This gives me a lot of hope, but I can't help but zoom out to the really big picture. Whether on purpose or most likely coincidence, Putin seems to be benefiting from this war. The lifting of Russian Oil Sanctions. The fact that the US seems to be pulling further and further away from NATO, which would reduce Europe's ability to fight Putin. Why is Putin helping Iran with Intelligence and and why does Trump just seems to accept it. Is the war with Iran just a show to allow Russia to gain financial and military strength. Far out thinking, but I am struggling to make sense of all of the big picture moving parts.
Charli...you're tracking something real. Russia is sharing satellite imagery and targeting data with Iran on US ships and aircraft.
The March sanctions waiver handed Putin a windfall...Russian oil and gas profits doubled...$760M/day.
Moscow even offered Witkoff and Kushner a quid pro quo: drop Iran intel-sharing if the US drops Ukraine intel-sharing.
Where I'd push back: "is it all a show" assumes more coordination than the evidence supports. Simpler read....Putin didn't engineer this war, he's exploiting it brilliantly at near-zero cost.
The harder question...isn't collusion. It's whether Trump simply doesn't mind that his Iran strategy...is structurally a gift to the KREMLIN.
I’m glad I’ve made it a habit to save you as my last read. All the other stuff gives me a head start on where you’ll go.
YES!! Something has definitely shifted and seems to be kinda like on a surfboard or something. It’s difficult for me to pin anything up to look at it each day due to my traveling so much, and the phone would give it the attention - catching that it’s due. Please know that I’m following it and you every day to see how my thoughts align with yours. I’ve only gotten sorta lost a time or two, and I let you know when I do.
Man, I’m SO glad to have found you on Substack. Your posts are invaluable to my health on many levels. Thank you from the bottom of my black little heart.
I think this is Putin’s last gasp….i also think Trump senses that, but refuses to acknowledge or see it out of fear. Fear of his idol being thrown off the pedestal, losing his boss buddy.
Trump's relationship with Putin has ALWAYS read more like admiration...than alliance ...and admiration is harder to give up than a strategic bet.
A bet you can re-evaluate; an idol you have to defend.
The "last gasp" read has merit too.
Russia's economy is hollowing out...the Ukraine war has burned through a generation of equipment...and Putin's leverage now comes almost entirely from chaos he didn't create...Hormuz...NATO fissures...Trump's instincts.
That's not strength. That's a man playing a weak hand....brilliantly...because he has NOTHING else.
The tragedy is that Trump has every tool to call the bluff. He just won't pick them up.
Yes, in that one aspect Trump still holds some cards, so to speak. I think Trump’s psyche is so bruised, it’s been taking hit after hit lately, he is close to snapping like a turtle cornered. I had written a crazy rap when Trump first got elected, one of the lines was, (Trump speaking) “Oh Vlad, my brother, when I look into your eyes it’s me I see” I think if Putin was fat like Trump there’d be a different dynamic here.
I skimmed an article that indicates Putin is getting scared. According to some, people around Moscow are finally getting tired of footing Putin and friends' nonstop theft.
Jack, it is very telling that something BIG is amiss that 1. the MAJOR PGA golf event at Trump's Doral club this past weekend, was a disaster. Virtually no one showed up! Typically it's well attended and the 18th hole especially. 2. The LIV golf tour is DEAD. The Saudis pulled out because Trump did not protect them against Iran's wrath as promised. It was also supposed to be held at one of Trump's golf clubs and all the top players who signed on and left the PGA are screwed. This represents a vastly different economic group than the clueless MAGA voter.
I've definitely been feeling a shift happening lately. At first, it was mainly just an impression, but it's been trending towards being more and more obvious.
For months Trump dictated tempo...and everyone reacted. Now...HE'S the one reacting... to Iran...to markets...to allies who won't send ships...to a Strait he can't reopen on command.
The tells are everywhere: snapping at reporters...contradicting himself mid-interview...threats escalating as options narrow. Trust the instinct. You're seeing it because it's there.
Jeff...today felt like a genuine inflection point.
The strait isn't just contested...it's effectively closed. Ships stranded...sailors running low on supplies...and now both sides trading LIVE FIRE... while Trump can't even commit to whether the ceasefire still exists.
"I can't tell you that" from a sitting president....about an active WARZONE...is its own kind of answer.
The spiral is showing. The Fox interview swung from "war is essentially over" to "blown off the face of the Earth"...in the same Goddamn conversation. That's not strategy... that's improvisation under pressure.
