Today in Politics, Bulletin 187. 8/7/25 Ron Filipkowski Aug 7 ∙ … I predicted that Phase 2 of Trump’s attempt to steal the midterms and/or the 2028 presidential election was going to be a scam to redo the census mid-decade. Well, now we are here. Trump: “I have instructed our Dept of Commerce to immediately begin work on a new and highly accurate CENSUS based on modern day facts and figures and, importantly, using the results and information gained from the Presidential Election of 2024. People who are in our Country illegally WILL NOT BE COUNTED IN THE CENSUS.” … Politico: “At stake is the fed govt’s allocation of billions of dollars in funding, as well as the apportionment that determines each state’s number of House seats. (In 2020, though, Pew projected that removing undocumented people from the census would be a partisan wash in terms of redistribution of House seats.)” … It also changes the number of electoral votes each state gets. … Politico: “Huge questions remain: It isn’t clear yet whether Trump is demanding a new census now or changes for the 2030 count. Either way, his plans would face massive logistical, legal and political hurdles. The Constitution says the census must count ‘whole persons,’ and courts blocked Trump from adding a citizenship question in his first term. Under current law, a mid-decade census has to be done in a year ending in 5 - and only for funding, not apportionment purposes. Planning for and pulling off one this year would be next to impossible.” … That doesn’t mean they aren’t going to try. … Rep. Marge Greene (R-GA): “President Trump is ordering a new census that will not count illegal aliens. Trump supports my bill Making American Elections Great Again Act which not only orders a new census counting American citizens only, it also orders reapportionment by the new US citizen count, and requires proof of citizenship to vote!!! Congress must pass my bill so that American citizens ONLY will be represented in Congress!” … Returning now to update Phase 1 - mid-decade gerrymandering in Texas. Sen. John Cornyn issued this statement: “Kash Patel has approved my request for the FBI to assist state and local law enforcement in locating runaway House Democrats. We cannot allow these rogue legislators to avoid their constitutional responsibilities.” … MSNBC’s Ken Dilanian: “The key question here is on what grounds would the FBI be doing this. What is the crime they are investigating? The FBI can’t just use its vast surveillance powers to locate random citizens. In fact, that’s what conservatives have long been so concerned about re FISA authorities.” … IL Gov JB Pritzker to Meidas: “The fact is that neither TX nor the FBI at the federal level has the authority to arrest these TX Dems. They’re welcome to visit Chicago or anywhere in IL—to take in the great views of our lake and our city, and enjoy the incredible restaurants we have. But they won’t be taking anyone home with them, or out of the state. We are protecting those TX House Dems—and frankly, they’re protecting the entire country.” … A federal judge ordered that construction of “Alligator Alcatraz” must stop. The detention center is located deep within the environmentally sensitive Everglades. Environmental advocates and Indigenous groups argued the project violates federal environmental laws. Judge Kathleen Williams ruled that while the facility can continue operating and holding detainees on behalf of ICE, no additional filling, paving, or infrastructure work may take place for at least the next 14 days. … The lawsuit, filed by a coalition of environmental organizations and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of FL, seeks a preliminary injunction to stop the project entirely. Plaintiffs argue that the detention center poses a direct threat to the fragile Everglades ecosystem - home to protected wildlife and plant species - and undermines decades of federally funded environmental restoration efforts, totaling billions of dollars. … NPR: “Less than 5 years after urging rioters to ‘kill’ police at the Capitol, a former J6 defendant is working as a senior adviser for DOJ. NPR has obtained police bodycam footage from multiple angles of the former defendant and current administration official, Jared Wise, berating officers and calling them ‘Nazi’ and ‘Gestapo.’ DOJ had introduced the footage as an exhibit in Wise's trial.” … “NPR also obtained the transcript of Wise's testimony, in which he acknowledged that he repeatedly yelled ‘kill 'em’ as officers were being attacked and tried to explain his actions. Wise was not convicted of any crimes related to J6, due to President Trump's order to end all Capitol riot prosecutions.” … DOJ spokesperson said in a statement: "Jared Wise is a valued member of the Justice Department and we appreciate his contributions to our team." … AP: “Trump began levying higher import taxes on dozens of countries Thurs, just as the economic fallout of his months long tariff threats has begun to create visible damage for the US economy. The import taxes are at a level not seen in the US in almost 100 years, with Americans expected to pay an average of 18.3% more for imported products. That’s the highest rate since 1934.” … WSJ: “From March-July, US manufacturing activity contracted. The Manufacturing PMI last registered at 48, below the 50 score that differentiates growth and decline. The effective average tariff rate on all imported goods now stands at roughly 18% versus 2.3% last year, the highest levels since the 1930s. The unpredictability of Trump’s trade wars still makes it impossible for companies to decide on big capital commitments, like moving a factory from Asia to the US.” … “Trump surprised investors on Wed by saying he would soon double tariffs on India to 50%. Tariff levels on China and Mexico have been in flux since the start of the year, and seem far from settled. Even if some firms do reshore production, how fast that can be achieved is in question. Manufacturers might struggle to find the American workers they need, and new facilities might face higher prices for steel, copper and aluminum, all of which Trump has tariffed.” … WH Policy Director Stephen Miller on Fox: “The economy was on its deathbed when President Trump came into the Oval Office.” … Elon Musk’s AI app Grok was asked if Miller’s quote was accurate: “Based on key indicators, the economy performed strongly under Biden with average unemployment at 3.6% (2022-2023), inflation down to 2.4% by late 2024, and real GDP growth of 