Trump’s “enemy within” rhetoric isn’t tough talk; it’s the most un-American doctrine ever uttered by a U.S. president. And the GOP’s silence is the stain that will outlive them.
He hates us. Because hate is all he’s capable of. I completely agree, “Any American leader who calls American citizens ‘the enemy’ has forfeited the right to lead them.” LET’S MAKE IT SO!
I like your style, Audrey. Yes...Let's Make It So! And, we are very much moving along with that process. His power is getting weaker every day.
Oh, I believe some of our worst days are ahead...and...that's okay. It's happening as a RESULT of him realizing his relevance AND health are BOTH rapidly dwindling. I'll accept that temporary trade-off....because the momentum...has shifted in OUR direction.
Great article Jack!! So perfectly describes the walking nightmare we know as the Fanta Fuehrer. He has serious medical issues, perhaps a combo of undiagnosed advanced syphilis and frontotemporal dementia, with a side of unbridled inherite$ racism and narcissism. We will defeat him and his fascist ideology! 👇🏻🙏🏻 #holdfast
Thank you, Elizabeth...and you captured the central truth exactly...we’re not dealing with a normal political figure...we’re dealing with a man whose behavior has become a rolling nightmare for democratic norms...basic decency...and national stability.
I try to stay away from diagnosing him...that’s for medical professionals...but what we can say with absolute confidence is this...his public behavior...his impulsivity...his rage...his paranoia...and the way he talks about Americans as “enemies”...all point to someone who is deeply unwell...in the ways that matter most for a leader in a constitutional system.
And...you’re right about the ideology.
His movement isn’t conservative...Republican...or even political in a traditional sense.
It’s authoritarianism with an American accent ....built on fear...division...dominance...and the weaponization of grievance.
But here’s why I stay hopeful...
Every time he escalates… every time he lashes out… every time he reveals more instability… more people see what’s really happening.
His base may cheer...but the rest of the country is watching a man unravel in real time... and they know it.
We will defeat this.
Not because he is weak...but because the American public is stronger than the fear he’s trying to sell them.
Yes, I think his mask is slipping, more and more Republikkkans are noticing he has NO clothes, no teeth, diminishing power. I used to hope Republikkkans would come to their senses, now I just want them gone the way of the Whigs. It is a doomed, tarnished and corroding brand thanks to Donald J. Trump. The few who consider themselves ‘conservative’ need to brainstorm a new way forward sans Trump and his cult. Good luck there! We will defeat these lousy bastards. 👍🥰 #holdfast
I also think because the economy sucks big wankers and the MAGA nuts are impacted significantly that even some of them are realizing but not admitting that he screwed them like he f’s up everything he had any influence over. There is truth in “ everything Trump touched dies”
He is an angry baby man that is losing his grasp on control and is frightened of the consequences of that loss of his grip over his minions. Now only if the Republicans had even a wet noodle for spines we could make a bit of progress in this country that is adrift in the sea of turmoil, deception and the kleptocrats fear that the electorate will get pissed enough to act out en mass.
Donna Sinn...you’re putting your finger on something real... economic pain has a way of cutting through ideology...even when people don’t want to admit it out loud.
When wallets shrink...and promises collapse...slogans stop working. That’s when cracks appear.
The “everything Trump touched dies” line...resonates because it reflects a pattern: chaos...short-term gain for a few...and long-term damage for everyone else.
And...you’re right about the psychology...loss of control is his deepest fear...which is why the anger escalates as the grip slips. It’s not strength...it’s panic.
As for Republicans...the absence of spine is the tragedy. Progress requires at least a minimal willingness to put country over faction.
Until enough of them fear voters...more than they fear him...the drift continues.
But...pressure builds quietly before it breaks...and economic reality is one of the few forces that eventually reaches everyone.
Thanks for your unbelievable clarity and ability to communicate what many of us see and feel but struggle to put into concise analysis as opposed to just screaming!
Jay...thank you...truly. That’s exactly why I write these the way I do. Most people see what’s happening...they feel it in their gut...but the noise and chaos make it hard to turn that into a clear... grounded analysis...instead of just shouting into the void.
If I can help give shape to that instinct...help convert the scream into something sharp...accurate...and usable...then we’re doing this right.
Jack you have just said everything I have been thinking about this deplorable situation the repugs have allowed to happen...They are nothing but a basket of weak, disgusting hateful cowards. They have no dignity and some of them are just as hateful as drumpf. There is no dignity and we know the ones that are worse than the others. They have shone themselves over and over. I will never understand females agreeing with drumpf...never as I view that as shooting yourself, they must have no respect for themselves to vote for him. I believe one of the biggest reasons is the one you stated about power and income. They don't want to give it up. Revolting is another word I have for the repugs....