I always look forward to reading Jack Hopkins and his wise words. Today was certainly no disappointment! I have been sensing the shift, especially after Trump’s attack (again!) on Jimmy Kimmel and on the Pope. That is why I’ve felt upbeat this past few days, I’m happy something is moving. I’ve always said, ‘forward motion is better than no motion’ many times when cancer tries to get me down. That’s why #HOLDFAST has such special meaning for me. Between the knowledge I gain from Jack and the calming effect his writing has on me, even when he delivers incredibly frightening news, I feel oddly comforted. So THANK YOU Jack! 🥰❤️🙏🏻 #HOLDFAST
Does it feel like things are under more stress? Yes. Does it feel like things are shifting? Yes, but... I've felt that for weeks now, though the magnitude of the shifts seems to be increasing.
I'd say in the past 2 weeks I have noticed a pronounced shift in the way my entire system is operating.
I'm not frightened, I'm not intimidated, and I'm not just crossing my fingers hoping for the best. I feel STRONGER!
I feel an internal strength and my body is telling me there's a reason for that.
I know what I'm supposed to do, I know who I'm supposed to be, and all of that means staying in touch with myself and the people around me.. fearlessly.
I think, for me, the shift came when when I noticed that anytime I hear something negative that spews from the mouth of the monster, I remember how the monster has consistently destroyed everything around him and thus created a void of curiosity.
Negativity has nothing to regenerate itself.... Only positivity can regenerate itself.
The monsters outrage and desperation has gotten SO loud and SO ignorant that is noticeable by even those who want to refuse to notice it that the end is nigh.
AND ...the old faithful trump signs have been removed from the old faithful trumpers in my hood.
The Iran War, the fight with Pope Leo XIV, and the rising prices, especially for gas, has created a shift that cannot return.
Yes, I’ve been feeling the shifting. I’d say it started shortly after the Iran War started and the Iranians shut down the Strait of Hormuz. Duh!
What did anyone with something more than a pea-brain think was going to happen?
A lot of reporting I’ve read states Trump & Co are freaked out about poll numbers and the bloodbath waiting for them in November. I wonder how much of that played into the SCOTUS decision to eviscerate the VRA.
Not saying POTUS and SCOTUS are in cahoots—although you never know… Just that the corrupt SCOTUS wing might be feeling threatened.
That action had the feel of desperation to me. People taking extreme actions to stave off the inevitable.
Since my splat has been within the last two weeks, I have to say YES. Thank you for naming it, Jack.
It appears my body knows first & then the rest of me catches up.
I’ve been noting things and going hmmm. The UAE pulling out of OPEC, the troop withdrawals (and threats of more) and just today I ran across a small article about Putin and how he appears increasingly isolated, suspicious of a potential internal coup are examples.
We are certainly living in interesting times and I, for one, am most happy to have Jack as a guide and mentor while traversing the insanity. 👍🪷
I said to my husband that Trump pulling troops out of Germany was a signal of some real stress. Then last night Trump made one of his market manipulation tweets about "good conversations" with Iran. Brent crude futures closed up, not down. There are no reported windfalls so far.
I never underestimate the power of Marco Rubio to make any situation worse. Additionally, the Pope appointed a former undocumented immigrant and TPS El Salvadoran as Archbishop of West Virginia. That's a move that probably caused Trump to melt down into an apoplectic rage that went on for hours. I'm waiting for Trump to order Rubio to revoke his naturalization. Those cracks in the dam are getting bigger and the water isn't trickling out, it's a steady stream that's getting stronger.
The fat's in the fire Jack! and it's out of control. It's past time to remove the orange felon; he has single handedly put our nation at risk and set our nation forth upon a path of economic suicide and isolation...
Really well analyzed. If I had to add anything it would be the breaking point will be when soldiers and sailors begin coming home in body bags. Republican office holders will realize, finally, that supporting Trump is a death sentence for their political careers. When that happens we may even see J.D. Vance speak out against Trump. I also would't be surprised to see Suzy Wyles speak out.
The danger at that point will be Trump as a terminally wounded animal. Jack's sequence will really accelerate then.
This gives me a lot of hope, but I can't help but zoom out to the really big picture. Whether on purpose or most likely coincidence, Putin seems to be benefiting from this war. The lifting of Russian Oil Sanctions. The fact that the US seems to be pulling further and further away from NATO, which would reduce Europe's ability to fight Putin. Why is Putin helping Iran with Intelligence and and why does Trump just seems to accept it. Is the war with Iran just a show to allow Russia to gain financial and military strength. Far out thinking, but I am struggling to make sense of all of the big picture moving parts.
Charli...you're tracking something real. Russia is sharing satellite imagery and targeting data with Iran on US ships and aircraft.
The March sanctions waiver handed Putin a windfall...Russian oil and gas profits doubled...$760M/day.
Moscow even offered Witkoff and Kushner a quid pro quo: drop Iran intel-sharing if the US drops Ukraine intel-sharing.