12.6% over his term. Currently (Aug 2025), unemployment is 4.2%, inflation 2.7%, and Q2 GDP growth 3.0%, but job gains slowed amid tariff impacts. Overall, Biden's era showed better stability in jobs and prices.” … The Telegraph: “Trump may have delivered a booming stock market, but economists warn he is pushing many sectors into recession. His working class MAGA support base will be the worst hit. Trump has succeeded in splitting the US economy in two: while Wall Street and Silicon Valley are booming, the rest of the country is suffering a redneck recession. The working classes who helped Trump return to the WH are now suffering. Many companies are also struggling. Small businesses, which do not have the cash reserves or economies of scale to absorb policy shocks, have been the hardest hit by Trump’s tariffs. On top of the trade war, small companies are also wrestling with Trump’s immigration crackdown and cuts to govt grants.” … Moody’s chief economist Mark Zandi: “Manufacturing is in recession. Construction is in a deep recession. Transportation and distribution is in recession. Wholesaling is in recession. Retail is holding on by its thumbs, it’s very close. The industries that are going to get nailed, they’re the kind of working class, low-to-middle income kind of job.” … Dean Baker, senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research: We have an economy with really just one dynamic sector, the tech sector. I think it is very likely to be a bad story for the bottom half of the labour market.” … John Arensmeyer, CEO of the Small Business Majority: “Small businesses are just being hammered by these tariffs. The tariffs themselves are cutting into their profit margins, but also it’s the uncertainty.” … Meanwhile, Trump was maniacally posting on Truth Social: “IT’S MIDNIGHT!!! BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TARIFFS ARE NOW FLOWING INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!” … Later: “Tariffs are flowing into the USA at levels not thought even possible!” … Tarriff are coming from the US, not flowing to it. … Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY): “Tariffs are nothing more than hidden taxes, and it’s KY’s bourbon industry and farmers who are left footing the bill. We’ve never supported a higher sales tax, so why back tariffs that punish already struggling Americans? The time has come to put a stop to these job-killing, industry-crushing taxes before they do even more damage.” … Nat Assn of Intl Educators: “Recent actions such as visa bans and disruptions in visa interviews and processing could have a devastating effect on US local economies. An analysis of SEVIS and State Dept data predicts a potential 30–40% decline in new international student enrollment, contributing to a 15% drop in overall enrollment this fall. Such an outcome would deprive local economies of $7 billion in spending and more than 60,000 jobs.” … Treasury Sec Scott Bessent went on MSNBC and was interviewed by Eugene Robinson, who was the first one able to get anyone from the admin to admit that US importers are paying the tariffs: “Q - Who writes the check to the Treasury? Bessent - Well, the check is written to the person who receives it at the dock at the US. Q - So the tariff is paid in this country by the importer, right? Bessent - Yes, but the exporter could decide to lower the price to lower the cost.” … Reuters: “Spain is no longer considering the option of buying US-made F-35 fighter jets and is choosing between European-made Eurofighter and the so-called Future Combat Air System (FCAS). The F-35 is manufactured by US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin. The govt had earmarked 7.24 billion in its 2023 budget to buy new fighter jets.” … Trump said he is now considering a 100% tariff on Spain since they are part of BRICS and not covered by the agreement with the EU. Except that they are NOT part of BRICS and are in the EU. … Bloomberg reported that Swiss lawmakers are urging the govt to cancel a multi-billion dollar order for 36 F-35A fighter jets from Lockheed Martin, following Trump’s decision to impose 39% tariffs on Switzerland. This would cost Lockheed Martin $9.1 billion. … “The 36 jets ordered by Switzerland amount to about one-third of Lockheed Martin’s total F-35 deliveries in 2024. The company has already faced a tough financial year, taking a $1.6 billion charge in its July earnings report and seeing the Pentagon slash its planned F-35 orders for fiscal year 2026 while increasing investments in competing defense programs.” … Guardian: “JD Vance’s team had the Army Corps of Engineers take the unusual step of changing the outflow of a lake in Ohio to accommodate a recent boating excursion on a family holiday. Vance was spotted in the southwestern Ohio area on 2 August, his 41st birthday, according to social media posts that noted he was seen canoeing on the river, a tributary that Caesar Creek Lake feeds into. One source alleged that the outflow request for the Caesar Creek Lake was to create ‘ideal kayaking conditions’.” … Former WH ethics counsel Norm Eisen: “When I was President Obama’s ethics czar in the WH I got a lot of unusual requests, but I never got one to increase the outflow of a waterway as part of a government official going kayaking. My nickname was ‘Mr No’ and I certainly would have lived up to it in this situation. I never would have permitted this kind of a thing because whether it technically violates the rules or not, it creates the appearance that the VP is getting special treatment that’s not available to the average person who wants to utilize that body of water for recreational purposes.” … NYT: “On Tuesday morning, ICE announced in an internal email that it would offer cash bonuses to agents for deporting people quickly, an incentive meant to motivate the staff to speed up Trump’s mass deportation campaign. Less than 4 hours later, the agency abruptly canceled what was supposed to be a 30-day pilot program. ‘PLEASE DISREGARD,’ Liana J. Castano, an official in ICE’s field operations division, said in a follow-up email to agency offices around the country.” … “Under its terms, ICE would hand out $200 bonuses for each immigrant deported within 7 days of being arrested and $100 for those deported within two weeks, according to an initial memo signed by Castano that was sent to the directors and deputy directors of ICE’s field offices across the country.” … Stephen Miller posted an ad on X for ICE agents as the Trump admin looks to