Teri...you said it with a clarity...and moral force...that absolutely cuts through the noise.
What we’re watching isn’t a normal political disagreement... it’s a full moral collapse from a party...that once claimed to stand for character...responsibility...and country.
Now...it’s a collection of people so terrified of losing power...access...or status...that they’ve willingly surrendered EVERY shred of dignity to stay in Trump’s shadow.
And...you’re right...the women who defend him… it’s one of the most heartbreaking parts of this whole era.
Supporting a man who openly degrades them...dismisses them...objectifies them...it’s political self-harm...dressed up as loyalty. And...the party encourages it...because fear and obedience....are the only currencies they have left.
“Revolting” isn’t too strong a word.
If anything...it’s polite.
But here’s the important part: people see the rot. They feel it. And more of them are refusing to pretend this is normal. That’s how change begins...not quietly...but with the refusal to look away.
Thanks for validating my feelings. The chaos is exhausting if you don't step away occasionally and get out of you head and go to nature or whatever gives you solace. I felt your rage in today's post and it was visceral. #HOLDFAST
Jack:All good stuff. What I am screaming about is Medicare. Are they voting to let people DIE, and go HUNGRY? At the same time DHS gets a fleet of jets to deport more unwhite people, Argentina gets 40 BILLION💰
THEY get their paychecks, healthcare, expense accounts. The US fleet is costing BILLIONS, with 10,000 troops and shouldn't even be there
there. I know you know all of that.
It would be so simple. DON'T LET HIM DO THE THINGS HE IS DOING.
What you’re reacting to isn’t abstract politics...it’s moral triage being done in public.
Yes...when Congress votes on Medicare cuts...or lets them slide...they are knowingly accepting that people will suffer...go hungry...skip care...and in some cases...die. That’s not rhetoric. That’s math.
And the obscenity you’re pointing out...is the contrast: unlimited money for enforcement...jets...deployments...foreign deals...and elite protection...while basic survival for Americans...is treated as negotiable.
Meanwhile, the people making these decisions never miss a paycheck...never lose healthcare...never worry about food...never face the consequences they impose on others.
You’re right about the simplest truth of all: Congress could stop this.
They don’t lack the power.
They lack the will.
They hide behind procedure...cowardice...and party discipline...because sacrificing us is easier than confronting the executive or breaking ranks.
That’s the betrayal at the center of this moment.
The fight...ugly as it is...comes down to forcing Congress to fear voters more than donors...more than leadership...more than chaos.
Until then, they’ll keep choosing the path of least resistance ...and that path runs straight through the people...they’re supposed to represent.
You’re not wrong.
You’re not hysterical.
You’re responding to a system...that has decided some lives are expendable.
As trump declines he will become more unhinged. I don’t expect the GOP to do a damn thing about it. What they need to understand is that he would throw any one of them under the bus in a heartbeat.
Lori...that assessment is sadly realistic. As his influence narrows and his control weakens.. the behavior doesn’t moderate...it escalates.
That’s not strength...it’s fear responding to loss.
And you’re right...the GOP leadership isn’t acting because many of them still believe they can manage him...outlast him...or use him without being consumed by him.
What they continue to misunderstand is exactly what you said...there is no loyalty there.
Trump has NEVER protected anyone once they stopped being useful. Power is transactional...and when the transaction no longer serves him...he discards people without hesitation...allies...donors...lawyers...staff...members of Congress.
History is full of examples...and yet they still convince themselves they’ll be the exception.
That’s the danger of cowardice...masquerading as strategy.
It delays the inevitable and increases the damage when it comes.
The irony is brutal...the longer they cling to him for cover...the more exposed they become when he turns. And he always turns.
Clear-eyed people see this.
The question is...how many of them decide to act...before they’re standing alone in the wreckage.
Sadly, what you describe goes back to Nixon and had infected every Republican since then. The Republican Party has become a cancerous tumor that needs to be excised and replaced with something different. We do need a conservative view, but not racist or hateful, and certainly not one that believes it has the right to rule even while in the minority (“rule” is the right word because they suck at governing).
Several of our institutions—the Senate, the Supreme Court, and the Electoral College—are biased towards Republicans, for the moment, but it’s a distributional problem, the results of a migration from farm to city that started before we became a country. Cities have a natural advantage over rural distributions, and we need to figure ways to balance the needs of both communities even if we don’t balance the voting.
That’s all for another day. Right now, we have a tumor that’s about to consume us, and we need to get rid of it. Republicans never learn from history. Despite all the rhetoric about how violence never solves anything, it is *always* the result of one group systematically removing all of the options from another. Always.
Scott...you’re touching a nerve that runs deep in American history...and you’re right about the long arc.
What began as Nixon-era cynicism...metastasized over decades...into a party that increasingly substitutes grievance...and power-seeking for actual governance.