Where I'd push back: "is it all a show" assumes more coordination than the evidence supports. Simpler read....Putin didn't engineer this war, he's exploiting it brilliantly at near-zero cost.
The harder question...isn't collusion. It's whether Trump simply doesn't mind that his Iran strategy...is structurally a gift to the KREMLIN.
-Jack
I’m glad I’ve made it a habit to save you as my last read. All the other stuff gives me a head start on where you’ll go.
YES!! Something has definitely shifted and seems to be kinda like on a surfboard or something. It’s difficult for me to pin anything up to look at it each day due to my traveling so much, and the phone would give it the attention - catching that it’s due. Please know that I’m following it and you every day to see how my thoughts align with yours. I’ve only gotten sorta lost a time or two, and I let you know when I do.
Man, I’m SO glad to have found you on Substack. Your posts are invaluable to my health on many levels. Thank you from the bottom of my black little heart.
#Holdfast
Sorry. That was a ramble.
Phone WOULDN’T be as good as a note pinned up somewhere. 🙄
Everything seems to be a "gift" to Putin, at our expense.
Alarming that Admin is talking about removing 5,000 troops.
America has them there for a reason. Israel wanted US to start the war.
POTUS is doing Israel and Putin's
wish list.
IMO CONGRESS should be stopping the war, and not leaving 60,000 US troops there plus taking us out of NATO. 😡
If people REALLY do not want a KING, then they should not allow POTUS to decide, and expect , "As you wish...." as an answer.
🗽🇺🇲🇺🇦
I think this is Putin’s last gasp….i also think Trump senses that, but refuses to acknowledge or see it out of fear. Fear of his idol being thrown off the pedestal, losing his boss buddy.
Elizabeth..there's something to that.
Trump's relationship with Putin has ALWAYS read more like admiration...than alliance ...and admiration is harder to give up than a strategic bet.
A bet you can re-evaluate; an idol you have to defend.
The "last gasp" read has merit too.
Russia's economy is hollowing out...the Ukraine war has burned through a generation of equipment...and Putin's leverage now comes almost entirely from chaos he didn't create...Hormuz...NATO fissures...Trump's instincts.
That's not strength. That's a man playing a weak hand....brilliantly...because he has NOTHING else.
The tragedy is that Trump has every tool to call the bluff. He just won't pick them up.
-Jack
Yes, in that one aspect Trump still holds some cards, so to speak. I think Trump’s psyche is so bruised, it’s been taking hit after hit lately, he is close to snapping like a turtle cornered. I had written a crazy rap when Trump first got elected, one of the lines was, (Trump speaking) “Oh Vlad, my brother, when I look into your eyes it’s me I see” I think if Putin was fat like Trump there’d be a different dynamic here.
I skimmed an article that indicates Putin is getting scared. According to some, people around Moscow are finally getting tired of footing Putin and friends' nonstop theft.
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/other/putin-imposes-huge-security-clampdown-in-moscow-as-drone-slams-into-skyscraper-housing-top-spies/ar-AA22lcVv
Maybe the end of Putin is coming too? Not quickly, probably, but it could put a crimp in the Felon's admiration campaign. 🤞🏽🤞🏽🤞🏽
Great article, many thanks!
Any time 💙❣️
Yes! You always remind me to #HOLDFAST!!
I'm glad you notice that Deborah! Truly. :)
-Jack
You are one of the few that help me maintain my sanity and help me lower my anxiety. Thank You.
Jack, it is very telling that something BIG is amiss that 1. the MAJOR PGA golf event at Trump's Doral club this past weekend, was a disaster. Virtually no one showed up! Typically it's well attended and the 18th hole especially. 2. The LIV golf tour is DEAD. The Saudis pulled out because Trump did not protect them against Iran's wrath as promised. It was also supposed to be held at one of Trump's golf clubs and all the top players who signed on and left the PGA are screwed. This represents a vastly different economic group than the clueless MAGA voter.
I've definitely been feeling a shift happening lately. At first, it was mainly just an impression, but it's been trending towards being more and more obvious.
Reyhaana...you're not imagining it.
For months Trump dictated tempo...and everyone reacted. Now...HE'S the one reacting... to Iran...to markets...to allies who won't send ships...to a Strait he can't reopen on command.
The tells are everywhere: snapping at reporters...contradicting himself mid-interview...threats escalating as options narrow. Trust the instinct. You're seeing it because it's there.
-Jack
What’s happening in the strait today looks like a prominent stress point the firing on ships nothing going in in or out and Trump is spiraling
#HOLDINGFAST every day
Jeff...today felt like a genuine inflection point.
The strait isn't just contested...it's effectively closed. Ships stranded...sailors running low on supplies...and now both sides trading LIVE FIRE... while Trump can't even commit to whether the ceasefire still exists.
"I can't tell you that" from a sitting president....about an active WARZONE...is its own kind of answer.