massively increase the size of their agency under the new Republican budget: “Want to mass deport illegals from Los Angeles? JOIN.ICE.GOV today and get a 50K signing/retention bonus. Make your family proud and be the hero America needs.” … DHS issued a statement announcing they will now hire agents with no age limit on new recruits: “DHS Secretary Kristi Noem today announced ICE will waive age limits for new applicants so even more patriots will qualify to join ICE in its mission to arrest murderers, pedophiles, gang members, rapists, and other criminal illegal aliens from America’s streets.” … Former Superman actor and now unemployed actor and full-time MAGA cultist Dean Cain announced on Fox that he has joined ICE at age 59: “I will be sworn in as an ICE agent ASAP. Jesse Watters: Are you going to be hopping out of ICE vans and apprehending guys? Cain: I will do whatever the director wants me to do. If that's what it takes, absolutely.” … NYT: “The FBI is forcing out at least two agents — including Brian Driscoll, the former acting head of the bureau — as Kash Patel continues his purge at the agency. Another agent being pushed out is Walter Giardina, who was involved in a number of Trump investigations.” … Attorney Mark Zaid who represents a number of DOJ employees fired for no reason: “We will be challenging any FBI firings without cause.” … MSNBC: “Brian Driscoll, the former acting FBI director who refused to carry out Trump admin’s plans for mass firing of J6 agents, sent a message to colleagues: “Last night I was informed that tomorrow will be my last day in the FBI. I understand that you may have a lot of questions regarding why, for which I currently have no answers. No cause has been articulated at this time. Please know that it has been the honor of my life to serve alongside each of you. Thank you for allowing me to stand on your shoulders throughout it all. Our collective sacrifices for those we serve is, and will always be, worth it. I regret nothing. You are my heroes, and I remain in your debt.” … Farewell letter from Steve Jensen, who has been head of the FBI’s DC field office: “Colleagues, Last night I was informed that my employment with the FBI will be terminated effective tomorrow. I intend to meet this challenge like any other I have faced in this organization, with professionalism, integrity, and dignity. I am confident the WFO leadership team will continue to lead through any challenges you may face in the future. Never waver in your resolve to answer the call to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution. Continue to be bold and aggressive in the pursuit of justice. Most importantly, stay safe and take care of each other.” … New DC US Attorney and former Fox host Jeanine Pirro was back on Fox complaining that nobody wants to work for her. Laura Ingraham: “I’ve been hearing that there is a big problem with staffing—what’s going on? Pirro: I’m down 90 prosecutors. If you want a job in the largest US Attorney’s office, contact me.” … HHS Secretary RFK Jr: “We reviewed the science, listened to the experts, and acted. BARDA is terminating 22 mRNA vaccine development investments because the data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu.” … Jerome Adams, Trump’s Surgeon General in his first term: “I’ve tried to be objective and non-alarmist in response to current HHS actions – but quite frankly this move is going to cost lives. mRNA technology has uses that go far beyond vaccines - and the vaccine they helped develop in record time is credited with saving millions.” … Lincoln Project’s Stuart Stevens: “At every point, RFK Jr has made disastrous and destructive personal health choices. He was a drug dealer in college. He spent a large portion of his adult life shooting heroin. He’s shot so much steroids into his body, his voice is destroyed. His drug use has helped alienate him from his own family. His 10 siblings have called him a national threat. Now he’s trying to destroy America’s health. This is a sad and broken man with deep self-destructive pathology.” … Trump was asked about it: “Q - These mRNA vaccines are the gold standard. Now your Health Secretary is pulling back all the funding for research - what is going on? Trump: Research into what? Reporter: mRNA vaccines. Trump: We're onto other things.” … Mehdi Hasan: “I would pay good money for a reporter to ask Donald Trump to explain what an mRNA vaccine is and what his administration’s exact objection to it is.” … Conflicting reports coming from the Kremlin and WH about the results of negotiations yesterday between Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Vladimir Putin. The Russians say that Trump agreed to meet face to face with Putin first, then maybe a second meeting would take place between Trump, Putin and Zelensky. But after an ambiguous Truth Social post with no specifics from Trump, the WH is now reportedly saying Trump will not meet one-on-one with Putin, and Zelensky must be present. … WSJ’s Vera Bergengruen: White House - “The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump.” Kremlin - “At the suggestion of the American side, an agreement was coordinated to hold a bilateral summit in the coming days." … NY Post Nat Security Correspondent Caitlin Doornbos: “A White House official just confirmed to me that Putin must meet with Zelensky for the meeting in order for a meeting with Trump to occur. No location has been set.” … WSJ’s Yaroslav Trofimov: “Putin says conditions are far from a meeting with Zelensky. If he gets a summit with Trump without Zelensky, and without a Ukraine ceasefire deal — that’s a Kremlin dream come true. They will be ordering tacos by the bucket.” … NYT: “Putin has long said he wants to sit down with Trump. The reason: He believes that such a meeting, rather than just progress on the battlefield, is his best chance for securing a victory in his war against Ukraine. Some analysts suggested that Putin had told envoys during talks this year to stick only to the hardest-line position, in order to force a meeting between him and Trump.” … “Russian officials may be hoping that a one-on-one summit will give Putin an opportunity to sway Trump, long sympathetic to Russia, back to supporting the Russian leader’s views on what he calls ‘the root causes of the conflict.’ People close to the Kremlin say that Putin’s demands - to exclude Ukraine from NATO, limit Ukrainian military capabilities and lay the groundwork for a more Moscow-friendly govt in Kyiv - are more important to him than the specifics of what territory Russia ultimately controls.” … Katie Miller, the wife of Stephen who left the WH to continue working for Elon Musk on a personal basis, has decided that after the very public feud between Musk and Trump over the budget and Epstein files, has decided she is leaving his employ. She announced today that she is starting a new podcast “because for years I’ve seen that there isn’t a place for conservative women to gather online.” … New WaPo poll - Should the Epstein Files be Released: MAGA Republicans-82%, Republicans-83%, Independents-86%, Democrats-90%. … Climate author Michael Grunwald: “The Trump Admin just issued a new order trying to kill solar and wind because they allegedly use too much land. But somehow this new fervor for ‘capacity density’ won't apply to ethanol, which uses 100X as much land as solar per unit of energy.” … LA Times: “An executive order signed by Trump names him chair of a White House task force on the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, viewed by the president as ‘a premier opportunity to showcase American exceptionalism,’ according to a WH statement. Trump, the admin said, ‘is taking every opportunity to showcase American greatness on the world stage.’” Sorry this one is out a little late tonight. It is only because it is pretty long and took me quite a while to finish it. Tomorrow’s Bulletin will be my final Bulletin before my vacation in Canada, so no Bulletins next week. I am pre-recording a special episode of Uncovered tomorrow where we will go over each of the candidates likely to run for president in 2028. It will air on Wednesday at our usual time. I will give the names of the 7 Republicans I think are running, the 14 Democrats who may be running, the pluses and minuses of each, and who my prediction on who the president and VP nominees will be for each party. I know it’s way too early, but they are already starting to get out there. Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. … “At the WH, speaking in front of banners adding the presidential seal to the logo for LA28, Trump said he would send the military back to LA if he so chose in order to protect the Games: “We’ll do anything necessary to keep the Olympics safe, including using our National Guard or military. I will use the National Guard or the military. This is going to be so safe. If we have to.” … Attorney George Conway then posted an article from a 1936 newspaper making a nearly identical announcement from Adolph Hitler that he would preside over the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936. … Tom Cotton (R-AR): “The new CEO of Intel reportedly has deep ties to the Chinese Communists. US companies who receive govt grants should be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars and adhere to strict security regulations. The board of Intel owes Congress an explanation.” … Trump then posted this: “The CEO of INTEL is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately. There is no other solution to this problem. Thank you for your attention to this problem!” … Reuters: “Reuters reported exclusively in April that CEO Tan invested at least $200 million in hundreds of Chinese advanced manufacturing and chip firms, some of which were linked to the Chinese military. A leadership change could pile pressure on Intel, which is a pillar of US efforts to boost domestic chipmaking. Last year, it secured $8B in subsidies, the largest outlay under the 2022 CHIPS Act, to build new factories in Ohio and other states. … Fox host Laura Ingraham asked DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro about Trump’s threat to take over the city of DC because of crime: “It’s up to the president. I support him totally. If that's what we need to do to get it done, that's what he should do, and I support the president.” … CNN’s Scott Jennings tried to use this example to prove that the network knows DC is unsafe: “I just know that when we go to CNN in Washington and do a show, they send guards out with us to walk us out 200 feet to the street. The other CNN contributors on the panel - Lathan: “They don’t do that for me.” Turner: “Me either.” … NewsNation host Chris Cuomo posted an obvious AI deepfake of AOC saying outrageous things on the floor of the House when Congress is not in session. It was from a parody account, and was clearly labeled in bold letters that it was a parody: AOC responded: “This is a deepfake dude. Please use your critical thinking skills. At this point you’re just reposting Facebook memes and calling it journalism.” … Cuomo then deleted the video and posted this without replying to AOC’s post or tagging her: “You are correct - that was a deepfake (but it really does sound like you). Thank you for correcting. But now to the central claim: show me you calling on hamas to surrender or addressing the bombing of a car in st louis belonging to the idf american soldier?...dude?” … AOC: “I’m going to assume you were trying to reply to me and burped this tweet into the ether instead. You seem to struggle with knowing how to write an apology. Do you need help? Maybe you should call someone.” … Politico: “Mexico has been in Trump’s crosshairs over border security and fentanyl for more than a decade. Yet it is the sole country to win a 90-day extension on trade talks, after steep penalties on dozens of other countries kicked in Thurs. The reprieve reflects several months of behind-the-scenes work by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to cultivate a solid relationship with the ever-mercurial Trump. While the two have yet to meet in person, they talk regularly on the phone.” … Michael Camuñez, a former Asst. Sec of Commerce at the Intl Trade Admin: “She’s done a masterful job. She never takes the bait. She never gets out ahead of him. She always keeps the temperature icy cool.” … A former official who worked on US-Mexico issues in first Trump admin: “Her discipline, message, dialogue, accommodating the US on security and on migration have all helped. And given how Trump sometimes is given to just impromptu comments, it’s kept them from getting zapped on something bigger just because Trump was angered by something.” … Politico: “Having a phone-only relationship with the American president has allowed Sheinbaum to avoid the kinds of Oval Office spectacles that have entrapped other foreign leaders during the second Trump admin, chiefly the infamous blowup between Trump and Zelenskyy. Far from publicly criticizing the Mexican president, Trump