“Rule” is the right word...because when a movement stops believing it must earn consent... it stops knowing how to govern at all.
You’re also right about structural bias. The Senate...the Court...and the Electoral College weren’t designed for a modern...urbanized democracy...and the demographic shift from rural to city life...has turned those compromises into distortions.
That’s a real problem...and it deserves serious...sober reform...aimed at balancing interests without legitimizing minority rule.
Where I want to be precise is this...violence isn’t inevitable because people demand justice...it becomes a risk when systems close off peaceful...democratic paths for change.
That’s why protecting elections...accountability...and institutional legitimacy...matters so much.
When those channels stay open...societies can excise bad ideas...and...bad actors... without destroying themselves in the process.
What we’re facing now is dangerous...but it’s not unsolvable. The “tumor” metaphor works insofar as it points to removal...through exposure...electoral defeat...reform...and sustained civic pressure...not through becoming what we oppose.
History punishes those who refuse to learn.
It also rewards those who stay clear-eyed...disciplined...and committed to democratic means even when it’s infuriating.
Jack, violence results only when all the other options are taken away. We’re not there yet, and Republicans can avoid it, and are showing signs they want to, so there’s hope. There are no easy answers for the structural imbalances. At the state level, rural folks always say their concerns aren’t represented, mainly because they represent about a fourth of the state’s population. The national structure turns that upside down. There are no good ways to solve either. Time to get creative.
This article is a required reading training manual for those citizens who will protect Democracy from the jaws of Autocracy. Can I fight in your fox hole?
Jack, could you tell us how you really feel? I could not agree more. But the GOP will not stand up. At the end of the day they will remain self-serving cowards. They have no interest in us or their constituents. If you are not one of their patrons you don't count. It is not going to be easy but we will prevail. Anything else is unacceptable.
Nancy...I’ll say it plainly...because pretending otherwise doesn’t help anyone...you’re right about the GOP leadership. As a bloc...they’ve made a calculation...and it’s not about governing...constituents...or the country. It’s about self-preservation...donor protection... and proximity to power.
Courage would cost them something...and they’ve decided they’re unwilling to pay.
That doesn’t mean they’re unbeatable. It means they’re brittle. Movements built on fear and patronage...don’t collapse all at once...they hollow out...then fail when pressure becomes unavoidable.
And pressure is building...whether they admit it or not.
You’re also right about the framing...anything short of prevailing isn’t acceptable. Not because it’s a slogan...but because the alternative is normalization of minority rule... corruption...and abandonment of the public good.
That’s not pessimism...it’s clarity.
This won’t be easy. It won’t be fast. And it won’t be comfortable.
But...it is winnable...if people stay engaged...disciplined...and unwilling to settle for cosmetic fixes.
I think he shatters a mirror every time he looks into one. He is too ugly inside (especially) and out. The mirror can’t stand it, so it shatters. Too bad, he definitely needs one to look inside himself but he won’t. The closest he has ever come is when he said , “I hope I get into heaven, but I don’t think I will”.
Exactly. In the universe I inhabit, that’s a declaration of war by the commander in chief against the citizenry of the country he purportedly leads. When you couple that with the formal adoption of alliances with avowed enemies of our country, the table is set and there is but one conclusion: the next civil war has been announced and he’s aligned himself with an international coalition of terrorists to carry it out. Just ask Steve three-shirt-to-mask-the-stench Bannon.
Frank...you’re not exaggerating...you’re naming the reality that too many people are still afraid to articulate.
When a president brands his own citizens as “the enemy,”...that’s not rhetoric. That’s not campaign theater. That’s the first step...in justifying the use of state power against the population.
Every authoritarian story...EVERY single one...begins the moment a leader decides the people are the threat.
And...when he pairs that rhetoric...with public admiration for foreign adversaries...or with alliances rooted in shared grievances...rather than national interest… that’s not confusion or incompetence. That’s alignment. That’s a declaration of who he sees as allies...and who he sees as targets.
Your civil war framing isn’t melodrama. It’s a structural analysis.
Because civil conflicts don’t start with bullets...they start with categories:
Who belongs.
Who doesn’t.
Who’s loyal.
Who’s expendable.
Who the state should protect… and who the state should punish.
Trump has already drawn those lines.
His movement has already embraced them.
And people like Bannon...those ideological arsonists who fantasize about tearing down institutions... are cheering him on...because chaos is not a byproduct of their plan… it is the plan.
The good news?
People like you...are seeing it clearly...early...and without the denial that keeps democracies asleep at the wheel.
Calling it out is not hysteria. It’s vigilance. It’s patriots refusing to let the alarm bells get drowned out by propaganda and cowardice.
Let me tell you something, Frank...those are the thoughts I imagine people having in their heads...when they read what I've written. When a line I have written doesn't pass that test...at least in what I imagine happening...I will rewrite it.