The spiral is showing. The Fox interview swung from "war is essentially over" to "blown off the face of the Earth"...in the same Goddamn conversation. That's not strategy... that's improvisation under pressure.
#HOLDINGFAST right there with you.
-Jack
I always look forward to reading Jack Hopkins and his wise words. Today was certainly no disappointment! I have been sensing the shift, especially after Trump’s attack (again!) on Jimmy Kimmel and on the Pope. That is why I’ve felt upbeat this past few days, I’m happy something is moving. I’ve always said, ‘forward motion is better than no motion’ many times when cancer tries to get me down. That’s why #HOLDFAST has such special meaning for me. Between the knowledge I gain from Jack and the calming effect his writing has on me, even when he delivers incredibly frightening news, I feel oddly comforted. So THANK YOU Jack! 🥰❤️🙏🏻 #HOLDFAST
Another "again" was the assassination attempt.
Me, too, Elizabeth!
Passed the full moon, spring comes in with extreme weather, it’s all a feeling of shifting tides of humanity
Churchill said it best..."This is not the end, it is not even the beginning of the end, but it is perhaps, the end of the beginning."
Does it feel like things are under more stress? Yes. Does it feel like things are shifting? Yes, but... I've felt that for weeks now, though the magnitude of the shifts seems to be increasing.
I'd say in the past 2 weeks I have noticed a pronounced shift in the way my entire system is operating.
I'm not frightened, I'm not intimidated, and I'm not just crossing my fingers hoping for the best. I feel STRONGER!
I feel an internal strength and my body is telling me there's a reason for that.
I know what I'm supposed to do, I know who I'm supposed to be, and all of that means staying in touch with myself and the people around me.. fearlessly.
I think, for me, the shift came when when I noticed that anytime I hear something negative that spews from the mouth of the monster, I remember how the monster has consistently destroyed everything around him and thus created a void of curiosity.
Negativity has nothing to regenerate itself.... Only positivity can regenerate itself.
The monsters outrage and desperation has gotten SO loud and SO ignorant that is noticeable by even those who want to refuse to notice it that the end is nigh.
AND ...the old faithful trump signs have been removed from the old faithful trumpers in my hood.
The Iran War, the fight with Pope Leo XIV, and the rising prices, especially for gas, has created a shift that cannot return.
I feel lighter!
Thanks, Jack.
Yes, I’ve been feeling the shifting. I’d say it started shortly after the Iran War started and the Iranians shut down the Strait of Hormuz. Duh!
What did anyone with something more than a pea-brain think was going to happen?
A lot of reporting I’ve read states Trump & Co are freaked out about poll numbers and the bloodbath waiting for them in November. I wonder how much of that played into the SCOTUS decision to eviscerate the VRA.
Not saying POTUS and SCOTUS are in cahoots—although you never know… Just that the corrupt SCOTUS wing might be feeling threatened.
That action had the feel of desperation to me. People taking extreme actions to stave off the inevitable.
Since my splat has been within the last two weeks, I have to say YES. Thank you for naming it, Jack.
It appears my body knows first & then the rest of me catches up.
I’ve been noting things and going hmmm. The UAE pulling out of OPEC, the troop withdrawals (and threats of more) and just today I ran across a small article about Putin and how he appears increasingly isolated, suspicious of a potential internal coup are examples.
We are certainly living in interesting times and I, for one, am most happy to have Jack as a guide and mentor while traversing the insanity. 👍🪷
Thank you for this. I feel a shift. Hoping people pay attention!!
I said to my husband that Trump pulling troops out of Germany was a signal of some real stress. Then last night Trump made one of his market manipulation tweets about "good conversations" with Iran. Brent crude futures closed up, not down. There are no reported windfalls so far.
I never underestimate the power of Marco Rubio to make any situation worse. Additionally, the Pope appointed a former undocumented immigrant and TPS El Salvadoran as Archbishop of West Virginia. That's a move that probably caused Trump to melt down into an apoplectic rage that went on for hours. I'm waiting for Trump to order Rubio to revoke his naturalization. Those cracks in the dam are getting bigger and the water isn't trickling out, it's a steady stream that's getting stronger.
The fat's in the fire Jack! and it's out of control. It's past time to remove the orange felon; he has single handedly put our nation at risk and set our nation forth upon a path of economic suicide and isolation...
Really well analyzed. If I had to add anything it would be the breaking point will be when soldiers and sailors begin coming home in body bags. Republican office holders will realize, finally, that supporting Trump is a death sentence for their political careers. When that happens we may even see J.D. Vance speak out against Trump. I also would't be surprised to see Suzy Wyles speak out.
The danger at that point will be Trump as a terminally wounded animal. Jack's sequence will really accelerate then.