has only offered public praise for Sheinbaum.” … Politico: “Rep. Cory Mills has recently faced accusations that he has benefited from federal contracts while in office, that he assaulted a onetime girlfriend in his DC apartment and, just this week, that he threatened another ex with the release of nude videos. Trump won Mills’ district by 12 points last year, and Mills himself won reelection by a slightly higher margin.” … “Plenty of people see a potential political mess in the making - starting with House Dems, whose campaign arm recently put his seat on their list of ‘Districts in Play’ for the midterms despite the bearish 2024 results. At least three Democrats have already announced they plan to challenge him. Among House Rs, quiet concerns have been brewing for months about whether Mills’ behavior could give Dems a real opening. Some of his GOP colleagues are wondering if they should start looking for another candidate.” … The latest problem is Mills’ relationship with Lindsey Langston, the 2024 Miss United States. She told authorities last month that Mills contacted her multiple times threatening to release nude images and videos of them having sex and harm her future romantic partners after she broke off the relationship earlier this year. The police report said Langston shared messages with Mills backing up her claims.” … Former IDF Intel Officer Nadav Pollak: “I can’t stop thinking about the Israeli govt’s stupid plan to occupy parts of Gaza. I’m still hopeful that it’s a scare tactic, but if not it will be an historical mistake, one that will make Israel more divided, more a pariah and more bleeding. Just awful.” … Former CIA agent Marc Polymeropoulos responded to Pollak: “As a long time supporter of Israel, I share the concern, from someone I very much respect. Watching this train wreck in slow motion is agonizing.” … Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) on Gaza: “It is clear that PM Netanyahu’s personal and political interests are guiding Israel’s actions. He is beholden to the extreme right. Israel as a democracy simply cannot allow such a humanitarian crisis to occur.” … Meanwhile, after adjourning the House early to block release of the Epstein Files, House Republicans spent the week in Israel. … Rep. Nancy Mace held her big kickoff event in her campaign for Gov of SC, where tens of people showed up to hear her say this: “I'm one of the most serious members of Congress.” … DC Bureau Chief for The Independent Eric Michael Garcia: “Nancy Mace has only sponsored one bill that passed in Congress: legislation to rename a post office.” … Mace then put her tinfoil hat on looking for support from the QAnon wing of the party: “I would support any action to remove fluoride from the water. And also ban chemtrails.” … Mace talked about how much she really wants Trump’s endorsement and how loyal she has been to him. She then ended with this eye roller: “Real men protect women. Donald Trump has protected women from day one.” … The Independent on last night’s South Park episode: “The episode focused on South Park character Mr Mackey’s financial struggles after being laid off from his role at South Park Elementary. While trying to find a new job, Mackey’s banker suggests that he join ICE due to the organization’s substantial salary. Mackey enrols with ICE and then watches an orientation video featuring Kristi Noem, which mocks the fact that she once confessed to killing her own dog, arguing that it was ‘untrainable’.” … Animated Noem character: “A few years ago, I had to put my puppy down by shooting it in the face, because sometimes doing what’s important means doing what’s hard.” The Noem character then proceeds to shoot many innocent dogs as part of her ICE orientation speech. At one point in the episode, ICE raids heaven and arrests several angels.” … Marge Greene’s boyfriend, Real America’s Voice WH Correspondent Brian Glenn, posted this photo of the new WH Rose Garden after Trump’s personal remodel. Every day the WH looks more and more like his 1980s-style gaudy Palm Beach club. … Here is another view of Trump’s new WH Rose Garden together with a photo of Mar-a-Lago. … Newsmax: “Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz was once again refused a pierogi from an unwilling vendor at a Martha's Vineyard market, the latest in his controversies over pierogis in the celebrity hot spot. Dershowitz confronted Good Pierogi owner Krem Miskevich at the Tisbury Farmers Market after the vendor refused to sell him the popular eastern European dumpling last week.” … Dershowitz to Miskevich: "I'm here in an effort to try to restore community and to ask you to sell me pierogi in the interest of keeping the island together. So I'd ask you to please just sell me any one of your products to show that you're prepared to sell to anybody.” … Nope. Krem didn’t budge again this week. Dershowitz was escorted out of the market. No pierogi for Dersh.

The World’s Greatest Showoff Good thing P.T. Barnum didn’t live to see Trump Dan Rather and Team Steady Aug 7 Credit: Getty Images Donald Trump would never admit that he is a protégé of P.T. Barnum, but the famous 19th-century showman is an apt mentor. To paraphrase one of Barnum’s most famous quotes: “Without publicity, a terrible thing happens: nothing.” The adage also describes Trump’s entire life, a life lived in front of the camera. Barnum, who also served as the mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and in the state’s legislature, was one of the first to understand the importance of publicity, when the idea of generating buzz to gain influence and create impact was at its start. And most importantly, Barnum and Trump are both all about the circus. Fast-forward 150 years and Trump has, under his own big top, learned to manipulate publicity to his benefit. Whether you call it misdirection, bait-and-switch, or a smoke screen, he uses the tactic to distract from what is actually going on. The economy tanking? What about releasing the Epstein files? Forget about that stuff. Here’s something new to distract you. The press spends every day in Trumpworld careening from one sensationalistic topic to the next, all ginned up to make Trump look good. Trump may meet Russian President Putin in the coming days. Or he may not, but it makes for a good headline. Digging a little deeper, you find the story was announced prematurely. But it keeps the press busy chasing whatever Trump thinks will make him look better. Here’s what’s really going on: Hiring is