It's always nice when someone confirms that it's sometimes really happening.
I have been thinking this and I think that Most of us will not go gently into the night. I also think most of those on his side are a bunch of wimps, except for the likes of the proud boys and similar groups. Although they may be wimps if they are really comforted by people that have no fear. There are more of us than there are of them.
I understand what you’re getting at, Teri...and it’s important to frame it clearly.
What you’re describing isn’t a hunger for conflict...it’s a refusal to submit.
Most people who care about democracy...dignity...and the rule of law aren’t looking for a fight...but they’re also not willing to quietly disappear when those things are threatened.
You’re right about the imbalance, too. Extremist groups thrive on intimidation and spectacle...but they’re small...brittle...and dependent on fear.
They look larger than they are...because too many decent people have been conditioned to stay silent...polite...or disengaged. When that silence breaks...their power evaporates quickly.
And that’s the key point...numbers matter...but courage matters more. Not physical confrontation...civic courage. Showing up. Voting. Speaking. Organizing. Refusing to be gaslit into believing we’re alone or weak.
History is clear on this...authoritarian movements collapse...not when they’re fought head-on by force...but when the majority stops yielding psychological ground.
That is what I was trying to say. I do not see this as the civil war was but as more like some of the other countries where bullets did not need to be fired for the government that was corrupt was removed. #HOLDFAST
Thank for this Jack, it is the manifesto that we Americans need to keep America safe from authoritarians and oligarchs. Reading this helped me deal with the anxiety I have been feeling by what tRUMP and his lackeys keep spouting about anyone who disagrees with the tRUMP the dictator
Allen...thank you...that means more than you probably realize.
One of the quiet dangers of authoritarian rhetoric...is exactly what you named...it’s meant to unsettle...to keep people anxious...off-balance...and doubting their own footing.
Clarity is the antidote to that. When you can see the structure of what’s happening...it stops feeling like random chaos and starts feeling manageable...even if it’s still serious.
What Trump and his circle rely on is fear mixed with exhaustion: the idea that disagreement is dangerous...dissent is disloyal...and questioning power makes you a target.
Naming that tactic...strips it of a lot of its power. You’re not wrong...you’re not alone...and you’re not imagining the threat...but you’re also not helpless in the face of it.
If this work helped steady you...that tells me it’s doing what it should...grounding people in reality...instead of letting demagogues define it for us.
We keep America safe...not by pretending authoritarians don’t exist...but...by refusing to surrender our judgment...our courage...or our sense of proportion.
The cowardice of the Republican Party was reinforced to me the day that President Zelensky sat in the Oval Office as donald and Vance insulted him. I watched Marco Rubio sitting there like he wanted to disappear…like he wanted to fade into that sofa he was sitting on. His discomfort was clearly on display and I thought how cowardly he appeared. If he had resigned after that event , maybe I would feel differently. That day I realized that the republicans would NOT stand up for democracy, for what is right or for the rule of law. Keeping their jobs and their proximity to power was their motivation. Made me sick.
Lynn...that moment crystallized it for a lot of people...and you’re right about why.
What you saw wasn’t confusion or disagreement...it was recognition without courage.
Rubio knew it was wrong. You could see it on his face. And yet he chose silence...because resignation would have cost him power...relevance...and access.
That’s the line where character is revealed. Standing up once...when it matters...is the job.
Failing to do so tells you everything you need to know about priorities.
Democracy...alliances...the rule of law...all of it took a back seat to staying in the room.
That day made one thing unmistakably clear...this party isn’t paralyzed by ignorance. It’s paralyzed...by self-interest. And when proximity to power...matters more than principle...the rot is already too deep.
You weren’t wrong to feel sick. That reaction...s moral clarity...not cynicism.
He hates us. Because hate is all he’s capable of. I completely agree, “Any American leader who calls American citizens ‘the enemy’ has forfeited the right to lead them.” LET’S MAKE IT SO!
I like your style, Audrey. Yes...Let's Make It So! And, we are very much moving along with that process. His power is getting weaker every day.
Oh, I believe some of our worst days are ahead...and...that's okay. It's happening as a RESULT of him realizing his relevance AND health are BOTH rapidly dwindling. I'll accept that temporary trade-off....because the momentum...has shifted in OUR direction.
#HoldFast
-Jack
Great article Jack!! So perfectly describes the walking nightmare we know as the Fanta Fuehrer. He has serious medical issues, perhaps a combo of undiagnosed advanced syphilis and frontotemporal dementia, with a side of unbridled inherite$ racism and narcissism. We will defeat him and his fascist ideology! 👇🏻🙏🏻 #holdfast
Thank you, Elizabeth...and you captured the central truth exactly...we’re not dealing with a normal political figure...we’re dealing with a man whose behavior has become a rolling nightmare for democratic norms...basic decency...and national stability.
