) the DOJ failed to comply with the congressional order to release all of the Epstein files, 3) the Department of Energy suspended all major offshore wind farm projects, 4) CBS attempted to suppress its 60 Minutes’ CECOT segment, 5) the Education Department decided to garnish student debtor’s wages, 6) Trump announced plans to build vaporware “battleships” named after himself 7) the Kennedy Center for the Arts was renamed, 8) a Greenland “special envoy” was appointed, 9) Medicare and Medicaid terminated all payments to hospitals providing gender-affirming care for minors, and 10) J.D. Vance declared, “in the United States of America, you don’t have to apologize for being white anymore.”
It’s been quite a week—but then every week has been like this.
And all of this was on top of all the other morally objectionable, illegal, and/or unconstitutional actions the Trump regime initiated earlier this year and continues to this day.
No wonder many people feel overwhelmed, hopeless, and demoralized.
So, during this holiday season, I am here to bring a word of good cheer. The good news is that our home-grown fascists are grossly incompetent and that the wheels are rapidly coming off of their clown car.
We saw harbingers of this in the November regular and special elections when Democrats often overwhelmed their MAGA opponents by double digits. We see it in Trump’s polling numbers which are at their lowest level ever. We see it in the polls showing that many young men and Latinos who voted for Trump no longer support him. We see it in the small number of House Republicans now willing to join Democrats in forcing votes onto the House floor. We see it in the number of Republicans deciding not to stand for re-election. We see it in the internecine warfare within Turning Point USA and the Heritage Foundation over welcoming neo-Nazis into their “tent.” We see it in the overwhelming number of district court cases that have gone against the administration. We see it in the coalitions of states attorneys general suing the federal government. We see it in grand juries and trial juries refusing to convict in cases brought by the Department of Justice.
The fact is, Americans are standing up and resisting.
We haven’t won yet— but the tide is turning. Trump’s charisma wears thinner and thinner as his cognitive powers continue to wane. Republicans facing the midterm elections will increasingly see the need to put some daylight between him and them. The issue of affordability and increasing disparities in wealth will continue to be an issue come November.
None of this is meant to underestimate the enormous harm that continues to be done everyday to immigrants, poor people, people of color, trans people, cultural, scientific, educational, legal, and health institutions, the media, and our climate. We must continue to do all we can to support, protect, and preserve these communities and institutions in every way we can. There is a great deal of mourning to be done over the damage that has already occurred and that will continue.
But let’s not let our grief override the fact that the despite the many ongoing casualties of war, the odds of our eventually prevailing are increasing.
There is reason to hope this holiday season.
Take some time to unplug and enjoy with family and friends!
And keep the faith!
Well said.
Thanks, Seth! Your holiday message of hope and good cheer is much needed and most welcome.