slow. And as The Washington Post reported: “The economy is increasingly dependent on a small sliver of superstar companies and wealthy consumers to stay afloat because these are the only firms and families able to withstand the tariff onslaught.” If the rich stop spending, look out. Shiny Objects But pay no attention to the tanking economy, because Trump is hawking sparkly distractions on the South Lawn. On Wednesday, Trump was seen wandering around the roof of the White House, assessing the location for the $200-million, 90,000-square-foot ballroom he plans to build. For reference, the main building of the White House, excluding the two wings, is 55,000 square feet spread over four levels. A regulation football field is 57,600 square feet. The ballroom would seat 650 people. Most state dinners have half that many attendees. “They’ve wanted a ballroom at the White House for more than 150 years, but there’s never been a president that was good at ballrooms. I’m good at building things, and we’re going to build quickly and on time. It’ll be beautiful, top, top of the line,” Trump boasted. Who is “they?” This reporter has watched the White House for 60 years, and the ballroom ambition is news to me. Renderings of the addition look more like his garish South Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago, than the 225-year-old presidential mansion it will adjoin. Trump is hell-bent on leaving his mark; whether that mark is an improvement is up for debate. He has cemented over much of Jackie Kennedy’s White House Rose Garden and added so much gilt to the Oval Office it’s a wonder people aren’t required to wear sunglasses to enter. None of this is about helping the American people. There is zero governing. Every day offers a new episode of Donald Trump: the never-ending series. All those campaign promises … long forgotten and cast aside to promote what’s important to him: himself. If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Cheat ‘Em But everything is not going great. Just ask those in Congress who’ve returned home to their districts for summer recess. The boo birds have been out in force as Republican representatives meet their constituents. Try convincing everyday Americans that Medicaid cuts are good for them, or that tax cuts for the wealthy are just what they need as they face higher prices at the grocery store. That’s what people care about, not Trump’s airplane hangar-sized ballroom. If everything were going great, Trump wouldn’t be begging states to rewrite congressional districts to ensure he keeps a majority in Congress. This is the double-dealing tactic of a desperate man — and yet another distraction. If Trump can’t win fairly, he will try to win by rigging the system. Trump knows he faces stiff headwinds in his bid to maintain control of the House of Representatives. With the economy tanking because of his rolled-out, walked-back, delayed-and-then-imposed (on some) tariffs and the draconian measures in his tax and spending bill — some of which have yet to hit the economy — convincing voters to stick with him and his House lackeys is a tall order. So he has sent JD Vance out on a tour of red-state legislatures to try to convince them to cheat on behalf of the president by redrawing their congressional district maps. The losers in this fight are the millions of Americans in the gerrymandered districts who effectively would be disenfranchised. But Trump doesn’t care — nor has he ever cared — about his constituents, even the ones who voted for him. What he does care about is inflating his own ego and wealth and those of his billionaire posse. His policies will only add to his fortune. So losing the House would slow his takedown of our democracy but wouldn’t affect his bottom line. Nothing to See Here Last week Trump had a temper tantrum when he was told about the new unemployment numbers and the downward revisions for May and June. He knows that low employment will not help his prospects for the midterms. So he fired Erika McEntarfer, the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. He claimed the large downturn in the unemployment numbers she released was “rigged.” It is a real-(Trump)world example of shooting the messenger. Many column inches would have been written about the revised numbers and what they mean for our economy — fair to say, nothing good — but by acting like a petulant toddler and getting rid of McEntarfer, he brought additional scrutiny to the issue. He also did it at The Smithsonian, an institution charged with preserving American history and heritage. It was pressured by the White House to remove Trump’s name from its exhibit on presidential impeachment. Trump is the only president to be impeached twice. On its X account, the Smithsonian tried to explain the decision to remove the Trump references. They posted that the information about Trump’s impeachment was on a placard that “did not meet the museum’s standards in appearance, location, timeline, and overall presentation.” Publicity can be like a genie in a bottle: You can’t necessarily predict what will happen once it’s out. In this case, no one had been talking about Trump’s two impeachments. Now they are. One thing that differentiates Trump from his publicity guru P.T. Barnum is that Barnum was crafty and subtle. Trump’s efforts are clunky and obvious, which makes it much easier to keep tabs on him and call him out. Trump may think he is overseeing “the Greatest Show on Earth,” when in reality he is leading one of the worst — if not the worst — presidencies in the history of our country. Steady is free, but to support my team’s efforts to protect our democracy through the power of independent journalism, we’d appreciate it if you would consider joining as a paid subscriber. It keeps Steady sustainable and accessible for all. If you are not able to upgrade, we understand. No matter how you subscribe, I thank you for reading. Stay Steady, Dan

As Voters Reject Trump Dems Are Finding A Higher Gear (New Video), The Terrible Tariffs Have Taken Effect And His …