I try to stay away from diagnosing him...that’s for medical professionals...but what we can say with absolute confidence is this...his public behavior...his impulsivity...his rage...his paranoia...and the way he talks about Americans as “enemies”...all point to someone who is deeply unwell...in the ways that matter most for a leader in a constitutional system.
And...you’re right about the ideology.
His movement isn’t conservative...Republican...or even political in a traditional sense.
It’s authoritarianism with an American accent ....built on fear...division...dominance...and the weaponization of grievance.
But here’s why I stay hopeful...
Every time he escalates… every time he lashes out… every time he reveals more instability… more people see what’s really happening.
His base may cheer...but the rest of the country is watching a man unravel in real time... and they know it.
We will defeat this.
Not because he is weak...but because the American public is stronger than the fear he’s trying to sell them.
#HoldFast
-Jack
Yes, I think his mask is slipping, more and more Republikkkans are noticing he has NO clothes, no teeth, diminishing power. I used to hope Republikkkans would come to their senses, now I just want them gone the way of the Whigs. It is a doomed, tarnished and corroding brand thanks to Donald J. Trump. The few who consider themselves ‘conservative’ need to brainstorm a new way forward sans Trump and his cult. Good luck there! We will defeat these lousy bastards. 👍🥰 #holdfast
I also think because the economy sucks big wankers and the MAGA nuts are impacted significantly that even some of them are realizing but not admitting that he screwed them like he f’s up everything he had any influence over. There is truth in “ everything Trump touched dies”
He is an angry baby man that is losing his grasp on control and is frightened of the consequences of that loss of his grip over his minions. Now only if the Republicans had even a wet noodle for spines we could make a bit of progress in this country that is adrift in the sea of turmoil, deception and the kleptocrats fear that the electorate will get pissed enough to act out en mass.
Donna Sinn...you’re putting your finger on something real... economic pain has a way of cutting through ideology...even when people don’t want to admit it out loud.
When wallets shrink...and promises collapse...slogans stop working. That’s when cracks appear.
The “everything Trump touched dies” line...resonates because it reflects a pattern: chaos...short-term gain for a few...and long-term damage for everyone else.
And...you’re right about the psychology...loss of control is his deepest fear...which is why the anger escalates as the grip slips. It’s not strength...it’s panic.
As for Republicans...the absence of spine is the tragedy. Progress requires at least a minimal willingness to put country over faction.
Until enough of them fear voters...more than they fear him...the drift continues.
But...pressure builds quietly before it breaks...and economic reality is one of the few forces that eventually reaches everyone.
Clear eyes matter right now.
So does persistence.
#HoldFast
-Jack
I have wondered about tertiary syphilis also. Was it Ne Win in Burma same rumor?
Thanks for your unbelievable clarity and ability to communicate what many of us see and feel but struggle to put into concise analysis as opposed to just screaming!
Jay...thank you...truly. That’s exactly why I write these the way I do. Most people see what’s happening...they feel it in their gut...but the noise and chaos make it hard to turn that into a clear... grounded analysis...instead of just shouting into the void.
If I can help give shape to that instinct...help convert the scream into something sharp...accurate...and usable...then we’re doing this right.
#HoldFast
-Jack
Jack you have just said everything I have been thinking about this deplorable situation the repugs have allowed to happen...They are nothing but a basket of weak, disgusting hateful cowards. They have no dignity and some of them are just as hateful as drumpf. There is no dignity and we know the ones that are worse than the others. They have shone themselves over and over. I will never understand females agreeing with drumpf...never as I view that as shooting yourself, they must have no respect for themselves to vote for him. I believe one of the biggest reasons is the one you stated about power and income. They don't want to give it up. Revolting is another word I have for the repugs....
Teri...you said it with a clarity...and moral force...that absolutely cuts through the noise.
What we’re watching isn’t a normal political disagreement... it’s a full moral collapse from a party...that once claimed to stand for character...responsibility...and country.
Now...it’s a collection of people so terrified of losing power...access...or status...that they’ve willingly surrendered EVERY shred of dignity to stay in Trump’s shadow.
And...you’re right...the women who defend him… it’s one of the most heartbreaking parts of this whole era.
Supporting a man who openly degrades them...dismisses them...objectifies them...it’s political self-harm...dressed up as loyalty. And...the party encourages it...because fear and obedience....are the only currencies they have left.
“Revolting” isn’t too strong a word.
If anything...it’s polite.
But here’s the important part: people see the rot. They feel it. And more of them are refusing to pretend this is normal. That’s how change begins...not quietly...but with the refusal to look away.
