The Truth Isn’t Always What You Want to Hear.

The Stakes Are Too High for Me to Play the Game Far Too Many Others Play.

Stop Looking for Comfort. Start Looking for the Truth.

The Jack Hopkins Now Newsletter #397

People often forget this uncomfortable fact: the ones who are always saying exactly what we want to hear usually have a vested interest in doing so.

The more they tell you what you already believe…the more secure their job…the more money they make…the more followers they collect. It’s a simple transaction.

They feed you the dopamine hit of validation…and you keep coming back for more.

Social media is full of people like this. And guess what? Scared accounts gobble it up like a wolf that hasn’t eaten in over two-weeks.

It might make them feel better…but at the risk of operating on lies…or half-truths at best.

Then, when the truth slams them right between the ideas…it rattles them to the core.

Let me be clear—I’m not here to criticize those people. Nope. They’re doing what they do. That’s their game…that’s their hustle…and that’s their right. No hard feelings. But that’s not my game. That’s not what I do here.

For me, that entire approach feels cheap. It feels less than authentic. And frankly, when democracy itself is teetering on the edge…it borders on outright irresponsibility.

When the stakes are this high…the responsible thing—the necessary thing—is to call out everyone who isn’t stepping up at the level this moment demands.

Not just the ones on the opposing team. Not just the easy villains. The lazy targets. No, if you claim to care about this country…you’ve got to be willing to put the same scrutiny on those wearing your jersey, too.

I Refuse to Blow Smoke Up Your Ass

For my long-time subscribers…this won’t surprise you. You know I’m not here to coddle you. I’m not here to pump you full of pretty little lies or tell you what you want to hear so you can walk away thinking, “Wow, Jack really gets me.”

No. I’d rather you walk away challenged. Uncomfortable…even. That means I’m doing something right.

I don’t play the validation game. I don’t manufacture “rah-rah” talking points just to keep the algorithm happy.

The truth is, I refuse to participate in the feedback loop that rewards comfort over clarity. That entire model disgusts me.

If you want to be spoon-fed the easy stuff…there are plenty of people out there (with many of them being people I genuinely like) who will gladly take your clicks…your likes…your subscription fees. But you won’t get that here.

I Write With Zero Regard for Perception

I write what’s on my mind. Period.

I write without calculating how it might land with my followers…subscribers…my friends…my family…my colleagues. I don’t write for applause. I don’t write for approval. I don’t even write for agreement.

I write because I have something to say. And I refuse to dress it up to make it more palatable.

That’s the whole point of this platform: a raw…unfiltered space where ideas…facts…frustrations…feelings…and sometimes just half-formed thoughts can live without the weight of worrying how they’ll “perform.”

In a world where everything is engineered to be liked…shared…boosted…and monetized…that’s rare. And it should be.

This Is Why I Push Back on the Comfortable Narratives

When people tell me, “Democrats are fighting for us!”—I push back. Not because I’m anti-Democrat. Not because I’m here to bash the “good guys.”

I push back because it simply isn’t true.

Sure, they’re more aligned with my values than the GOP. There’s no question about that. (and keep in mind…I was a Republican for decades.)

But alignment isn’t enough. Words aren’t enough. Soundbites and press conferences and “vocal support” are not enough when the house is on fire.

The other side is playing for keeps. They are fighting with a bloodthirsty resolve. They are burning the rulebook while Democrats are still searching for the most civil-sounding objection.

We need more than words. We need strategy. We need backbone. We need relentless… aggressive…unflinching commitment to action.

When I call that out…I’m not being negative. I’m being honest. It’s based on the facts. The truth.

Emotional Responses Are Not Reality

When someone tells me, “Jack, we don’t need your negative bullshit right now,” as a lady did on X recently, in response to a post about demanding more from our Democratic leaders and lawmakers…what they’re really saying is:

“I’m afraid. I’m overwhelmed. I’m desperate for something to feel solid. So please…don’t poke holes in the only raft I’m clinging to.”

And I get that. I really do. But fear doesn’t make something true. Emotional reactions don’t reshape reality.

Telling people the team they’re rooting for is failing to show up at the necessary level is not “negative bullshit.” It’s a wake-up call.

Sometimes people need to hear it straight. Even if it stings. Especially if it stings.

The Stakes Are Too High for Platitudes

I write this way because the stakes are too damn high for me to do anything else.

If I cared more about growing my follower count…I’d play the game. I’d post the easy takes. I’d “feed the tribe.”I’d rake in the dopamine-driven applause.

My subscriber count grows, I believe…because there are some people…people like you…who don’t want a pig in lipstick.

They want someone who tells it straight. Someone who won’t ignore the flake hanging off their nose at the school play—but will pull them aside and say, “Hey, you’ve got a booger on your right nostril. Happened to me recently—I was glad someone told me.”

Those who say nothing, leave..pretending they spared someone’s feelings: Bullshit.

They left them there…unaware…to have countless other people see it…and say nothing, thereby amplifying their eventual embarrassment…when they discover it once they climb in the car and look in the rearview mirror.

They weren’t thinking about the person whom they would say, “I didn’t want to embarrass them, about. No. They chose to say nothing because of how uncomfortable they were, and they decided to take the easy way out. In short, it was all about them.

I’m telling you right now, Democratic leadership has a big “booger,” and it’s our duty to keep letting them know…and demanding more of them…and to keep doing so…until they either wipe it away…or are no longer in office.

So, yeah…I don’t choose the comfortable path…for my benefit. I could…but…

…I’d have to look in the mirror knowing I was selling comfort instead of truth. I’d have to know that when the history books get written about this era…I played the coward’s role.

Not a chance.

I will continue to call out anyone who’s failing to rise to the moment—no matter what color jersey they wear.

Because democracy doesn’t collapse from just one side burning it down. It collapses because the people who could have stopped it didn’t fight hard enough to save it.

Why This Space Exists

So if you’re here—if you subscribe to the Jack Hopkins Now Newsletter—you understand what you’ve signed up for. You’re know you’re not going to get a carefully curated feed designed to keep you nodding in agreement.

You’re know you’re getting…and will continue to get… honesty. Unvarnished… unapologetic…sometimes uncomfortable honesty.

That’s what I owe you. That’s what I owe myself. That’s what I owe to the moment we’re living in.

Because the moment you start writing with one eye on the applause meter…you’ve already lost the plot.

Thanks for being here. Thanks for leaning into the discomfort. Thanks for choosing something more meaningful than the easy fix.

And if you want to keep getting this kind of writing…the kind that refuses to sell you feel-good comfort in place of uncomfortable truth…then just keep reading the JHN Newsletter.

If you find value in the work I’m doing here—if you appreciate honest…unfiltered writing that cuts through the noise and refuses to play it safe—consider becoming a paid subscriber.

It’s more than just access; it’s a way to actively support this fight for truth… accountability…and the kind of raw…no-nonsense analysis you won’t get from the crowd-pleasers.

Here’s what you’ll get as a paid subscriber:

• The ability to comment on posts and interact with others who are deeply committed to the fight to save democracy.

• Additional, and more detailed, in-depth analysis and hard-hitting articles designed to keep you sharp…healthy—mentally, emotionally, and physically—and to pull back the curtain on what’s really happening behind the scenes.

• Full access to the complete archive of over 400 articles and videos.

• The good feeling that comes from knowing you’re supporting a newsletter that delivers the truth—and dares to go where others fear to tread.

• And more exclusive content…insights…and opportunities coming soon.

Your support makes this possible. Let’s keep going.

I’ll be back soon..with more.

Stay sharp. Stay tough. Breathe.

Jack