Watch now   As Voters Reject Trump Dems Are Finding A Higher Gear (New Video), The Terrible Tariffs Have Taken Effect And His Betrayal Of The American People Deepens We wake to a new global economic order today, one illegally hoisted upon us by a profoundly corrupt, delusional madman Simon Rosenberg Aug 7 Morning all. Let’s begin with those four Facts our Founders submitted to a candid world in The Declaration of Independence that speak so powerfully to us today: For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world: For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury: For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences: This morning we wake to a new global economic order, one fashioned, illegally, unconstitutionally by our mad, delusional leader enabled by a corrupt Roberts Court and a supine Congress of quislings. The economic life of every single person in the world has been altered by this one man, acting alone, whimsically, capriciously, vaingloriously, idiotically, dangerously. After months of searching, our mad leader, who has been repeatedly rebuffed and rejected by the American people and the leaders of other nations, has found a way of making himself feel STRONG and POWERFUL again as all nations and people of the world today now feel his STRENGTH, his POWER, his MANHOOD. They refused to bend the knee these nations did, and now they know his POWER. The terrible tariffs have come. Our leader’s STRENGTH and POWER are in the process of being RESTORED. As he forced himself upon others in his rancid journey he is forcing himself now upon the entire world. And the world and America are very much worse for it. To mark the occasion Trump, in a statement that sounded more like a mad Bond villain than an American President, repeated his noxious and extraordinary lie that foreign governments - and not all of us - were paying these terrible tariffs: We talked about the terrible, illegal and unconstitutional tariffs in my weekly video discussion last night. You can find a recording and transcript above. It was a lively discussion. Get to it when you can. I think you will find it worth your time. We began our discussion with the proud, plucky patriots of the Hopium community last night by repeating that basic understanding of where we are now: 1) Trump continues to do enormous harm to the country. He continues to break things that will be difficult if not impossible to repair, and we must continue to act with great urgency to mitigate the damage and win back power 2) “Trump” the brand has weakened. He and his agenda are incredibly unpopular. A clear majority of the country has rejected him and his dangerous agenda. He is in political, physical and cognitive decline. And as he weakens politically, our movement continues to grow stronger. I reviewed the argument I made in yesterday’s “You Have To Be Willing To Fight” post - that this week it feels like Democrats have finally begun to find a higher gear, that the electorate is warming to us, that we are growing more confident and ambitious. and that we are making meaningful strides in building that ferocious opposition that is required if we are to get to the other side of Trumpism. Our leaders appear to be increasingly aware of the gravity of the responsibility that has been placed upon them in this unprecedented moment in American history, and are increasingly embracing that old Robert Frost line that “the best way out is through.” Listen to this clip of Governor Pritzker and enjoy his confidence, grit and determination: I also discussed the need for our movement now to begin to forge a clear national narrative about the harms being done to the country and what we intend to do about it, something we’ve been discussing in our Letter to America initiative and are advancing in our powerful Resolutions Project. I now believe this national narrative must have at least four parts: The harms his agenda of sabotage, plunder and betrayal have unleashed upon the country and the American people His unprecedented betrayal of these United States, abandonment of the Constitutional order and clear attempt to establish himself here as a Putin-like czar or dictator His weakening of our national security, severing of our alliances and strengthening of China and Russia. America is less safe today than we’ve been in many, many generations. Our commitment to stand as proud American patriots to fight this terrible descent into national decline and autocracy; an agenda laying out our priorities; a call for the American people to join us in this righteous fight. We also talked last night about the need to continue to aggressively make our case against Trump, as our Founders did in the Declaration of Independence, with their long list of “abuses,” “injuries,” and “usurpations.” Part of our learning from our tragic loss in 2024 is that many of our fellow citizens who do not follow politics closely, who are as Nathan Heller described “rubbed” by news, must be reminded EVERY DAY of Trump’s ongoing betrayal for they live in the poisoned and manipulated world of Twitter, TikTok, Fox News and other social media. Driving down his numbers, further degrading his brand and hold on the public is the first and most important step we must take getting to the other side of this terrible moment. Fear of and opposition to MAGA is the most powerful force in our politics today. It was what drove our victories in 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023 and in down ballot races in 2024. Americans have been voting against MAGA again and again, as Europeans have, again and again, been denying the fascists power in their recent elections. Evoking the fear of and opposition to this politics of sabotage, plunder and betrayal has worked, again and again; and it is the necessary but insufficient first step in getting us “through.” Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. Finally, we discussed that as we fashion our national narrative and agenda we must understand the role of making our side strong, not weak; winners, not losers; successful, not failing; heroes, not villains; patriots, not traitors. Yes, we must have a clear, concise, easy to understand agenda, but we must also convince the American people that we have the strength to prevail and see our agenda through. As saw in 2024 being “on their side” isn’t enough. We must be strong enough, tough enough to triumph for only in victory, gaining power, can we actually deliver for those looking for a better path. 2024 Exit Polls - “Can bring needed change” must become our North Star Our strength, fight, power and grit - and eventual victory - must become from belief, from patriotism, from passion, from a big, bold and compelling narrative and not poll and ad tested “messages” or the debilitating communications we receive from the feral digital fundraisers of our Party. As I wrote earlier this year: We Need To Talk About All These Corrosive Emails Telling Dems We Are Losing, Not Winning