#HoldFast
-Jack
Thanks for validating my feelings. The chaos is exhausting if you don't step away occasionally and get out of you head and go to nature or whatever gives you solace. I felt your rage in today's post and it was visceral. #HOLDFAST
Visceral. Yes.
Definitely
Jack:All good stuff. What I am screaming about is Medicare. Are they voting to let people DIE, and go HUNGRY? At the same time DHS gets a fleet of jets to deport more unwhite people, Argentina gets 40 BILLION💰
THEY get their paychecks, healthcare, expense accounts. The US fleet is costing BILLIONS, with 10,000 troops and shouldn't even be there
there. I know you know all of that.
It would be so simple. DON'T LET HIM DO THE THINGS HE IS DOING.
CONGRESS COULD SAY
" NO," but they will sacrifice us instead.
NK, I hear the scream...and it’s justified.
What you’re reacting to isn’t abstract politics...it’s moral triage being done in public.
Yes...when Congress votes on Medicare cuts...or lets them slide...they are knowingly accepting that people will suffer...go hungry...skip care...and in some cases...die. That’s not rhetoric. That’s math.
And the obscenity you’re pointing out...is the contrast: unlimited money for enforcement...jets...deployments...foreign deals...and elite protection...while basic survival for Americans...is treated as negotiable.
Meanwhile, the people making these decisions never miss a paycheck...never lose healthcare...never worry about food...never face the consequences they impose on others.
You’re right about the simplest truth of all: Congress could stop this.
They don’t lack the power.
They lack the will.
They hide behind procedure...cowardice...and party discipline...because sacrificing us is easier than confronting the executive or breaking ranks.
That’s the betrayal at the center of this moment.
The fight...ugly as it is...comes down to forcing Congress to fear voters more than donors...more than leadership...more than chaos.
Until then, they’ll keep choosing the path of least resistance ...and that path runs straight through the people...they’re supposed to represent.
You’re not wrong.
You’re not hysterical.
You’re responding to a system...that has decided some lives are expendable.
That’s why pressure matters.
That’s why attention matters.
That’s why we #HoldFast.
-Jack
💯AREED
What a moving essay! Right on Jack. Fuck Trump and all the slimy cowards that support him! We Will Over Come! #HoldFast
Thank you so much, Robert. YES...we will!
-Jack
As trump declines he will become more unhinged. I don’t expect the GOP to do a damn thing about it. What they need to understand is that he would throw any one of them under the bus in a heartbeat.
Lori...that assessment is sadly realistic. As his influence narrows and his control weakens.. the behavior doesn’t moderate...it escalates.
That’s not strength...it’s fear responding to loss.
And you’re right...the GOP leadership isn’t acting because many of them still believe they can manage him...outlast him...or use him without being consumed by him.
What they continue to misunderstand is exactly what you said...there is no loyalty there.
Trump has NEVER protected anyone once they stopped being useful. Power is transactional...and when the transaction no longer serves him...he discards people without hesitation...allies...donors...lawyers...staff...members of Congress.
History is full of examples...and yet they still convince themselves they’ll be the exception.
That’s the danger of cowardice...masquerading as strategy.
It delays the inevitable and increases the damage when it comes.
The irony is brutal...the longer they cling to him for cover...the more exposed they become when he turns. And he always turns.
Clear-eyed people see this.
The question is...how many of them decide to act...before they’re standing alone in the wreckage.
#HoldFast
-Jack
Sadly, what you describe goes back to Nixon and had infected every Republican since then. The Republican Party has become a cancerous tumor that needs to be excised and replaced with something different. We do need a conservative view, but not racist or hateful, and certainly not one that believes it has the right to rule even while in the minority (“rule” is the right word because they suck at governing).
Several of our institutions—the Senate, the Supreme Court, and the Electoral College—are biased towards Republicans, for the moment, but it’s a distributional problem, the results of a migration from farm to city that started before we became a country. Cities have a natural advantage over rural distributions, and we need to figure ways to balance the needs of both communities even if we don’t balance the voting.
That’s all for another day. Right now, we have a tumor that’s about to consume us, and we need to get rid of it. Republicans never learn from history. Despite all the rhetoric about how violence never solves anything, it is *always* the result of one group systematically removing all of the options from another. Always.
Scott...you’re touching a nerve that runs deep in American history...and you’re right about the long arc.
What began as Nixon-era cynicism...metastasized over decades...into a party that increasingly substitutes grievance...and power-seeking for actual governance.
“Rule” is the right word...because when a movement stops believing it must earn consent... it stops knowing how to govern at all.
You’re also right about structural bias. The Senate...the Court...and the Electoral College weren’t designed for a modern...urbanized democracy...and the demographic shift from rural to city life...has turned those compromises into distortions.
That’s a real problem...and it deserves serious...sober reform...aimed at balancing interests without legitimizing minority rule.
Where I want to be precise is this...violence isn’t inevitable because people demand justice...it becomes a risk when systems close off peaceful...democratic paths for change.
That’s why protecting elections...accountability...and institutional legitimacy...matters so much.
When those channels stay open...societies can excise bad ideas...and...bad actors... without destroying themselves in the process.
What we’re facing now is dangerous...but it’s not unsolvable. The “tumor” metaphor works insofar as it points to removal...through exposure...electoral defeat...reform...and sustained civic pressure...not through becoming what we oppose.
History punishes those who refuse to learn.
It also rewards those who stay clear-eyed...disciplined...and committed to democratic means even when it’s infuriating.
That’s the hard work in front of us.
And it’s work worth doing!
-Jack
Jack, violence results only when all the other options are taken away. We’re not there yet, and Republicans can avoid it, and are showing signs they want to, so there’s hope. There are no easy answers for the structural imbalances. At the state level, rural folks always say their concerns aren’t represented, mainly because they represent about a fourth of the state’s population. The national structure turns that upside down. There are no good ways to solve either. Time to get creative.
A-fucking-men!
On FIRE, Edie!
#HoldFast
-Jack
EXACTLY!!! 🖕🏻🖕🏻🖕🏻🖕🏻🖕🏻🖕🏻🖕🏻🖕🏻🖕🏻🖕🏻🖕🏻🖕🏻🖕🏻
#HoldFast, CJ!
-Jack
Yes, Sir.
( This one triggered me…)
This article is a required reading training manual for those citizens who will protect Democracy from the jaws of Autocracy. Can I fight in your fox hole?
Dr Tom...this is one of the coolest comments I've ever seen. Thank you. Yes...you absolutely can!
-Jack
Jack, could you tell us how you really feel? I could not agree more. But the GOP will not stand up. At the end of the day they will remain self-serving cowards. They have no interest in us or their constituents. If you are not one of their patrons you don't count. It is not going to be easy but we will prevail. Anything else is unacceptable.
Nancy...I’ll say it plainly...because pretending otherwise doesn’t help anyone...you’re right about the GOP leadership. As a bloc...they’ve made a calculation...and it’s not about governing...constituents...or the country. It’s about self-preservation...donor protection... and proximity to power.
Courage would cost them something...and they’ve decided they’re unwilling to pay.
That doesn’t mean they’re unbeatable. It means they’re brittle. Movements built on fear and patronage...don’t collapse all at once...they hollow out...then fail when pressure becomes unavoidable.
And pressure is building...whether they admit it or not.
You’re also right about the framing...anything short of prevailing isn’t acceptable. Not because it’s a slogan...but because the alternative is normalization of minority rule... corruption...and abandonment of the public good.
That’s not pessimism...it’s clarity.
This won’t be easy. It won’t be fast. And it won’t be comfortable.
But...it is winnable...if people stay engaged...disciplined...and unwilling to settle for cosmetic fixes.
Clear eyes.
No illusions.
Long work.
That’s how this ends.
#HoldFast
-Jack
Hopefully he’s looking in the mirror when saying that.
Pamela...absolutely! (And...that poor mirror.)
#HoldFast
-Jack
Poor mirror 😂
;)
I think he shatters a mirror every time he looks into one. He is too ugly inside (especially) and out. The mirror can’t stand it, so it shatters. Too bad, he definitely needs one to look inside himself but he won’t. The closest he has ever come is when he said , “I hope I get into heaven, but I don’t think I will”.
SDJ...that's an assessment I can agree with 100%.
-Jack
Exactly. In the universe I inhabit, that’s a declaration of war by the commander in chief against the citizenry of the country he purportedly leads. When you couple that with the formal adoption of alliances with avowed enemies of our country, the table is set and there is but one conclusion: the next civil war has been announced and he’s aligned himself with an international coalition of terrorists to carry it out. Just ask Steve three-shirt-to-mask-the-stench Bannon.
Frank...you’re not exaggerating...you’re naming the reality that too many people are still afraid to articulate.
When a president brands his own citizens as “the enemy,”...that’s not rhetoric. That’s not campaign theater. That’s the first step...in justifying the use of state power against the population.
Every authoritarian story...EVERY single one...begins the moment a leader decides the people are the threat.
And...when he pairs that rhetoric...with public admiration for foreign adversaries...or with alliances rooted in shared grievances...rather than national interest… that’s not confusion or incompetence. That’s alignment. That’s a declaration of who he sees as allies...and who he sees as targets.
Your civil war framing isn’t melodrama. It’s a structural analysis.
Because civil conflicts don’t start with bullets...they start with categories:
Who belongs.
Who doesn’t.
Who’s loyal.
Who’s expendable.
Who the state should protect… and who the state should punish.
Trump has already drawn those lines.
His movement has already embraced them.