And Whether They Contributed To The Troubling Demobilization We Saw in 2024. Again, Democrats across the country need to be treated as “partners in the fight and not donors to the cause.” When folks ask why are Democratic voters and activists perpetually worried and anxious, it’s because the Party and our campaigns are doing everything they can to scare the crap out of everyone and tell them everything is terrible. We have to find a better way. We have begun the conversation about what our affirmative agenda should be in our Agenda Project. Take a look, kick it around, offer your feedback. Last night I also spelled out how we can use our opposition to their current agenda in the coming days to make it clear who we are, what we believe and what we are fighting for: If we believe their tariffs are raising prices and harming working Americans then we need to fight to roll them back. If we believe that the tax cuts to corporations and the wealthy in the big, ugly bill threaten the fiscal integrity of the United States then we need to fight to repeal them. If we believe that a supercharged ICE is a threat to our liberties then we need to fight to curtail its expansion and put clear guard rails on its activities. If we believe that their attacks on our global scientific and academic leadership is doing irreparable harm to the country then we need to ensure that the funding for this research is restored and preserved, and our courageous scientists honored. If we believe that the gutting of the most ambitious legislation to combat climate change in history will warm the planet faster and make the US less competitive in the tech battles of the future then we should fight to restore these far-sighted and vital provisions. If we believe that Robert Kennedy JR and the cutting of the ACA and Medicaid is doing extraordinary harm to our public health then we need to fight to restore the funding and stop the sabotage. If we believe that the cuts to our soft power and intelligence agencies threaten our security then we should fight to restore their funding and programmatic ambitions. If we believe that Trump and his team are breaking laws then we should make criminal referrals to the Department of Justice and relevant state law enforcement agencies. If we believe that Trump is a national emergency and a clear and present danger to our democracy then we must act with great urgency and fight 24/7/365. That’s what we talked about last night. Watch the video. Like it above. Share it and this post with others. We are making progress my friends. It has been hard, and we there is a lot of work ahead but we are making progress. And now, proud, plucky patriots, let’s do what we do best….. Let’s Get To Work For Our Great Country, People!!!!!!!!! Support Hopium’s Priority Candidates And Party Committees - A reminder that Election Day, 2025 is a little less than three months away and early voting starts in Virginia in less than six weeks - September 19th! As background learn about 1) our big recommendations to the family coming out of the 2024 elections 2) the many important wins we had together last cycle 3) my latest thinking on where we are and the path forward for the Hopium community. Donate, volunteer, learn more about our candidates and opportunities here. I consider all these options must dos for anyone serious about winning this year and next year... Mikie Sherrill NJ Gov (2025) - $250,000 goal, $47k raised - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my interview with Rep. Sherrill Abigail Spanberger VA Gov (2025) - $250,000 goal, $161k raised - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my interview with Abigail Spanberger Roy Cooper for NC Senate (2026) - $25,000 Labor Day goal, $250,000 goal, $18,000 raised- Donate | Learn More | Volunteer Jon Ossoff GA Senate (2026) - $250,000 goal, $45k raised - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer Hopium House 7 (2026) - $250,000 goal, $178k raised - Donate | Learn More, Volunteer, Watch My Interviews With Our Great Members Our updated fundraising goals are now for the end of the year, December 31st, except for the 2025 races, which are now for Election Day, 2025. We can do this people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Our Recommended Actions - We are prioritizing three actions today. You can get our full list of recommended actions here. Let’s get to it: 1 - Call your Senators and Rep To Demand They Rescind Trump’s Terrible Tariffs - Congress simply must take back its tariff authority that Trump has illegally and unconstitutional seized and dangerously abused. It is time now for to rescind these terrible and destructive madman tariffs. 2 - Bring “Resolutions Of Condemnation” To Your Community - Inspired by the tactics of our Founders learn about how Hopium members are advancing “Resolutions of Condemnation” in their communities across the country and consider bringing this initiative to your state, country or city/town. Remarkably, members of this community are now advancing 50 resolutions projects in 20 states. Can we get to all 50 states by the fall election? Our newly updated Resolutions page includes a new chat for folks to report in on their progress or seek counsel from those interested in launching a resolutions project in their community. This is one way to fight back against Trump’s unprecedented abandonment of our Constitutional order. 3 - Grow Hopium And This Wonderful Community Of Proud, Plucky, Patriots - We’ve set a goal of trying to grow the Hopium community from the 152,000 we are now to 175,000 by Election Day, 2025. Do what you can to encourage your friends, family and colleagues to become a summer subscriber to Hopium, free or paid. If each current paid subscriber brings in just one new subscriber this summer and fall we will hit our goal. To encourage the growth of our community annual paid subscriptions are 10% off through Labor Day. Use that link to buy gift or group subscriptions, and join our new referral rewards program too. A further note - if you want to up your support of Hopium a powerful way to do it is to buy group or gift subscriptions for others. Finally, please self-report your activities to our daily paid subscriber chat. These reports help inspire all of us to do more and fight harder! Been impressive to see how many of you remain involved in local, in person protests of all kinds in your communities. Keep it up!!! Keep working hard all. Proud to be in this fight with all of you, and a fight it truly is - Simon