And people like Bannon...those ideological arsonists who fantasize about tearing down institutions... are cheering him on...because chaos is not a byproduct of their plan… it is the plan.
The good news?
People like you...are seeing it clearly...early...and without the denial that keeps democracies asleep at the wheel.
Calling it out is not hysteria. It’s vigilance. It’s patriots refusing to let the alarm bells get drowned out by propaganda and cowardice.
-Jack
I’m grateful you’re penning these works. They inspire me and many others.
Let me tell you something, Frank...those are the thoughts I imagine people having in their heads...when they read what I've written. When a line I have written doesn't pass that test...at least in what I imagine happening...I will rewrite it.
It's always nice when someone confirms that it's sometimes really happening.
Thank you. Truly.
-Jack
I have been thinking this and I think that Most of us will not go gently into the night. I also think most of those on his side are a bunch of wimps, except for the likes of the proud boys and similar groups. Although they may be wimps if they are really comforted by people that have no fear. There are more of us than there are of them.
I understand what you’re getting at, Teri...and it’s important to frame it clearly.
What you’re describing isn’t a hunger for conflict...it’s a refusal to submit.
Most people who care about democracy...dignity...and the rule of law aren’t looking for a fight...but they’re also not willing to quietly disappear when those things are threatened.
You’re right about the imbalance, too. Extremist groups thrive on intimidation and spectacle...but they’re small...brittle...and dependent on fear.
They look larger than they are...because too many decent people have been conditioned to stay silent...polite...or disengaged. When that silence breaks...their power evaporates quickly.
And that’s the key point...numbers matter...but courage matters more. Not physical confrontation...civic courage. Showing up. Voting. Speaking. Organizing. Refusing to be gaslit into believing we’re alone or weak.
History is clear on this...authoritarian movements collapse...not when they’re fought head-on by force...but when the majority stops yielding psychological ground.
There ARE more of us.
And...we don’t have to go quietly to prove it.
-Jack
That is what I was trying to say. I do not see this as the civil war was but as more like some of the other countries where bullets did not need to be fired for the government that was corrupt was removed. #HOLDFAST
Yep three shirts and three pens
Yikes what a f’n weirdo
Thank for this Jack, it is the manifesto that we Americans need to keep America safe from authoritarians and oligarchs. Reading this helped me deal with the anxiety I have been feeling by what tRUMP and his lackeys keep spouting about anyone who disagrees with the tRUMP the dictator
Allen...thank you...that means more than you probably realize.
One of the quiet dangers of authoritarian rhetoric...is exactly what you named...it’s meant to unsettle...to keep people anxious...off-balance...and doubting their own footing.
Clarity is the antidote to that. When you can see the structure of what’s happening...it stops feeling like random chaos and starts feeling manageable...even if it’s still serious.
What Trump and his circle rely on is fear mixed with exhaustion: the idea that disagreement is dangerous...dissent is disloyal...and questioning power makes you a target.
Naming that tactic...strips it of a lot of its power. You’re not wrong...you’re not alone...and you’re not imagining the threat...but you’re also not helpless in the face of it.
If this work helped steady you...that tells me it’s doing what it should...grounding people in reality...instead of letting demagogues define it for us.
We keep America safe...not by pretending authoritarians don’t exist...but...by refusing to surrender our judgment...our courage...or our sense of proportion.
You’re holding the line...and THAT matters.
-Jack
The cowardice of the Republican Party was reinforced to me the day that President Zelensky sat in the Oval Office as donald and Vance insulted him. I watched Marco Rubio sitting there like he wanted to disappear…like he wanted to fade into that sofa he was sitting on. His discomfort was clearly on display and I thought how cowardly he appeared. If he had resigned after that event , maybe I would feel differently. That day I realized that the republicans would NOT stand up for democracy, for what is right or for the rule of law. Keeping their jobs and their proximity to power was their motivation. Made me sick.
Lynn...that moment crystallized it for a lot of people...and you’re right about why.
What you saw wasn’t confusion or disagreement...it was recognition without courage.
Rubio knew it was wrong. You could see it on his face. And yet he chose silence...because resignation would have cost him power...relevance...and access.
That’s the line where character is revealed. Standing up once...when it matters...is the job.
Failing to do so tells you everything you need to know about priorities.
Democracy...alliances...the rule of law...all of it took a back seat to staying in the room.
That day made one thing unmistakably clear...this party isn’t paralyzed by ignorance. It’s paralyzed...by self-interest. And when proximity to power...matters more than principle...the rot is already too deep.
You weren’t wrong to feel sick. That reaction...s moral clarity...not cynicism.
#HoldFast
-Jack
Well said Jack,clear,concise that anyone could comprehend. #HOLDFAST
Thank you, Mary Lockhart. I appreciate that. I do.
-Jack